Another Life (Oc x reader)

Chapter 12 - Choices

Olivier and August get out of the cave and see the pyroclastic flow from the moon approaching. "Salvare, do you read me?"

"Salvare, do you copy? Please, come on. Salvare, do you-"

In the distance they see the Salvare leaving the planet's atmosphere.

"That asshole didn't even try!" Oliver shout angrily at Ethan leaving them to die.

"Think about the mission." August says in sadness.

"The mission? Are you kidding me? Ethan got what he wanted! Why would he need us now, huh!? I mean he's out there breathing all that precious oxygen that we found for him-"

Then they see the shuttle coming for them. Taking the bags of minerals, they run to the shuttle and get in.

"It's gonna be rough but we'll make it."

They look to the pilot and see Ethan flying the shuttle.

"Ethan."

The three grunt as the shuttle lifts off and he turns away from the flow, but it will still hit them a little.

"Brace!"

He gets the shuttle through just in time, and fly out of orbit. Getting into outer space it gets silent, only their heavy breaths.

Oliver looks at Ethan. "Thank you for coming back for us."

"You can throw up if you need to." Ethan and they laugh. Then he flies the shuttle toward the Salvare. "Yn, we are coming in."

...

"Decontamination complete."

The three walk out of the airlock and the crew cheers happily. "Yeah!"

You smile lovingly at Ethan. "Great job. Welcome back."

"That was awesome." Bernie says.

Ethan just walk further in while the others talk with Oliver and August. Michelle walks past him heading toward the others, she stops slightly when she sees him, but then looks away and hurry past him. He sighs. Getting to an empty corridor, he stops for a moment. He looks at his hand and its shaking, then his breathing quickens.

Ethan jumps slightly at the hand that takes his shaking one, but then see that it's you. You pull him with you to a private room. Leaning on the wall he slides down as he starts to hyperventilate. You get down and embrace him. After calming him down, he leans into you, exhausted.

"What do you need? Tell me what I can do." You whisper to Ethan. He just stare out into nothing, so you continue just caressing him, stroking your hand over his head.

"William?" Ethan says and he appears.

He bends down worriedly. "Should I call Zayn?"

"No, no, I just.. I know that I bit your head off earlier, but I.."

"Ethan. Just ask me. What can I do?"

"You want me to leave?" You ask Ethan, but he shakes his head.

He swallows and looks at William again. "I need to ask him a question. I need to talk to Yerxa."

William then disappear, and Yerxa appears. Ethan takes a deep breath, staring at him.

"Killing you.. Was that my only option?"

"Life is all about making choices. That's what we do. All day, every day.. You chose to kill me."

He frowns. "I.. I don't understand.. So I could've let you live?"

"I don't know." Yerxas hologram tells him.

Ethan palms his face and sniffles. You pull him into you and comfort him.

...

Erik tells his Singh that he had told Harper everything she needed even though he never answer any of her questions. She tells him that Harper filled in the gaps. It gives Erik an idea. He believes the audio the Artefact blasts at them contains something they haven't seen. That the negative patterns is sort of like a puzzle.

...

The crew is having a sort of memorial for Yerxa in the observation deck. You and Sasha are in the room too, but the rest of the crew stand in a circle around the table. Ethan stands in the corridor, out of sight and listens.

While Jason is talking, Petra suddenly retches, but gets herself together and they just glance at her. Then Jason keeps talking. Petra retches again but worse. She groans and jerk her body as she keeps retching. Everyone looks at her in concern.

"Petra, what's wrong?" Zayn asks. "Hey, hey. Stop, wait, don't move."

Ethan frowns and walks into the observation deck to see what's happening. Petra gasps and yelps. Her body jerks and you hear crunching sounds. Screaming, she falls weirdly to the ground and she crawls around desperately and screams. You palm your mouth in horror at the sight.

"Ethan, what do we do!?"

"Help!" Petra screams.

She falls to the ground and Ethan bends down in front of her, unsure of what to do. Her body stretch weirdly and backwards, making more cracking sounds while she chokes and gasps. She flips violently and writhe on the floor.

"Zayn!" Ethan shouts for him.

Zayn bend down beside him by Petra. "I don't know what to do."

Petra reaches for Ethan and Zayn, Ethan takes her hand to maybe help or at least offer some comfort in her horrifying state. She jerks and shakes, it forces him to let go as she shakes violently.

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