I didn't know I'd fallen asleep. It was more like I had drifted off into unconsciousness than knowingly gone to sleep. I was still sitting as I had been, my knees curled up to my chest, my arms curled around my legs. My head had fallen to my knees, my eyes closed and breathing regulated. I didn't know you could cry in your sleep until that day. After images of my friends from days past drifted through my mind, my eyes began to flutter open. At first, my eyes wouldn't focus, and the room seemed to swim before my eyes. I blinked a few more times, and the world around me slid slowly into focus. I realized that the most of the pain in my had had subsided, and I reached up to feel the bump on my head, and was relieved to discover that it had receded substantially back into my forehead. I went to rub my eyes to rid them of their sleep, only to find that my eyes were wet with tears. I recoiled quickly, almost causing me to fall out of my bed. It hit me then.
I was crying.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt like I couldn't stop them from coming, even if I had wanted to. But I wanted to cry. And I did. I pulled myself into a little ball once more, hiding my face in my knees, and I cried. They were gone. It all washed over me like a tidal wave, the fact that my friends, all of them, were gone. I gripped my knees closer to my body as it was racked with my sobs. As I closed my eyes, it only caused more tears to spill down my face. I remembered it was only yesterday that I heard MOMO laugh and smile at me. Only yesterday that Ziggy and I worked together. Only yesterday that we all ate dinner together in the cafe. Now they were gone. Everyone but the Captain, Tony, Allen and myself. I burrowed my face into my arms. If I tried hard enough, I could almost hear them. They were all so happy. We had all been so happy. Why did this have to happen? I wanted only to go back to then, when we were together, if only to hear them again. It was then that my ears picked up a real voice, standing at my door. I nearly jumped, trying to quickly wipe away my tears.
"Hammer," the voice called. I could barely make out the form of Tony standing in my doorway, surrounded by the light from the outside room. He moved to switch on the light, and I had to squint my eyes to keep them from taking in too much light at once. The golden-haired pilot looked at me, most likely disheveled and red-eyed from crying, and sighed, looking to his feet, "You feelin' any better?" he asked me. I was surprised. Why would he come talk to me if that were all he had to ask? He was supposed to be looking for the others. I sniffled and looked away.
"Yeah," I said quietly, my voice cracking.
"No offence, but you look like shit," Tony almost laughed. I slumped my shoulders, my eyebrows furrowing in anger. Wasn't there enough to worry about without Tony coming down to put me down?
"You come all this way just to insult me?" I asked. He shook his head, looking at me now. I glanced over my shoulder at him.
"No, we-" he paused, as if choosing his words this time, then he smiled weakly, almost sadly, "We need your help."
I looked up, my shoulders now rigid, my tear-streaked face now full of new fear. I stood slowly, not wanting to fall over again from getting up too fast, "What's wrong?" I asked. Tony brushed a hand through his hair, sighing.
"We can't see a thing out there, except where the spotlights are. And I can't drive if I can't see what's in front of me. It's a nightmare. We... We really need your help, Hammer. If you wanna find them-"
"Let's go," I told him, brushing past his shoulder as I walked by him in the doorway. I walked slowly, but he still paused a moment before following me to the bridge. I entered through the double doors, and as soon as I did, I saw what Tony was talking about.
The inside of the Gnosis was inky black, save for the two spotlights that moved back and forth relentlessly. Captain Matthews, his face set as stone, looked out through the front window, his fists clenched together. Allen, still at my station, worked the spotlights, his face sadder than I had ever seen it. They had failed to notice my entrance, so I walked forward, making my presence known.
"You found anything yet?" By anything, I meant 'anyone'. Matthews looked over, trying to smile a bit, but failing. He shook his head sadly.
"Feeling better?"
"Fine," I lied. Tiny shocks of pain were sent through my head at regular intervals now. But that didn't matter anymore. I was through thinking only of myself. My friends needed me, and I would never let them down again. "What do you want me to do?" I asked. Matthews gave me an apprehensive look, then looked back to the glass window in front of us all.
"Whatever works."
That was all the instruction he gave me, but that was all I needed. I glanced at Allen, and he moved aside, offering me back my workstation. Tony walked in and sat at his usual seat at the helm. I took the few steps necessary to make it to my station, and I felt the cold material of my seat. My chair. This was where I belonged, here with my Captain and my friends. I would find them. I pushed myself into my seat, and began pressing buttons on the console. I didn't look at Allen when I spoke to him.
"Why do you only have two searchlights on?" I asked, flipping the switches for the other four to come one. Allen, eyes wide, stuttered.
"I... uh... didn't..."
"Forget it," I said. Blood was pumping through me at an accelerated rate, and my fingers flew over the console. I was in my element now, and no one could stop me. I found the series of buttons that brought up a screen just in front of Tony's head. He jumped at its sudden appearance. MOMO, Ziggy and KOS-MOS would be easiest to pick up... I typed in the requirements for picking up the signal of a Realian, cyborg and android. I hoped to God it would work. We had never used the radar for anything but locating geocrystals. I hesitated before pressing the button. Would it work? I could almost hear chaos saying something in my mind.
"You'll never know until you try, Hammer."
That made up my mind. I prepared to press it, but millions of thoughts were running through my head. What if they were all separated?
"I would never let that happen!" Shion seemed to say from nowhere.
What if they were hurt?
"Do you think I would let them hurt themselves?" I heard Ziggy in my head.
What if we couldn't get to them?
"Don't worry," MOMO's sweet voice came through, "I trust you."
How long could they last out there?
"There is a 95.9998% probability that a rescue ship will arrive within the time frame between now and our eventual starvation," KOS-MOS rambled on in my mind. I smiled, then pressed the button. A few seconds of a blank radar screen put fear back into my heart, but three differently colored dots suddenly appeared on the screen. Matthews broke out in his gruff laugh, and he slapped his knee.
"There we go!" he yelled. The dots were close together, and moving. I sighed with relief. They were all right. If the three of them were together, it was likely that the other two were with them as well. Tony gave out a loud, "YEE-HAW!!" I stood at my station, giving instructions to the helmsman.
"Just follow the radar! It'll make a siren sound if you're about to hit anything, so don't worry about that. Looks like they might be above us, so try to find a way upward somehow!" I tried to control my excitement. We were going to save them.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Navigator!" Tony laughed, throwing on the thrusters. The pain in my head was gone. On my face, the smile seemed to grow wider. Matthews snubbed out his cigarette, a smile gracing his face as well. Allen, his face still unclear, leaned closer to me.
"What about the Chief?" he asked. I reassured him by patting him on the back.
"If KOS-MOS is there, then I'm sure Shion is too. Don't worry," I said not only to Allen, but to myself, "we'll find them."
This I was sure of.
An hour went by, in total silence. No one moved but Tony, and even his movements were minimal. I could hardly breathe. They were all right. They were all right. I kept repeating this, both knowing that it was true and hoping that it was true. There would be no way of knowing until we found them... I gripped the arms of my chair in anticipation. All I could do now was wait.
Without warning, the ship shook violently. I almost was flung from my chair again, but luckily I had been holding onto my chair. Matthews slammed his fist down loudly.
"Dammit, Tony, are you tryin' to kill us all?!"
"It wasn't me, Captain!" Tony said, turning around. I knew it hadn't been him. The siren hadn't gone off. What just happened? It was then that my heart leapt into my throat.
There they were!!
Light was creeping into my field of vision. I looked out the window and saw not only the five of them seemingly floating in mid-air, but cracks forming in solid walls of the Gnosis around us. I jumped from my seat, pointing at the window, and to the others, who seemed to have become aware of the ship's presence.
"Captain!" I shouted.
"I know!" he called back, then he slammed on the outer ship intercom, "Heyyy, Ms. Vector! You still alive?" he said loud enough to where she probably could have heard him even without the intercom. Allen couldn't hold to himself any more, and, while Matthews still had his hand on the intercom, Allen shouted to her.
"Chieeef! Are you all riiight?!" Allen yelled. Everyone in the cockpit covered their ears. Matthews took his had off the com switch and boxed Allen about the ears.
"Ya moron! You didn't have to shout!" He turned to me, "Hammer!"
"I know," I told him, flicking the switch to open the catapult deck. It opened with a loud whirring and clanking. I saw the five of them make their way as quickly as possible to the opened catapult. Allen wasn't the only one to move for the doors. He and I both made our way to the catapult deck, running the whole way. He made it through the door first, and ran toward Shion like I had never seen a man run before.
"CHIEF!!" he yelled, looking like he was ready to embrace her. Almost out of breath, I slowed, but was caught around the midsection by the pink-haired Realian as she hugged me.
"Thank you, Hammer!" she said, hugging my middle tight. I knelt down to her height and hugged her back, "Thank you for saving us!" I felt like I was going to cry again. They were back. I looked up as Shion, trying to scoot away from Allen, chaos, KOS-MOS and Ziggy made their way toward me. I stood as Ziggy walked up to MOMO and I, and shook his hand.
"Sorry the ship got sucked out when we opened the catapult," I said. I thought I saw the smallest semblance of a smile on his face.
"What's more important, Hammer? A ship, or her life?" he asked, indicating MOMO. I looked down at the Realian, then back to the cyborg. He was right. I smiled too. They were back. They were finally all back. And little did they know how much they had helped me.
"Thanks, you guys," I said, barely audible, as we all made our way back up to the bridge.
I had no idea what would happen after that moment, but I knew that I wished I could have lived in it forever. These were my friends...
And I would go through Hell for them.
End.
AN: I know that the Gnosis follow the ship after the Elsa saves the party, but I think that's not so much a Hammer part as it is a KOS-MOS or Shion, so... This is where I end this story. Hope you had fun! ~TSO
I was crying.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt like I couldn't stop them from coming, even if I had wanted to. But I wanted to cry. And I did. I pulled myself into a little ball once more, hiding my face in my knees, and I cried. They were gone. It all washed over me like a tidal wave, the fact that my friends, all of them, were gone. I gripped my knees closer to my body as it was racked with my sobs. As I closed my eyes, it only caused more tears to spill down my face. I remembered it was only yesterday that I heard MOMO laugh and smile at me. Only yesterday that Ziggy and I worked together. Only yesterday that we all ate dinner together in the cafe. Now they were gone. Everyone but the Captain, Tony, Allen and myself. I burrowed my face into my arms. If I tried hard enough, I could almost hear them. They were all so happy. We had all been so happy. Why did this have to happen? I wanted only to go back to then, when we were together, if only to hear them again. It was then that my ears picked up a real voice, standing at my door. I nearly jumped, trying to quickly wipe away my tears.
"Hammer," the voice called. I could barely make out the form of Tony standing in my doorway, surrounded by the light from the outside room. He moved to switch on the light, and I had to squint my eyes to keep them from taking in too much light at once. The golden-haired pilot looked at me, most likely disheveled and red-eyed from crying, and sighed, looking to his feet, "You feelin' any better?" he asked me. I was surprised. Why would he come talk to me if that were all he had to ask? He was supposed to be looking for the others. I sniffled and looked away.
"Yeah," I said quietly, my voice cracking.
"No offence, but you look like shit," Tony almost laughed. I slumped my shoulders, my eyebrows furrowing in anger. Wasn't there enough to worry about without Tony coming down to put me down?
"You come all this way just to insult me?" I asked. He shook his head, looking at me now. I glanced over my shoulder at him.
"No, we-" he paused, as if choosing his words this time, then he smiled weakly, almost sadly, "We need your help."
I looked up, my shoulders now rigid, my tear-streaked face now full of new fear. I stood slowly, not wanting to fall over again from getting up too fast, "What's wrong?" I asked. Tony brushed a hand through his hair, sighing.
"We can't see a thing out there, except where the spotlights are. And I can't drive if I can't see what's in front of me. It's a nightmare. We... We really need your help, Hammer. If you wanna find them-"
"Let's go," I told him, brushing past his shoulder as I walked by him in the doorway. I walked slowly, but he still paused a moment before following me to the bridge. I entered through the double doors, and as soon as I did, I saw what Tony was talking about.
The inside of the Gnosis was inky black, save for the two spotlights that moved back and forth relentlessly. Captain Matthews, his face set as stone, looked out through the front window, his fists clenched together. Allen, still at my station, worked the spotlights, his face sadder than I had ever seen it. They had failed to notice my entrance, so I walked forward, making my presence known.
"You found anything yet?" By anything, I meant 'anyone'. Matthews looked over, trying to smile a bit, but failing. He shook his head sadly.
"Feeling better?"
"Fine," I lied. Tiny shocks of pain were sent through my head at regular intervals now. But that didn't matter anymore. I was through thinking only of myself. My friends needed me, and I would never let them down again. "What do you want me to do?" I asked. Matthews gave me an apprehensive look, then looked back to the glass window in front of us all.
"Whatever works."
That was all the instruction he gave me, but that was all I needed. I glanced at Allen, and he moved aside, offering me back my workstation. Tony walked in and sat at his usual seat at the helm. I took the few steps necessary to make it to my station, and I felt the cold material of my seat. My chair. This was where I belonged, here with my Captain and my friends. I would find them. I pushed myself into my seat, and began pressing buttons on the console. I didn't look at Allen when I spoke to him.
"Why do you only have two searchlights on?" I asked, flipping the switches for the other four to come one. Allen, eyes wide, stuttered.
"I... uh... didn't..."
"Forget it," I said. Blood was pumping through me at an accelerated rate, and my fingers flew over the console. I was in my element now, and no one could stop me. I found the series of buttons that brought up a screen just in front of Tony's head. He jumped at its sudden appearance. MOMO, Ziggy and KOS-MOS would be easiest to pick up... I typed in the requirements for picking up the signal of a Realian, cyborg and android. I hoped to God it would work. We had never used the radar for anything but locating geocrystals. I hesitated before pressing the button. Would it work? I could almost hear chaos saying something in my mind.
"You'll never know until you try, Hammer."
That made up my mind. I prepared to press it, but millions of thoughts were running through my head. What if they were all separated?
"I would never let that happen!" Shion seemed to say from nowhere.
What if they were hurt?
"Do you think I would let them hurt themselves?" I heard Ziggy in my head.
What if we couldn't get to them?
"Don't worry," MOMO's sweet voice came through, "I trust you."
How long could they last out there?
"There is a 95.9998% probability that a rescue ship will arrive within the time frame between now and our eventual starvation," KOS-MOS rambled on in my mind. I smiled, then pressed the button. A few seconds of a blank radar screen put fear back into my heart, but three differently colored dots suddenly appeared on the screen. Matthews broke out in his gruff laugh, and he slapped his knee.
"There we go!" he yelled. The dots were close together, and moving. I sighed with relief. They were all right. If the three of them were together, it was likely that the other two were with them as well. Tony gave out a loud, "YEE-HAW!!" I stood at my station, giving instructions to the helmsman.
"Just follow the radar! It'll make a siren sound if you're about to hit anything, so don't worry about that. Looks like they might be above us, so try to find a way upward somehow!" I tried to control my excitement. We were going to save them.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Navigator!" Tony laughed, throwing on the thrusters. The pain in my head was gone. On my face, the smile seemed to grow wider. Matthews snubbed out his cigarette, a smile gracing his face as well. Allen, his face still unclear, leaned closer to me.
"What about the Chief?" he asked. I reassured him by patting him on the back.
"If KOS-MOS is there, then I'm sure Shion is too. Don't worry," I said not only to Allen, but to myself, "we'll find them."
This I was sure of.
An hour went by, in total silence. No one moved but Tony, and even his movements were minimal. I could hardly breathe. They were all right. They were all right. I kept repeating this, both knowing that it was true and hoping that it was true. There would be no way of knowing until we found them... I gripped the arms of my chair in anticipation. All I could do now was wait.
Without warning, the ship shook violently. I almost was flung from my chair again, but luckily I had been holding onto my chair. Matthews slammed his fist down loudly.
"Dammit, Tony, are you tryin' to kill us all?!"
"It wasn't me, Captain!" Tony said, turning around. I knew it hadn't been him. The siren hadn't gone off. What just happened? It was then that my heart leapt into my throat.
There they were!!
Light was creeping into my field of vision. I looked out the window and saw not only the five of them seemingly floating in mid-air, but cracks forming in solid walls of the Gnosis around us. I jumped from my seat, pointing at the window, and to the others, who seemed to have become aware of the ship's presence.
"Captain!" I shouted.
"I know!" he called back, then he slammed on the outer ship intercom, "Heyyy, Ms. Vector! You still alive?" he said loud enough to where she probably could have heard him even without the intercom. Allen couldn't hold to himself any more, and, while Matthews still had his hand on the intercom, Allen shouted to her.
"Chieeef! Are you all riiight?!" Allen yelled. Everyone in the cockpit covered their ears. Matthews took his had off the com switch and boxed Allen about the ears.
"Ya moron! You didn't have to shout!" He turned to me, "Hammer!"
"I know," I told him, flicking the switch to open the catapult deck. It opened with a loud whirring and clanking. I saw the five of them make their way as quickly as possible to the opened catapult. Allen wasn't the only one to move for the doors. He and I both made our way to the catapult deck, running the whole way. He made it through the door first, and ran toward Shion like I had never seen a man run before.
"CHIEF!!" he yelled, looking like he was ready to embrace her. Almost out of breath, I slowed, but was caught around the midsection by the pink-haired Realian as she hugged me.
"Thank you, Hammer!" she said, hugging my middle tight. I knelt down to her height and hugged her back, "Thank you for saving us!" I felt like I was going to cry again. They were back. I looked up as Shion, trying to scoot away from Allen, chaos, KOS-MOS and Ziggy made their way toward me. I stood as Ziggy walked up to MOMO and I, and shook his hand.
"Sorry the ship got sucked out when we opened the catapult," I said. I thought I saw the smallest semblance of a smile on his face.
"What's more important, Hammer? A ship, or her life?" he asked, indicating MOMO. I looked down at the Realian, then back to the cyborg. He was right. I smiled too. They were back. They were finally all back. And little did they know how much they had helped me.
"Thanks, you guys," I said, barely audible, as we all made our way back up to the bridge.
I had no idea what would happen after that moment, but I knew that I wished I could have lived in it forever. These were my friends...
And I would go through Hell for them.
End.
AN: I know that the Gnosis follow the ship after the Elsa saves the party, but I think that's not so much a Hammer part as it is a KOS-MOS or Shion, so... This is where I end this story. Hope you had fun! ~TSO