Stargazer - Tribulation

Chapter Twenty-Four - Confabulation

Suhana hasn't talked to Galina since she came back. She didn't want to bother her—Galina felt pretty upset, was in her room all day, and didn't want to spend time with her girlfriend. She just wanted to be alone.

"Hey, Doug," she says as she enters the bridge with the mop inside the grey bucket.

"Hello, sweetheart!" he turns his head around. "You don't have to clean here now."

"Oh," she says and stops. Her head moves around, no one inside but him. Today he should work with Wylie, wherever he might be.

He spends most of his time inside the machine room, working closely with the engineers. Not that he wants to be one, it's just better to be close and instruct what they do from there.

Everyone is just walking behind him now.

However, this is fine. Jason is at the bridge more than he has ever been before, taking over some working even.

He's trying his best to change.

"Oh, hello Suhana," says Jason as he enters the bridge with a steamy mug.

"Hey, Jason," she smiles at him. "Shouldn't Wylie be here tonight?"

"I gave him the day off. He worked way too much already and didn't sleep in ages," he seats himself with a small grunt. "It's fine, Doug and I are here, and I've already done the resets."

She bites her lips, looking at the two who are seemingly busy on this quiet night. "I—" they turn their heads to the quiet voice. "I," she clears her throat, holding the stick tightly. "There is something I wanted to ask!"

"Go ahead," he says, placing the mug on his desk.

"Was Alphonse right?"

"Depends," he leans back.

"Oh what?" she questions.

"If you want him to be right or not. You've been here long enough, do your own thinking."

She looks at the seemingly cold water inside her bucket. "I don't know."

Jason looks at Doug, then back at her with a smirk. "You see, if I was to say that he was lying, you would believe me, but if I say he was right, then you would also believe me."

"I don't really understand you. I am sorry," she says with an uncomfortable chuckle.

"Okay," he exhales loudly. "Why did you come here?"

"For Galina."

"You don't have your own reasons?"

"I never thought about that. All I wanted was to be with her, you know?"

"You have to make choices for your own. If you just follow what someone says," he pauses, looking at her face, forming a small smile. "You're not better than them."

Her eyes widen. "I am not better than the Antares people?"

"Yes. But if you can make choices on your own, then you can tell who's right and who's wrong."

"How do these things work together?"

"It's up to you. If I say the sky is green, would you say I was right?"

She moves her head back a little, lowering her eyebrows. "But the sky is not green?"

His mouth wrinkles up. "What if I see the color as green, but you don't. Would you still say I was wrong?"

"Well, no," her eyelashes flicker. "Because it's what you—" she inhales loudly. "I understand now."

"So, who will you give your voice to?"