FTL: The Jack

[theropod]

So I was struck by this idea when watching Millbee's FTL episode where he took Zisteau, Kurt and DocM on a space adventure. Now I did do this after a long long day and late at night, so I apologise in advance for any mistakes, feel free to point them out and I'll change. I'm also terribly terribly sorry if I got them out of character, I've never really written for real people before, only giant space robots and that kind of thing. I hope I'm doing this cut right too, it doesn't seem to want to co-operate.



-0-

Kurt was bent over the shield generator when Zisteau walked in, the doors from medbay sliding open almost silently. The pilot kept right on working, refusing to look up or acknowledge the other's presence. If he did, he'd have to look at his face and ask how the others were doing, how badly they'd been hurt in the attack he'd failed to avoid.

 

He'd let them down. Weston especially. The temporary crew member had barely been with them for a few hours of travel time before Kurt had let him down so terribly. He didn't need to ask Zisteau how he was, not when he'd seen five lifesigns drop to just four while he'd been frantically flying the craft. Not frantically enough, the nasty little voice in the back of his mind hissed. Your fault, his death is on your hands. Kurt swallowed his guilt and kept working on patching the the generator.

 

He was relieved beyond measure when Zisteau said nothing and simply began to work alongside him. He didn't think he could handle words right then. They worked in silence, the sound of machinery and tools the only thing filling the room. It wasn't until after the cover was fastened back over the generator and the shields up and running again that Zisteau spoke. The weapons master paused by the doors, glancing back over his shoulder.

 

“It wasn't your fault.”

 

Kurt lifted his eyes to Zisteau's for a moment before looking back to the floor, chest feeling painfully tight as the words sank in. He...wasn't being blamed? “But-”

 

“No. Don't even go there. You did what you could, better than any of us could have done in that seat. If you hadn't, then we'd all be dead. Doc and Charlie are fine and so am I, so you did your job and you did it well.”

 

“I...” The tight band over his chest loosened a little, making it just a little easier to breathe, to think. “...Thank you.”

 

“Don't mention it. That's what, three, four times you saved my butt out here?” Zisteau gave a brief laugh. “I definitely owe you a few drinks when we make it out of here.” Something in his voice gave Kurt the feeling that it wasn't just something Zisteau was saying in passing, he actually meant it. It felt strange to actually be invited out for something, it wasn't exactly an offer he was used to.

 

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm up for that.” Kurt said at last, painfully aware that he'd kept Zisteau waiting for an answer while he'd just stared in surprise. “Sure.”

 

Zisteau shot him a grin and Kurt suddenly couldn't breathe again, this time for an entirely different reason. “I'll hold you to that, Captain.”

 

-0-

 

They were at the repairs again, this time the pair of them in space suits as the attempted to repair the hole blown in the side of the ship.

 

“So...” Zisteau's voice came through the comlink in the helmet of Kurt's suit. “A hermit -?”

 

“Don't wanna talk about it.” Kurt said tersely. “Just...the next time I think it's a good idea to pick up crazy hermits living in the middle of nowhere, shoot me. Or throw me out the airlock. Anything to stop me making another stupid decision like this again. I just seem to be full of them lately.”

 

“Aw c'mon, you had no idea he'd do that. Anyone with decency would have tried to help him out.” Zisteau tried his best to cheer him up, pausing in welding a piece of scrap over part of the giant hole. “At least we have an excuse to repaint in here now.”

 

Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Just a little.

 

-0-

 

“Zisteau! Open fire!” Kurt jerked the controls to the right, desperately trying to avoid the drone circling and firing on them. The ship groaned, metal screaming in protest at the manoeuvre. There was a sudden jerk and the ship spun out of control for a second. Still clinging to the controls, Kurt saw one of the engines go tearing past the view screen ahead of him.

 

“Oh no.”

 

“Kurt I can't – the weapons are down and the tools are in the shield room – the door sealed-”

 

“Oh no no no.”

 

“I'm sorry-”

 

There was another explosion and Kurt watched the lifesigns drop as Doc was sucked out into space. Charlie was already dead but Kurt had been trying his very best not to think about it while he tried to save the others.

 

“Shit, that was Doc – Kurt listen to me.”

 

“It wasn't supposed to end like this...”

 

“Listen to me.” Zisteau said firmly, static lacing the line as the ship began to lose the battle to keep systems online. “Don't blame yourself, okay?”

 

“We were supposed to go to a bar and get drinks...” Kurt said thickly, staring out the view screen ahead. He could see the drone coming back for another pass, see the pirate ship loading up another missile to shoot their way.

 

“I mean it Kurt, this wasn't your fault. Promise me you won't blame yourself for this.” Dimly, Kurt picked up the sound of flames over the line, hearing a barely suppressed cough from his weapons expert.

 

“...What would you have bought?” He found himself asking, watching the warning lights begin to flash around him as the pirates locked on to the crippled ship.

 

“What?”

 

“Drink. What drink would you have bought?”

 

“...Single malt whisky.” There was one of Zisteau's brief laughs, badly distorted by static and the background flames. “Yeah...classy drink for a classy guy.”

 

“Single malt. I like that.” Kurt leaned back in the captain's chair and closed his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to be calm. “I'll have one too.”

 

“You bet. See you at the bar, Captain. Save me a seat?”

 

“You bet.”

Comments

[lurkey_dfw]

Oh...oh man, that ending. So great yet so depressing.
*quiet sob*

[theropod]

-hugs and hands tissue- I'm sorry, I hate sad endings but I can't help but write them.

[lurkey_dfw]

It's alright, I'm a sucker for sad endings. Even though they do hurt me so

[mindcrack_love]

Well there is a delicious punch right in the feels. DAT ENDING, man. <3

I love how FTL (and roguelike(-like)s in general) create such immense stories from randomness, and you turned a bunch of bits in a video game into something lovely and moving. Thank you!

[theropod]

:3 Aw thank you, I tried my best. I wanted to have a few other bits in there but it felt like it was just dragging it out and not really contributing so there was no need for them. I'd been going to make mention of the SS Mindcrack going missing from radar and such.

[mindcrack_love]

Aw, I am all for more FTL stories! Even if they're not perfectly connected or whatever. I happen to LOOOOOOOOVE Faster Than Light and roguelike(-like)s in general and combined with the emotions that Mindcrack makes me feel I think I'd enjoy exploring Millbee's FTL-verse quite a lot. :D

[theropod]

FTL is pretty neat I have to say, it's the sort of thing where you could name the people after characters and then take them out and have an epic journey and use that to inspire a story or they could crash on the first jump and still you could get an epic out of it.

[guiltyshirts]

*sniffles* Just like Kurt to blame himself. And that ending... *sob*

Great, great stuff. <3

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you <3 -hands out tissues with hugs-

[theropod]

Oh for the love of - I was supposed to be signed in there XD

[damnreddit]

Oh wow, that is really good.

[theropod]

Thank you <3 Glad you liked it!

[crystalllized]

DAWWWWWWWW. That was incredible. They are so adorable and perfectly in character. This was amazing; I hope you write more.

[theropod]

I was worried about getting them out of character but I'll believe you when you say they're fine :D I might write more, I'll see when inspiration strikes! (Or when Millbee graces us with more FTL XD)