Chapter 35 - The Percival

Joey grunted as he helped Chris lift the medical pod, its sleek blue surface gleaming under the dropship's lights. They maneuvered it carefully into their dropship, the ‘Percival’, the ship's interior seeming to hum with anticipation.

"Easy does it," Chris said, dark hair flopping over his forehead as they wrestled the pod into the dropship. "Don’t want to bust anything important."

Joey nodded, wiping sweat off his face with his arm. "Yeah, wouldn’t be great if the damn thing broke down the second we landed." His head was already spinning with all the shit that could go wrong on this planet. Alien bugs? Poison air? Who knew.

They started going through the medical crates, ticking stuff off the list. Joey’s hands were a little shaky. Chris saw it and put a hand on Joey’s arm.

"Hey, Red, you’re wound tighter than a spring," Chris said, quiet but perceptive. "Everything okay?"

Joey sighed, turned to face Chris. "It’s just… this is it, man. We’re actually doing this. Landing on an alien planet. For real."

Chris just smiled, warm, easy smile. "That’s the whole point, right? Finding out what’s out there?"

"Yeah, but…" Joey’s voice was tight.

"We can handle whatever's there," Chris said.

Joey nodded, a small smile finally showing on his freckled face. "Yeah, okay."

They went back to work, the dropship humming around them. But Joey still seemed wound up. Like a guitar string stretched too tight. Later, when Chris was distracted checking the oxygen tanks, Joey muttered something under his breath, almost to himself.

"Those idiots are going to get themselves killed," Joey said, staring towards the crew quarters. He wasn’t smiling anymore. He was watching the space where Luca, Ryan, and Danny were probably getting ready, and he looked… worried. Not for himself, but for them.

Chris turned back, catching the tail end of it. "What's that, Red?"

Joey shook his head, trying to play it off. "Nothing. Just… reminding myself to double-check the first-aid kits. For when those three inevitably do something stupid."

Chris just chuckled, knowing Joey was still on edge. "Hey, they're impulsive, sure. But you’ve got eyes in the back of your head, Red. You'll keep them in line. Besides," he added with a playful nudge, "you secretly enjoy playing older brother, don't you?"

Joey’s jaw tightened a little. "Yeah, but not like this. Not… out here. No backup, Chris. No quick ride home if things go south. It’s just… us." He ran a hand through his red hair, messing it up even more. "And I'm responsible for keeping everyone healthy. Everyone."

Joey’s lips twitched again, a hint of a real smile this time. "Yeah, well, someone’s gotta keep them breathing."

Chris stepped closer, put both hands on Joey’s shoulders this time, looking him straight in the eye. "Hey. You are responsible. And you’re damn good at it. You always have been. Remember all those times back home? Patching up after so many close calls, even getting Luca to finally take his meds when he was sick?" He paused, then cupped Joey’s face gently, his thumbs brushing his cheekbones. "You got this, Red. You always do. And I'm right here with you, every step of the way."

Joey’s lips curved into a real smile this time. "Yeah, okay." He took a deeper, more conscious breath. "You’re right. We've got this."

Chris squeezed Joey’s shoulders, then let go, picking up another medical crate. "Come on, partner," Chris said, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Let's show this planet what we're made of. Together."

Joey finally let out a real laugh, the tension in his shoulders easing a little more. "Yeah, alright. Idiots or not, gotta keep ‘em alive."

He started checking off items on his datapad again, moving with more purpose now, the earlier shakiness gone. He still looked serious, focused, but the edge was off. Chris had a way of doing that. Always had.

---

Zoe tapped away at her keyboard, staring at her display, like she always was those last few days before landing. Face all screwed up in concentration. She’d been glued to that damn thing for hours, plotting our drop, making sure we didn’t become a smoking crater. Blue lines, ghostly blue, glowed in the air in front of her, showing the planet’s atmosphere or some shit. Looked complicated as hell, even to me, and I’ve seen complicated.

Ryan came up behind her. Like he was trying to figure out the best way to defuse a bomb, or maybe just trying to figure out how to ask her out without getting blown up himself. Looking back, it was kinda painful to watch, honestly.

He shifted his weight, fiddled with his comm badge, then finally took a breath. Here we go! I was rooting for him. Go for it, buddy. This was probably his only shot, his big move. They’d both been crushing on each other since we left Earth, dropping hints so obvious a blind guy could see ‘em, and Ryan… Ryan had been just Ryan. Hesitating, being all awkward-charming.

He moved towards her, slow and careful, like approaching a spooked animal. Then, he put his hands on her shoulders. Warm hands, I knew, Ryan’s always running hot.

Zoe went rigid instantly. Like someone had flipped a switch. I remember wincing, even from across the bridge, already knowing this wasn’t going to go well.

“Not now, Ryan,” she muttered, voice tight, not even turning around. She shrugged his hands off like they were bugs. Ouch. Poor bastard.

Ryan’s hands just hung there for a second, then dropped to his sides. I could practically see the air deflate out of him, even from where I was standing. “Come on, Zoe,” he said, voice softer than usual, almost… pleading? “You’ve been at this forever. Just a quick break. Come on.”

Zoe spun her chair around, fixing him with a pointed look. "A miscalculation could mean the difference between a smooth landing and burning up in the atmosphere. Is that the kind of 'break' you want?"

Ryan held up his hands in surrender, his usual cocky grin faltering. "Alright, alright. I just thought…"

"You thought wrong," Zoe snapped, immediately regretting her harsh tone. She softened slightly, adding, "I appreciate the gesture, but this isn't the time."

Ryan just nodded, shoulders slumped. He got it. He always gets it, eventually. He just had to try anyway, bless his heart. He backed off, slow, like he was retreating from a fight he knew he’d lost before it even started.

Turning back to her calculations, Zoe pushed the interaction from her mind. The mission would have to come first.

---

Across the bridge, Ryan found Danny hunched over a console, poring over incoming data from the surveyor probes. He slumped into the chair beside his friend, sighing heavily.

Danny glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "Zoe shoot you down again?"

"Am I that obvious?" Ryan asked, running a hand through his tousled hair.

Danny chuckled, patting Ryan's shoulder. "Only to everyone with eyes, mate. Here, help me sort through this data. It'll take your mind off things."

Ryan leaned in, grateful for the distraction. As they scrolled through readouts and sensor logs, his eyes widened. "Wait, are those…"

"Animal signatures," Danny confirmed, excitement creeping into his voice. "All over the planet. Nothing that screams 'intelligent life,' but definitely complex organisms."

Ryan whistled low. "Incredible. To think, we're about to set foot on a world teeming with alien life."

Curiosity piqued, I strolled over, trying to look casual, Captain-like. “So, what’s got you two glued to the screen?”

Ryan straightened up, glancing at me. “Captain, we’re just going over probe data. And uh… getting some pretty interesting readings.”

“Interesting how?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Danny, ever the scientist, practically vibrated with enthusiasm. “Luca, we’re picking up widespread biological signatures. Animal life. Complex, diverse… it’s everywhere.”

I let out a low whistle. “Shit. Really?” Okay, even I was impressed.

“Really,” Danny confirmed, grinning at Ryan. “Ecosystem looks vibrant. We’re still analyzing the specifics, but initial scans are… well, it’s incredible.”

“Alright, alright, I get it, you two are having a science boner,” I said dryly, hovering over them. “But we need more than ‘incredible,’ Danny. Can we get a better look at this fauna? Weather patterns? Geology? Before we land on the planet?”

Ryan chimed in, an idea sparking in his engineer brain. “I’ve got an idea. We could deploy one of our two geostationary survey satellites. Slap it into orbit above our target zone. Give us real-time, high-resolution scans. See what’s actually moving down there.”

“Alright then,” I decided. “Ryan, get that satellite prepped for deployment. Danny, you coordinate with Zoe to optimize scan parameters once it’s in position. Let’s not waste any more time flying blind here. Try installing a battery before you deploy this one.” Goofballs. Maybe I should supervise them.

---

Next up, I needed to talk landing logistics, but honestly? I was also hoping for a quickie with Emily before we headed down. There'd be no privacy down in the planet, and I fucking knew how this announcement would go.

“All hands to the bridge,” I said over the ship’s intercom, trying to sound professional. The excited chatter died down pretty fast. I knew they were all just as amped as I was, but I still had to pretend I was in charge.

The crew filed into the cramped space, and you could feel the tension in the air, like a damn lightning storm was brewing. I stood at the head of the table, scanning their faces, trying to keep my eyes off Zoe’s neck. “Alright, team,” I began, running a hand through my hair, which was probably a mess. “We’ve got a situation. The Peregrine’s only got sleeping space for six, but there are seven of us.”

Emily piped up from my right, that mischievous glint in her eyes. “I volunteer to bunk with the captain. Problem solved!” She knew exactly what she was doing.

The crew laughed, the tension breaking a little. Emily always knew how to lighten the mood, especially when it came to stuff like this. My cheeks flushed, but I tried to play it cool. “Nice try, Em. But someone needs to stay behind on the Triumph.”

The room erupted into protests, all of them talking at once. Zoe's voice rose above the others, “We’ve come this far together. You can’t expect one of us to sit out the most important moment of the mission!” Yeah, I knew. I was just trying to be responsible, which was not my strong suit.

I raised my hands, “I know, I know. But it’s a matter of safety and practicality.” Yeah, practicality, that was me. As the argument went on, I just wanted to get everyone to agree to everything and maybe sneak away with Emily. I looked at each of them, my friends, and saw that same fire in their eyes. The same crazy need to explore and make history. How could I deny any of them that?

I let out a long sigh. “Alright, alright. Suit yourselves. We’ll make it work somehow.” If we all had to sleep sitting up, fine. As long as we went down there, I guess.

The tension in the room dissolved into cheers and high-fives. As they all dispersed, buzzing with energy, Emily caught my eye. She gave me that knowing smile and a wink, and I could feel my pants getting a little tight.

“Come on, Captain,” she said, grabbing my hand. “Let’s make sure our ride’s ready.” I was all for making our ride ready.

---

We made our way to the Triumph’s docking bay, where the Percival, our sleek dropship, gleamed under the lights. The thing looked ready to go, and so was I, to be honest. The hum of the docking bay was almost a sexy background noise as we approached, and I could almost taste what was coming next. Almost.

The hangar was mostly deserted, the vast space echoing with the occasional hum of machinery. It was the perfect place to steal a few moments alone, or so I thought. I'd barely stepped inside when I heard Ryan's voice, grumbling about something, probably some malfunction only he could perceive.

"Typical Ryan," I thought, my hand automatically going to the small of Emily's back, guiding her further into the shadows.

A moment later, Ryan emerged from behind a stack of crates, still muttering to himself. He walked right past us, oblivious, heading toward the exit. I held my breath, pressing myself against Emily, feeling her heart beating against my chest.

As soon as Ryan was gone, Emily let out a soft giggle, the sound muffled against my shoulder. "Close call," she whispered, her breath warm against my ear.

"Tell me about it," I said, my voice a little shaky. But even the near-discovery couldn't dampen the thrill that was coursing through me. Not when Emily was this close, her body pressed against mine.

We made our way to the dropship, the familiar scent of hydraulic fluid and metal filling the air. It wasn't exactly romantic, but with Emily, it felt like the most intimate place in the universe.

She leaned against the cool metal of the cargo hold door, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, Captain," she said, her voice low and teasing. "Where were we?"

Before I could answer, she reached for the zipper of my bodysuit, her fingers brushing against my chest. A shiver ran through me as she slowly, deliberately pulled it down. The rasp of the zipper was loud in the sudden silence, and I could feel myself hardening, my breath catching in my throat.

"Emily," I warned, full of apprehension. "Someone could…"

"Relax," she said, cutting me off. "Ryan's gone, and everyone else is busy. We have plenty of time." Her fingers, which had been tracing my abs, now slipped lower, below the waistband of my briefs. Emily's cold hands slipped inside my suit, making me jump.

"Emily," I tried to warn her.

She just smiled, a slow, knowing smile that made my heart pound even faster. "You were saying?" she murmured, her voice low and husky. She leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear. "Tell me to stop, Luca," she whispered. "Tell me you don't want this."

I closed my eyes, my head spinning. This was insane, reckless, and completely out of character for me. But with Emily, it felt... necessary. I couldn't stop, not now, not when she was this close, her body pressed against mine, her breath warm on my skin. I needed this, I needed her, like I needed air to breathe. Instead of answering, I reached for her, my hands finding the zipper of her own suit, pulling it down with a rough, urgent motion.