A Tale Retold, RED MIST

Confession

   “Where’s the girl?” Dr. Vanessa asked.
   “On her room. She’s already asleep.” The man said as he let the doctor in. “Look, doctor.. the mark.. it’s getting bigger.”
   “I’ll look towards it.” She replied.

   The man led the doctor into the girl’s bedroom. They both entered it quietly, not to woke up the girl. The doctor stepped closer to the girl. She gently tucked her hand below the girl’s nape. She could feel a slight heat coming from it, a pulse, irregular. That should have not happened. She looked to the man.

   “We need to do a full x-ray scan.” She whispered as she walked back to the man. “I’ll schedule it.”
   “Yeah..” The man nodded. They both exited the room. “Thank you, doctor.”

…

   Hall of Command,
   BVA Space Station,
   A day before the expedition..

   "There shouldn't be any obstacle here." Luna scratched the map with a colored pencil. "Emergency extraction can be done.. here. Following the path of expedition.. Here." She pointed. "Here. This area too." Her hand moved swiftly from location to location. "A possible indications of creature’s nest." She even thought about something that barely the BVA noticed. "And the storm.. bring me the latest update of the weather map."
   7 then laid up a weather map on the table.
   "The storm path.." Luna saw where the storm was on the map, then calculated its path. Not long after, her hand moved, creating some sort of path. "The possibility of the storm following this path is high, but I can't guarantee it." Luna looked at everyone.
   "The storm has become unpredictable this days." 0 said. "8 had calculated all of it on our previous expedition, but somehow they still clashed into it."
   "It's only have been like that recently, isn't it?" Luna asked.
   "Yes, it's been like that for several months." 0 replied.
   "Well that overcomplicate things." Luna tried to think. "Can I see your shuttle?"

...

   As Luna was inspecting the shuttle, 7 was doing some paperwork in the command room. As she done with it, 7 planned to catch up with Luna.
   "7!" But someone called her on the way.
   It was a voice that made her heart pounded.
   'Oh God.. why now..' She afraid to turn around. She heard the footsteps getting closer and closer.
   "7.." He called. He was right behind her.
   "491.. hello.." She was shaking. She slowly turned to face him.
   "You didn't finish what you want to say yesterday." He said.
   "Oh.. I think this is not the right time to say it. I'm a bit busy right now.." 7 replied shyly.
   "Why? Just say it. It'll be quick, right?" He insisted.
   "I.. it's.." 7 was stuttering. "It's not the right moment to say it." 7 was trying to run away from him.
   But 491 grabbed her hand.
   "Get off from me!" 7 pulled her hand harshly.
   491 had no other option but to let her go. He saw as 7 ran away from him. He then looked at his hand. Feeling guilty that he may had the wrong idea all this time.

   At the other side, as soon as 7 turned into a corner, she stopped and leaned into the wall. Her breath was heavy. She looked at her hand that 491 held.
   'Why..?' She thought to herself. 'Why can't I say it?'

...

   "As I thought." Luna nodded. "Your shuttle is shit."
   "Can't blame her." 6 raised both of his shoulders. "It's as shit as it can be."
   "One strike and it'll be over." Luna said.
   "What can we do about it? We have no funding from the UHMF." 0 said.
   Luna sighed. "Is there any engineer?"
   "I am." 11 answered.
   "Good." Luna pulled up both of her sleeves. "Let's get our hands dirty."
   "Oh man.. I change my mind! I like this woman!" 11 enthusiastically went with her.
   "Give us some time, people. We'll modify this shuttle." Luna said.

...

   "Team swap? Why?" 2 asked.
   After leaving Luna and 11 alone, the rest went on each of their own. 2 gone to the observatory for a quick smoke break, where 3 followed behind.
   2 lit his cigarette. "Is not like our mission is easier."
   "I don't know.. but.. I think it'll be more suitable if I'm on the alpha team." 3 said.
   But 2 read his mind. "I see.. that one person in the reserve, isn’t it.." He smoked. "Well, to be honest I’m also thought that I’m more suitable with 6. I wouldn’t have the need to hold myself back like the usual if I’m with 1.”
   "Thank you." 3 said. He bowed down and began to leave.
   "3!" 2 called before he went to far.
   3 stopped but didn't turn around to face him.
   "Seal the body properly. We don't want the smell to leak out."

...

   "I really need to apologise to him.." 7 said.
   "Yeah.." 943 nodded. "You need to.."
   "It just that he came at the wrong moment! I was really busy! I want to talk to him but I.. aaa!!" 7 covered her face with pillow.
   "Hey.. it's fine.. as long as you apologise to him, it'll be alright." 943 pulled 7's pillow gently.
   "You sure..?" 7 asked. "Are you sure that he'll not hate me?"
   943 shook her head. "Nope. I’m sure of it." She smiled. "Come on. You can do it."

...

   Just outside the male dormitories..

   7 leaned beside the door. Her heart was pounding. She was scared.
   After a while, 21 came out from there. He noticed that 7 was right beside the door. He stared at her.
   "Looking for me, aren't you?" 21 suddenly trapped 7 against the wall with both of his hands.
   "Stay away from me!" 7 tried to escape from him, but he blocked her, keeping her in.
   "Don't be shy.. I know you like me. After all, why even you waited here?" He closen his face to her. "Come on, give me a kiss."
   "No! Just go away!!"
   But 21 forcefully kissed her in the lips. 7 was in deep shock. She tried to punch him but 21 grabbed her hand. His other hand hovered around her waist, then proceed to grope her chest.
   As then, 491 walked past. He caught a glimpse of what happened and saw that it was 7. He didn't see who the man really was. Both 7 and 491 were staring at each other. 491 quickly looked away and walked away as fast as he could.
   21 parted his lips from her's. "You're mine.." He whispered to her ear. "If you go near that man again, I'll make sure his life suffers.” He then went back inside the dorm.
   7 was leaning into the wall, motionless. She couldn't move a muscle. Slowly, tears began to roll down.

...

   Observatory..

   "I'm just the worst, don't you think?" 491 said.
   "What is it, pal?" 267 asked.
   "I thought she had the same feelings I have for her.." 491 slammed the railing. "But I was wrong. Utterly wrong."
   "What happened? She rejected you?" 267 was concerned.
   491 looked at him. "It hurts. I mean.. I'm happy for her, but.. when I saw that she's already with someone else.. it just.. it broke something deep inside of me."
   "Come on. You're better than this." 267 patted his back. "There’s plenty of stars in the universe."
   "She's not like the others!" 491 pushed 267's hand away. "She's.. she’s someone I love.. you can't just forget about someone like that."
   "But she already has someone." 267 said. "You'll make her hate you if you ruin it. You don't want that, right?"
   "7.. hates me?" He stared at 267.

...

   "I can't help you, girl." Luna said as she sipped a cup of coffee “Without any evidence, they'll report me to the UHMF for unprovoked violence." Luna was sitting on the table.
   "Luna, please.." 7 begged for her help.
   "Why don't you tell your father about it?" Luna suggested.
   "I don't want father to know about this."
   "Why?" Luna wondered.
   "He.. forbids me from having any relationship with someone.. he said that I should follow the rules.."
   "Hm? So if somehow you date that man, you'll keep it a secret?"
   "Well.. I'm sure he'll understand if I already date him. But.. I can't risk it now. I'm afraid he'll separate me more from 491!"
   "I see.." Luna nodded slowly. "Tomorrow's the expedition, right? Me and 11 just finished modifying the shuttle." She put the mug on the table. "How about I take over the comms tomorrow, so you can have some alone time with him.” She jumped from the table and stood up. "Just say it. No hesitation. Make it as clear as possible. Apologise then immediately say your feeling towards him."

...

   Tomorrow..

   "Alpha team, you're assigned on shuttle 62. Delta team, shuttle 47." Luna guided them. "The mission is simple, to investigate the ship wreckage and to regain communication to the space station through the ground base."
   They were at the hangar. Both teams were already wearing their protective suit, with color coded armbands. orange for alpha and blue for delta.
   "As per usual, as a reminder." Luna stared at them, one by one. "We can't guarantee everyone to come back alive. No matter how skillful your are, if it's your time to go, then you'll go."
   7 was watching them from the upper floor, leaning her body on the railing. She was praying that her dad will come back alive. As the same time, 21 was looking back at her. His eyes was filled with malice intends.

   Earlier that day, 21 came to 7. He dragged her into a private place where they're alone. Without hesitation, he unzipped her jumpsuit, revealing her underwears. He forcefully groped her chest. He then kissed her by the lips while doing so.
   As he parted his lips, he said to her.
   "Don't you dare do anything stupid while I'm gone." He said. "I'm going to fuck you brutally if you do."
   "If I don't do anything, you'll set me free, right?" 7 deemed to ask.
   "What? No. I'll still fuck you. Not as harshly of course." He chuckled.
   7 could only sighed.
   "Love you, beautiful." He gave her a quick smooch then left.

   7 clenched her fists as tight as possible everytime she remembers it. She was hoping he dies on the mission.
   "Soldiers!" Luna shouted. "Devote your life! For the righteousness of man!!"
   "For the greater of humankind!!" They chanted.
   "Ah.." Luna chuckled a bit. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. She then quickly clapped her hands. "Come on! Come on! T-minus 30 minutes!"
    Both teams entered their shuttle. The operation officially begun its final countdown.

...

   "Eh? 491..?" A man looked at 7.
   7 was asking people near the male dorm about him.
   "Hey you!" The man she asked for called someone else. "You saw where 491 is?"
   "No, why?" He looked at 7. "Oh, you're looking at him?"
   7 nodded.
   "He.. doesn't want anyone to meet him." He said. It appeared that he was one of 491's friends.
   "What.. wh—" 7 didn't want to waste any time. "Just tell me where he is!"

...

   A door was violently slid. 7 was exhausted, her breath was heavy after all the running. She arrived at one of the storage room that was rarely used anymore.

   "We usually hangout near the storage room. We made a little base there, like a.. hangout place, you know? storage number 3. I really don't know where he is, but if you want to search for him, you might want to start there." The man said.

   And so 7 was there. Storage room number three. It was dark, full of boxes that gone in years untouched. She walked deeper into the dark room, navigating it slowly.
   Soon, she found a light just around a corner of boxes. It was more of a firelight, perhaps a candle being lit. She approached it.
   As she turned, there he was. 491 was sitting on the floor, beside him was a lit candle. He was listening to something through earphones connected to his phone.
   He noticed another silhouette aside from him. So he looked at where the silhouette came from, there he saw 7. They were staring at each other.

   "Oh.. you found me.." 491 said while removing his earphones.
   "Took me an hour." 7 replied while controlling her breath.
   She then walked to him and sat beside him.
   "What are you listening to?" She asked.
   "Oh.. just some classical music. You know.. Beethoven and such."
   "Really? I like classical music too." She said.
   "Is it? Here." He offered one of the earpiece. "Take a listen to this. Lets see if you can recognise this."
   7 took the earpiece and put it in her ear. A wave of music entered her.
   "The 14th sonata, isn't it?" She guessed.
   "Yeah.. the moonlight sonata." He nodded.
   "It’s one of my favorite pieces..”
   "That's wonderful." He said. "Oh! How about.. uh.. wait.."
   491 was scrolling on his phone, trying to find another piece to play. 7 on the other hand, was staring at him. The candlelight illuminated him gracefully. She gulped for a moment, then she took a deep breath.
   "Oh, found it! Take a listen to th—"
   491 was stopped from his words as 7 suddenly leaned into him for a kiss. She gently gave him a kiss in the lips.
   As she parted her lips, she didn't dare to look at him. She leaned her head into his shoulder, fidgeting his fingers.
   491 was stunned for a moment, but then he put away his phone and face her, he held and guided 7's chin so that she looks at him, and he gone for a second kiss.

   "I love you." He said after he parted his lips.
   "I love you too." She replied.