Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You were never supposed to be here. You don't belong here. A lowly researcher on the famous Marionne ship is quite a sight to see in this capitalist world. How did you get on? Simple.

You fucked your way on.

It was humiliating but it kept you afloat. It keeps them afloat. You’ve done many things over the years that people like Micheal would give you the side eye for, begging, prostitution, robbery. But they don’t understand how hard it was for someone like you to rise through the ranks. Someone like Micheal could become captain in a year if he was on good behavior. Even on your best behavior it took you years to get one promotion from a janitor to a low-level researcher.

You’ve been on the hunt for a better gig for a while when you overheard about the latest news. Fazco was sending one of their ships to help Alterra at the Ariadne Arm. They would need every available person on this trip, given the project would take a few years and a few lives (as stated in the long twisting contract).

After countless annoying emails and voice calls and services to your supervisor, you were allowed to join the crew. Your mission was simple: go to the research facility and steal/document new species that could be used for Fazco’s benefit.
With tearful goodbyes and a promise to return, you boarded the ship, leaving behind Cassie and Gregory in the care of Fazco Company as you rocketed off into space. They’ll be fine, you thought, Fazco will pay for their education while I’m away and keep them fed. I’m not abandoning them, I’m keeping them safe. But your heart twisted all the same.

The trip was longer than what you’re used to, as the Ariadne Arm was on the other side of the galaxy from your home land, Colony Bonnie-33. You mostly stayed in your cabin that you shared with your close friend Mizuko, talking away the hours as you planned for your heist. All of the employees knew how shady their company was and kept silent on the more dark aspects of it. Easier for people like you to do your work that way.

You had started explaining evolutionary trees for the third time when alarm bells started ringing, screeching at you that something was wrong. You and Mizuko shared a panicked look, the steward throwing himself off his bed to dress himself in his battle gear. “Mizu, what’s going on?” Your raised voice was barely heard above the loud sirens, the sounds of screaming sounding outside your cabin. He didn’t answer, instead grabbing your arm and tugging you with him into the hallway. The area was filled with people running up and down the halls, some even parkouring up the sides to get to their stations faster. “Mizuko!” You screamed, tugging him backward. “I need to go to my station!” Mizuko glanced back, a panicked look in his eye.

“But-”

“Love, it’s okay.” You squeezed his hand, feeling sweat start to wetten his palm. “I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” He let out a worried sigh, leaning forward to kiss your forehead before letting you go, sprinting to the front of the ship.
Turning around, you weaved through the crowd to the small research lab, elbowing your way to the door. Slipping inside, you could see your two other researchers, Suhail and Akira, frantically trying to activate the emergency systems by pressing every button they could see. “NO, guys stop it!” You ran over, shoving Suhail out of the way as he activated the Kill button, leaking toxic gas into the rabbit chamber. “Fuck fuck FUCK!” Pressing the stop button, you tried undoing the damage the two of them did, feeling them press into your back and shake in fear.

Blocking out the dying noises of the rabbits, you were able to successfully put the rest of the small animals to sleep, activating their cage’s defense shells before switching to emergency power. The Marionette was made in a time where safety was not its main priority and power had to constantly be rerouted to different parts of the ship for different parts to be able to function.

Twisting around, you snarled at your coworkers, seeing Akira rip at her forearms and Suhail wrapping his arms around your waist. “What the FUCK was that guys?! Did you forget all the training we did for this? God…..” You took a deep breath, trying to calm your anger when all of a sudden you felt weightless.

Your brain didn’t have the time to respond as it got thrown into the ceiling, your back collapsing with the lights in all the wrong places as your breath got kicked out of you. A loud BOOM echoed through the Marionette before multiple smaller explosions sounded off. Deafening ringing filled your ears as you got slammed into the side wall, sliding down to crash onto a cage. The cage came alive in sharp zaps of power, the electricity frying your nerves. You let out a scream but you couldn’t hear yourself, your body writhing in pain as you tried moving away. A hand yanked you over the cage, slamming your shoulder into the ground before dragging you a short ways away.

Your eyelids spasmed as you tried breathing, your breaths coming out short and erratic. The ringing started lessening but you wished it came back. Screams and shouts filled the air from all directions and you could feel the cold floor clawing at your skin. Someone was dragging you outside the room, hands under your armpits as they waddled away. Su…..hail? Wheres Eva? Didn’t she get thrown into the cages too? Blinking your swollen eyes open, you saw familiar faces run past you, sometimes stepping on your legs as they weaved throughout the ship. Your head lolled back, bumping into the person dragging you. It was Akira, with blood clogging her dyed white hair and staining her pale face. Her arms shook as she was dragging you, her orange and blue eyes set on something behind her. She glanced down, her eyes widening as she mouthed something.

“Wa….?” You muttered. She bit her lip, moving faster before dragging you into a room. It was dark and small, you couldn’t remember what room it could be. Akira pressed an arm on your back and under your legs, lifting you up and plopping you in a seat. A metal arm come down to rest on your chest, snuggly pressing you to the padding as Akira held your cheek.

“Mim…s..…er……..back soon.” Akira’s voice slowly came into your hearing range but you could only make out portions of words, barely watching the end of her sentence before she moved away, slipping out of the room. As the door slid shut the lights above flickered, letting you see what you had been left in.

A fatherly orange bear greeted you as you gazed around the room, seeing two seats in front of you at opposite ends of the round escape pod. A ladder stretched from floor to ceiling and an emergency locker was blotted to the floor.
Another explosion rocked the floor beneath you but you let out a crazed laugh. Akira had left you in an escape pod. I’m gonna live. Only if Akira gets back with Suhuil soon. Otherwise the pod won’t release at all and….. You shook your head, hissing at the pain it brought you.

It felt like forever while you waited, gazing out into the panicked hallway, seeing people claw and push others out of pods to save themselves. A few tried entering your pod but you kept the doors locked, straining to be a patch of white hair in the crowd. A loud overhead voice erupted to life, announcing hull integrity is approaching zero.

“The Marionette will detonate in 20….19….” People wailed, piling into pods by the dozen as they started auto ejecting. “No no NO NO! AKIRA! AKIRA HURRY YOUR ASS UP!” You shouted, fumbling hands trying to undo the metal arm around you. It kept firm, making you scream louder. “SUHAIL! AKIRA!”

A patch of white appeared at a distant corner, hunched over and dragging a red haired man. She looked up, gazing at you from across the room. “14…..13….” She moved faster, shoving away other people before leaning on your glass door, pushing a button. The door let out a whine, gears scraping each other before shifting back to their original position. Akira lifted Suhail, the two of them looking at you with a air of acceptance. Suhail smiled bitterly while Akira placed her palm on the glass. “8….7….”
“Say hello to your siblings for us.” Suhail grinned as he spoke, blood running down his nose as he too planted his hand on the glass.

“NO! WE CAN DIE TOGETHER JUST WAIT-” You broke down into sobs, hands clawing at your belt and flesh as you reached out towards them, close enough to see but not enough to touch. “5…4….”

The last thing you saw was them pressing a button and your head rocketing back to the seat, your last thought being, Please…..I can’t die yet.

Chapter Text

Pain.

That’s all you could feel for a moment.

You couldn’t tell whether you were awake or not, only that a dull thumping pain covered your whole body. You don’t know how long you were slumped in your seat, trying to open your eyes. Tears fell in rivers as you awoke, all the pain of your escaping flooding back. Akira….Suhail….They weren’t your best friends but they were people. People with dreams, hopes, families, lives that existed outside all of…..this.

Once you had cried out all your tears, you slowly shifted back into your seat, wincing at the pain that flared up on your hip. Those cages really messed me up badly. I hope this pod has a Med Kit.

Glancing around the pod, you could see Fredbear and his little minions smiling at you creepily but overwise the place looked intact. At least the pod you were on had someone who cared enough to make an intact pod. With aching bones and a heavy heart, you raised the metal arm of your seat, standing up.

A low whine escaped you as you stretched your abused legs before you froze. You were shaky, sure, but the pod felt like it shifted with you. You raised a leg, seeing the ground beneath you shift to lean to one side. You let out a yelp, slamming your foot down.

What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck. Where am I?

You touched the cold ladder, eyes slowly moving up to the glass panel above. A bright blue sky greeted you, a stark contract to your homeland’s diseased brown one. You are definitely not anywhere you know. Your heart started beating faster as a winged creature appeared in the glass, its small falcons tapping on the glass as it sat.

Wait a moment, Mimic, calm down. Calm….it’s okay, imagine you're in your safe space. You slid down to the floor, arms wrapping around your knees as you shook. You squeezed your eyes shut, remembering what it was like to lay in bed with your siblings, scrolling on Vanessa’s PDA while she cooked for you. The smell of her pancakes were there if you imagined hard enough. You breathed in and out, thoughts focused on calming yourself down as you pressed your body together tightly. Slowly, you came down from your panic, the weight still heavy in your chest but not suffocating.

Ok, let’s list what we know and need. We know the Marionette exploded. We know we’re in an escape pod, alone. We know there are supplies here somewhere. We need to figure out where we are and how to get back home. Keep it simple Montenegro. Go to the locker and grab what’s in there.

You groaned in pain as you approached the locker, kneeling down to open it. Carefully, you opened the lid to find a generous supply of energy bars, clean water, medpacks, a compass and various types of wetsuits and helmets and a standard O2 tank. Wetsuits? I thought there were no water planets on our route.

Taking the items out onto the floor, you brushed your hands deeper inside the box, feeling a slick texture. Jumping back, you pawed back into the box, bringing out an….Alterra PDA? Alterra? I thought Fazco would have outlawed all their equipment in our ships by now? Who would ever hide contraband in an escape pod?

“I swear….Micheal’s gonna kill me when I get back. ‘You’re gonna get yourself fired with all this Alterra bullshit!’ ” Your voice was crackly and rough as you spoke, the lack of hydration clear. Cracking open a bottle, you carefully took a sip before putting it away. You have no idea how long you would have to search for more water.

“You have suffered minor head and body trauma. This is considered an optimal outcome.” You let out a screech, jumping in your spot as you looked down at your lap to the talking PDA.

Letting out a breath, you sighed in embarrassment as the PDA continued. “This PDA has now rebooted in emergency mode with one directive: to keep you alive on an alien world. Please refer to the databank for detailed survival advice. Good luck.” You sat in silence for a moment, letting the words sink in.

You’re stuck on an alien world, alone and with a PDA that is definitely going to get you killed if you ever leave the planet.

Great.

Fantastic really.

No, you definitely voted for this to be your vacation.

After a good long while of rolling on the floor and freaking out (not long enough in your option) you decided to put on your big human (metaphorical) pants and go out of the escape pod. You changed into a wetsuit, hoping not to use it but wanting to be prepared.

Patting yourself down, you nervously messed with the hem of your company shirt, Fredbear’s wide grin not helping your mood.. Climbing the ladder, you opened the top door of the pod.

Salty air and the smell of fish hit your nose as you pulled yourself out of the pod, your breath caught in your throat. Water, in small quantities, was nothing special. It was a luxury for people on your planet but here it was the exact opposite.

It was everywhere.

It was vast and endless, kissing the sky in every direction. It shined a sparkly bright blue, the same color as Bonnie Blueberry Soda. The waves seemed to have a mind of its own, hitting the pod with gentle rhythm and seeming to have no set pattern. Looking to your left, you saw a giant spaceship with yellow stripes decaying in the sea, a memory of a forgotten crew.

This is a water planet?......Fuck. You sat in silence, watching the waves move as you drank it in. A part of you was terrified, you weren’t built for swimming nor were you built for underwater breathing. The other part was curious about the organisms you would find here and how deep the water went, a tingle running up your spine.

Squinting your eyes, you thought the model looked familiar. Fazco? No, not flashy enough. It’s very plain. Plain like….Alterra. Your stomach dropped as you thought about the lives lost, thinking back about Alterra news you had heard. You were never one for space political gossip, listening in on the occasional funny talk show was more than enough for you. All you knew was of the beef your two companies have and that Alterra has been ‘losing’ the colonization war.

Alterra and Fazco are the leading companies in space colonization, with the two producing the best (questionable) equipment, ships, and people to fly out into space and take over a new galaxy. Alterra has been the top dog of the space companies by far for so long but recently has had a string of losses in the sector containing a water planet, leading Fazco to try and ‘help them’. That was the reason Fazco sent you to go to the Ariadne Arm.

They may be the enemy but few deserve isolation on a water planet. You lowered your head in the direction of the ship, praying for the lost souls. After your prayer was done, you slipped back inside the pod, shedding all your clothes except for the wetsuit, tank, and your heirloom. Doing your hair up in a ponytail, you clipped the wolf heirloom at the base, wiggling it around to test it. Once you trusted its security, you let out a breath.

I don’t want to get in the sea….. Logically you knew you couldn’t stay in the pod forever. With how much food and water you had, you had at max three days before you ran out. But you’ve never been in a body of water this vast and this unknown. Baby steps. Just go outside and watch it. If anything bad happens, you can just go back inside. Plan in tow, you exited the pod.

You settled on the top of the pod, knees against your chest as you watched the waves. A few creatures kept popping up, mostly the aliens with one giant eye as their body and the one with blue lining its fins and orange ears on top of its ray-like body.

The sun was low in the sky when you settled on top of the pod but the further it climbed the hotter you got. Sweat poured from your hands and wetsuit, a slight burning sense coming from your head. You decided to crack open a Medkit, seeing as you felt shitty enough to warrant one.

After patching your wounds up you dropped the kit back in the pod, not wanting to litter. You glanced nervously at the water around you, the waves seeming to reach for you, struggling to climb the pod. “The waves aren’t alive dumbass.” You muttered to yourself, slipping down the pod. Your skin felt like it was on fire, making you think twice about wanting to stay on the frying pan of a pod.

Your leg dipped below the water, the pain fading as more of your body got submerged. Finally you were submerged to your neck, slipping on a helmet as you looked under you. “Please don’t kill me please don’t kill me...” You repeated before completely submerging yourself.

Blinking your eyes open, you let out a gasp at the sea around you. Little fish with huge eyeballs swam away from you quickly, while a giant green giant moved without a care in the world. It flicked its tail in your direction and green dots came out of its bulbous tail, pulsing.

I wish I had my notebook, I’ll never remember all of this…. Swimming slowly closer, you watched as the dots exploded, leaving a toxic green cloud behind as the creature moved without a care in the world. A small laugh left your mouth as you swam backward, sending the creature a large grin. What kind of chemicals are in its tail? If it explodes I bet it can be used for fuel of some sort.

“Oxygen.” You startled as the PDA’s voice echoed in your headset, suddenly all too aware of how dangerously low on oxygen you are. Kicking your legs, you broke the surface in no time, letting the tank fill back up on air while you pulled out the PDA. On the first tab there was a faint outline of a diver with empty holes next to certain body parts. On the left side there is my inventory and searching through the other tabs gives you a Voice Log, Beacon Manager, Blueprints, Photo Manager and a Databank. Going back to the inventory tab you see in the bottom left corner the text: Oxygen - 45 seconds. Next to the Oxygen was your vital signs, which appeared stable at the moment.

“Oh no. No no no no no, you gotta be kidding. They wouldn’t give us tanks with 45 seconds of breathing. There’s gotta be something right?” Clicking on Blueprints, you could see that you could make a High Captivity O2 tank if you went out to find some glass, titanium and silver ore. There’s rocks here? Oh right…..

Keeping a close eye on the fauna around you, you slowly inched your way away from the pod. The area you were in was split, with the left side being covered with some sort of red flora and the right being mostly sand and a few cavern entrances. You avoid the cave area, instead heading towards the weird plants.

This area was a bit higher than the other area, allowing you to easily refill your air tank, which you had to do an annoying amount of times. You found a cluster of colorful mushrooms,  red clusters of curled plants, plants with spiny rings around them and a plant that housed a yellow light inside it. You were enjoying the scenery when you heard it. A loud, angry screech that sounded way too close for comfort.

Snapping to attention, you let out a few bubbles as your head collided with a rocky outcrop. Rubbing it, you quickly swam to the surface, catching your breath before dipping back underwater. You couldn’t spot who was doing the roaring, as the sand isopods that kept trying to eat you didn’t have as skrill a call as this one.

I am making an executive decision. I am going the fuck home. You quickly started kicking back towards your pod, jumping at every creature you came across. Nearly crying at the sight of your eyesore of a pod, you slipped in through the bottom hatch, slumping on top of the locker. “Safe at last.” You sighed, stretching your arms high above you before putting away what you’ve found.

A few pieces of copper, a few of those mushrooms that burned your hands, a chunk of lead, some quartz, some silver and titanium. A good haul for someone so distracted by all the alien creatures around.

Speaking of…. The roaring has died down but it didn’t make you feel any safer. You kept feeling like something was watching you as you swam back to your pod, something that knew you weren’t supposed to be here. You pondered this as you stored the items you didn’t need right now, using the Fabricator to make yourself a High Capacity O2 Tank. It added another 90 seconds of oxygen, something so small that meant a whole lot to someone living on a planet like this.

Just as you strapped it to your back, something made you slam into the wall. The entire pod shifted as something banged on the metal exterior, the agonizing roar sounding out again. You let out an involuntary scream, dropping to the floor as the thing scratched and bit at your pod. The metal grinding in your ears nearly deafened you more than the howls, the creature seemingly annoyed at this thing in its territory.

“I HATE FISH!” You wailed as you clung to the ladder, feeling the pod get shifted around more before stopping. Heavy breathing sounded out, like it was inside with you. Tilting your head up you saw it. The alien had a wolf-like face, with its snout pulled back revealing its teeth as it snarled at you. A flick of green hair covered its face as its white hair clung to its fur, a green kelp wrapped around its chest. It raised a four fingered claw in the air before smacking it down on the glass, nearly breaking it. “NO NO NO NO! I NEED THIS POD!”

Were you talking to a fish? Yes you were but that’s all you could do, as you were clearly outmatched. Although you would only look at the alien’s torso, you could barely see its chest, suggesting that if you went outside you would see it dwarfing your pod in size alone.

It laid a giant hand on the glass, scowling as it clawed at the edges. Luckily it autolocked and could only be opened by a Fazco employee, so unless the alien broke the glass and reached in you wouldn’t be injured. But it knows damn well to go for the glass. It could easily break it and with its strength try and drown me by pulling it down.

Looking around the room, you found that you had no weapons and no other escape route but down. Going outside means it will kill me…..but stays in here means drowning. Both options suck but hopefully it will follow me away from the pod if I leave.

With trembling limbs and wet pants, you exited the pod. The creature immediately let go of the pod, sending it flying back into the air as you swam down. Its howl rang in your ears and you looked around. The area was mostly open with the few cave entrances being near you.

Without a second thought you blotted for the cave, hearing the creature snap its jaws behind you. You were only able to get a few yards before it caught you, its long fingers wrapping around your stomach, sharp nails digging into you as it pulled you back. You slammed a hand on your helmet, trying to conserve air as it squeezed you.

“You!” The creature snarled, its voice muffled by the water. You stared up at the alien, seeing it tower above you. Half of its body was flat like the sand isopods but the other half was upright like a human. It easily was twice your size, its teeth big enough to match your forearm. “What are you doing in my territory?”

It speaks? IT SPEAKS? OH MY GODS IS IT SENITENT? Your little scientist mind was racing like a hamster in a circle, your breath becoming labored as you shook with fear and curiosity. The alien gave you a sharp snarl, breaking you out of your thoughts. “Speak.”

“I! Uh, I d-didn’t mean to crash here. M-my ship got shot down and I landed here by accident. I don’t mean to overstep, I-I can leave if you want me to!” You stuttered out an answer, amazed at the absolute beast in front of you. This could lead to so many scientific advancements! Maybe by using its voice box we can make a translator for future alien ambassadors! O-or we can use it to find other creatures on this planet! Your body shook so hard you almost vibrated out of its hand.

It scoffed at you, shaking you from side to side. “So you’re the one throwing metal down here?”

“NO!” At the glare it set you, you quieted down considerably. “No, I work for the people who do that.”

“Coral, corral. It’s basically the same thing. You’ve been the one poisoning our land and darkening our skies.” It squeezed you harder, causing you to gasp and wiggle as it lowered its voice. “Troublemakers must be punished.”

“WAIT!” Your mind raced as you thought of an excuse, anything to save you. “I can do you favors! I can give you information!”

It laughed, low and cruel. “You think I care about you flapping your little gills away? Nothing you will say will take away the pain you’ve caused me by being alive.”

“You’re absolutely right. It won’t. But it can help you survive better.” Your ribs felt like they were gonna collapse on themselves and you wheezed, tapping its claws. “I can tell you how to clean it. How to make it safe. I can also tell you who is responsible.” You felt lightheaded, the restriction of your chest and low O2 making you feel strangely light. You coughed, lungs spasming as you slurred your words. “You’ll never get this information if you kill me. I’m the only one who knows it.”

From behind your blurry vision you could see the creature frown, moving to cause a stir in the sand. After a few agonizing seconds it bitterly laughed, releasing you. “Fine. You live today.” You shot up the surface, hearing it faintly follow you.

As your head broke the surface you coughed, your lungs gulping in mouthfuls of air as you greedily breathed. Guess I’ll have to get used to that. The isopod emerged beside you, its little legs kicking wildly as it tried staying afloat.

“You breathe air?” It scowled at you, its hair slicked back against its skull

“I know. Very unfortunate.” You sighed, treading water as you looked at the sky. The sun was much lower in the sky but still present, slowly dipping towards the horizon. “Back on my planet all we have is oxygen and land. Here, it’s a curse.”

“All land? Ugh.” The creature stuck out its tongue like a child, the tongue being long and purple. It grabbed at your foot and you started, yanking it out of its hand and snarling. It snarled back louder, splashing at you. “Shut it. I was just making you move faster.”

“You can just talk to me. Don’t drag me like a child.” You tried your hardest not to crumble at the fury in its eyes, seeing it drag its tongue over its teeth like it was wondering how you taste. Good thing I pissed myself earlier.

It snorted, diving back underwater with a sarcastic drawl, “Oh Reginald this is gonna be fun.”

You quietly cursed the creature out, following after it as it crawled on the sea bed. It moved a lot like the sand isopodes, crawling when nonthreatened but wildly moving from side to side to traverse large areas. It kept to the edge of the red fauna area, rubbing against rocks and flora as it went.

Occasionally its hand darted out to grab a passing fish to eat, its large mouth gulping it down in one bite. “Talk.” You shivered as it broke the silence, the creature eyeing a patch of kelp before moving on.

“About what?”

It twisted its upper half towards you, flicking a talon at your side. As you growled it narrowed its eyes at you. “The metal race you said you could talk about.” Thinking back on your interaction you let out an oh, remembering your plee. Drifting back up to the surface, you thought over what you would say. It’s not like I have anything to hide but…..I don’t want to tell it everything. Someday maybe Fazco will find me here and if they find out I talked, even to a creature…..Cassie and Gregory would be killed.

Head popping out of the water, you let the tank hiss in new air as you pondered. This is ridiculous. I’m worried over what I’m going to say to a fish. I need to get off this planet before I lose more of my sanity.

It was still on patrol when you lowered yourself but way farther than you remember. It took you even longer to reach it then before, earning you after a swat of its claws. “I would have come sooner if you weren’t moving all the time!” You defended yourself, seeing the titan scoff.

“Excuses.”

“They’re not excuses, they’re reasons! I’m not making for this type of world.”

“Tough barnacles pup. You’ll have to grow thicker skin to live in my Dunes. Now, get to talking. Who are the metal people?” You tried to both keep up with it and not drown, having trouble as everytime you went up for air the alien acted like you were backing out of your deal. Eventually it started joining you as you had to resurface so you wouldn’t run off.

“Well, the metal people are not just a group of people. It’s multiple groups of people. Mostly it’s the Fazco Company and Alterra.” The isopod tried saying their names, their tongue flashing in the light as they spoke. “Fazco and Alterra are…..how do I say work places………….. ..uuh…..not tribes……well maybe you could classify them as tribes….”

“Tribes? You mean pods?” You shrugged at its suggestion, seeing it glare into the abyss at your action.

“Kinda. Everyone works together but they’re only in it for the money. An exchange of labor for material goods. And it’s not a family based unit either. Do you understand?”

“Of course I do!” It twitched its tail, speeding ahead of you in its fit of anger.

“Explain to me the ‘metal people’ then.” You called out, stopping in the water. It kept moving further from you, grumbling under its breath before roaring, “COME ON!” at you.

You definitely did not scramble to join it before it ripped you apart.

The silence was tense as the two of you swam, the fish no longer joining you when you resurfaced and going back to glowering at you. It seemed to have finished its patrol late afternoon as it stopped under a rocky outcrop, settling into the sand to rest. You busied yourself with tricks in the water, never taking your eyes off of it as it seemed to calm down from anger to hidden embarrassment.

It sighed before grumbling, “Metal people are evil pods.” Perking up at their voice, you turned to face them, moving to grab at a rock beneath you.

“You’re right. These pods are made up of various people coming together to work on a bigger project. At the current moment, that project is space travel, something humans have been trying to explore for centuries now. Fazco and Alterra are leaders in this field but both of them are pretty shit at cleaning up the messier parts of the job.

They frequently tend to push out ships that are easily breakable, leading to all the metal you see in the ocean.” You waved around the two of you, spotting a chunk of ship off in the distance. Most of the Dunes (yes you were that lazy to name it after sand) were covered in debris and there were pockets of poisonous liquid you guys had found on its patrol.

The purple-eyed beauty snarled, claws digging into the soft sand below as you swam backward, not liking how it eyed your form. “But I have technology to fix it! Bring me pieces of scrap metal and I can turn them into titanium with my pod-uh den! In my den!”

Cocking its head, it paused its movements, looking you up and down. “....What?”

“What you see out there isn’t its original form. It’s melted down rocks and other material. With my fabricator I can separate the materials back into rock. It won’t work for the bigger wrecks though…..I’ll need to find blueprints sometime.” You muttered under your breath as you looked at the wreck in the distance, seeing the sharp teeth of its mangled body poke into the sea floor.

“What are you waiting for? Go fix it!” It burst out of its bed of sand, hands roughly pushing you towards the wreck.

“I JUST TOLD YOU IT DOESN’T WORK ON BIGGER WRECKS!” You wiggled out of its grasp, seeing it continue forward until it severed into the sand, not seeming bothered about the impact. It was bothered by your action though as it slithered up to you with a growl.

Its hand wrapped around your torso again as it spat, “Look, I don’t have time for any of this alien Crashfish. My mate and I are going to be trying for pups soon but if she isn’t safe enough we’ll have gone another season without kids. I am not letting some small fry like you stop me from pleasing her. So either it’s you work until you drop or I eat you right now.”

Oh shit. THAT’S why its been so aggressive with me helping. No wonder it tried to kill me earlier, if its mate was around in a vulnerable state it would have killed anyone. Like you right now.

Grunting in pain, you raised a hand to stop its approach, the other wiggling its way between your body and the deadly claws surrounding it. “WAIT! I’m not asking I won’t help, I’m saying that I can’t help. You see my swimming, my need for air. I’m of no use to you if I don’t get my diving gear. Just let me get it and I will help you and your mate. Please, I swear on my siblings I will help you.” Snot filled your nose as you thought of your siblings, the thought of dying on a planet so far away from them aching your heart.

It let out a frustrated howl, moving side to side before throwing you away, rubbing its hands on its scales. You went flying, bubbles surrounding your vision as you tried flailing around for balance. Reaching above your head, you dug your hands into the sand to stop you, feeling something sharp cut your left hand as you stopped.

Letting out a low whine, you retracted your hands, drifting to an upright position with your hand close to your chest. Gazing up, you saw the alien flick its tail in disgust, eyes full with revulsion as it watched your red blood mix with the salt water. “Go home Pup before I lose my patience.”

Turning around, you swam away from it, not caring where you would end up. When you felt safe enough to glance back, you could no longer see where the creature was, leaving you out alone in the fading daylight.

It took you awhile to get back to your pod, as once darkness hits the planet the water seemed to go pitch black. Eventually you were able to find it with the help of your PDA, climbing into the cold dark metal haven you now call home and shutting out the weird creatures that roamed the sea.

You had no idea how you would get out of this deal with this siren of a creature. You don’t want to hurt this planet, hell if you know what was happening you would have done something about it. But you didn’t want to die if the siren deemed you of no use to it after making a secure nest for its mate.

What will you do?

You still have no tools, no blueprints, no bitches.

Laying on the floor you made a promise to yourself. You were getting out of this deal somehow. Maybe if you talked to its mate it could convince its partner to let you go? As you thought your eyes slowly started to dip, your breathing evening out as you slipped into sleep.

Chapter Text

Roxy watched as the strange alien awkwardly swam away from her, its two fins kicking to move itself away from her. A way to solve the metal? She chattered her teeth, sending pods of Peepers scattering from her area as she moved to the boundary line between her and her mate’s domains.

This was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She had noticed her mate becoming depressed as more seasons had gone by with no pups, even chasing Roxy out of her territory in the last heat. Normally she’d be all over her but the stress of the falling metal seemed to finally be getting to her. I told her she needed to move out of the Stalker region. They bring too much of the debris around for the area to be safe for nesting. But nooooooo, they’re her friends and she can’t abandon them like that. The half Sand Shark let out a huff, the gills on her neck flapping in the current as she moved.

“Chica?” Roxy slowed her pace, crawling on top of a hill to stand on the sea grass. “My kelp, it’s me. I have news.” She snarled at a Stalker approaching her, patting it away before it could bite her. Stalker bites never lasted long on her exoskeleton but they left an indent, enough to annoy her. Gazing around the forest, she moved deeper, mind churning on the interaction with the ‘human.’

They’re a problem. They may be useful now but if I let them stay they may cause trouble for us. I can’t let that happen. Maybe I could leave them at the Outskirts and let a ghost leviathan get them. Maybe DJ could help me. Roxy brushed aside the flowing creepvine, clicking her tongue. No. They could easily escape him. Freddy? He’d be too interested in them to kill them. Moon? Her whole body shivered. No. Monty? Yeah, he could work.

A scent hit her snout, her tense frown shaping into a soft smile. “My shark?” Her mate’s crisp, high pitched voice sounded out, her pink form appearing from the green undergrowth. Chica’s eyes lit up when she saw her, her body swaying from side to side as she swam toward her. “What are you doing here so late?”

“I have some news to share, my kelp.”

“News? I thought you said you wanted out of the news after the Copper incident.” Chica giggled, her beak pressing against Roxy’s snout. Roxy’s tongue darted out to caress hers, leaning into the kiss before pulling back.

“Chica, it’s serious.”

“Everything is so serious with you Roxy. But fine~.” Chica dramatically draped herself over a rock, hands holding her head as she watched Roxy. “Tell me.”

“You remember how yesterday another metal thing fell down?” She nodded, leaning closer. “One of its eggs ended up in my Dunes. It hatched and seemed to contain a fully-grown alien. It had two fins and a giant shell on its back filled with air that it needed to breathe. I know, right?” Roxy added as Chica flew off her rock, a gasp leaving her.

“AIR?! Oh the poor thing, they must be suffering here!”

“Chica! Its pod is the one creating all the debris! It's not poor and it doesn’t deserve your help.” Roxy growled, appalled by the fact her mate would be so weak hearted to the enemy.

Her love narrowed her purple eyes, flexible tail flicking behind her quickly as she spoke. “Just because they don’t deserve it doesn't mean I don’t feel bad. It’s a living creature, Roxanne.” Roxy flinched at her tone before straightening her back, trying to gain the upper hand on Chica.

“But-”

“I’m not arguing about this again.” Chica grabbed a peeper from an offering Stalker, rubbing its head in thanks. Roxy swallowed a noise of complaint as she ate, burying herself in what little sand the forest allowed. “Now, you said they hatched. What happened next?”

“I wasn’t there when it hatched but when I smelt it, I came over immediately. It retreated inside its egg after stealing from my Dunes and I kindly asked for it to talk to me.”

“So you tried sinking their egg?” The sea monkey dumped her now finished meal on the floor, the scavengers immediately hopping on it and dragging it away toward its tunnel system.

“A little. I know, I know, be nice to the neighbors and all but this is an intruder!” Roxy pouted at Chica, seeing her love move more rapidly through the kelp now that Roxy went off the handles again.

“Just keep going so my nagging is all in one go.” The shark frowned at her tone, dejectedly going on.

“It tried ignoring my calls for it to face me and even tried running away. Of course, I caught it with my excellent diving skills.” She drew a clawed hand through her white mane, the fur dimming in the setting sun. Chica deadpanned at her, her face aglow with the light from the creepvine seeds. “I was going to kill it when it offered to fix its mistakes. It would take full responsibility for its actions, clean up the planet, and make it better. Obviously it was lying to save its own scales so I had to rough it around a bit for it to be sure. I’ll be visiting it tomorrow on my patrol to make sure it does what it promised.”

Her lovers eyes snapped to hers, gills fanning out in shock as she took in what she was saying. Once she did she let out a series of squeals and chirps, speeding forward to nuzzle into Roxy’s cheek. “Are you kidding me?! A chance of our own pod?! Oh Roxanne!” Chica kissed all over her face, hands curling around her waist to deepen her affection. Roxy smirked, eagerly  indulging in her. “We need to fix it up the den! We need to move the den! There’s so much to get ready for, I need kelp, gel sacks, seeds….”

“Wait a moment dear.” Roxy tugged her wandering mate back to her, nuzzling her cheek. “I know this is exciting but I didn’t come over here just to tell you about the possibility of it helping. I need you to be prepared if it leaves my domain and tries to take over yours. It’s a weak species from what I could feel, just a stab to its-”

“Roxanne!” Chica pushed away from her, a growl erupting from her beak. “We’ve just found the one creature able to help us and you’re talking about how to murder it! I know how to defend my own territory, I’m not a guppy. I’ve swam the Dead Sea, I know what to do.

And why must we always be ready to fight every creature that we see?! They were probably taking those rocks because they needed it! You don’t even use rocks!”

“I use them for polishing and filing!” Her fur fluffed up as they argued, nearby Stalkers avoiding their area as they created violent waves. “I knew you would act like this! Poor little alien, all alone without its evil pod to survive!”

“I do not sound like that! And people are more than their pod Roxanne! What if they aren’t as bad as you think they are?”

“What if its worse?” Chica floated in place, glaring at Roxanne. “How would we deal with that? What if it calls its pod to us and wipe us out? What if it makes the static worse? What if it kills us?”

“But what if they’re just trying to survive? What if you kill the only alien that could ever help us? I get why you’re scared–-don’t deny it.” Roxy closed her bared mouth. “But I can deal with the possibility of an alien pod coming to wage war. I can deal with an aggressive new neighbor. Depths, I can deal with them just surviving and not helping us. But I can’t deal with the idea of killing the only person that could help us. If you want to take that chance…..” Chica let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t even know what I’d do.

So sleep on it Roxanne. Don’t make any rash decisions.” Before Roxy could say anything Chica swam off into the forest. Roxy jolted up, crawling after her but she quickly lost her, legs getting stuck in the kelp and the narrow bends scratching her shell.

Letting out a cry of anger, Roxy slashed at the kelp and ground as she went back to her Dunes, scowling at the sea like it was that damned human. I can’t let it just wander around! Chica doesn’t understand what it could do, it doesn’t matter that she crossed the Dead Sea, she had DJ for that!

If she won’t stay away from it, it needs to stay away from her. Roxy slipped into one of the entrances into her den, swatting away prey that had wandered in. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll threaten it. It would definitely stay away from Chica’s area if I intimidate it enough. She slumped into her nest, the faint scent of Chica wafting to her snout.

How do I fix this? It was bad enough without the human going in and stirring up a fuss. I could hunt for her, maybe chase away a predator? No, she’ll think I underestimate her. For the rest of the night Roxy brainstormed ideas to woo Chica, trying to ignore the thought in the back of her skull that told her she was wrong.

Why would she be wrong? She’s Roxy.

Chapter Text

When you awoke you thought you were back home.

For a split second you thought you were on your cramped bed of three, your little sister tucked under your arm as your little brother slumped against the baseboard, still on guard even after all these years off the streets. You were going to wrap your arms around his waist as usual, whisper to him that it was alright, it was just Vanessa in the kitchen when your arm met something wet.

Blinking your eyes open, you saw your covered arm touch a cold metal floor. A chill crawled down your spine as you realized where you were. What had happened. The crash. The alien. That damned bitch. In the safety of your pod you let yourself get angry at it without fear of rebuttal, rolling on the floor and tearing at your arms with your nails.

It almost killed you, twice. You understand the circle of life, you’re a goddamn researcher of course you know it. Things must die for others to live. But it’s so much different when you’re the prey. When you’re the prey who's being hunted, feeling the cold brush of claws swipe at your feet and you try running further and further away only to get caught in terribly unforgiving teeth. It will kill me if I go outside. I can’t go anywhere. I’m trapped. I wish I never landed here and died with Akira and Suhail.

Guilt hit you in the stomach as you thought that, flashes of your family passing over your eyes. Vanessa teaching Cassie how to work with holograms, Michael leading Gregory use his tools, all of you sitting down at your too small table sharing a meal. Your siblings crying as you left them, clinging to the guards stopping them and begging you not to go. Gregory’s betrayed face as the doors closed. Cassie’s glossy eyes.

Your hands curled into fists. No. I can’t give up yet. I still need to get back home. The alien wants me to work for it? Fine. With all the wrecks around I’m sure I can find the fragments able to get off the planet. Even if I…..don’t…..I could become the apex predator here. A grin spread across your damp cheeks. I’m not going to be its bitch forever. Get up Mimic.

You pressed a hand to the slippery floor, pushing yourself up. Taking a deep breath, you carefully folded your fears into the back of your mind, turning to other priorities. Okay, what can we think about that’s not a murderous fish? Ah! Gear. You would rather not be floundering in this sea like a dying cat any longer. I should check my PDA.

Fishing into one of your many suit pockets, you pulled out your new best friend, seeing the blue light bounce off the pod around you. Scanning the Blueprints, you decided you wanted to make at least a knife (to protect against a certain fish), a scanner, a flashlight and a habitat builder. All the ingredients were stuff you could find in the Dunes and most of it you already had. You eyed the blueprint for an air bladder, a device that shoots you to the surface way faster than you could swim, but you needed creepvine for it and so far you’ve only seen red kelp. Nothing creepy about it. (Okay maybe a little creepy)

Plan in mind, you pinned the recipes, gathered the materials you needed and opened the bottom hatch. The ray looking creature startled as you dropped down beside it, closing the hatch. Swinging your head from side to side, you spotted no flash of purple fur or large shark approaching you. The waters seemed calm for now.

For the rest of the morning you gathered materials, one eye open for the demonic isopod. Your PDA warned you that your water and nutrition were running low, causing you to retreat back to your pod with peepers in hand. You absentmindedly cooked them and some bladderfish you caught, sipping your open bottle as you waited. Thanks to you working your ass off the past few hours, you now had 12 bottles in your little storage unit along with a rotten Garyfish (you saluted the fallen soldier) and all the materials you needed for your gear.

Eating as you worked, you placed the rocks and mushrooms in the fabricator, gasping as it worked. With two small focused lasers it dissolved the substances before rebuilding them in their new form.

Wrapping a hand around the slightly warm metal, you lifted your scanner, tilting its blue side at yourself. The structure itself was like an upside down smushed e, with a padded handle and a long strip of blue at the front end. You squeezed the handle, screaming when the light flashed into your eyes. Letting go of the scanner you rubbed your eyes, blinking away the stars. “That was dumb, that was SO dumb.” You shook your head, grumbling as you waited for your eyes to stop freaking out.

Soon enough you had your scanner, habitat builder, and flashlight stuffed in your suit, the items fitting snugly in your pockets. What else do I need? Fins and a sea glider would be nice but I don’t think I have the blueprints for the glider. I’ll definitely need a Pathfinder, gods know I don’t want to get caught in those caves. Glancing at your PDA, you let out a sigh. All of them needed silicon rubber. Meaning you had to leave the Dunes.

How bad would it REALLY be if I left the Dunes? It’s not around all the time, it can’t be that focused on me. The waves around your pod shifted before something slapped the side of your pod. You clung to the ladder without thinking, letting out a howl of fear and confusion as you rocked. Your knees knocked together as a familiar voice angrily called out. “Human! It’s time to clean up!” Suddenly I want fileted fish.

Gnawing at the inside of your mouth, you regretfully open the top entrance, pulling yourself out to see the purple isopod treading water with a smug look on its face. “Good evening….” You spoke, nervously eyeing its smile. “You look happy.”

“Is that a problem?” It purred, watching as you slid down the pod’s side. You avoided the sharp metal where it dug its claws into not even a day ago, seeming to drink in your fear.

“.....What do you want me to clean up today?” You avoided the question, slipping into the water. It huffed, turning its body and swimming further into its territory. You followed without question, looking closely at its body language. It was not dissimilar to humans, the flicking of the eyes to see if you’re following it, the way it swings its arms at its sides. But there was always something off, like the shiver of its shell or the way it had to keep itself back from chasing smaller prey. It was undeniably animalistic.

“There’s four large debris piles throughout the dunes. Most of them belong to the big ship you saw over there, “ It flicked its hair in the direction of your pod, “ but a few is from your ship. I need it done in thirty one moons.”

“Moons?” The question slipped out before you could stop it, you mind racing to understand it. Does it mean every eclipse? That should give me enough time if this planet doesn’t have eclipses often. Or does it mean every night? I can’t get rid of all the wrecks in time if that’s what it means.

The alien flashed you a genuinely confused look, the hate still lingering on its eyebrows but mostly replaced by shock. “You don’t know what a moon is?”

“No, my planet has moons but we communicate time by hours or days. Like tomorrow starts at the next sunrise and ends at the next nightfall.” Pointing a finger up you tried using the planet’s own moon as an example. It shook its head at you, crawling over a steep hill.

“That does not make sense. The moon is the biggest thing in the sky, why use things like ‘hours’ for time?”

“Because-” Your words falter as you looked at the wreck in front of you. It was a mangled piece of metal, the exterior ripped over the black inners and laying in a pile next to it. Poles stuck out awkwardly into the sand and water, reaching out for its other half. Gods. Was that my ship? You floated closer, ignoring the creature beside you as you touched the metal. You slid your fingers along the outside of it, trying to imagine it a part of a bigger whole. Gregory was always better at this 3-D thinking shit than me. You would have to take a look inside if you wanted to know what it was.

A strong current of sand waving over you, an annoyed shark grumbled beside you. “Have you even been LISTENING to what I’ve been saying?!” You let out a squeal, swimming away from the wreck. Your PDA binged you for oxygen and you gradually rose, breaking the surface with a growl of frustration. Deep breathes…..remember you’re doing this for them. You just need to handle one day with it. One step at a time.

Coming back to the wreck, you saw the alien waiting impatiently for you, one arm over the other as its claw tapped its arm. It scowled at you, ears flicking away imaginary fleas. “Sorry, got lost in thought.” Your answer was lame, sure, but frankly you just wanted this over with. You didn’t exactly care how badly it saw you, only that it doesn’t kill you.

“Well stop that. You can’t be ‘lost in thought’. Getting lost means death. Now go clean this up.” It pointed a claw at the wreck, its other hand on its hip. You bit back the slew of customer service jokes and went to work, picking up random metal bits you found around the wreck and scanning important items.

Your back prickled as the alien kept its eye on you, settling itself far enough from the wreck it wouldn’t be in the way but close enough to see you. It kept making sly comments at you, comments about how easy it would be to eat you, that the metal wouldn’t save you, that the only safe place around was under her control. Geez could she be any more obvious? Once your pockets were fully of metal, you started making a pile to drag home, placing it in front of the door to the wreck. The door was welted shut, making you sigh at the fact you didn’t have a Laser Cutter.

“What’s wrong pup? I thought you could fix this?” She finally stood up from her post, walking towards you and glowering at you.

“I can but the metal is too big for my pockets. I need to drag it back to my base to make it rock again.”

“Why can’t you melt it now?” Her voice crescendoed as she talked.

“I need a fabricator and I can only have it in my den.” You swam slightly into the wreck, eyeing the little holes dotted around the exterior. You could swim in one if she chose to attack. She drew up, growl deepening as she glared at you. You tried puffing up, making her feel smaller but it didn’t work. She threw herself around in the water angrily, bubbles escaping her lips and scattering through the water as she had a hissy fit.

Is……she really having a fit right now? Discreetly, you peered over the metal bar you were hiding behind, both intrigued and relieved she was not focusing on you. I could run. She probably wouldn’t notice me taking off until much later. But she knows where I live. Even if I abandoned the pod I wouldn’t have anywhere to put my stuff unless I found a cave. And there’s no telling if there’s more aggressive fish outside her domain. Better to just keep doing my job and let her calm down.

And so in terrified silence, you continued your job. You tried various ways to enter the wreck, lurking in Sand Sharks and letting them accidentally eat at the metal, using your bare hands, even using other metal to try and bend the locks. Nothing was working and as you swam away from the angered fish once again you wondered if you would have to wait until she was calmer to ask for her help.

Jolting at your PDA’s voice calling for substance, you paused your dull swimming. Dammit. With all her yelling she scared every fish in the damn area. I’ll need to go out more for lunch. Kicking your feet in a random direction, you swam.

Ya know, if you stayed away from the Sand Sharks the Dunes were really beautiful. They reminded you of Earth with its rolling hills and wild west movies. It’s been a while since humanity broke it but it still had its hooks in the culture. You kept an eye out for familiar prey you know of. Small but agile little things that made you feel even more like a fish out of water than you were.

A flash of yellow caught your eye. A lonely boomerang shaped fish swam through the current, its two pairs of eyes occupied by the waters in front of it. You were slightly on its back right side, just barely out of its view. Glancing around, you saw no shark moving toward it, giving you an opportunity.

Your way of hunting was bad but the only way you had. Stealth is the Dunes was impossible with no kelp or rocks to hide predators from prey. All you could rely on was speed. Which sucks for you cause your speed is shit. You just barely catch Bladderfish and Peepers, much less a faster fish like a Boomerang.

Nevertheless you lowered your torso and started floating to where the Boomerang was. It noticed you very quickly, speeding away before looking back. You were letting the current take you where it went, numbly moving. The prey should sense no malice toward it. That was if the prey was stupid. This particular fish however seemed to know your plan and was giving it a big middle finger, swimming further away from you.

Snapping out of your catatonic state you rushed forward, loudly cursing out the fish. “YOU DICK! COME BACK HERE, I NEED TO GET BACK BEFORE SHE WHOOPS MY ASS!” You followed the twirling fish for longer than you cared to admit, your tank running lower and lower as the fish escaped your every move. The world around you seemed to blur as you followed it, your anger growing to unreasonably high levels as your lunch kept evading you.

It wasn’t until it was caught by gray claws that you stopped your pursuit and took a breath. A long gray eel like creature blinked at you, its white eyes boring into you as it floated. Its chest and underbelly was a soft blue color, thin slits of pink gills hiding between its underbelly and gray scales. It’s shoulders were bedazzled by purple kelp unlike any you’ve ever seen and three yellow circles ran down its front like stoplights.

Taking in its face you saw black tear stains under its white eyes, a sliver of its head being cloaked in a darker gray color. It flicked its purple tail at you, tilting its head. “Oh my fuck.” You breathed, getting lightheaded. “You’re so pretty.” It curled its three fingers over its chest, the yellow circles on its cheeks flashing in a pattern.

“Oxygen.”

Letting out a short scream you kicked to the surface, leaving behind a very confused fish that kept flashing at you. As your head broke water you let out a loud squeal, wiggling your body from side to side.

“I KNEW it wasn’t just her species! What are they called, what do they eat, do they communicate with sound? UGH!” You let out an embarrassing amount of fangirlish squeals, letting yourself get out of your energy through splashing on the surface.

When you had thought you had calmed down, you looked back down at the fish that was now a meter away from you, Boomerang still held loosely in its claws. “You did not just see that.” Your cheeks flushed as you stared at the mermaid, seeing it breach the surface like you. It flashed its colors again, two inn rapid succession, followed by five slow irregular beats and a rapid flash.

“I really hope you are greeting me right now. Listen bud I kinda need that fish.” You pointed at the fish in its hand then yourself, reaching a hand up to act as if you’re holding it. The alien blinked at you (it can blink?) before shaking its head no. You stared slack jawed at the fish as it flashed new patterns at you, this sequence a lot longer than the previous one.

It finished with a bright flash, staring at you like you understood. The two of you got locked into a staring match as you tried looking confused. If it read you before it can do it again right? It took it a long time to realize what was the problem, moving from side to side as if it was itchy.

Eventually it pointed at the fish, then you before making a give motion. You lit up, chirping excitedly. Maybe I am losing my human skills the longer I stay here. I would have never done that on the…..ship. Just as you reached out to grab it the creature pulled it away. It flashed a single bright glow, making a giving motion with one hand and a receiving with the other. “Oh, trading? What do you want?” You tilted your head at it, pointing at the fish before doing the give motion.

It shook its head, pushing a hand toward you and pointing down. Sticking your head under the waves, you saw a pod of Peepers moving near the Kelp Forest- Damn you really swam out this far? You gave the fish a despaired look but it wasn’t budging, keeping that Boomerang close to its chest.

“I swear I never want to see fish again when I leave. Or water. Or claws.” You muttered spiteful murmurs to yourself as you dove down, starting the equally hilarious but saddening attempt of you hunting. It took you far too longer to single a Peeper from the pod and grab it, as the pod kept trying to make a scale shield and was devilishly fast.

When you resurfaced with the Peeper the creature seemed pleased, trading the fish and sparing you a flash of its cheeks before disappearing into the kelp. What a strange being…..mute yet smart enough to trade. I’ll have to scan it when I see it next. I hope it isn’t the only of its kind.

You fried and ate the fish faster than you ever had before, practically half in and out of your pod as you tried getting back to the shark before she noticed you were gone. Swimming back to the wreck, you saw she was now buried in the sand, claws dancing over it like a god toying with its creations.

Slowly down, you changed your direction of approach from behind her to the side, using the wreck like a second layer of defense against her. Creeping over the side of the metal, you peered at the moody shark. She seemed……different. More sad.

Her deep purple scales were a duller color in the fainting light, her eyes heavier than you last saw. All that anger must be heavy for her. Still an asshole but……it must suck to have an intruder be so close to the one you love most and be the reason for your suffering. And for them to not even know it was them causing it hurts all the more. Your heart ached for her, as she sighed, shifting her body.

Her eyes met yours as  she shuffled, her form immediately tensing as you approached. She shot up from the sand, her hair wild as she moved rapidly toward you. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!” You tried crawling backward over the metal, yelping as your foot slipped into a hole in the scrap.

The alien kept approaching as you tugged at your leg, throwing up an arm to stop her. “Wait I can explain-” She grabbed your arm, holding it steady as she took in a deep breath. Your hair floated to her snout as she breathed but you didn’t dare make a sound. She held you for a long time, enough that your brain screamed at you to move, to breathe, to do anything.

Gently, you shifted your body to the side, seeming to break the spell she was under. “Where were you?” She repeated herself much calmer than before, letting you move in her hold but not escape.

“I was trying to open the door.” Your voice was small as you spoke, the gravity of the situation closing your throat. She let out a scoff, her talons releasing you from her hold.

“You coulda waited for me to do that.”

“You were……..busy.” She shook herself off, watching you closely as you pulled your foot out of the hole it got stuck in. Your body shook slightly as you looked up at her, waiting for her to flip out like before. You knew it. You knew not to leave her alone but you did and for what? A door that she probably doesn’t even know how to open herself?

(You were always pathetic, bending over if anyone even slightly raised their voice. A weak pathetic fuck is all you ever were. I wish your siblings could see you now about to fuck a fish to get out of dying.)

“Listen….” You jolted as she spoke, moving back. She raised her hands, backing away. Her snouts twisted into a frown at your movement. “I know I was out of control earlier. I was…..thinking. About everything that’s happened. Ugh……” She let out a frustrated sigh, sitting on the wreck’s edge over the door. The metal creaked and groaned as she sat. You carefully tried moving away from her only for her to shoot you a glare. “Don’t move! I mean-” She let out another sigh, her hands moving through her fur. “I’m not good with this touchy feely stuff. That’s Chica’s specialty not mine.

Look I know you don’t want to be here and I don’t want to be here with you. But we’re both stuck on this planet so we have to be able to live with each other. I need you to fix the metal and you need me to hunt. So…..I can’t believe I’m saying this….let’s make a blood promise.” She stared directly into your eyes as she spoke, watching you closely as you shifted.

“It’s not going to be like last time right?” Your voice was soft as you watched her movements, the way she rolled her eyes at you while shifting further from you. As if…..being considerate?

“No pup. Like a real promise. An eye for an eye, blood for blood if either of us break it.”

You gulped, hoping your rapid breathing wasn’t depleting the O2 faster. “An eye for an eye?”

“Yup, so neither of us abuses the power we give the other. I offer you a home, freedom,  and access to my hunting grounds in exchange for you cleaning up my waters.” She paused, gazing at you.

“....Am I supposed to…..say something?” She crushed her teeth together in a horrible orchestra of sounds, her eyes narrowing at you.

“A blood promise takes two to make the deal!” Her voice raised slightly before she took a deep breath, running a hand down the wreck to scratch it. When she calmed down she continued, “You have to say your own terms and we argue and agree on the deal.”

“That’s…” Blinking at the towering feature before you, something so cartoonish and yet monster-ish as a sense of confusion spread in you. How far back did her species develop critical thinking?  “....strangely smart of you to say.”

“Hey!” She huffed, slamming her tipped tail into the metal beneath. “You sayin I’m not smart?”

You jumped, grinning nervously at her. “No no just that I never thought you would make a deal where the other person would have a say in it.” She shuffled into a more natural position letting her legs splay out on the metal to catch the last rays of daylight.

The sun was kissing the horizon as you settled down to make a deal with a fish, wondering how you would ever making Michael believe you when you get back.

“Normally I wouldn’t but this is a special case. Go ahead, tell me what you want.”

Your mask beeped, signaling the need for oxygen. You made the routine swim up and dive down, gripping the metal for support as your body floated. I want so much. I want to go home, to find the wreck of the Marionette, to see new creatures, make databanks on them, research them, make gear, explore the depths……maybe not that last one but still! What should I say? Priorities Mimic, think about what you want!

“The main thing I want you to promise me is that you won’t hurt me. Oh! Should I follow your example?” You tilted your head at her, seeing her wave her hand for you to continue. “Okay……I offer you my labor and my knowledge of Fazco and Alterra in exchange for safety, help with cleaning and introducing me to other lifeforms.” You lifted a hand, curling each finger down as you listed out your points. “Is that okay?”

The she-shark mulled over your words, fur dancing in the current. Your own hair was annoying you, flowing into your face and taking your eyes away from the predator in front of you. You batted away the offending follicles, glaring at them like Boomerangs.

“I can’t promise you I won’t hurt you. I need to protect my own before I even think about you.”

“Fair.” You agreed as you tied your hair into a makeshift bun. You wouldn’t even glance her way if it was her versus your siblings.

“How about I don’t hurt you unless it involves Chica?” You gave her a deadpan look, sighing dramatically.

“There’s too many situations that could include your mate. How about if I threaten the life of a creature on this planet?”

“So I should kill you over a peeper?” She shot you a tentative grin and you let out a weak chuckle, imagining her sharp claws digging into your soft flesh and letting the sea fill with your blood.

“No, I mean creatures of…..” You struggled with the word, looking around the wreck. More fish seemed to enter back into the area but kept a wide distance from the wreck, seeming to value their lives. Even the Sand Sharks seemed to avoid the wreck instead swimming around it and nipping at other prey. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to destroy the planet anymore than what my company always has done. No creatures of value? That’s not right either….” She let out a hum, narrowing her eyes into the distance.

Darkness was falling faster and soon you couldn’t see past your little bubble of the wreck, surrounded by inky water and rushing currents. Your now landlady was barely visible, only her snout able to be seen from your angle. I really need to hurry this meeting up and get back home. Who knows if that red worm wanders about at night?

“What about only if you hurt people I deem important?” She offered. You furrowed your brows, frowning at her. What could be important to a fish as trigger-happy as her? You asked her such (in much more polite language) and she responded in a defensive tone.

“My mate, obviously! And my…..ugh….friends.” Her snout moved side to side as if she was shaking it. Her voice seemed annoyed by the hesitation of her words and rasp in them. You decided not to poke the bear (or shark) and ignored her tone, nodding in agreement.

“I like your terms.” You added, not knowing if she has night vision.

“You’d better. I’m giving up a lot for you to live here. UH I MEAN! Good, good.” She shuffled even further back, her snout about to leave your range of view.

“You don’t have to move so far back from me!” You hurriedly crept closer to where she was, nervous about her leaving you out of embarrassment. You’ve never been outside at night before on this planet and you’d never not see any leviathans before you were ready. “I’m not offended!”

For a moment you were worried that she had really left you to swim back to your base but you were quickly relieved when you saw her snout reappear in your view along with the rest of her torso. Due to her height you were unable to see anything above her snout but it wasn’t your main concern. Letting out a breath, you chuckled. “This is gonna be fun.”

Her snout tilted to the side as her body curled inward, her head tilting down at you even more. “What’d you say?”

“Nothing!” You waved a hand, letting go of the wreck to drift toward the surface. As your drifted upward you heard a roar in the distance, one that rocked the waters around you in a familiar way. Damned worm.

Hoping your landlady wasn’t directly under your now even wetter wetsuit, you broke the surface and waited for the tank to fill. Diving back down, you struggled to catch sight of your landlady, hoping that as you gained meters you would end up seeing her. Thankfully, you did see the siren swimming towards you as well, her snout wrinkled in distaste. “Did you seriously urine from that weak roar?”

“I don’t know what that is! It sounded like that Red Worm!” You huffed, body temperature rising as she let out a howling laughter.

“Red Worm?! Oh pup, that’s only a Reaper!”

“A Reaper?”

“They’re big bullies of the sea. The only thing they have on the rest of us is their length. I swear if they were just a little bit smaller I could take one down on my own!” She led you both to the edge of the wreck, her head turning away from you in the direction of the roar. “I’ll have to call Chica to help me kill it. These things cannot take a hint, I swear.”

I hope she leaves the caress behind. The thought flashed quickly through your head before a wave of guilt followed it. In a world like this asking an apex predator to leave its prey behind is like asking a person to leave their grocery bags on the street. She needed to eat him to survive and yet…..all that lost knowledge.

“Give me your hand.” Cracking your neck, you snapped to attention as the alien in front of you held out her hand, just barely brushing your own.

“Why?”

“To perform the blood promise ceremony.” She sighed like YOU had done something wrong. You barely held back the urge to growl at her, instead pulling your hand back.

“What does that entail?”

“What? You’ve never done one before?” She closed in on you, snout nearly pressing your nose as she gazed at your eyes. You shook your head no and she let out a whistle, the sound muffled heavily by the water. You can whistle like that here? I hope a can find some way to test the test here… “You really are from another world. It’s pretty simple, we just cut each other’s palms and say I, our names, promise to give the other what we agreed upon and receive in kind. Then we clean each other up and go our separate ways until we met again.”

You raised your hand, frowning at the wetsuit covering you from neck to toes. “I think there might be a problem with that. I’m wearing a wetsuit and I’d rather not break it on the second day out.”

“Wetsuit?” The creature poked at your side, feeling the rubbery material on your skin. She ran a talon over it, seeing how it moved like the flesh beneath it. “You can’t regrow it?”

“No, I would have to remake it myself from scratch.”

“So you can regrow it.”

“I can’t regrow it. I use other materials to make it.” She gave you a confused look before shaking her head, seeming content knowing she’ll never understand wetsuits.

“Humans are so weird. So if we can’t use your hand blood….how about a cut on your cheek?” You nervously laughed, eyes darting away from her to the gloomy surroundings around you.

Sleep slowly makes its effect known on your body, dragging your eyelids down and losing your muscles unconsciously. You had been exercising more today than all your time on the Marionette and that was showing in your slowed reflexes and judgement. Was it smart to lose blood in a sea where a known leviathan was lurking? No, not terribly, but it was probably the only way to get this fish off your back.

With a heavy feeling in your chest you nodded before asking, “Can we do this on the surface? I’d rather not die during a blood pact.” She let out a groan but she didn’t sound as frustrated as she did before. With a kick, the two of you headed for the surface. She reached it much faster than you, moving from side to side quicker than you could get your tired limbs to work.

Your mask slid off your face to rest behind your ears, your eyes blinking in the seen brightness of the stars. It wasn’t terribly bright, with the only light being the orange reflected off the huge moon. It moved slowly as the two of you threaded water, the alien taking your jaw as you squeezed your eyes shut.

“Calm down. It won’t hurt that bad.” She chided you like a mother, patting your jaw for a moment before silencing. The next moment her claw ripped at your cheek.

She was lying.

You didn’t know the etiquette of a blood promise but it felt deeper than a superficial wound. Sharp flaring pain bloomed on your freshly healed cheek, , the blood dripping down your face into the sea below. She let your face go as you cried out in pain, leaving you to hold your cheek as she scarred herself. It was a thin slender scar on her right cheek in between her two purple markings.

“I, Roxanne Wolf, promise to provide you, human, shelter, help, and information in exchange for the cleansing of my waters.”

“I, Mimic Montenegro ... .promise to provide you, Roxanne, with information, and help in exchange for shelter, information and help.” You blinked back tears as you spoke, tilting your head up so the water doesn’t infect your wound.

The alien, Roxanne, flashed you a grin after you finished speaking, letting out a bark of a laugh. “See, it wasn’t that hard. All you had to do was sit there and look pretty.”

“Your definition of hard needs working on.” You pouted at her as she shrugged, stopping her treading of water.

“You need to learn how to toughen up, or this could be your last week here. I told you the sea isn’t made for small fries like yourself.” She glanced towards your following form, looking at the moon behind you. She gnawed her teeth together, causing one to fall off like a shark’s tooth. “Crash. I was hoping to see Chica before it turned night. Pup, you’ll be okay swimming home, right? Right.” She left just as you were opening your mouth, sending you a small backhand wave as she scurried off into the inky abyss.

Gods…..how far away am I from home? You checked your compass, seeing you were east of where you base was at a distance of….200 meters. Maybe I was overreacting earlier with the “Roxanne will kill me if I don’t come back in two seconds.” I could have gotten back in no time if it wasn’t for that…..thing. You thought back on the gray eel you met on your hunt earlier, watching your surroundings closely as  you returned back to base.

It must come off of Roxanne’s evolution line if it’s that intelligent. Or—wait—maybe it’s a completely different species all together! Roxanne does appear to have four fingers while it appears to have three. Maybe it’s a prey type instead of predator like her. Murmuring under your breath, you continued predicting the creature’s ancestral history as you made your way to your base.

Even when you collapsed inside of it and drank one of your waters, you were thinking about it. Curling up on your side, you traced the metal hatch beside you, thoughts slowing down as you body was finally allowed to rest. You went to sleep uncomfortably wet but safe and warm.