Our Fate in the Stars (A Final Space Story)

Change is Gonna Come

(Anaya's POV)

After pulling myself together, I channel my powers and use that strength to pick up Quinn and run towards the med bay. "Hang on, Quinn! Hang on!", I begged him, desperate not to lose him again.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you.", Quinn said in an apologetic tone. I enter the med bay and called out, "What do I do Hue?!"

"Place Quinn in the pod, Anaya. That's all we can do for now.", Hue replied. I nod and carefully place Quinn in the pod.

"You're going to be okay, Quinn. Everything is going to be okay.", I said, trying to convince the both of us. He reached up and cupped my cheek with a smile.

"I'm sorry for hiding this from you. I just wanted to spend these last days without worry.", Quinn said. He then passed out, hand falling to his side.

"Quinn... Quinn!", I called out, worried. I shakily check him for a pulse and almost passed out from relief to find a faint one.

I was startled when a hand landed shoulder. My head whipped around and I saw Hue in his android body, wearing a doctors coat.

I sniffled and hugged him, my face to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me gently and let me sob my heart out.

The others joined us once I had calmed down. "What's our status, Hue? What do we know about final space poisoning?", I asked Hue.

Hue, still in his android form wearing a doctor coat and holding a tablet. "Think of it like stagnant water... a breeding pool for disease. When final space was sealed away from the flow of the universe, space-time itself stagnated, poisoning all organic matter.", Hue explained.

"What's the cure?", I asked. What he said next shook me to my core.

"Oh, there isn't a cure.", Hue stated. I choke back oncoming sobs, while Alex lets out a small whimper, her tail tucking between her legs.

"Figure it out, Hue. Please.", I begged, my voice cracking at the end. After some time, everyone except Hue and I left the room.

I used this time to think. And each thought just made me feel worse.

"I wish I knew what he was going through, I could have helped him.", I said to myself, as I sat next to Quinn, as Hue checked Quinn's vitals. "It would not have helped, Anaya.", Hue said, not looking at me.

I shake my head and asked, "How would you know?" Hue sighs kneeling down to my height, both hands on my shoulders.

He stated, "Because I did know what he was going through, and there was nothing that I could do about it." It took a minute to process what he said.

But when I did, all I could do was let out a breathless, "What?" Hue stands up and makes adjustments to the pod Quinn was in.

"Quinn made me promise not to tell you or anyone about it. It did feel wrong. But then for some reason, I did it anyway. Is that what being human feels like?", Hue asks me. I just let out a sigh and grab Quinn's hand.

"Hang in there, Quinn.", I whispered to him.

(Alex's POV)

I was in the galley, a plate of cookies in front of me, as I tried to forget about how Quinn looked in that pod. Seeing him like that brought up memories of the night my whole world changed.