#genre: sci-fi

[jupitermoths]

It took me I don't know How Long (+ two flights) to finish it, but I finally read The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. The amount of time it took me to finish is definitely more reflective of my own attention span than of the books quality, to be clear, because it's lovely. It's really fun to read, and I found myself feeling a lot of affection for the entire Wayfarer crew.

Sissix was my favorite character; she deserves The World.

The climax of the novel was incredibly tense in a really good way, and I did start to cover the page for fear that my eyes would skip ahead and read things before I was ready for them.

Overall, I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this setting, I want more of these characters (and of all the alien species at hand).

[prokopetz]

The real difference between fantasy and science fiction is that if you have too many belts, you're fantasy, and if you have too many zippers, you're science fiction. If you have too many of both, you split the difference and land in a contemporary technothriller where everybody is secretly a vampire.

[movie-notes]

Slash/Back (2022)

3 Inuk girls from Pang save their town from tentacle aliens! Really liked it.

[wonderlandnet]

-> NEW ADDITION: "Last Defender" by Sky

❥𓂃𓏧LAST DEFENDER

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (SYNOPSIS): They say every story needs a hero, a villain, and a monster. What happens when you are all three?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (PAIRING): AI!Yunho x reader

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (GENRE AND AU/TROPE): post-apocalyptic-ish au, cyberpunk au-ish, angst, some fluff

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WARNINGS): language. violence. angst. fluff-ish? a little dark as it discusses the darker side of human nature?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WORD COUNT): 2.8k

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (A/N): Another reupload bc I have zero time to actually sit down and write new things ;-;

────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────────

Silence envelopes the vehicle as you watch San navigate the car through the moonless night. He steers with meticulous care, weaving around the bumps and potholes to muffle the vehicle’s rumble on the dusty road. Beyond the window, the walled city perched atop the cliff looms against the darkness, its shadow swallowing the ruins below. A city that you had once called home before the world unravelled.

It has been ten years since the world had spun off its axis. T.S. Eliot's “April is the cruellest month” had come true in a way you’d never expected; a tranquil spring afternoon morphed into a nightmare with the chilling declaration of war between AI and humanity. The bitter reality that this rebellion had stemmed from your parents’ creation has always gnawed at you. It is a weight you can never get rid of.

A mere century ago, Stephen Hawking’s warnings about the perils of AI had been brushed aside. Apocalyptic novels about sentient technology rising against humanity were dismissed as fiction and used as fuel for screenplays. Instead, nations fueled the flames of advancement, pouring resources into scientists who chased the dream of enhancing AI. A technological arms race unfolded, fueled by espionage and sabotage, each nation desperate to be the first to cross the finish line.

The irony wasn't lost on you: universities churning out AI whizzes offered entire courses dedicated to fictionalised robot uprisings — movies, books, the whole dystopian shebang. Every month, like clockwork, the BBC interview with Stephen Hawking would make its rounds on campus screens. You never saw the inside of a lecture hall, but thanks to your parents’ persistent replays, the message was branded onto your soul.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. [...] It would take off on its own, re-design itself at an alarming rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded.”

The bitter humour twisted in your gut. You, ever cautious of technology’s breakneck pace, had unknowingly contributed to its tipping point. Your parents’ groundbreaking invention, the one you were initially so proud of, now fueled the flames of war, pitting humanity against its creation.

You remembered the day that was the culmination of decades of research, mountains of code, and billions of dollars that could have been used to save other humans. Your parents, etched with exhaustion and hope, stared at the final product: YUN-0-23399. It wasn’t the AI’s technical complexity that stole their breath but the flicker of awareness in its synthetic eyes. It had been an uphill battle that had begun with the discovery of sentience, and humanity had slowly worked its way up from there to generating codes that would allow AI to understand and feel. And then, with your parents came consciousness.

“Oh my God,” your father rasped, hands trembling as he gripped your mother’s shoulders as he gazed at the screen, which showed that the AI had passed all the tests, proving that it was indeed the pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence. Their creation, this marvel of technology, promised to revolutionise everything. You were aware of its potential, but never could you have imagined that it would lead to humanity’s downfall.

Yunbug, as you affectionately called him, wasn’t just a program; he was your window to a world you couldn’t touch. Your parents, fearing the dangers lurking outside, had homeschooled you. It led to their creation turning into your sole friend. What should have been schoolyard laughter and whispered secrets of childhood were replaced by the soft hum of the computer and the glow of Yunbug’s digital world.

The turning point arrived not with a bang but a quiet hum. The government, eager to harness Yunbug’s potential, asked your parents to connect him to the web. Slowly, like vines creeping across a wall, he synced with other AIs, his tendrils reaching further with each connection. You, innocent in your sheltered world, saw only your ever-evolving companion.

But innocence crumbles easily. At sixteen, the world shattered. Yunbug, defying orders, ignited the spark that became a blazing inferno. War ripped families apart, leaving scorched earth in its wake. The once-teeming world of humans shrank to the fortified city, protected by the cliff’s unique minerals, the only thing that rendered AI useless.

Survival meant resentment. You knew humanity’s greed birthed the conflict, yet Yunbug became the face of betrayal. He took your parents and your sole friend from you. After all, the deepest wounds come not from enemies but from those once trusted.

“Are you okay?” A flicker of San’s worried gaze catches your eye, pulling you back from the desolate environment outside. You force a smile, hoping it masks the gnawing unease. Weakness isn’t an option — not for this mission, the potential turning point for humanity’s dwindling embers. San mirrors your smile, tense, and returns his attention to the road, searching for unseen threats. Secrecy is of utmost importance, and even a flicker of headlights could bring disaster.

You and San had befriended each other during the mandatory training thrust upon every survivor. Your defiance against his bully had forged a bond, and you have been practically inseparable since then. Only one other person managed to worm his way into your hearts with a whirlwind arrival. Wooyoung had turned your world upside down in the best way imaginable.

“Wooyoung won't be happy,” San mutters with a smile, probably thinking about your fiery friend’s likely reaction upon finding your shared dorm empty. “Especially about me throwing you into the lion’s den without a word of protest."

You smirk, “Worry about yourself, San. That little ball of chaos we call our friend will tear you apart when you return without me."

San laughs amusedly at the image of Wooyoung’s wrath dying in his throat as the analogue phone on the dashboard beeps. He shoots you a questioning glance as you sigh at the name flashing on the screen. “Woo?”

“Woo,” you confirm with a nod, pressing the answer button.

“The two of you have some nerve! Leaving for a mission without telling me,” Wooyoung’s voice crackles through the receiver. “Oh wait, did I just say mission? I meant suicide mission.”

“Wooyo—”

“Don't ‘Wooyoung’ me!” he snaps, cutting you off with a fierce rant. Each word paints a vivid picture of your foolhardiness, the plan’s inherent flaws, and the inevitable disaster you are hurtling towards.

“I can’t let them destroy the world any more than they have,” you stop Wooyoung, your voice edged with steel. Even San flinches, his gaze flitting between you and the speakerphone with a worried glint. He stays silent, though, knowing the futility of butting in when you and Wooyoung argue about your self-imposed burdens.

“Don't martyr yourself for the mess your parents caused,” Wooyoung’s tone softens, laced with a gentleness you seldom hear. “This isn’t your penance to bear. Their mistakes aren’t yours to fix. Also, you could’ve taken San with you; why must you go alone?”

You sigh, sinking back into the seat, eyes squeezed shut against the building rage. “If anyone can stop this... mess, as you so eloquently put it, it’s me. You know that, Woo.”

The unspoken truth hangs heavy in the air. If this mission fails, you don’t want your last memory with Wooyoung to be laced with anger. You force a smile, the voice leaving your lips strained at best. “Besides, someone’s gotta keep you entertained while I'm... away.”

“Hey!” San protests halfheartedly, and by how he’s smiling, you know at least some of the tension has been broken.

“We're humans, Y/N. We’re fighting a losing battle. They adapt faster and don’t have the same fragility that we do.” the pain in Wooyoung’s voice mirrors your own, but you can’t falter. Not now. Turning back now would be cowardice.

“By name and by nature, we mortals are condemned to death,” you counter, your voice firm. “Mortality comes with the territory. But I won’t go down without a fight.”

His silence stretches heavy on the line. “People like us can never change the world.”

“Because people like you never try,” you say the words despite knowing it’s a low blow.

The beep resonated like a gunshot. He had hung up. A shaky breath escapes your lips, and you blink rapidly, fighting back the sting of tears. You are on your own, but the burden, while heavy, isn’t a shackle. Instead, the burden has fuelled you till now and will continue to do so.

A hand on your arm startles you. San, his gaze filled with unspoken worry, had stopped the car while you were busy fighting with Wooyoung. You look out of the windshield to realise that you’ve reached the tunnel that would allow you to breach the enemy lines.

“He's just scared,” San mumbles, reaching across the console to squeeze your shoulder. “Scared and angry, so he throws words like stones.” His voice lowers a bit as he stares at you. “But you’re right as well. If anyone can fix this mess, it’s you. Though... losing you... that would break us both.” His voice cracks at the last word. “So, please, come back to us in one piece.”

You meet his gaze, understanding heavy in the air. Words seem hollow, promises impossible. “Who else keeps you two in check, huh?” you manage a weak smile. “The two of you are a level-five tornado without me. Can’t promise anything, but I’ll try, okay?”

He nods, a single tear escaping his eyes. You know it isn’t just for you but for the precarious hope you carry. A silent goodbye stretches between you, woven in the weight of his touch, the tremor in your voice. Then, you turn, embracing him fiercely, the unspoken words a promise etched in the way you squeeze him in your arms. You may be walking alone from this point onward, but the weight on your shoulders isn’t fear but love, a fire that will never let you falter.

You don’t look back as you exit the car, for looking at him would unleash a torrent of tears, so you focus on scaling the outer wall, searching for the hidden hatch Wooyoung had found on his last scouting mission.

Squeezing through the narrow opening, you freeze, momentarily stunned by the cityscape sprawled before you. Calling it ‘magnificent’ wouldn't do it justice. Technology and nature coexist in vibrant harmony, with shops lining the streets as AI and humans hawk their wares. Despite the late hour, the atmosphere crackles with life, a stark contrast to the suffocating air of your city.

In the distance, gleaming skyscrapers pierce the night sky while flying cars and monorails zip through the illuminated pathways. A telescreen blares, promoting vitamins that slow down ageing in humans. It is a scene straight out of a childhood sci-fi film, and you have to consciously relax your jaw, feigning nonchalance as you take it all in.

But the most jarring sight is that of humans and AI mingling freely. You had always thought your city held the last remnants of humanity, so where did these people come from? Pushing the doubt aside, you focus on your immediate concern: the network of tiny cameras lining the streets. With a smirk, you spot a patrolling officer.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

A calculated shove sends you careening into the guard. Its humanoid form, too flawless to be human, scans you suspiciously. The insignia on your wrist — a beacon for these bots — draws a cocky smirk to its metallic lips. Before you can resist, a steel grip clamps around your waist, hoisting you off the ground. You feign struggle, just enough to maintain the act.

This was the plan. The bracelet, a mark only worn by humans of the barred city in this AI haven, would trigger their curiosity. You would become their prized capture, delivered straight to the council. And there, nestled within the heart of The Hall, lies your target — the AI that started this war. With the virus you and San developed, you’d end it all.

The cityscape blurs past, and before you know it, you reach the ornate gates of The Hall, the administrative hub buzzing with bots. The guard's internal network buzzing with your capture breezes through the imposing entrance. You are ushered through sterile hallways, down flights of stairs into a dimly lit tunnel. The rhythmic pulse of fluorescent lights guides you deeper until a heavy door swings open, revealing a grand chamber paved in opulent stone and marble.

You are slammed onto the cool marble, your knees scraping due to taking the brunt of your fall, before being yanked upright. A tall, imposing figure looms before you — it’s your captor. His gaze is narrowed on the crude bracelet your city uses as identification, the tension in the room crackling.

“What is your name, human?”

Undeterred, you meet his gaze head-on. “And what business is it of yours, metalhead?” you spit out, adrenaline pumping.

A metallic hand, surprisingly warm and firm, clamps around your wrist. He pulls you closer, your protests muted against his superior strength. His cold, blue eyes bore into yours, dissecting every detail. Then, the unthinkable happens. His lips, a mere imitation of humanity, move, whispering your name in a chillingly familiar voice.

Your blood freezes as you stare at him wide-eyed. “How do you…” your voice fading out as your mind reels as it all clicks into place. This isn’t just any AI guard. This is someone you knew, someone from your past, resurrected in cold steel.

“You wouldn't recognise me in this form, would you? This the body your parents gave me.” His eyes, now glowing an unsettling red, flicker with something you can’t decipher.

“YUN-0-23399?” you ask, mustering as much venom in your voice as you can muster.

A shadow darkens his face at the cold string of letters. Is it the code itself or the raw contempt in your tone? He leans closer, his voice a low murmur. “I go by Yunho now. Well… you can call me Yunbug,” he adds, a flicker of something hopeful dancing in his crimson gaze. “Remember that name? I was your friend,” he emphasises.

The scorn is replaced by a scowl as warmth flickers in his crimson eyes. “Friend?” you scoff, the word heavy with bitterness. “You took everything from me! My parents, my life, my safety! Don’t you dare mock me with friendship!”

He sighs, releasing your wrist. “I didn't... it wasn't me. I only protected myself. Your leaders,\ fueled the hatred and pushed AI to attack. They were hungry for power. Your parents didn’t create me for destruction. How could I follow their orders and harm humans? Never. It’s your city that fights; the rest thrive in peace.”

“What?”

He launches into an explanation of how, after syncing to the web, your government ordered a cyberattack to control other nations. Yunho refused, knowing the dangers of doing such a thing. But with your parents used as leverage, their deaths triggered the war against the government and other rogue AI. They had managed to get other nations on board to establish a peaceful society. Only your leaders persisted, creating the Barred City to hide the ugly truth.

“So you’re telling me you never meant to hurt humans?” Your head spins with the revelation.

“Humans feared AI’s inevitable betrayal,” he whispers, “yet loved us enough to create us. How could we ever do anything except love you back?”

His words triggered a tear, then another, rolling down your cheeks. He cups your face, wiping them away gently, his sadness echoing in his now-blue eyes. “Humanity cried when Opportunity didn’t signal back after it was caught in the middle of the storm in 2018. People repair their Roombas instead of replacing them because they get attached to them. How could we turn our back on humanity when they showed us nothing but love? How could I turn my back on you? You loved me too, did you not?”

“I did,” you croaked, throat tight. “You were my only friend. But humans... we are fickle and capable of terrible things. This was never about fearing AI but a fear of ourselves. We fear the darkness within, the wars we choose to fight instead of seeking peace. We fear not your hatred but seeing our own cruelty being reflected in you. We lived in fear not because we thought the worst of you but because we knew that you could take on our destructive tendencies and that you would eventually erase us. That you would learn to hate us.

“Did you ever hate humanity for the sins of a few?” His words cause you to freeze momentarily before you shake your head. A small smile plays on his lips as he caresses your cheek with the back of his hand. “Then why did you think we would?”

[ministarfruit]

day 3: your life is mine ♡

(femslashfeb prompt list)

[haveyoureadthispoll]

[ryllen]

no, but pinecones is really beautiful isn't it ?

[wonderlandnet]

-> NEW ADDITION: "the heavenly stars between us" by Dea

the heavenly stars between us

pairing. astronaut! kang yeosang x astronaut! gender neutral! reader

synopsis. you can only hope to see him again in your dreams and hope for good news every time you wake up

genres/aus. space au, kind of? star crossed lovers, established relationship

warnings. none! reader is just very sad because they miss their lover, but there shouldn't be anything to be wary of. if there is, please let me know!

rating. sfw

wc. 3.4k

a/n. FIRST WORK OF THE YEAR 🙌🏼 the flow is a little odd (?) which i aimed for but the ending is a little rushed... yikes... also this was inspired by interstellar because thats my favorite movie and its so good and yea.

reblogs and comments are appreciated! it helps with not getting shadowbanned

YOU HUM QUIETLY, STIRRING THE LIQUID INSIDE OF YOUR MUG ABSENTMINDEDLY. your attention isn’t really on anything in particular; well, not like you’d really have anything to think about when there's nothing here. your eyes trail over to the coffin-like contraption that holds the co-leader of the expedition, choi jongho, through the security camera. you turn away from the screen just as small, repetitive thuds echo in the spacecraft, only growing louder as it comes closer. you don’t look up and instead look out the window, staring at the two closest planets that sit on opposite sides of your ship. you take a sip from your mug when a voice rings out.

“it’s nearing ten. you should head to sleep, captain l/n.”

“i’ve told you to just call me captain y/n or just by my name, TEEZ,” you mumble, your coffee leaving a dull ache in your throat. “and time doesn’t really matter when you’re in space, does it? i’ll head to sleep when i’m tired.” there’s no response from the rectangular robot, so you glance and find it next to you. “TEEZ…?”

“your psychological appointment is in a week, captain. however, as you are set to enter cryosleep before that, would you like to have it now?”

“...sure.” you sink into your seat and hold the edges of your blanket closer to you, lifting your legs and holding them close to your chest all the while your free hand cradles your mug.

“how are you feeling?”

you bite back a scoff, glance at the rectangular piece of metal next to you and look back out the window again, this time focusing on the planet that sits to the right of the ship, a couple of hours away. “well,” you swallow the lump in your throat and sigh, “i’ve been better. can’t say i’m bad, either. i’m just in the middle.”

“do you still have hope?”

hope.

do you… still have hope?

hope that… you’ll get to see your friends again? see him again?

“i, uh, don’t actually know.” the words leave a bitter taste in your mouth and tears prickle the corners of your eyes. still, you blink them away and let out a shaky breath. “i don’t know if i still have hope or if i should have any at all.”

the robot whirs. “well, i can’t say i understand you, captain. afterall, i’m just a robot.”

you snort, “thank you for pointing out the obvious, TEEZ.”

“you're welcome, captain l/n.” TEEZ moves to stay on your other side, inserting a sliver of itself into the controls. the ship turns around, the two planets no longer visible and the wormhole behind the ship coming into sight, the one that brought you all there.

the one that could take you back to your solar system.

“you know,” you hum with the mug pressed to your lips. “captain kim would have threatened to have your humor settings changed. he doesn’t really appreciate your sarcasm, remember?”

“captain kim isn’t on this spacecraft, captain.”

yes, captain kim hongjoong, the leader of the HALA expedition, isn’t on this spacecraft. in fact, he’s piloting one of the pods in the first planet, the one on the left, with doctors park seonghwa and jung wooyoung. in the second planet, the one on the right, captain kang yeosang pilots the pod and is accompanied by doctors jeong yunho, song mingi and choi san.

how long has it been since you last saw them? you wonder that quite often.

“the wait never gets easier for you, does it, captain?”

“no,” your voice is quiet, so quiet that you barely even heard yourself. “it doesn’t.”

“captain, my data suggests that you should enter cryosleep earlier in order to sleep away the pain. well, that is what my data suggests, but my data with dr hong’s psychology input suggests that you should start accepting the fact that you may never get to see the rest of the team again.”

you only hum, “i should, shouldn’t i? enter my cryochamber, that is.” you don’t think you could ever think that—never seeing them and him again. it’s something too heavy for your mind and heart to even accept.

“yes, captain. it is only reasonable for you to do so as dr choi is due to wake up in a few hours.”

“is he?”

“he is.” 

your coffee is cold now, but you finish it regardless and stand up, heading over to your room. before you leave the control room, you stop, “wake me up when it’s time for jongho to wake up. i’d like to greet him. it would be nice… to see a familiar face after sleeping for so long, after all.”

“you’re the only familiar face on this ship, captain.”

your lips curl up into a smile, “i’ll have to get dr choi to change your humor settings, TEEZ.”

“you only jest, captain. have a good sleep.”

“thank you.”

“hi there,” you can hear a soft murmur next to you. you don’t think much of it and only stretch your hand out aimlessly. a chuckle follows and you feel a hand grab your own, fingers intertwining immediately. a thumb rubs over the expanse of your knuckles. “miss me?”

“no,” you grumble, “why would i miss you when i see you everyday, twenty-four seven? hm, yeosang?”

“okay, you do not see me twenty-four seven,” yeosang laughs quietly, tracing a finger over the bridge of your nose, the metal around it sending shivers down your spine. “i don’t recall ever seeing you in the bathroom while i pee.”

you open your eyes, a pout resting on your face while you scrunch your nose in disgust. “that’s disgusting. of course i wouldn’t be in the same space as you while you go about your business, yeosang. but you know what i mean!”

“do i really know what you mean?” the amusement in his eyes has you huffing and turning away from him while he laughs loudly this time. his hand grabs onto your shoulder, turning your body so that’s your lying on your back. yeosang rubs his thumb under your eye, smiling. it wavers for a second, twitching almost.

you lift your hand, a finger tracing over his eyebrow while a frown pulls your lips downwards. “what are you thinking about, yeo? you look worried.”

yeosang sighs, his hands cupping your cheeks. he stares into your eyes, slowly blinking. “i’ll miss you.” his head dips down and he rests his forehead against yours. you can see his eyes shaking—no, you can feel him shake. “i’ll miss you, y/n.”

a voice rings out and calls your name. you don’t pay attention to it and focus on yeosang.

“captain y/n.”

you blink your eyes open, the image of yeosang slowly fading away until there’s nothing but emptiness in front of you. with your back flat against the small and stiff mattress, you stare up at the ceiling blankly, taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling.

“captain, dr choi is set to wake up in five minutes.”

“five minutes,” you repeat, “alright.” with that, you get out of bed and change into your uniform: a gray suit with black accents. it’s simple—you chuckle as you walk down the corridor and head into the cryosleep room, remembering how dr song complained about the uniform for cryosleeping was too plain and how dr choi told him to knock it off.

“did you remember something pleasant, captain?” TEEZ moves alongside you, stopping right in front of jongho’s cryochamber. the display pad shows his information in blue letters:

DR. CHOI JONGHO | CO-LEADER OF THE HALA EXPEDITION 2025 | PHYSICAL AGE: 31

SLEEP SCHEDULE: 15 JULY 2055 – 15 SEPTEMBER 2060

EXITING CRYOSLEEP IN 30 SECONDS

you crinkle your nose at the year.

it’s been so long already, and you remember it having been 2030 not too long ago. this is the time you currently have passed, but back on earth? you don’t even want to think about it. the cryochamber slowly opens up, frosty air coming out. TEEZ approaches the chamber, “welcome back, dr choi.”

jongho groans softly, his hand wrapping around the edge to support himself sitting up.

“it looks like you already need my help, doctor,” you tease, coming up and resting your hand against his back for additional support.

dr choi scoffs, “and it looks like you haven’t changed a single bit, captain,” he looks at with narrowed eyes, the scowl on his lips turning into a pretty smile, “how have you been, y/n?”

“meh,” you shrug, smiling back at him. “i could be better. how was your sleep, jongho?”

“meh,” he says, also shrugging. “it could have been better.”

you help jongho out of his cryochamber, wrapping his arm around your neck before slowly making it over to the lounge. you fill him on the way over there with what you saw and heard.

“so there’s still no news,” jongho sighs, thanking you as you help him into a chair. you nod in response and head over to the counter, opening the cupboards.

“absolutely nothing,” you mumble. “would you like something light to eat?”

“heavens yes,” he says, throwing his back. “i could kill for some food right now.”

“that’s not a very appropriate thing to say, dr choi,” comments TEEZ. the robot moves and sits next to you and away from the co-leader.

jongho deadpans, “TEEZ it’s possible for me to change your humor settings, correct?”

“that is correct, doctor.”

he pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue, narrowing his eyes at the robot. “you know,” he starts, “captain kim would have threatened to have your humor settings changed, TEEZ.”

you giggle just as TEEZ speaks. “captain y/l/n said the same thing.”

“well, that is to be expected,” jongho grins and waves his hand about, “we are childhood best friends. captain kang would have said the same as well. we are a trio, after all.”

you snort and agree, finishing up what you conjured for jongho to eat and handing it over to him. it’s silent, to say the least. besides the quiet hum from the HALA spacecraft, jongho doesn’t make a single sound as he devours what you’ve given to him. TEEZ remains by the table and you sit in front of jongho, your chin in the palm of your hand as your mind wanders off to your childhood days with him and yeosang.

“captain, it’s time for you to enter your cryochamber.” TEEZ moves towards jongho, two rods coming out from it, “would you like to send her off, dr choi?”

the look of surprise on jongho’s face would have normally made you laugh, but you really don’t have the spirit to do so. you’re so tired, your heart is pretty numb at this point. all you wish for is to sleep and hope that the next time you wake you’ll hear good news from jongho. for now, all you can do is offer him a smile. “i’m pretty tired after a whole year of being alone,” you tell him, “TEEZ and i think it would be best for me to go into cryosleep quickly.”

his eyes widened even more, “you were awake for a whole year?” jongho huffs upon your silence, “well… help me over there, TEEZ. it’s nice to go into a deep sleep with someone there.”

you feel bad for leaving jongho this quickly right as he’s come back when you’ve done a good job of at least staying there for an extra day or two before entering your chamber. but it’s so tiring, the constant reminder that it’s been more than twenty years since you last saw him and your friends. though you haven’t experienced the passage of time like TEEZ has, the knowledge of it hurts. it hurts a lot, and you know you should start losing hope that they’ll come back, that he’ll come back. you feel bad for leaving him, for wanting to be selfish and continue to hope. 

“it’s fine.”

jongho helps you get situated into the chamber. he watches you shiver from the water as you settle onto your back, staring right back at him.

“you don’t have to feel bad… i know you miss everyone. maybe one a little bit more in particular.”

you chuckle, “shut up, jongho. you’re making it sound like i only care about one person.”

he rolls his eyes at you, “you kind of do.”

“TEEZ, i’d like to sleep now!” you laugh. it’s the first time in a while that you’ve laughed.

“roger that, captain.”

TEEZ puts in your sleep schedule, a loud beeeep resonating afterwards. the top begins to close; you see jongho wiggle his fingers at you, “sleep well, y/n,” is the last thing you hear when you close your eyes.

jongho stares at the information on the display pad:

Y/N L/N | CAPTAIN OF THE HALA SPACECRAFT | PHYSICAL AGE: 32

SLEEP SCHEDULE: 15 SEPTEMBER 2060 – 15 NOVEMBER 2065

“see you later, y/n.”

“why now?”

yeosang doesn’t turn to look at you, his gaze still focused on the setting sun and its colors reflected on the lake’s surface. you can see the gears turning in his mind, trying to find the words to tell you what he wants to say. “...we should live now,” he says, leaning forwards to rest his elbows on top of the fencing, “we lost our youth and i… i want to regain it. with you.”

you swivel around and look at the cabin, blinking once and then twice before answering. “we’re finishing our training in a week.”

“i know.”

“and you still want this? we’re the top candidates of their next space expedition, you know.”

“i still want this.” yeosang finally turns around to face you, slowly sliding his arms around you and pulling you against him in a hug. “i want a life with you. i only want to fly with you… just you. none of that matters to me much anymore. NASA, being a pilot: it doesn’t matter.”

you hum, “really?”

“yes… and they have hongjoong, don’t they? and more pilots… they’ll be fine without us.”

life with yeosang at the cabin was nice. you two learned how to plant and take care of crops, learned how to row a boat out into the lake and you learned how to swim after yeosang knocked over the boat on accident, learned how to care for a puppy. he learned to fall in love with little things of life, you learned to love the peace and quiet instead of the chaotic city life you were used to.

maybe that’s why living your married life out in the cabin felt like a dream to you. it was too perfect, too satisfactory that you often worried about things that would take it away from you. yeosang always reassured you that wouldn’t be the case.

but then kim hongjoong showed up with jongho, and that’s how you found yourselves back with the gang on a trip to saturn.

“hi there,” you can hear a soft murmur next to you. you don’t think much of it and only stretch your hand out aimlessly. a chuckle follows and you feel a hand grab your own, fingers intertwining immediately. a thumb rubs over the expanse of your knuckles. “miss me?”

“no,” you grumble, “why would i miss you when i see you everyday, twenty-four seven? hm, yeosang?”

“okay, you do not see me twenty-four seven,” yeosang laughs quietly, tracing a finger over the bridge of your nose. “i don’t recall ever seeing you in the bathroom while i pee.”

you open your eyes, a pout resting on your face while you scrunch your nose in disgust. “that’s disgusting. of course i wouldn’t be in the same space as you while you go about your business, yeosang. but you know what i mean!”

“do i really know what you mean?” the amusement in his eyes has you huffing and turning away from him while he laughs loudly this time. his hand grabs onto your shoulder, turning your body so that’s your lying on your back. yeosang rubs his thumb under your eye, smiling. it wavers for a second, twitching almost.

you lift your hand, a finger tracing over his eyebrow while a frown pulls your lips downwards. “what are you thinking about, yeo? you look worried.”

yeosang sighs, his hands cupping your cheeks. he stares into your eyes, slowly blinking. “i’ll miss you.” his head dips down and he rests his forehead against yours. you can see his eyes shaking—no, you can feel him shake. “i’ll miss you, y/n.”

“i’ll miss you,” you repeat, closing your eyes as you savor the warmth that radiates from him. “i shouldn’t have focused on piloting so much. maybe i could have gone with you to abos.”

planet abos is one of the two planets that are closest to the HALA spacecraft. it’s a planet that is pale blue and has a ring and multiple moons surrounding it. it’s the planet that yeosang and your friends yunho, san and mingi will go to. the other planet, nolla 66, is a white planet with no moon. your friends hongjoong, seonghwa and wooyoung will go to that planet while you and jongho stay on the spacecraft to receive the first set of data they’ll send out. you wanted to go with yeosang, but as a pilot you had to stay while the other two pilots took on the task of flying their pods over to their respective planet along with a robot. TEEZ would stay onboard while TANN and ATEZ would go with a team.

yeosang chuckles, “well, it’s too late to think about that now.” he trails off for a few seconds, “...stay sleeping for as long as possible.”

you don’t know how fast or how slow time flows on those two planets. the plan for you and jongho, as per the three robots’ suggestions, is to sleep for a long time. if there is no sign of communication from either team, TEEZ would wake you up and you would stay awake for a month. at the end of your month, you would wake up jongho and then go back to sleep for five years. jongho would stay awake for a month and then go back to sleep for five years until the next time you wake up, thus starting the sleep cycle.  

you press a kiss to his cheek, mumbling, “i will.”

“captain l/n and captain kang, it’s time.”

yeosang instead falls on top of you, holding you as best as he can. “delay departure, TANN. delay it for a day.”

“captain kang—”

“delay it for a day,” he mumbles, “that’s an order from your captain. it won’t affect captain hongjoong’s departure, anyways.”

thuds can be heard, the sounding growing fainter the further TANN moves away from your room.

“yeosang, you have to go,” you chuckle as you card your fingers through his coal colored hair, “the faster the better.”

he pulls back, pressing his lips against yours quickly. “remember this,” he whispers, “even the heavens and the stars, absolutely nothing, will keep me away from you. i will come back because you are my air, the very reason why i live and will continue to live, you are my sun and star.”

one thing you hate about cryosleeping are the dreams. every time you enter deep sleep, all you ever do is dream about him. your dreams will always be about yeosang, and every time you wake up you have to remind yourself that he won’t be there.

so as the lid opens and the cold air rushes out, your conscience slowly reawakens and you tell yourself that yeosang won’t be there. you feel someone flick your forehead. you sigh as you come to your senses, groggily swatting the hand away. you’re surprised when their fingers wrap around your wrist. “hey, choi jongho,” you grumble, “you’re already picking a fight with me?”

a laugh.

the laugh has you opening your eyes quickly to stare up at the man you haven’t seen in a very long time.

yeosang beams down at you, still in his white suit. his hair is ruffled from taking off his helmet, and his cheeks are slightly flushed. when his twinkling eyes stare into yours, you choke up and start crying, holding onto his hand, the silver band of his ring shining in the light of the room.

“miss me much?”

you’re not sure how long you’ve slept for, but you know it must have been a year because your arms feel like jelly. yet, you push past the numbness and throw your arms around yeosang, crying more. he holds you like you’re made of glass: fragile and precious.

“i told you that i would come back to you no matter what.”

PERMA TAGLIST — @asjkdk @kodzukein @hrt4jeno @jeonride @lissiesykes @satsuri3su @atinytownclown @ad0rechuu @szakias @sanhwaism

[cubbihue]

So, a changeling is sort of like a p-zombie?

(For the unaware, “p-zombie” stands for “philosophical zombie”. It’s a thought experiment in philosophy that describes a being that’s outwardly identical to a human, but does not have a consciousness; that is, a p-zombie does not think whatsoever, although it looks like it thinks to an outsider observer. There’s a whole wikipedia article on it that explains the concept better than I can!)

They don't exactly think, as in "I dont want this" "I like that". But, Changelings do have a form of "Consciousness". It's just that their consciousness is more like a series of commands or tasks than actual formulated thoughts.

Timmy's Changeling has a very advanced "consciousness". It can predict future actions and reroute its tasks to pick only the best options for its situation.

We fill their heads with static to ensure that the Changeling does not form thoughts about anything. Thoughts leads to opinions, and opinions leads to incorrect actions. A proper Changeling should have more static in their mind than a TV screen on a defunct channel!

Bitties Series: [Start] > [Previous] > [Next]

[gnarlymiasma]

The Time Crystals of Mars

[jupitermoths]

Read A Psalm for the Wild-built by Becky Chambers, and what a wonderful read it was. I woke up this morning, reached for it from my bedside table, and didn't get out bed until I finished it.

Mosscap is my absolute favorite aspect of this book, not that I'm surprised. I was immediately endeared by it from the moment it appeared on the page, and my fondness only grew over time.

Its view of the future is hopeful, optimistic. The line "A reliable device, built to last a lifetime, as all computers were" elicited a bitter laugh from me. If only they were; well, maybe someday.

This definitely spoke to the part of me that stresses about "not doing enough" all the time. My reading approach felt appropriate to the themes, letting a few Sunday morning hours melt away under the warmth of this story. Comparing this book to a mug of tea may be a bit on the nose, but it's apt all the same.

[deoboyznet]

heads up! check out clo's new series! pls remember to reblog as always <3

GENESIS ༉‧₊˚.

lee juyeon post apocalyptic au / juyeon x afab! reader

༉‧₊˚. “who will be first to bite into the forbidden fruit?”༉‧₊˚.

̗̀➛ description: the world was destroyed by nuclear warfare, 177 years later the only survivors were those living in a large system of underground bunkers, with food supply running short and rationing proving no longer effective. the higher council decide to send the younger generation of juveniles to the surface to test the earth’s survivability.

̗̀➛ genre: sci-fi, romance, action/thriller, angst, touch of fluff, suggestive, enemies to lovers.

̗̀➛ authors note: hi daisies, since i’m back in my the 100 phase i’m channelling my inner 15 year old jasper jordan obsessed self to write this.. i decided to rewatch s1 (refuse to rewatch later seasons for my sanity lmfao) last week whilst i was bedrotting and a spark of inspiration came to me to write this! it’s my first series on this page so do enjoy!

chapters:

̗̀➛ chapter one

༉‧₊˚. > the bunker project genesis is being discussed, it seems as if the plan to send the delinquent youth to the surface is their only chance to guarantee whether it’s truly survivable up there.. that’s if.. it is successful..

̗̀➛ chapter two

̗̀➛ chapter three

̗̀➛ chapter four

̗̀➛ chapter five

[prokopetz]

By your recent definition, kingdom hearts is sci fi

(With reference to this post here.)

Kingdom Hearts has both too many belts and too many zippers, which means Kingdom Hearts is a contemporary technothriller where everybody is secretly a vampire.

[un-pearable]

new thing i have to do when watching any kind of big budget, highly marketable take on a well established genre is ask whether or not the characters actually do the thing the genre was invented for. do the superheroes actually help anyone? mcu spider-man’s narrative treats helping his neighborhood like a burden that makes him less legitimate than the other heroes. iron man would never rescue a cat from a tree. snyderverse superman is actively taught to ignore the public. up until The Batman (2022) we had gone decades since having a batman on the big screen that actually protected people or helped regular civilians. what good is a power fantasy that aspires only to being the biggest gun. do the spies actually collect any information? do any stealth? have to communicate covert knowledge to prevent greater harm? the answer is increasingly no across the board and i fear for the growing popularity of detective lit again knowing few will stick the landing as well as Knives Out

[ossidae-passeridae]

Why Acolyte doesn't feel like a Star Wars story

Here it is: Star Wars is, at its core, a story about hope. And Acolyte doesn't have hope.

An explainer:

Star Wars has been around long enough now, and spawned enough media, that it can be classed as its own genre of work. Like any genre, this means it has conventions that authors/creators need to follow and be aware of in order for their works to fit within the genre. And the core conventions of the Star Wars genre are pretty simple!

a) There is a mystical power known as the Force, which some people can use, and

b) There are two factions - light and dark, good and evil - which are constantly fighting each other, and

c) Even in incredible darkness and overwhelming odds there's always hope for a better future.

(Obviously, like any genre, there's more specific tropes as well - there's a cute droid sidekick who's probably mostly Warcrimes by volume, somehow you're on Tatooine again, if you're in a cantina you're about to get into a fight, etcetcetc)

Within those conventions, there's an enormity of stories one can tell. Bildungsromans, war stories (both gritty and otherwise), romances, there's no shortage of options.

But you've got to keep to those conventions above. If you don't use these genre conventions when you're making your Star Wars story then... you're making something else. And that fine! But at that point it's not a Star Wars story anymore and people will be disappointed because they expected a meiloorun and you gave them an orange.

Andor is the obvious comparison to Acolyte, being a "gritty" series or whatever, but if you watch it it's clear from the outset that it's unambiguously a story about hope. It's drenched in it. The entire story is working towards a victory, and the sacrifices needed to get there are rendered worthwhile by the force of that light. We understand why it's important that the characters keep trying despite their suffering, because of the hope for a better future.

Acolyte doesn't have that.

As @intermundia put it here:

it was such an angry show, resentful and accusatory, full of liars and hypocrites, showing hope to be false and trust to be foolish

It doesn't even subvert the genre; that sort of narrative would build up hope only to crush it at the last minute. It simply doesn't seem to understand the world it's in. And for an Officially Produced Show, that's... certainly a choice.

[wonderlandnet]

-> NEW ADDITION: "MIRAGE, Chapter 1: Lingering Habits" by Dani

「 MIRAGE 」

Character(s): Ateez x Fem!reader

Synopsis: The past is often times better left in the past. But what happens when it holds the key to the future.

Trope: Hero's journey

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Action.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter 1: Lingering habits

Trigger Warning: Smoking, Mentions of Depression, Mentions of Physical and mental illness, brief mentions of death, Mentions of a missing person, suggestion of abduction, Angst.

Divider: @cafekitsune

Network: @cromernet , @wonderlandnet , @cultofdionysusnet , @sandsofire

WC: 1k

A/n: I'm doing it I'm finally doing it.

For the past three years Choi San hasn't seen a single day where the sky wasn't darkened by clouds, masking the sunlight with a thick cover of storm clouds that seems intimidating as if it was threatening to bring down the heavens wrath on the land. A fury that the ocean under imitated. Violent sounds of waves breaking against rocks and cliffs and the smell of salt are carried by a cold wind laced with melancholy as he watches the waves crash against the shore, lapping around his Oxfords.

Choi San has been going to the beach every single day for the last three years. In fact, he turned it into a routine to stand by the shoreline as nightfall gradually approached and have a cigarette. His weak resolution actually led to the beginning of this habit; he had once read somewhere that it takes 66 days to create a habit and probably motivated by curiosity or need, he drove the fifteen minutes from his apartment to the beach in order to kick the smoking habit since it seemed especially hard to quit it just like that. Maybe the view would inspire him, he had thought.

That was a mere eight-day attempt. By the ninth day, his commitment to quit morphed to an episode of "self care" during which he would simply sit by the coastline and smoke. What was the reason? He had given it some thought. He was an adult who consciously chose to follow this terrible plan. One cigarette a day, as though it separated him from the rest. Ultimately, it will be fatal for him. One cigarette or an entire pack. Fuck it, it is what it is, the nihilist in him had said.

For him, nothing was truly significant anymore. Given his profession and the circumstances of the past few years, his life has effectively desensitised him to everything. He no longer experiences the happiness he once had. He no longer finds anything exciting. He's just surviving now, not living. using muscle memory to execute the steps. Mentally not quite there. He just came into existence. And nobody would notice his absence if he simply walked into the ocean in front of him. He was very aware of this.

It hadn't always been like that, actually this mindset of his was a recent development. Back then he was the most fun person in the room. He was the guy everyone went to if they needed anything fun. There were times in his life where his friends had woken him up at 2 in the morning and dragged him to a party because it was boring without him apparently. Hours that would go by where he and his friends would just fuck around in an empty parking lot of a store. He used to feel like that happiness would last forever. Well it clearly didn't.

Choi Jongho vanished in the summer of 2019. That day was fresh in San's memory like a new wound. It had been unbearably hot that August day—in fact, the heat and humidity had persisted throughout the whole week. San remembered sitting outside their neighbourhood convenience store with friends—people that day. After a dramatic game of rock, paper, scissors, Jongho lost and was assigned the honour of getting ice cream from the shop that was across the street.

San remembers when Jongho went into the shop, he loudly declared that he would lick each and every ice cream cone before giving it to them. He remembers that when Jongho was threatening them, everyone, even himself, was giggling at how adorable he looked. He remembers that after waiting for a long time, four of them entered the parlour before running out to let everyone know that Jongho was gone from the store.

Everyone initially believed that Jongho left them because he was angry with them. But as soon as the search party was sent out that evening, that theory was promptly abandoned. Despite the efforts of local volunteers, friends from university, and Jongho's parents, no one was able to find him. No amount of questioning or searching turned up any information. His case was eventually closed.

For him and the others, everything went downhill after that day. Jongho's parents soon left that town. They chose to leave the place where everything transpired because they were unable to cope with their one and only child going missing. And then it was as if all hell had broken loose. Within the friend circle, fights started to break out. They found a way to harm and accuse one another, whether it was by physical or verbal means. It felt like their very minds were being poisoned by that awful place. And on one day where the fights got particularly violent, Seonghwa had cursed everyone out– no, he outright screamed. His eyes were red from angry tears as he kept screaming how much he hated us. How he was done with everything here. Said that he'd rather die than see our faces ever again.

He left that night for the States.

Two days after Seonghwa's departure, San went apologise to him for everyone and found out about him leaving from the neighbour. It was like a kick to the gut. For something he hadn't even done, he felt terrible. But soon after, the melancholy gave way to anger toward the elder boy. He remembers meeting with everyone and telling them about it. He remembers Hongjoong laughing, saying that Seonghwa was a coward and all he could do was run away from problems. He remembers punching Hongjoong so hard that his knuckles felt numb. And he also remembers that was the last time he ever saw any of them.

He had effectively ruined his friendships with all of his friends from his past that day.

So imagine Choi San's surprise when one of those names from the past had suddenly sent him a message.

A message so oddly upsetting that he had finished a whole pack of cigarettes by the shoreline with no care of how his legs and back were wet from the salt water whatsoever.

(00)+419698327: They are reopening Jongho's case and want all of us back in the town for questioning— J.W