Homestar Saga

Chapter 140: The Other Shoe

"The Stingers are sweeping the spot with their beam weapons. It's gonna take awhile." Yvian spoke into the holorecorder. She'd much rather be talking with Yuriko in real time, but the comm restrictions at the Research Station were strict. The only way to pass information to and from the Research Station was a Node that could only be interfaced with by Peacekeeper units. That also meant the Peacekeepers would hear everything she had to say. Yvian wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea. On the other hand, Kilroy had been monitoring everything she said and did since the day he came on board, so maybe this wasn't so different. "But it seems to be working."

"As for the Last Hope of Those Who Were Betrayed..." Yvian wasn't sure she should be sharing this information. Dr. Miner had been part of the team of humans that tortured the Hope. Risking her life to save the ship didn't wash that stain away. "Well..." Screw it. Yuriko was on a secure station with no way to leak what Yvian shared, and she needed someone to talk to. Preferably someone other than Mims. That man had been moody as Crunch all day.

"Turns out the Hope is pregnant. The Captain's pissed." Yvian hadn't thought the man cared much about the living ships, but his outrage at what had been done to the Hope would have warmed Yvian's heart if it wasn't so terrifying. "He's a lot more caring than most people think he is."

"The bad news is, there's no way Skygem's going back to the Gate." Yvian brushed a few strands of hair back into place. She'd donned her favorite outfit for this message. A red swimsuit with Space Captain emblazoned on the front. She'd considered doing the recording naked, but humans weren't as casual about nudity as her people. Better to play it safe. "No force in the verse is going to pry her away from Hope. I tried talking to her. Crunch, even Mims tried talking to her."

She glanced around, an unnecessary gesture in the privacy of her quarters. "Do you know what the ships call him? The Sad Man. They like Lissa almost as much as they like me, but with Mims... They don't like talking to Mims." She scratched her head. "I thought they were afraid of him at first, but that's not it. I think talking to him hurts. Like his mind is broken and they don't know how to make it better. Makes them... sad... I guess."

Was this a mistake? Should she be reaching out to Yuriko like this? They'd had one night together, and she'd disappeared without a word. Yvian imagined Dr. Roboto would explain her sudden departure, but still...

"Anyway, we're not gonna have a Lucendian ship putting out anti-tech fields anytime soon. They're all parked at City 43 so Shard can watch over them." Crunch. Did Yvian really have nothing to talk about outside of work? "Did I tell you about Shard? We think she's the last Lucendian. Her mind got stuck inside City 43 somehow, and she's been there ever since. She cried her eyes out when she found out that Hope is alive. Well her soul did. I don't think a crystal city can cry for real."

She was babbling. Yvian made herself take a breath. "Anyway, that's not why I'm... I mean, that's my day, but what I wanted to talk about was..." She brushed her hair back again. "Look. Last night..." Was it really just one day ago? Memory forced a smile onto Yvian's face. "Last night was amazing. And I'm sorry I had to leave like that. Without, you know... saying anything. We had an emergency and..." Yvian was touching her hair again. She forced herself to stop. "I really like you. I like you, and I was-"

Yvian's comm chirped. "Yvian, it's Mims. I need you on the other bridge." The Captain's voice was grim. "The other shoe just dropped."

"Crunch." Yvian turned off the recorder before she answered. "On my way."

Yvian didn't have the energy to sprint, but a brisk jog brought her to the bridge soon enough. Crunch, she was tired. It had been a long, long week. "I need a vacation," she groused as she entered the room.