Frozen Sea

15. Below Zero

"The current temperature outside of the water is minus fifty-five degrees. Frostbite is imminent to any exposed extremities."

Hongjoong blinked at Seonghwa, impressed. He couldn't even fathom how cold of a temperature that had to be. Whether it was minus ten or minus twenty, he usually didn't feel the difference. Minus fifty had to be so sharply cold it literally hurt within seconds.

"Seems like we're going back through the tunnel. Seonghwa, will you join us?" Yunho already hooked his arm around Hongjoong's where they were idly swimming next to the Sea Truck in the Kelp Forest. The androids had built a sizeable garage near one of the cliffs to park the compartments in. they had finished cleaning up, so it was now time to leave. Usually, they would go back over the ice, but not in those temperatures.

"It's even colder here due to the blizzard and more landmasses. Let me get another scan; I will catch up with you afterwards. Since I don't want you to freeze, go ahead."

Hongjoong looked down Seonghwa's long legs that were idly kicking in the water, pondering. He didn't want to leave the man alone in a storm, but the android knew how to take care of himself. Hongjoong would only hinder him, at most.

"Okay. Be careful out there; we'll see you back at the base."

Seonghwa gave a brilliant smile before he swam over to the nearest iceberg to scale it. Yunho gently pulled Hongjoong along so that they could return.

Mingi caught up with them, too, and like two guards, they swam left and right of him as they returned home. Hongjoong felt positively tiny between their large bodies. The mighty horns that sprouted out of their heads looked more tempting to touch than ever, but Hongjoong refrained. From up close, he also could see how they had still some bits of human hair left, but it was rather short and had a greenish-grey tint to it. He wondered how their less scaley selves had looked like.

"How are you guys getting along with Seungyoun?"

Yunho threw him a funny smirk. They opened the first tunnel and slipped through one by one. Any flora and fauna stayed behind as they swam through the chilly tunnel in the ice.

"Do you want more detail or less?"

A surprised laugh escaped Hongjoong. He tried to keep a distance from Mingi's tentacles so he wouldn't get slapped in the face by one of the grey tips.

"Oh, so that well? I can't believe your weird tentacle technique worked on him."

Mingi's deep laughter sounded dull in the waters. Hongjoong adjusted his light on his lapel.

"According to statistics, biologists are far more likely to sleep with something they have an interest in, and that isn't entirely human than any other people."

Disbelieving, Hongjoong shook his head as they passed another door.

"You made that up."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was true, though."

While Yunho made sure the other door stayed closed behind them, Hongjoong went back to being vertical in the narrow tunnel. He fit, the other two not so much. As he curiously kept looking between his two fishy friends, Yunho finally spoke up again.

"He's a good kid. I think he loves this planet and its creatures a lot given it has put him through so much."

Hongjoong agreed with a hum.

"It makes sense that Alterra aren't his favourites. The planet is not at fault for him being stuck here."

He wondered, sometimes. Would Alterra have ditched them, too, if not for the Sunbeam finding them? Would Hongjoong still be alive by now? Or would a Reaper have eaten him and left Seonghwa's limbs strewn over the bottom of the ocean?