A/N: My shortest chapter yet. I'm sorry. But I love how it's put together so we all just get to deal with the shortness.

Chapter 10

The door creaked open to the control dome. England entered, completely drained. America sat on the edge of the console, waiting. He held out his hand and England took it and joined America.

"Why did you tell me to go through with the quarantine?" England asked.

America sighed and fidgeted. "It's sort of hard to explain," he said. "He felt so guilty… It's almost a relief when you can be punished." England noticed the strange switch to the second person pronoun, but before he could press, Austria and Hungary walked in together.

"Who's dead?" Austria asked. He still walked with a slight limp.

"Germany and Japan," England answered. The remaining crew stood for a moment of silence for the dead.

"How?" Hungary ventured. England silenced her with a shake of her head.

"Not good," he said. "France is currently locked in a self-imposed quarantine."

A look of shook passed over Austria and Hungary's faces. The implication was clear. They looked down in silence.

"What do we do now?" Hungary asked. She leaned into Austria, who didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her.

"Whatever you want," England said. "As far as we know, we're dead. But then again, who knows?" He laughed, dry and strangled. "Perhaps a miracle will happen."

Austria and Hungary chuckled drily. "An odd time to find your faith, England," Austria said. "Though I suppose hope of that sort can be a comfort."

Hungary nodded and stepped forward to look at the video feeds that still came in above the console. The red cliffs outside stood silent and disconcertingly peaceful. "I haven't thought about faith since the Great Famines twenty years ago," she said, then looked up startled, as if she had let something slip. Home wasn't something anyone talked about, as an unspoken rule. However, England nodded encouragingly. It wasn't as if they could betray each other now.

Hungary gave a wan smile in return then continued. "My mother was devout. New Congregational. When she starved to death on a tiny tenet farm in the middle of nowhere, I guess what faith I had died with her."

That startled the group. England knew his own planet suffered. The terraforming done when the planet was first colonized was starting to fail, and the planet was reverting to its original, wetter climate. He supposed it wasn't farfetched that the other planets suffered similarly. He'd never thought about it, though. All his focus had been on keeping his own people's vulnerability unknown to those who might use it against them.

"I know the feeling," England admitted, "I lost my own when I saw an entire island full of people drown in the sea." He stood quietly for a moment before going on. "Though perhaps I'll pick it back up. Church of England, of course. God knows I could use a little faith in our existence right now."

"Then are we here by the hand of God, or of the Devil?" America asked. It was asked honestly, though it clouded the air with the discomfort.

"I think we're here by our own hands and the hands of other people. We just have terrible luck," Austria said after a moment. Hungary nodded alongside him. After another ponderous silence, both made to leave.

"What will you do now?" England asked as the couple made for the door.

"I think goodbyes are in order," Hungary said. "A final transmission home. Not… that there's anyone to say goodbye to, but I think at least the government will appreciate what little I can give them."

"Sounds fair to me," England said. "But if the lights start to go…"

"We'll run," Austria assured him. "Who knows? Maybe we will get that miracle."

"Right," England said, and gave a salute to both officers. They returned the gesture and made for their room.

"This is the final transmission of geology officer Hunga—Elizaveta Héderváry, representative for the planet Hungary on the intersystem project called 'Doctor.'

"This is addressed to all government officials involved in our national space program and security. Our mission here is a failure. My crewmates and I are being picked off one by one by a creature or creatures deadly beyond what this video report could possibly convey. It is my final duty to make sure that no one ever comes here again. Do not collect our bodies, though the chance that you would find any bones at all is small. It doesn't matter. There's no one at home waiting for me anyways."

"This is the final transmission of anthropology officer Austr—Roderich Edelstein, representative of the planet Austria in the intersystem cooperative project known as 'Doctor.'

"To all the government officials concerned, it is the decision of myself and the remaining officers, including Captain…er…England? that this planet be forever sealed off, never to be revisited. We came to find life and a civilization. We found both, but not in the way we expected. The civilization is billions of years dead. The life forms detected… Well let's just say it…they—whatever—found us.

"Whatever is left of me after I die here must remain here. No one must risk setting foot on this planet ever again.

"Mother, Father, if this reaches you, know that I won't die alone. I have met a beautiful, intelligent woman from the planet Hungary. You would have liked her. I wanted you to know that even in this God-forsaken death trap your son finally found love."

"This is the final transmission of biology officer France…is Bonnefoy, representative of the planet France for the project they call 'Doctor.' How ironic.

"I will die soon—we all will. And it is a relief. I failed so many, and I am so sorry for all I have done wrong. No one must come to this planet again. Not to investigate our deaths. Not to retrieve our bodies. Don't bother, there won't be any bodies. I am ashamed to admit to the blood on my own hands, though I do not believe he would be alive anymore even had I not slain him.

"I was so sure it was him. I was scared, like the Captain said. I panicked, and I'm so sorry for what I did. I will do what I can in my remaining hours to make up for what small fraction of my crime I can. Then I will be in God's hands.

"If I could ask one favor, though. Please. Do not show this message to my fiancée, Joan. If I am to live on in her memory, I wish it to be as I was—not as this place made me."

No transmissions were sent to the planet America from Sanctuary Three.

A/N:

Alive: 5

Dead: 4

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