The Boy from the Bunker - Season 8

Episode Six, Part 1:

Episode Six, Part 1:
Love is Just a Way to Die

Let me tell you what I wish I'd know when 
I was young and deemed of glory: you have 
no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.

Kodiak paced around the control room, hoping it wasn't long until Leander woke up. He didn't want to try and justify his cover-up story in front of Athena or any of his superiors in Neptunum, especially as he knew it wouldn't add up to the three bodies shoved inside the storage closet in the hallway outside.

After a few minutes, Leander finally began to stir in his semi-conscious state, cueing Kodiak to take his position beside him.

Leander groaned, stretching out his stiff body before finally opening his eyes, startled to Kodiak already there.

"Ammon?" He mumbled, gradually pushing himself up, trying to remember where he was or why he was waking up. "What the hell happened? Where are we?"

"We're in the control room," Kodiak said, giving him some space to sit up. "I came here looking for Athena and you were passed out on the floor. You alright?"

"S-someone attacked me!" Leander declared, his voice suddenly filled with raised as he recalled what had happened. "Alecto and Helios. I-I don't know who they are, but they were in here and they attacked me! I was trying to find out what they were doing-"

"Helios?" Kodiak frowned. "He was in the mess hall with the prisoners. I saw him inside guarding the door when I was looking around for Athena. It wasn't him."

Leander panicked, having no reason to doubt what Kodiak was telling him, and tried to think of a reasonable explanation. "Then it must have been one of the prisoners! They got out somehow."

"...I don't think so," Kodiak muttered, playing it cool. "Everyone was taken to rations and it would have been reported if some of them weren't there. Besides, there's no evidence to suggest that you were attacked, by a prisoner no less. All your belongings are still on you, including your weapons, and there's no sign of a struggle anywhere. I think you just passed out?" He suggested, knowing that he and Sol had done a fine job at covering their tracks. "Have you been getting enough sleep? You know, exhaustion can lead to hallucinations if you're not careful, and there's a lot of extra work to be done since the new harvest-"

"I'm fine, Ammon," Leander rolled his eyes, declining Kodiak's offering hand of support. He glanced down at his weapon belt, somewhat frustrated to see that he was right and all of his possessions were still there: it made him believe Kodiak's lie that he really had imagined the attack.

"Have you got any more duties for tonight? I can cover them for you."

"No," Leander shook his head. "I was wrapping up for the night when I was a-" He cut himself short. "When I passed out."

"That's good," Kodiak said. "You should head back to your dorm and get a good night's rest. If you need it, I can cover you tomorrow as well."

Kodiak knew that his abundance of kindness was not only irritating to Leander - which was undeniably amusing to him - but it also further prevented any suspicion of Kodiak being behind the odd events that had happened around the ship.

"Like I said, I'm fine," Leander repeated, straightening himself out as he reached for the door. "But, thanks, I guess."

Kodiak chuckled, believing it to be the first time he had ever heard Leander say those words, and took a deep breath of relief as he left the control room, completely unaware of the ship's changes in coordinates.