Chapter Text
When the door to the supply room hissed open, Korvo was greeted by Yumyulack piercing a glare through him, eyes nearly glowing in the dim light. He flinched away from the pain. Though the youngster was well restrained, the door closing behind him felt a bit like being trapped in a cage with a bloodthirsty hound. When the florescent light flickered just right, he could make out rope shaped imprints on the kid’s wrists. His skin had been rubbed raw by a recent escape attempt. Before Korvo could clear his throat of apprehension, Yumyulack spoke.
“What did you do to Jesse?”
Ah, they finally had a name for her. ‘The girl’ was getting to be too clinical.
“Her illness is being treated. Don’t worry, her condition is stable.” He neglected to mention that the crew members assigned to treating her weren’t medically trained, nor had Jesse woken up yet. The tiniest bit of tension left the boy’s shoulders, but his fierce expression never faltered.
“Please let me introduce myself. My name is Korvotron, number 863-“
“Our numbers don’t matter anymore. In case you haven’t noticed, there aren’t any leaders left to call them out.” Yumyulack interrupted. Korvo took pause, mouth agape as though it was the first time he was finding out. Of course it wasn’t, but he was forced to blink away a mist in his eyes anyway. Yumyulack nearly smiled. Such a demeanor betrayed what he had thought about Korvo since their first encounter. He was a spineless man, too unused to conflict to make good use of the hostage in his arms.
“Anyway, I know who you are.” He nodded towards the leg that nearly cost him his life. Korvo felt that cold nausea take him over once again.
“O-oh…”
Okay, now he couldn’t help the smirk taking over his expression. There was a humor in a man’s hateful expression shifting to regret once the weight of his bullets settled.
“Heh. Were you hoping I’d forget? Sorry, guess I didn’t lose enough blood.”
Despite opening his mouth, not a sound came out. Not that it mattered when Korvo didn’t know what he could say in the first place. The longer he stood there the more he shrunk, collapsing in on himself. His eyes cast down at the floor as if he were a sprout again, cowering under the critical glare of a professor. Yumyulack could have spit in his direction. The nerve of a grown man to be so sheltered under their circumstances. He remembered the first time someone had put a ray gun into his hands. The energy crystal powering it made the plastic casing run hot against his bare palms. His mind had begun to run wild with fantasies of an adventurous career, made all the stronger when he lifted his sturdy weapon towards the ceiling. His tiny finger wrapped around the trigger and inspired an invulnerability in him. But he remembered most of all what his professor told him next -
“When you shoot it you must always be sure, and never mind what follows. If there’s even a single seed of regret after the fact, you were never good enough to pull the trigger.”
He could smell it from the beginning. Korvo wasn’t good enough. Not to survive the apocalypse, not to avenge his friend, and not to live with the consequences of his impulsive choice.
“So, did you need something or did you just come to chat?” Yumyulack asked.
“… I was sent to check on you. That’s all.”
“In that case bring me some water. You guys suck at hydrating your kidnapping victims.”
Korvo nodded and turned to go. As the door swished shut he looked back just for a split second. He couldn’t explain why - maybe some sick part of him felt he deserved the turmoil brought on by Yumyulack’s face, desaturated by the low lighting of the storage closet. Pale and lifeless as the nearly dead replicant who haunted his dreams since he’d carried him out of the ruins.
———
It was cold. Then hot. Then cold again. Jesse’s eyes opened slowly, sticky with sleep. A muted weight lay over her body.
“Ohhh…” Her voice came out raspy. The dryness in her throat was the only indication she had regained consciousness and yet she could not get her wits about her enough to get up. An unfamiliar metal ceiling blanketed her vision, rather than the smoke fill d sky she was used to. Vivid images of dirt and marble, stained by Yumyulack’s blood rushed, and she sat up with a gasp. Tried to, anyway. Her muscles were weak. With illness or disuse she wasn’t sure, since she had no idea how long she’d been out.
She looked all around but her travel buddy was nowhere to be found. Peculiar, since he was in as bad a shape as she was. Shouldn’t he be in the medbay too?
‘Did he die?’ she wondered, horrified. A loud snore from the corner of the room jostled her. The very same Shlorpian Yumyulack had shot at was sitting beside the door, presumably acting as a guard. Though he wasn’t doing too good a job considering he was fast asleep. Jesse sighed quietly. She wasn’t quite sure what to think of her situation. These aliens had saved her, sure, but for what purpose? Yumyulack’s absence was an ominous sign.
A fat, gelatinous creature slithered up the bed post from seemingly nowhere. Jesse flinched at its sudden appearance. It sat at the foot of the bed for a moment just staring at her blankly, its blinking out of sync. Jesse watched, wondering just what this thing was, until it crawled towards her, and then laid down on her lap, face up. She stared with confusion until it reached out to her, expression unchanging.
“Are you… asking for a belly rub?”
It was silent still.
Tentatively she patted its tummy, and finally it smiled, humming peacefully at the feeling. The tension left her shoulders and she sighed with relief.
‘What a weird place…’
The creature reached its pudgy little hands out.
“What do you want, little fella?”
She followed its gaze to the table beside her bed. The sight of Yumyulack’s vest projected violent memories into her mind’s eye, and she could smell the blood and gore all over again. For a moment she was so frozen with turmoil that she almost let the creature get hold of the weapon, but at the last minute snatched it up in her arms.
“No! Don’t touch that okay?”
It flinched at the sudden shouting. Though it still did not speak, it did cower away from her. The useless guard’s eyes fluttered open for the briefest of seconds, and Jesse fringed at her loss of control. But he soon fell back into a snoring sleep.
She sighed with relief. Of course she felt bad about scaring the cute little slug thing, but there were bigger problems on her mind. Namely that she desperately needed to get away from this place.
With considerable effort she slipped out of bed and onto the floor, shuddering under her body’s full weight. The replicant hobbled past her captor, footsteps loud and clunky, something she couldn’t help with her limited movements. She could only thank whatever Gray Gods might be watching over her that he was too heavy a sleeper to notice, and pray she could navigate the winding halls of the ship.
——
Gooblers shot out from Korvo’s scalp in every direction. Just what the fuck was that display? He was given a mission and he utterly failed it. He felt like such a coward to not even be able to face down a child, especially given what was at stake.
“Stupid piece of shit, Vanbo could be back any day now. What do you think will happen when-“
He rounded the corner and collided with Jesse, who was knocked roughly to the floor. She groaned in pain, holding herself tight while Korvo just stared down at her uselessly. The girl gasped up at him, unsure whether to curl up in a ball or try in vain to run.
“Oh, uh, I didn’t realize you’d woken up.” Korvo said. There was an awkward silence between them, during which Korvo realized Jesse was still lying there because she wasn’t strong enough to stand up on her own. Gently as he could he lifted her into her feet, cringing at the way she tensed under his touch. Not that he blamed her, they had never met under very friendly circumstances, especially not on his part. Jesse leaned against the wall after he let go of her, head spinning with illness. “Shouldn’t you be with Terry?”
“I promise I wasn’t running away or stealing or anything. I just need to find Yumyulack.”
Aha, a second name to complete the set. Korvo thought about it - Yumyulack. Originating from the ancient texts themselves, it had an antiquated quality that fit someone from his generation much more than a rowdy, young bounty hunter.
“You can’t see him right now.”
Jesse’s eyes grew wide with concern.
“Why?”
“We have… negotiations to make first.”
“Negotiations? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Korvo’s pupils darted around nervously. He got the feeling he’d already said more than he should have.
“It’s nothing you should worry yourself with. Things are going… well. I’m sure it won’t be long now.”
“So when can I see him?”
“Soon.”
Before Korvo’s self hatred could be inflated by yet another promise he couldn’t maintain, Terry and Terri rushed down the hall, Pupa in tow. It smiled and laughed as it chased them, like they were playing tag.
“God dammit Terry, I give you one job! One simple job!”
“I couldn’t help it, I was tired!”
The pair skidded to a stop at the sight of Jesse, relieved that she hadn’t gotten that far after all. She flinched away from their presence but that didn’t stop Terry from grabbing the collar of her robe.
“Gotcha! Phew, told ya I could find her. And you were making such a big deal out of it!”
Terri rolled her eyes, both at her ex’s stupidity and his tactless handling of the young girl. Some things never changed, it seems.
“You’re still sick. You need to return to the medbay.” she said.
“No!” Jesse tried to pull away, though she couldn’t match Terry’s strength. “I don’t want to!”
“Why not?”
Jesse swallowed. Her defiance was instinctual - she couldn’t explain her aversion to that room. Not to these people. Not after what she’d done.
“I understand. You came very close to dying - I’m sure the medbay brings up bad memories.” Korvo suggested.
“Uh… yeah, exactly.” Jesse replied. She scanned over everyone slowly, searching for signs of suspicion.
The adults shared a look. Terri’s of pity, Korvo’s of guilt like usual, and Terry’s of annoyance over having to be involved with this situation at all.
“Well, you’ll just have to grow some coconuts and get over it.” Terry said, and began to pull Jesse back in the direction of the medbay. The girl whimpered and squirmed, but once again her illness was too much to break free of an adult Shlorpian’s grasp. Her effort was so much that she began to cough again.
“My Gods, Terry! Have some sympathy.” Terri scolded, and grabbed hold of his wrists.
“What? There are worse things than sleeping in a room that makes you a little sad. Apocalypse outside, remember? And anyway it’s not like there’s room for her anywhere else.”
The ex’s were about to launch into arguing when Korvo spoke up.
“She can have my bed.”
“I can?”
“Korvo, are you sure?” Terri asked. “What about you?”
“I’ll trade with her. Or use my work station. It doesn’t matter either way, I have a lot of work to do. Sleeping is the last thing on my mind recently…”
“Woah, didn’t peg you as a replicant guy.” Terry said. Jesse growled and tried again to escape his hands, to which Korvo lifted her in his arms. Though it was not much more reassuring than being manhandled by Terry, Jesse’s aching feet appreciated the assistance. After so long of being out of bed that weight was coming back.
“Well, if you two are okay with it…” She shot an accusatory look towards Terry. “Vanbo overestimated your bedside manner anyway.” The would be replicant sitter stuck his tongue out at her.
Korvo carried Jesse down to his quarters. The space was cramped and lightless, just wide enough to fit a twin mattress with a one foot border to walk around it. Jesse presumed it was once some kind of storage room, hastily converted to sleeping quarters. Korvo laid her down on the bed and picked through the bag of supplies he’d picked up from the medbay.
“Take this.” Korvo handed her a pill and container of water. Jesse popped it into her mouth and winced at the acrid flavor melting over her tongue. She gulped down the water at once, both desperate to be rid of the taste and thirsty as all Hell.
“I’ll check on you later. For now you should get some rest.”
“Thank you.” Jesse said quietly.
Korvo didn’t reply. He stared down at the floor and froze up for a moment, as of considering what to say. But in the end he shuffled out the door, leaving her under the cover of darkness.
Alone, Jesse stared up at the tall ceiling. Before the door closed, stealing the light from her vision, Jesse had noted the smooth, shiny metal. Though it was far from the most elegant space she’d ever occupied, it was more than the ruined architecture and open sky she had become used to since the disaster. She lay in a soft bed, sacrificed to her by the very same people she’d stolen a crew member from. Phantom scents of iron wafted over her.
Jesse’s eyes stung with tears. When she was better, she decided, she would go out and search for supplies. Something to make her useful. Repent for what she’d stolen.
———
Korvo rapped at Terry’s door. There was already a knowing grin on his face when it opened. He knew the pattern of Korvo’s knock better than his own number.
“Hey there, working man. Late night?”
“Terry, can I come in? I have to ask a favor.”
The door shut behind them. Terry laid back on the bed, expecting Korvo to follow him like usual, but the repairman sat at the foot of the bed solemnly.
“What’s up, man?”
“The boy… I went to speak with him, but…”
“Ahhh. Said no, huh?” Terry scooted forward to meet Korvo, and laid a hand on his back. “It’s okay, there wasn’t much you could have done to convince him. Kid’s a psycho.”
“No, that’s just it, Terry! I - I couldn’t even ask him! I was too scared!”
“Scared? Why?”
Korvo laid his head in his hands.
“I can’t face him, not after what I did. I nearly killed someone! A replicant! What the fuck is wrong with me?”
Terry wrapped him in a soothing embrace.
“Heyyy, it’s okay big guy. You did what you had to. You were just protecting me, right?”
“No, I didn’t have to do that. It wouldn’t have changed what already happened. I just lost my temper.” Korvo pulled away from the hug with a pleading look on his face. “Will you ask him for me?”
“You want me to do what?”
“You’re the only one I can ask.”
“This has to be a joke. Why would I want him on this team after what he did to me?”
“Because Vanbo will execute him if he doesn’t comply!”
“Who cares?”
“Terry, would you stop being so-“
“So what? Fuck, Korvo, I thought you would have been a little more on my side. First you nurse the little shit back to health, then you wanna work with him, and now you want me of all people to make it happen. I expect to be ignored by the other assholes on this ship, but don’t you at least care about me? We’re supposed to be friends.”
“I-I know I’m being horribly selfish, and this whole thing is all my fault, but I need help! I couldn’t live with myself if someone died on my account! Please, Terry! Please!”
Korvo’s body was wracked with sobbing. He curled up on the bed, pathetic and smaller than ever. Terry shifted uneasily. Despite the lack of light he could imagine his companion’s distraught expression vividly, and it was enough to distract from his own sense of hurt.
“Ugggh, okay, okay, relax. I’ll talk to the kid tomorrow.”
“Really?” Korvo sniffled. “You will?”
“Yeah…” Terry sighed, already regretting this.
“And you promise you won’t just pretend and say you did? You’ll really try?”
“Yes, geeze. Just don’t expect much - we still don’t know if he’d actually go along with something like that.”
Korvo dried his cheeks and lunged forward in a tight hug.
“Thank you Terry, you’re a lifesaver.” He couldn’t help leaning into Korvo’s touch despite his frustrations. He laughed quietly.
“You’re a dangerous guy, Korvo.”
“Wh-why, what do you mean?
“You pull that face and you could get me to do damn near anything you wanted.”
“Oh, I see.”
“So…” Terry caressed Korvo’s warm palm with the pad of his thumb. “Was there something else you wanted?”