#glen ptahfi

[whumpapalooza]

AI-less Whumptober '24 - Oct 3

I enjoyed making this, thank you for the prompt @ailesswhumptober!

Shared trauma, survivor’s guilt, “It’s not your fault

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS ASSIGNMENT YEAR 1, MONTH 3, WEEK 3

Glen was so dizzy he didn’t even feel the headache yet. He groaned. His vision was a blur of silver and gold. With every blink, silver melted into gray metal, and gold sharpened into the brassy scales of his starcraft's physician. “Slipper?”

“Yes.”

"Feels like everything's spinning."

Slipper gave an affirming hum. “That’s normal for head injuries. We were injured in a crash. Get more rest.”

Glen scrutinized each word before understanding what he was told. “Wait - we…”

“I am fine,” Slipper said. “My injuries are addressed." And he swiftly added, "My pain is mild. Rest.”

“…We’ve had this conversation before,” Glen realized. “Sorry.”

“Don’t give it another thought,” Slipper said. “It's not your fault. Rest."

Glen closed his eyes to do so - but in the silence, his mind’s eye pulled memories of the crash. He gave a flat huff of recognition. “Ugh. Right, pirates. Moon. Atmosphere. Yeah.” Then, before Slipper could say it, he added, “Rest. Sorry.”

Glen drifted close, but not into, sleep. Then the human tensed with a sudden thought. Prepared, Slipper said, “I will wake you if there is an emergency." And finally, Glen could rest.

[whumpapalooza]

Whumperless Whump Event Day 15

ALT - wild animal attack

thanks @whumperless-whump-event for organizing this event! happy to participate!

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2, MONTH 5, WEEK 2

The whole situation was probably avoidable, but of course it didn't go that way. One attack and a hasty race through the woods later, Glen and Tabby found themselves separated from the rest of Aegis's crew. They sat close together, pressed against the dirt wall of a ditch.

(Note: it is more accurate to say that Glen was propped up.)

“Chuck, you with me?” Tabby asked. “How bad did it get you?”

The mandibles had left seven puncture wounds, all connected by a shining welt that ran from the crook of his elbow to his palm. There wasn’t a lot of blood, but his skin felt like it was on fire and the pain wouldn’t let up.

Tabby reached out for permission to inspect the wound. Glen tried to hold it out for her – but as soon as he moved it, his skin felt like it would split. Glen gasped and threw his head back, trying to quiet the screaming pain.

“Ah, fuck,” Tabby hissed. “Don’t move, okay? Hang on.” She leaned in to meet his eyes. “Seriously, please, do not move. Acidic tongue – that can’t spread.”

Glen was too dizzy to nod. “Got it,” he breathed – but even the slight vibration from his voice sent tendrils of searing pain through him. Glen focused on deliberately breathing and tried not to spin with the rest of the world.

[whumpapalooza]

Whumpuary 2025 - January 21

bruises | "who are you?" | immortality

Cheers, @whumpuary! Thanks for organizing such a great event. You're appreciated!

SURPRISE PART 2 FROM A STORY I LEFT ON A CLIFFHANGER LIKE 4 YEARS AGO WHAAAAAT

Brando's veins were frozen with horror. “Please tell me you’re joking,” he said.

Glen’s brow furrowed. “Joking?”

Brando swung around to face Tabby. “I can’t believe we didn’t fucking ask if he knew his name.” He turned back to Glen, whose eyes were widening with rapidly increasing panic. “Who are you? What’s your name? Your full name?” he asked.

“It’s –“ Glen stopped. “I don’t…” His face paled. “I don’t remember.”

Brando swore and looked to Tabby. “Who are we?” Tabby asked.

“You’re – you’re Tabby. And Brando.” Glen looked between them. “What’s happening?”

“Are we sure he doesn’t have any head injuries?” Tabby asked Brando.

“Positive,” Brando said. “No blood, no bumps.”

A single note chirped in Tabby’s head. By the looks on Brando and Glen’s faces, they’d heard it, too. All three of them tapped their sternums and opened the comm line.

“Aegis to DiHonos, Nic’hel, and Ptahfi.”

“Blare!” Tabby gasped.

“Tabby? Aries above, are you guys alright?” They heard her shout away from the comm. “Slipper! We have contact!”

“We’re all alive and awake,” Brando answered. “But we have a problem. We need Slipper, now.”

“Talk to me,” Blare said. “What’s going on?”

“We’re not sure.” Tabby glanced at Glen. “Glen was knocked out. He's up now, but his memory is screwy."

Slipper’s voice came over the comm. “I'm listening. Describe the screw.”

"He doesn't remember his name," Brando said. "He recognizes Tabby and me, and he remembers evacuating the city for the storm. But he doesn't remember coming down to the basement, or how he wound up on the floor."

"He doesn't have a head injury," Tabby put in. "We checked. But he says his head feels 'full'."

The physician was silent a moment, and then said, “Glen, are you listening?”

Glen winced. “Yes."

“What's the current year?”

“627 CT,” Glen replied.

Slipper asked, “What year were you born?”

Glen went to answer, but caught himself mid-breath. He hesitated. “…I don’t know,” he admitted.

Slipper didn't comment on the response. Instead, he asked, “What planet is the home base of the Cosmic Service?”

“It doesn't have one," Glen said. "It's a lunar organization.”

“What is the name of your home planet?”

“…I can’t remember.”

“Seems the primary memories affected are autobiographical,” Slipper remarked.

“Are there any clues leading to what knocked him out?” Blare asked.

“Not really,” Tabby said.

Glen coughed into his fist. His nose wrinkled. “Do you – do you smell that?” he asked.

Brando and Tabby exchanged glances. “All I smell is dust,” Brando offered.

“What do you smell?” Tabby asked.

Glen’s brow knit. “It’s like…flowers. But really, really strong, sweet flowers.” He coughed into his elbow again, then gagged. “Ugh. You don’t smell that?”

“Slipper, should we be worried about this?” Brando asked.

“There can be olfactory auras before migraines.”

“Do you get migraines?” Tabby asked Glen.

Glen opened his mouth to answer, but then he frowned. “I…I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I don’t remember.”

“You do,” Slipper offered.

Glen raised his knuckles to his lips and furrowed his brow.

“So, we could have a migraine on our hands in a little bit,” Brando said. “Good to know. But what about what we’re already dealing with – what’s messing with his memories?”

[whumpapalooza]

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP - AEGIS ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2, MONTH 7, WEEK 2

Nearly two full years into their assignment, the interns aboard Aegis are keenly aware of one another's well-being. Glen Ptahfi has a condition known as Atmospheric Hypersensitivity, which causes vertigo.

Glen yawned as the elevator started to rise, and his ears popped. At once, a wave of dizziness washed over him, sending Glen tottering sideways. He grabbed onto the wall for support. Oh, great. It’s one of those days.

He emerged onto the top floor with steps slow but steady. When he got to the dining hall, he found Tabby and Brando already there, Brando resting his head on his arms while Tabby ate. The latter looked up from her breakfast.

“G’wake, Chuck,” she called. Brando added a muffled greeting.

“Good wake,” Glen said. He sat across the table from them.

“No breakfast?” Tabby noted.

“Eh. Not hungry,” Glen admitted. His head swirled, and he sucked in a breath through his nose.

“You okay?” Tabby asked.

“Hm…” Glen said noncommittally.

Brando lifted his head to rest his chin on his arms. “Is your AHS acting up?”

“Hm,” Glen said again. “I’m okay.”

Tabby and Brando exchanged a glance. Tabby got to her feet. “I’ll get you some water,” she offered.

“Thanks,” Glen murmured. He heard her footsteps retreat, and the kitchen door slide open and closed.

“You going to be okay today?” Brando asked.

“I hope so.” Glen pulled his hands away from his eyes. “I took a day off last week.”

Brando huffed. “You know that’s not how the whole chronic illness thing works, right?” Glen shrugged. “I’m sure Blare won’t give you a hard time. She gets it.”

“Oh, I know,” Glen said. “She’s usually the one who –“ Glen broke off as his head spun, his hands grasping for the table in an effort to stay upright. He stared blankly and inhaled through his teeth.

Brando sat up. He reached out, hand inches from Glen’s. “Breathe, buddy,” he said.

Glen nodded. He took a few deep breaths and kept his eyes fixed on Brando’s hand.

“Glen, look at yourself. You’re not in any shape to work today,” Brando said.

“Hm,” Glen said.

The kitchen door slid open. Tabby’s voice floated to Glen’s ears. “You don’t look so good, Chuck.”

“You both make great self-image coaches,” Glen murmured.

“We’re just worried about you,” Tabby said.

Brand leaned forward. “Will you let us get you back to your cabin – please?”

Glen took in a deep breath. He closed his eyes, and his head swam dangerously. He lifted his eyelids and sighed. “Okay,” he said.

Together, Brando and Tabby pulled him to his feet and threw his arms over their shoulders. As a unit, they made their way back to the elevator. They took it down to the living quarters, arrived at Glen’s cabin door, and got him settled back in bed.

“We’ll check in on you at lunch,” Tabby assured. And then, after wishing him better health, they left.

Glen sighed and stared upwards. He just wanted to sleep it off, but he didn’t want to aggravate the spinning by closing his eyes. He settled for a half-lidded gaze fixed on his ceiling.

[whumpapalooza]

AI-less Whumptober '24 - Day 23

Thanks, @ailesswhumptober!

Fever, passing out, “Hey?! Stay with me, okay?!”

Glen passes out unexpectedly!

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 12

Prompt: "I have nowhere else to go"

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP - AEGIS

Blare had worked her ass off to get where she was. Being at the helm of Aegis was an honor and a joy. But sometimes, it sucked.

She watched four blips on the radar move achingly slow across the map. Her crew was on the planet below, navigating an icy wasteland, and she couldn’t get to them. She couldn’t clear a path for them. All she could do was urge them on and keep them updated from her safe position in orbit.

“This route isn’t going to work,” she said over comms.

“We’ve already gone in the crevice,” Slipper pointed out. “We would have to leave to pick another path.”

“What are you seeing, Blare?” Glen added.

“Updrafts are surging faster than we thought,” Blare said. “Hail is coming down hard.”

“Yes, thank you,” Tabby snarked in reply. “We hadn’t noticed.”

Brando’s voice cut in suddenly. “Fuck in a void!”

Tabby huffed. “Brando, that’s why you’re supposed to wear goggles!”

“Guys, I can’t pick you out of there with a tractor beam and I think an avalanche is imminent,” Blare insisted. “You need to get out of there.”

“And go where?” Brando demanded. “There’s nowhere else to go!”

“Would you stop fucking shouting? She just said there’s an avalanche on the way.”

“Blare, can you –“

And that’s when the comms cut out.

“Oh, no. No, damn it, no.” Blare tried to reestablish connection. She called each of her crewmates individually, and tried Aegis’s comm. But she couldn’t reach them.

Four blips on the radar stopped moving. Blare couldn’t get to her crew. She couldn’t know if they’d stopped for shelter or if they’d been caught in a disaster.

Being at the helm of Aegis was an honor. But sometimes, Blare thought helplessly, it sucked.

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 11

Prompt: motion sickness (alternative prompt 7)

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP - AEGIS ASSIGNMENT YEAR 1, MONTH 7, WEEK 1 A little over half a year into their assignment, Aegis's crew is aware of Glen's atmospheric hypersensitivity (AHS). That doesn't mean it isn't frightening to find your crewmate immobile on the floor.

Glen’s knees hit the ground, and he fell forward onto his palms. He tried to breathe through the wave of dizziness, but the vertigo pulled him in like a riptide, and he couldn’t swim to shore.

Glen heaved deep breaths. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly at his hands on the ground.

He didn’t know how long he was planted there. It felt like an eon, but it could have been minutes, or even moments. But the next thing Glen knew, he heard a gasp.

“Hey, hey – are you okay?”

Hands on Glen’s shoulders guided him to kneeling position. He blinked away the darkness until he could see Brando’s face.

“Can you hear me?” Brando demanded.

Glen tested his tongue, but his voice sounded far away. “Yeah…”

“What happened?”

Glen struggled to find the most succinct way to put it. “Nothing. I’m dizzy.”

Luckily, Brando was quick to understand. “The atmosphere thing? Your – what was it, hypersensitivity?” Glen hummed confirmation. “Okay – okay, I’ll get you to Slipper.”

Brando tapped his chest. “DiHonos to Hecatezen,” he said. Then, as he waited for a reply, he threw one of Glen’s arms over his shoulder. “DiHonos to Hecatezen,” he said again. “Yeah, hey, meet me in the Med Bay. Glen’s atmospheric thing is acting up.”

Brando stood, bringing Glen with him. Glen was a dead weight on Brando’s shoulder. “Sorry,” he murmured.

“It’s okay,” Brando said, readjusting. “I’ve got it.” He dragged Glen to the elevator and kept him upright on the ride down.

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 9

Prompt: shaking

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS YEAR 1, MONTH 2, WEEK 2 Early into assignment aboard Aegis, mild-mannered Glen Ptahfi struggles to set boundaries - but fury can be a strong motivator.

Glen awoke from the nightmare with enough time to catch the sob in his throat. He swallowed it back and sat up slowly, wiping the salty trails of dried tears from his cheeks.

Come on, work with me, he begged his lungs, trying to quell the hammering of his heart. He pressed his forehead to his knees and closed his eyes to take long, quiet breaths.

Glen sighed and laid back on the bed. It’s just a dream, he thought. Just a dream. I can’t even remember what it was about. He put his head on the pillow and looked out the window. Everything’s okay.

He nodded off – but it wasn't long before a screaming alarm cut his sleep short a second time.

Glen swore and leapt out of bed, grabbing his omnigadget from the bedside table, and hurried out of his cabin.

Out in the hallway, the rest of Aegis’s crew was emerging from their doors. Zoologist Nic’hel was doing a little dance to the beat of the alarm, while botanist DiHonos shook his head at her with an amused grin. Hecatezen had no readable expression, but the physician kept his eyes on Minervas as she marched down the hall.

The helmswoman passed the rest of the crew and came straight to Glen. “Our anchor failed,” she reported over the din, not bothering with pleasantries.

Glen leaned over to view her tablet. “What about the backup?” he asked.

“It’s holding,” Minervas said, but her voice was tinged with disapproval. It was clear what she wanted.

Glen bit back a yawn. “I’ll get on it,” he said. Everyone else went back to sleep while Glen went to the engine heart for maintenance.

It was hours later before the helmswoman came for an update. “Ptahfi?” she called out.

Glen didn’t reply right away. He was squeezed halfway inside a gap between two sheets of rubber-coated metal, fiddling with conductors that were barely within reach. And as tired as he was, he couldn’t afford to lose his focus.

“Ptahfi!” Minervas shouted.

A fresh wave of frustration crested. “Hang on, hang on,” Glen muttered, not bothering to raise his voice for Minervas’s benefit. He pulled his omnigadget back from the conductor, shone its light at his work, and sighed. Then he shimmied out from the gap. “Over here,” he said.

The helmswoman approached. “Well?” she asked.

“Well,” Glen echoed, “everything’s running for now. You can relaunch the program.”

“Excellent,” Minervas said. “Nicely done.” She turned to go, but Glen called after her.

“I barely managed to get it going,” he said. “It’ll do, but we need to stop at an outpost for parts.”

Minervas turned back to him and shook her head. “Unfortunately, our craft isn’t high on the Service’s priority list,” she said.

“Next time, we might not be so lucky,” Glen insisted.

“Well, we have to make do with what we have until the next briefing,” Blare said.

It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, but it was the first time they were having it when Glen had less than two hours of sleep.

“Fine,” he snapped, “but don’t ask me to fix it again.” He could feel his hands shaking with exhaustion and anger. “If you won’t do your job, then I'm not losing sleep doing mine.”

Minervas recoiled as if he’d slapped her. A prickle of guilt threatened to break Glen’s resolve, but he marched out of the room and towards his cabin. He refused to look back.

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 10

Prompt: "let me help you"

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS

The mission wasn’t going well. Glen and Slipper were making some new friends, but one enemy and twenty minutes later they were running for their lives.

Chased by a battalion, the pair fled to the woods and dove for a hole out of sight. They waited and listened as their pursuers swarmed the area.

After some time, there was silence, and Glen turned his attention to his crewmate. “Okay, I think we have a little time,” he said. “I’ll patch you up and call for a tractor beam.”

Slipper, doing his best to not disturb his injury, shook his head. “It can wait until we're safe aboard Aegis."

Glen hummed. “I wouldn’t normally argue with your medical assessment,” he said, “but I watched a knife go through your arm.”

“It's fine. I’ll tend to it myself,” Slipper hissed.

“That’s either adrenaline or shock talking.”

Slipper bared his teeth. “I’ve endured worse,” he said flatly. “Don’t underestimate my constitution.”

“I don’t,” Glen said. He and Slipper stared each other down for a few seconds, then Glen continued, “I know you can take care of yourself. You do not have to when I’m offering to help.” Before Slipper could interject, Glen said, “At least let me see it. Please.”

Slipper’s nostrils flared, but he shifted to give Glen a better view.

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 8 Prompt: lies (alternate prompt 4)

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS

The crew aboard Aegis shared nearly everything – a living space, a duty, their passions. They shared trust in each other. But even in trust, they maintain privacy.

And that meant that some of them would lie.

Tabby was lying about her tattoos. Specifically, the flower on her collarbone. She told Brando it was the first one she’d gotten, which he believed. She told him it came from when she was being stupid, which sounded right. But she told him that it had no meaning, and that she didn’t even know the name of the flower. Brando didn’t buy that for a second.

Blare wouldn’t speak candidly when telepathy was a topic. The way she stood with stiff posture, spoke in a short, clinical words, made her seem unchanged from how she behaved at the start of their assignment. Blare wouldn’t let anyone challenge her. The crew wasn’t even sure that she knew she was doing it.

Blare knew that Glen was hiding something, but she couldn’t tell what. When they swapped stories, there were occasions where she saw panic blink across her friend’s expression. But it was always gone as fast as it came, and Blare couldn’t find any connecting theme that triggered it. Glen never mentioned it, and Blare was hesitant to pry – but Glen was definitely hiding something.

Slipper spent his homeworld life in solitude, and he still didn’t fully understand the idea of benefiting from a lie – but it didn’t stop him from living a few of his own.

[whumpapalooza]

@whumpcember '24 - Dec. 5 Prompt: concussion

COSMIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP – AEGIS ASSIGNMENT YEAR 1, MONTH 3, WEEK 3

Pirates have taken Aegis. Glen and Slipper, separated from the others, have crash-landed in an escape shuttle. (Part 1)(Part 2)

Glen woke up on a metal floor. Vaguely, he recognized his surroundings. It was one of Aegis’s escape shuttles - but it looked different from the times he’d checked it for inspections. The windows were blocked with metal panels, the lights had been dimmed to minimum, and the interior doors were all open.

A rattling sound came from somewhere over Glen’s shoulder. He turned his head; Slipper was at the other end of the shuttle, pacing. The physician’s claws clicking against the floor with every step, and his tail jerked erratically. A steady stream of hissing came from Slipper’s direction.

“What’s going on?” Glen asked. Slipper didn’t look over, keeping focus on something he carried in his claws. “Slipper?” Glen called.

“It’s important that you rest,” the physician answered. “You can help later.”

The words felt familiar – had this conversation happened before? Glen’s brow creased, and he started to pull at gooey memories.

Escape shuttle. Rest. Paired with the sensation that this wasn’t the first go-round for this conversation, Glen came to the conclusion that he was concussed. Oh, that explains the headache, too.

What caused the concussion? The escape shuttle’s disarray spoke to that – it had to be a crash. Did Glen remember a crash?

No, but that’s because I was knocked out before the landing. Relief fluttered in his chest as the memory came back to him without much effort.

Then he contemplated the last part of Slipper’s words. You can help later. Was it as simple as dismissing Glen to encourage the engineer to sleep?

No, that’s not it. Slipper usually displayed a level of emotion so imperceptible that it was frustrating. But here he was, hissing up a storm of reptilian swears, pacing the floor, lashing his tail. Slipper absolutely needed Glen’s help. But with what?

The answer was close, Glen could feel it. But his head was already aching from the deductions he’d made so far, and Slipper likely needed him fully alert. Glen closed his eyes. For now, he thought, the best way I can help is to rest.

[whumpapalooza]

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?”

[whumpapalooza]

WHUMPTOBER 2022

No. 17 HANGING BY A THREAT Breaking Point | Stress Positions | Reluctant Caretaker

(Space Interns Masterpost)

(Part 1) (2) (3)

Glen’s head pulsed with every beat of his heart. His fingers loosened, and the condense drive core rolled onto the desk. Glen lowered his omnigadget.

The pain was too much. Glen couldn’t focus anymore. He leaned back against Slipper’s chair and closed his eyes. “Aegis Medical Bay,” he murmured, “reduce all lights to 5 percent.” The craft obeyed.

And Glen fell asleep.

Glen awoke to the sound of the Med Bay door unlocking. His eyes snapped open, but the pain in his head was paralyzing. Glen couldn’t find the strength to get to his feet, to do anything to defend himself.

The door slid open. Glen heard footsteps approach. Then a bottle of pills was placed in front of him.

“Take these.”

Glen’s eyes darted over to the side. He saw one of Seraph's crew – the woman with green hair – folding her arms.

“I’m not getting you water,” she said. “Just take the damn pills.”

Glen reached out, his fingers shaking, and uncapped the bottle. He took three pills and popped them into his mouth. After he swallowed, he said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” the woman said. Then she reached forward, snatched the bottle from Glen’s hands, and stomped out the way she’d come.

The door locked behind her.

[whumpapalooza]

WHUMPTOBER 2022

No. 14 DIE A HERO OR LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BECOME A VILLAIN Desperate Measures | Failed escape | “I’ll be right behind you.”

(Space Interns Masterpost)

“Starcraft Seraph, you are being hailed by starcraft Aegis,” Blare said.

All five of Aegis’s crew were gathered in the tractor beam bay. Glen and Blare sat side-by-side on the bench at the console. Glen had rigged up an outdated communication device and was helping Blare contact their next mission.

A UCD – Unresponsive Craft in Doldrums – had been reported. UCDs were often cases of power surges; knocked power could disable both drives and communication. In most cases, UCDs just needed a jolt.

But this particular UCD should have had backup power. Glen knew this because it was Seraph, a fellow intern craft. Seraph’s docking port was right next to Aegis’s. Glen had met Seraph’s pair of engineers before.

Seraph had been on a mission, but was unresponsive for days. When it was located, it was approaching orbit of a Class 4 planet. Aegis was assigned to take care of it.

“Starcraft Seraph, you are being hailed by starcraft Aegis,” Blare repeated. She enunciated every word. “Please provide your Gamma code.”

There was a beat of silence, and then a crackly sound came from the speaker – a series of words that Glen didn’t recognize.

Blare looked up at Glen. “That’s their code,” she said. “It’s definitely them.” Glen opened the comm. “Starcraft Seraph, can we provide assistance?” Blare asked.

A beat of silence. “Please. We need all hands on deck. We have injured.”

Blare���s head snapped up. She looked over at Slipper, who patted his medicine pack. Glen opened the comm, and Blare said, “We are prepared to board your craft and assist.”

Silence for one beat, two beats. Then, “How many are you?”

“Five,” Blare replied.

After a few moments of silence, the crackly voice said, “We have only four tractor beam chambers.”

“And I thought our craft was small,” Tabby muttered dryly.

Blare looked over at Glen, who waved a hand to indicate it was not a problem. “I can send you all over,” he said. “I’ll set a timer for myself separately.”

Blare nodded. “We can come in two trips,” she said over the comm.

“You’re heavensent, Aegis,” said Seraph’s representative. “We won’t forget this kindness.”

After ending communication, Blare gestured to the tractor beam chambers. Brando, Slipper, and Tabby stepped up and into the chambers while Glen primed the console. “Their system’s still online,” he remarked. “That’s lucky.”

“So, easy beam?” Blare asked.

“Oh, yeah. I’ll be right behind you.”

Blare hopped onto her pedestal. “See you there,” she said cheerily.

Glen gave a thumbs-up. “See you there,” he said. Then he activated the tractor beam. His crew’s feet lifted from the ground, and then they vanished. The tractor beam sent them from Aegis to Seraph.

Glen felt the console buzzing under his fingertips. He waited for it to stop, to indicate that the tractor beam had been successful – but the console continued to hum.

Frowning, Glen counted to ten. Tractor beams were only supposed to take five seconds at most. But still, the console hummed.

“C’mon, you silly ship,” Glen muttered, patting the console. “I’ve got to get over there, too.”

The console’s only reply was to hum louder and buzz harder. Glen leaned in to listen to the parts. If he didn’t know any better, then he would say they were receiving a tractor beam instead of sending one.

Did the beam fail? Are they being sent back?

Then, four figures materialized in the tractor beam chambers. Glen’s head snapped up.

It wasn’t his crew. It was four humans, all wearing uniforms just like Glen and his crew, but there was blood all over them.

Glen’s eyes widened. “What –“

One of the humans, her blonde hair caked with blood, stepped out of her chamber and reached for something on her belt. Glen's heart sank when he recognized it as a beamer – a sonic weapon. She pointed it at Glen’s face. “Step away from the console,” she commanded.

Glen backed away and raised his hands. “Okay – okay, yeah. My crew – are they -"

The other three stepped from their chambers. A man with his arm in a sling curled his lip. “You don’t get to ask questions,” he snapped.

“Sorry,” Glen said. “I don’t really know how this works.”

“You either shut up or die,” said the woman with the beamer. “I don’t care which.”

“Okay,” Glen said. He couldn’t help but continue. “But that’s a non-lethal weapon, so –“ He broke off as the other three pulled out their own beamers and pointed them at Glen’s head. “Okay. Yes, four will kill me,” he conceded.

A woman with neon green hair took a step towards Glen. “What part of shut up do you not understand?” she snarled.

“Sorry – sorry,” Glen said.

“You’re the engineer, right?” asked the woman with blood in her hair. Glen nodded. “So you know how to fix this?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a mechanical sphere.

Glen lifted his head. “That’s a condense drive core,” he said.

“I know what it is!” the woman growled. “Can you fix it or not?”

Glen swallowed. “Um…I mean, it depends what’s wrong with it,” he said. “But –“

Just then, a familiar voice crackled through the comm. “Aegis to – well, Seraph to Aegis, I guess,” Blare said. “Glen, are you there?”

“Don’t even think about answering that,” the woman with green hair spat.

“Okay,” Glen said. “Okay, I won’t.”

“Glen, are you there? The comm is rigged up on this end, but there’s no one here.” Blare sounded suspicious.

“Can you fix this?” the blonde woman repeated, holding up the condense drive core.

“I can’t promise anything,” Glen said, “but I can try.”

This answer satisfied them. They lowered their beamers. “Good choice,” said the woman with the core. She turned her back and started giving orders in a low voice.

Glen watched them for a few moments. Then, before he could think himself out of it, Glen lunged forward and grabbed the comm.

The woman with green hair raised her beamer. “Shoot him!” she shrieked. The others raised their weapons.

Glen ducked behind the console. He crouched, holding the comm close to his chest. He spoke quickly.

“Ptahfi to Seraph!” he shouted. “Guys, they came here! They’re armed! They’re –“

But before Glen knew it, the console was surrounded by the hijackers. Glen looked up as the woman with bloody blonde hair raised her beamer to Glen’s forehead.

She pulled the trigger.

[whumpapalooza]

WHUMPTOBER 2022

No. 16 NO WAY OUT Mind Control | Paralytic Drugs| “No one’s coming.”

(Space Interns Masterpost)

(Part 1) (2)

The core in Glen’s hand blurred with every blink. He rubbed his eyes.

He had woken up in the Med Bay with the doors locked from the outside. Seraph’s condense drive core was on Slipper’s desk, along with Glen’s omnigadget and a note.

Aegis engineer,

Incoming tractor beams have been disabled. No one’s coming for you.

Get to work.

-Seraph

Glen’s heart sank. And he got to work.

As he fidgeted with the core, his sight got worse. He tried to focus his eyes, to clear away the pale double that was splitting from the core – but when it only worsened, Glen put the core down and pressed his hands against his eyes.

“Ugh…” he moaned. “Aegis Medical Bay, reduce all lights to 5 percent.” The lights dimmed.

Glen lowered his head and rubbed his temples. His head ached – but that’s what happens when you’re hit with a sonic weapon right in the forehead.

For a few moments, Glen allowed himself some respite, some self-pity. But then his face grew solemn.

No one’s coming for you, Glen reminded himself. You’ve got to play along.

Glen cleared his throat. “Aegis Medical Bay,” he said, “raise triage lights to 20 percent, and raise desk lights to 80 percent.” The craft responded to his command.

Glen picked up his omnigadget. He picked up the core. And with a sigh, he squinted and got back to work.

[whumpapalooza]

WHUMPTOBER 2022

No. 15 EMOTIONAL DAMAGE Lies | New Scars | Breathing through the Pain

(Space Interns Masterpost)

(Part 1)

“Guys, they came here! They’re armed! They’re –“

Glen’s voice cut off. His line went dead.

Blare opened her line. “Glen, are you there?” she demanded. No answer. “Glen, respond!”

They waited. Nothing but silence answered. Blare exchanged a look with Slipper; she heard a low growl in the physician’s throat.

“We need to get back over there,” Tabby said.

“How?” Brando countered. “Do you know anything about how this craft works?”

Then a voice came from their speaker. “Crew of Aegis, this is Seraph helmswoman Jede.”

Blare opened the line. “Where’s Glen?” she growled.

“Relax, Aegis, he’s fine,” said Jede.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Tabby snarled from behind Blare. Brando nodded agreement.

Blare opened the line. “You’re lying,” she said.

“Maybe,” Jede said smugly. “What are you going to do about it?”

“What do you want?” Blare asked.

“We’ve already got it: an engineer.”

Blare frowned. “Why ours?” she asked. “Why not one of your own?”

Jede didn’t answer right away. “Check the brig,” she said eventually. “You’ll get all the answers you need there.”

From the sound of Tabby’s scoff, she didn’t like that answer. Blare opened the line and said, “We’re not going anywhere until we talk to Glen, first.”

"You’re aboard a UCD. I suggest you do what you’re told instead of pressing your luck.” Then the line went dead.

Blare opened the line. “Jede,” she said. There was no reply. She pursed her lips. She looked at Slipper, whose tail was flicking back and forth.

“What do we do?” Brando asked from behind them.

Blare had the same question. But she knew it was her job, as helmswoman, to answer it. She opened their line again. “Glen,” she said, “hang tight. We’re going to fix this.” Then she closed the line, turned to her crew, and said, “Let’s head for the brig.”

“You know where that is?” Tabby asked.

“Yes,” Blare said, leading the way. “This is a five-floor craft. It’s one floor above us.”

The others followed Blare out of the tractor beam bay, and they emerged into the dimly lit hall. The only lights were the red strips running along the baseboard. Blare walked to the rounded staircase at the windows and headed up.

As they ascended the staircase, Blare couldn’t help but cast a glance out the window. She could see Aegis. Her heart clenched.

On the next floor, she led them towards the center. The brig door was stuck open halfway.

“I smell blood,” Slipper said.

The hairs on the back of Blare’s neck raised. She swallowed. Then she stepped through the parted doors.

It was a round room with ten beds. Though there were no visible walls, the low hum of electricity told Blare that one of the forcefields was activated.

“Aegis…I’m guessing?”

They all jumped and turned sharply at the voice. Blare’s heart was pounding in her throat as she peered through the gloom. There was someone lying in bed in one of the cells.

He wore the same uniform boots and pants as they did, but he’d removed his shirt. His side was bandaged, but the bandages were soaked. Blood dropped from the bed onto a pool on the floor. He had a bruise over the half of his face that they could see.

Slipper’s frills spread. No doubt the physician’s instinct was to rush to the injured man’s side.

Blare held a hand out to bar Slipper from moving. It might be a trap. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Engo.” The man’s voice was hoarse.

“The blood’s his own,” Slipper whispered to Blare. “I can sense his vitals. He is no threat.”

Blare furrowed her brow. She lowered her hand and Slipper hurried to the forcefield. Blare, Tabby, and Brando followed closely. Blare saw that the panel was already unlocked and hit the key to shut off power. The humming electricity stopped, and Slipper rushed to Engo’s side.

Slipper muttered to himself as he started to peel back bandages. Then he raised his voice. “How did this happen?” he asked.

“Bit by a…star dog,” Engo rasped.

Slipper curled his lip. “You’re lying,” he said. “I smell burned flesh.”

Blare’s stomach rolled. She swallowed back her disgust and forced out an even voice. “You lie as easily as your helmswoman,” she said. Engo’s face relaxed, like the thought comforted him. “Jede said that we’d find our answers here. Well? What’s going on?”

Engo opened his glassy eyes and met Blare’s gaze. He spoke in slow exhales. “Half of our crew is dead.”

Blare heard Brando give a slight gasp. She felt like her blood had iced over.

“You can go ahead and…check the Med Bay,” Engo continued. He licked his dry lips. “Because they’re all there. What’s…what’s left of them, anyway.”

“You’re lying,” Blare said. It had to be another lie - but she didn’t like how sincerely Engo had spoken.

“Go ahead…check,” Engo suggested.

“Blare,” said Tabby. “I’ll go.”

“I’ll go with you,” Brando offered.

“No,” Tabby insisted. “Only one person needs to see it. I can do it.”

Blare closed her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “Stay on comm the whole time, though.”

Tabby tapped her chest and opened the comm line. “You’ve got it,” she said, her voice echoing both in the brig and in Blare’s head. “Where is it?”

“Next floor up,” Blare said. Tabby nodded and left the brig.

Engo rested his head back on his pillow. A tear rolled down his bruised face. Minutes passed. Slipper cleaned and dressed the wound in silence.

And finally, they heard Tabby’s voice in their heads.

“Blare, I’m at the Med Bay,” she said softly. “It’s not a lie.”