Ooh, reviews! Delicious.
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Malcolm entered the dim observation lounge. Normally at this early hour there was no one else here, and Malcolm liked to sit for a while in the peace and quiet, gathering his thoughts for the day ahead. But this morning was different - Trip sat on the couch, staring out at the stars through the screen in front of him.
Malcolm stepped to his side. "May I join you?"
Trip looked up in surprise, his eyes bleary with lack of sleep. "Sorry, sure. Didn't see you there."
Malcolm sat beside him. "What are you doing up so early?"
Trip yawned. "Sorry. I'm actually still up, couldn't sleep. Too nervous." He turned towards Malcolm. "Weird thing happened today," he said, looking a bit tense. "Sorry, yesterday."
Malcolm nodded.
"I was working on the shuttle, under it, you know?" Trip said in a rush. "It was up on its landing gear, and one of the supports collapsed."
Malcolm hissed in a sharp breath. "Was anyone hurt?"
Trip shook his head. "No. I heard it shift and got out of there."
"What caused it to fall?"
Trip shrugged. "Don't know yet." He returned his gaze to the stars.
After a moment, Malcolm gave voice to the question he knew was on Trip's mind. "Do you think it's related to the amulet?"
Trip hesitated, then shook his head. "Nah," he said, but didn't sound convinced. "Do you?"
Malcolm smiled, trying to comfort him. "No, I don't think so."
Trip nodded, still looking away. "Good."
x-x
"Hess said that you needed to see me?" Malcolm said, reaching the top of the ladder to the catwalk where Trip was working. He cast a quick glance through the grating beneath his feet, down to the floor, a good three metres below.
Trip lowered his arms from the machinery above him and turned to Malcolm. "Yeah, I wanted to show you the latest modifications we've done on..."
The walkway shifted slightly beneath Malcolm's feet, and he missed the rest of what Trip said. He had just enough time to look down, then back up into Trip's panicked eyes before the catwalk gave way and he fell.
x-x
Malcolm's head felt heavy, buzzing with tiredness and pain. Disoriented, he opened his eyes, trying hard to focus through the haze. Someone was talking...
"Malcolm," he heard from beside him, and turned his head in that direction, wincing at the too-sudden movement. After a moment, he could make out Trip, bandage on his forehead, one eye blackened. He tried to focus on his friend, on what he was saying, but it was so hard. His vision swam, and he closed his eyes again.
He thought he heard Trip's voice from nearby, drifting in and out, just beyond the edge of his consciousness. "...Some sort of curse or something..." but he couldn't quite follow what his friend was saying. The voice came again, "...Have to go back..." Then there was quiet, and darkness.
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