#coming soon to a dashboard near you: [REDACTED]
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whumpapalooza · 3 days ago
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reblogging this story for no particular reason
perhaps Forgotten for Glen from the prompt list? - whump-captain
Holy crackers I'm having fun with this one, thank you so so much for submitting. Enjoy part 1/3! ;D
one word prompts
(Space Interns Masterpost)
(Next)
It was nearly time.
After a long day of evacuating Leatish citizens, Aegis’s crew was about ready to tractor themselves back to their craft in orbit. There, they would monitor the storm as it ravaged Lethe’s capital city.
“Aegis is ready to tractor,” Blare said over comm. “Confirm your locations.”
There were three confirmations – Tabby’s, Slipper’s, and Brando’s. And then, only silence.
The fourth never came.
“…Glen?”
The fierce wind answered her.
“Who’s seen Glen recently?” Blare asked.
“Last I heard,” Tabby said, “he was headed to the House of Lemosyne.”
“Brando, Tabby – go check on him, please?”
“Got it.”
“Don’t dawdle. We don’t have long before the storm hits. Slipper, tractor beaming you now.”
A descending chip in Brando’s head indicated that the line had ended. He and Tabby exchanged glances, then headed for the House of Lemosyne. They jogged through the empty streets; Brando kept casting glances at the rapidly darkening sky.
The House of Lemosyne was the shortest building on its avenue, but the most beautiful. It was round-topped with flowers sprouting between stones. The electronic board out front cycled through optimistic prayers from their holy scripture.
The door was unlocked, so Brando and Tabby entered.
“Glen?” Brando called. His voice echoed in the empty chamber.
“You still here, Chuck?” Tabby added.
The lights flickered as wind rattled the windows.
Tabby’s tongue clicked. “Okay, there’s an upstairs and a downstairs,” she said. Brando nodded and headed for the stairs going down. Tabby crossed to the other side of the room to go up.
Brando marched down the stairs, winding all the way around the perimeter of the building before reaching the lower floor. Bumps raised on Brando’s skin as the air grew colder. “Glen, you here?” he called.
Brando emerged in the lower room. The room was dim, with the only light coming from a fallen flashlight. Its light shone up at a silver altar and cast a long shadow against the wall.
Brando reached for his own flashlight on his sash. He pointed it behind the altar – and the light shone through a mess of tousled sandy hair that Brando would recognize anywhere.
Brando’s breath caught. He leaned forward. “Glen?”
The motionless heap on the floor didn’t stir.
Brando broke himself out of his shock and rushed forward. He dropped to his knees beside his crewmate. “Libra, Glen – can you hear me?” he demanded, pressing two fingers to Glen’s neck. Over his shoulder, he yelled, “Tabby! Down here!”
Brando turned Glen over. A fabric scroll slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. Brando waited until he saw Glen’s chest rise before shaking Glen’s shoulder. “Come on, wake up,” he said.
Tabby’s footsteps pounded on the stairs, and then she emerged in the doorway. “Castor and Pollux,” she hissed. She surged forward. “What happened?”
“I don’t know – I found him like this –“
Tabby tapped her sternum four times. “Nic’hel to Aegis,” she said. She waited a few moments, then said again, “Nic’hel to Aegis.” A few more moments passed, but Tabby didn’t hear any response. “Damn it,” she growled. “The storm must be interfering with my comm.”
Brando swore. “If we can’t reach Aegis, we can’t contact Slipper.”
“Or get tractored back.” Tabby took a deep breath. “Okay. We’re not going to panic.”
“Right – just because we’re stuck in the lower level of a city about to be shredded by the fiercest hurricane in this planet’s recent history, with our friend inexplicably unconscious –“
“Yes, thank you.” Tabby got to her feet. “I’m going to find some blankets. We should keep him warm.”
“Right, good idea.”
Tabby took Brando’s flashlight and began to search the room. Brando arranged Glen’s limbs to be more comfortable, then sat with Glen’s head in his lap.
Brando could hear the wind whistling through gaps in the stones upstairs. He could only imagine how dark the sky was now. He stifled a shudder.
Tabby returned with a blanket to throw over Glen. She sat down beside Brando, and together they waited.
They waited until they realized it was smart to conserve flashlight power, and then they waited in darkness.
They waited until they heard the smashing of glass upstairs, and then they waited as the storm raged right into the House of Lemosyne.
They waited until Tabby’s foot fell asleep and she had to pace the room.
They waited until Brando heard Glen groan softly, and then Brando turned on the flashlight again.
Glen’s brow was knit. His eyelids lifted slowly.
“Tabby, he’s coming to!” Brando cried. He patted Glen’s arm. “Hey.”
Glen’s gaze drifted and eventually rested on Brando.
“Welcome back,” Brando said. Glen raised his eyebrows, closing his eyes again. Brando tapped Glen’s hand. “Try to stay awake,” he urged.
Glen blinked a few times. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, the usual,” Brando said with a teasing grin. “You’re scaring the nethers out of us.” Glen didn’t look like he thought that was much of a helpful answer.
“We’re on Lethe,” Tabby explained, appearing over Brando’s shoulder. “House of Lemosyne.”
“What’s that smell?” Glen asked.
“What smell?”
“It’s sweet, like –“ Glen broke off with a gasp. “Agh, what is wrong with my head?” Glen asked, raising his hands to press against his eyes.
“Where?” Brando demanded. “I couldn’t find any gashes or bruises.”
“On the inside,” Glen ground out. He hummed. “It feels…really full.”
“Did you eat something, drink something?” Tabby knelt down and cast Brando a worried glance.
“N-No. I don’t…think so.” Glen shook his head. “Actually, I…” He trailed off, removing his hands from his eyes with a puzzled expression.
“What?”
“I don’t…remember.”
“You don’t remember what happened?” Tabby confirmed. Glen nodded.
Brando stiffened. “What do you remember?” he asked.
“N…nothing helpful,” Glen replied. “I was helping everyone evacuate, and then…I was here.” He frowned. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the basement,” Brando said. “You don’t remember coming down here?”
“No,” Glen said. “It just feels like I was dreaming the whole time between then and…” He faded off with a grimace.
“You with us?” Tabby asked.
“I think I should go see Slipper,” Glen murmured with a shiver.
“Let me go get another blanket,” Tabby said. She patted Glen’s shoulder, then left the altar.
Brando wasn’t sure how to begin explaining their predicament to Glen. Instead, he asked, “Is there anything I can do?”
“No…” Glen said. “It’s just…a really weird feeling.”
“What is? Your head?”
“That, yeah…but also remembering my dream.” Glen looked up at Brando. “I don’t normally remember my dreams. But this one’s really vivid.”
Brando smirked. “What was it about?” he asked.
“Nothing in particular,” Glen said. “It was just…a bunch of faces. And I could hear a ton of names.”
“That’s eerie.” Tabby returned with three blankets. She draped one over Glen, put one around Brando’s shoulders, and pulled the last around herself as she sat beside the others.
“It was,” Glen agreed. “And there’s something else. None of the faces were human. I think they were Leatish. And all the names were really unfamiliar – except for one. And even that one – it’s like, I know it means something, but I’ve forgotten what. Do you know what I mean?”
Brando and Tabby exchanged an amused glance. “Not really,” Tabby admitted.
“It’s just a dream; it probably doesn’t mean anything,” Brando pointed out.
“Yeah, I guess.” Glen shrugged. “But still, it’s biting at me. Does the name Glen mean anything to either of you?”
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