The Seventh | A Dark Matter Fanfiction | Two (Portia Lin)

Chapter 17

One, Two, Six, Seven, and the Android surrounded an unconscious Five as she convulsed on the medbay table, the heart monitor beside her beeping rapidly as it spiked.

"Something's not right, it's happening again," Two said urgently, her eyes darting between the monitor and Five.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Heart rate's spiking," Seven reported, his fingers flying over the console. "Brain wave activity is off the charts."

"She's in trouble," Two stated, her voice filled with worry.

<24 Hours Earlier>

Seven opened his eyes, awakening from a very restful sleep. Beside him, he saw Two's naked back, covered by the blanket on his bed. Her hair was splayed across the pillow, a serene sight in the dim light of the room.

"It's not polite to stare, you know," Two teased, not even looking back at him.

"Oh yeah?" Seven replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Mmhmm," Two murmured. She turned and straddled Seven, their bodies close as they kissed, a tender connection before pulling apart.

"You're beautiful," Seven murmured, entranced by Two's beauty on top of him.

Two chuckled. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Who knew, big bad leader Two is really just a softie," Seven teased.

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you myself," Two retorted playfully, though the gleam in her eye showed she was more relaxed than her words suggested.

They shared a quiet moment, their fingers intertwined, enjoying the rare peace and comfort. As they held each other, Seven's hand brushed against her neck, where the bandage had come loose.

His expression shifted from playful to concerned. "Hey, your bandage is coming off."

Two glanced down, the lightness in her eyes giving way to a touch of annoyance. "Ugh, I thought I felt something."

Seven stood and walked over to his personal medkit, pulling out alcohol and new bandages. He returned to Two, who had now sat up, still bare-chested. Carefully, he removed the old bandage, a small noise of surprise escaping him.

"What is it?" Two asked, sensing his shock.

"Uhhh... it's gone," Seven said, his voice filled with disbelief.

"What's gone?" Two stood up to look in the mirror, her eyes widening as she saw her unblemished skin.

"I don't suppose you know what happened, do you? Wounds like that don't just disappear overnight," Seven asked, still processing the miraculous change.

"No," Two replied, equally puzzled. "Just... re-bandage it like normal. It's better if the others don't know about this."

Seven nodded. "Alright."

He carefully wrapped the new bandage around her, both of them silently pondering the mystery of her sudden healing.

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, the Android's voice filling the room. "Two, incoming transmission. You are required on the bridge."

Two sighed, rolling her eyes. "Duty calls," she said, giving Seven a quick peck on the lips before climbing out of bed.

"Always at the most inconvenient times," Seven muttered, a smile playing on his lips as he watched her dress.

Two grinned over her shoulder. "We'll pick this up later."

"I'll hold you to that," Seven replied, his eyes following her as she headed for the door. Seven swiftly dressed himself, his mind still mulling over the strange disappearance of Two's wound.

<>

Two's voice hardened as she spoke with a mixture of frustration and anger. "There was a bit of a problem with the job."

Talbor's incredulous voice came through the speaker. "What kind of a problem?"

"The ship was destroyed," Two replied bluntly.

Talbot's disbelief was palpable. "Are you kidding me? Wait, is this some kind of a sick joke?"

"To be more precise, we blew it up," Two clarified, her tone unapologetic.

"You blew it up? You blew the ship up!?" Talbot exclaimed in shock.

"That's right. I imagine your client's going to be angry," Two stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah, I think, maybe just a little," Talbot replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Angry enough to string you up, cut your heart out and show it to you while it's still beating? Because that's what I'm gonna do," Two threatened, her voice cold and menacing.

Talbor's attempt to downplay the situation only fueled Two's anger. "Okay, that's a whole lot of hostility coming out of nowhere. Given, you know, that I'm the aggrieved party here."

"You lied to us," Two accused, her voice laced with venom.

"No, I never lied," Talbot defended himself.

"You didn't think it was worth mentioning that the Far Horizon was a plague ship? That this was all about some failed attempts to create an immortality drug?" Two pressed, her frustration evident.

Talbor attempted to justify his actions. "Okay, first of all, neglecting to mention certain details is not the same as lying. Just wanna point that out. And secondly, if I'd told you about the virus, you wouldn't have taken the job. So, sue me."

With that, Two ended the call without further word, leaving Talbor to ponder the consequences of his deception.

<>

In the mess hall, where the crew gathered for breakfast, Two voiced her suspicions as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm not buying it," she stated firmly.

One looked up from his meal, curious. "What do you mean?"

Two sighed, shaking her head. "If he really wanted us to get that ship, he would've warned us about the virus, so we could've at least gone in prepared."

Seven frowned, considering her words. "You're saying he wanted us to fail?"

Two scoffed, frustration evident in her voice. "Ferrous wants our heads, right? Maybe they offered him something to take us out."

Four interjected thoughtfully, "Perhaps he thought he could win either way. If we succeed, he gets the salvage. If we're killed, Ferrous pays him off."

Six chimed in, his expression troubled. "You know what the real problem is? Even if all this is true, he's still the closest thing we have to a friend."

One shifted the conversation, concerned about their immediate situation. "What's our supply situation?"

Two's tone turned grim. "Bad, bordering on desperate. We've got enough fuel to reach the outer colonies. There's not much law out there, so we'd probably be safe. But we don't have enough food. We'd have to go back in the stasis pods to even make it that far."

Three scoffed at the suggestion. "After what happened last time, not a chance."

Four nodded in agreement. "And what would we do when we get there?"

Two's gaze hardened as she considered their options. "Find some work, if we're lucky. If not, sell the ship."

Three couldn't help but point out, "Which is what I have been saying from the start, thank you very much."

One looked conflicted, grappling with the idea of parting with their ship. "You said you'd never do that."

"Believe me, I don't want to, but I'm starting to think that we may not have a choice," Two admitted reluctantly, the weight of their predicament heavy on her shoulders.