Black Hole Heartbeat

Rusalka - 89

Rusalka tensed her spine as she left Forr's room. Toes curled. She needed to keep her body tight. If she didn't, everything might burst out.

She entered the lab without knocking. Krakk was crouched down, picking up black discs from the floor. He held one up to his eye, noted down the details then laid it down carefully on the desk. There was a rhythmic beauty to it. She watched him do this three times; each time placing the disc in a different place on the desk. The lab table was half covered in the black discs but the floor was still barely visible. Rusalka stepped further into the lab, her foot hitting one of the discs with a light scrape.

"Hello?" Krakk said, turning around. The moment Rusalka tried to respond, her body became limp. She coughed out a sob and covered her face in her hands.

"Furball?" He left the black discs where they lay and enveloped her in his huge arms. The discs scattered and rolled as he stepped through them. He didn't say a word. He just held her.

She told Krakk everything. Koller. Cancer. Cancel. And more. How she sometimes turned her translator off when she spoke to Ana because her accent sounded like Koller's. How she couldn't listen to Elizabeth's blunt accent butcher the language. How she was tired of just being alone.

"You're not alone, Rus. Not here."

"You're a good friend, Krakk." She reached up and kissed his cheek. Her lips left a wet mark on his leathery skin.

"So what's happening here?" Rusalka said. She wiped away a tear.

"This happened when Elizabeth tried to reconnect the fragments. I'm hoping I can rearrange them so it can be useful again."

"Do you mind if I watch?" Krakk pulled a chair close.

"This may take a while." Rusalka used the back of her hand to dry her eyes.

"I've got the time."