All characters are OC's. The story is mine, but it is based off of a short comic I read. Full description of the comic is in the Prologue (I haven't found the comic again, so I'm afraid it's only what I remember). Please do not copy either in any way. Enjoy, and God bless.

Chapter 6

Cold ice flew down from the sky, hurling itself at anyone who dared to step outside into the frigid conditions. Charice rubbed her hands together as the system downloaded the update. The screen went to green with large, white letters giving her the go-ahead. Closing the panel, she stepped out of the office. She pulled her hood over her head, the snow beating against her goggles as she made her way over to the boiler room. With Julie sick, she was the only one who'd been willing to take on the extra work.

Charice frowned. Felix worked Oxygen. If things were fair in this world, he would have taken over the boiler room and this wouldn't be her problem. The Polus was strictly monitored - their results, anyway. How they handled their responsibilities, however, was up to them. Fourteen scientists were mature enough to handle their own problems. Charice scoffed. Things would be a lot better if they did.

The boiler made funny noises as she worked; her wrench slipped out of her hand, sliding under the great bulk of steel. Cursing, she bent down and fished for it. Flesh met metal, and a relieved expression turned her face. She pulled the wrench out, stretching her back as she straightened.

The lights going out made her pause.

"Felix?" she called. Nothing. "Felix, come on, man. This isn't funny." No response. "Felix?" Something growled. A drop of water hit her forehead. She touched it with her fingertips. Saliva. Slowly, Charise made her way into a standing position. She couldn't see anything; no light came from outside, and the emergency lights weren't turning on. Charise tiptoed toward the door. Whatever this thing was, it was nocturnal. She had to move quickly. Feeling around, she found the doorknob.

She jiggled it.

Nothing.

She tried again.

Nothing.

Panic started to fill her mind as she tried harder. A low snarling filled her ears as she became more desperate. She opened her mouth.

The air left her lungs in one swift motion. Thin, sharp collagen stuck through her throat like an icicle, puncturing her voicebox. Sounds of struggle left her mouth as blood trickled from her lip. She gurgled quietly as the blood began to fill her esophagus and lungs. Eyes wide, she gasped for air when the spike was gone, only to choke on her own blood. Pain erupted through her body as sharp collagen ripped through her heart. Her body went limp, hanging from the bone like a rag doll. Weapon retracting, her corpse hit the ground with a thud in a crumpled pile.

The lights flickered on.

The door unlocked from the outside.

Felix opened the door, taking off his headphones.

An empty room stared back, the boiler humming a dissonant tune.

Yuki opened her eyes to the sound of the engine thrumming beneath her. She turned to her side to find the bed empty. Feet to the floor, she saw her husband's back. Yuki smiled, making her way towards him.

"What are you doing?" he asked; her arms were wrapped around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder. His tone was playful, and she returned the smile she caught him giving her over his shoulder.

"Nothing," she said. "What are we doing today?"

"Rounds," he said matter of factly. Yuki rolled her eyes.

"I know that, silly. I mean after." Jesse thought for a moment.

She almost didn't catch the wicked smile he gave. Before she had time to react, she was in his arms, thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She squealed, laughing as he threw her on their bed and assaulted her with tickles. Her face turned red as he tickled her sides, her feet, her neck. She couldn't breathe by the time she asked him to stop.

Jesse slowed, placing his hands on either side of her. He watched as she caught her breath, her beautiful hair strewn about her on the mattress. Leaning down, he kissed her in one swift motion. Chaste, tender, and sweet. Yuki craned her head up, returning the kiss. He backed away after a moment, their noses an inch apart. A smile lit her eyes as they looked at each other. Her frame, much smaller than his, was covered by his shadow. She didn't mind when he picked her up, nor when he set her feet on the floor. Still in his arms, she gave him one last kiss.

"We need to go to breakfast," he said. Yuki groaned.

"But it's oatmeal day." Jesse chuckled at her grumpy face attempt.

"You could always ask for cereal."

"But then that's more work for Connor and Jada. They have enough on their plate."

"And I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting you a bowl of cereal," Jesse gently reminded her. Yuki frowned. Jesse kissed her on the cheek, breaking free to get his shirt on.

"You think we could help them?"

"I don't see why not."

Other voices filled the corridor as they stepped out of their bedroom. Heading towards the stairs, Yuki waved to Sasha as she emerged from her and Jacob's room.

"They're doing a lot better than I thought they would," Jesse whispered as they made it down the stairs.

"I thought I told you I don't like gossip," she whispered playfully. Jesse smirked.

"Now where's the fun in that?"

The cafeteria greeted them with mild chatter and the constant thrum of the engines. Ebba waved them over.

"You two look chipper," she said as they sat down. "You ready for today's rounds?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Yuki laughed. "Anything interesting happen yesterday?"

"Just some meeting between the governments to get a new mandate passed - nothing too exciting."

"Are you kidding? I'd take Comms over Security any day," Yuki joked.

"Hey!" Jesse huffed. The girls laughed at his mock-offense as the metal tubes began their descent. Left with steaming bowls of oatmeal, the crewmates waited for the tubes to leave before they started eating.

"What'd I miss?" Ebba's husband, Joo Won Bak, sat down beside her.

"Nothing much - just Yuki saying she wants to switch places with me," Ebba laughed. Joo Won looked at Yuki, raising his eyebrow in a sly expression. Jesse stopped him before he could say anything inappropriate. Wrapping his arms protectively around his wife, he pulled her to him with a grin.

"I'd like to see you try to take her from me," he said. Yuki rolled her eyes, his bravado endearing. The couple laughed.

"Relax, man. You can have her. Jeez, you're so overprotective," Joo Won joked. Jesse stuck his nose up proudly, making them laugh more. Though they hadn't spoken about it much, Yuki knew he had good reason to be. For that, she didn't mind it. Not one bit.

Hey, y'all! Thank you so much for reading so far! Like I mentioned, this is based on a comic I read on Instagram over a year ago. If you want, the description is in the Prologue :D Anything other than what I have described is my own: the romance, the other murders, and the whole radiation fiasco.

Credit to the artist where credit is due - I am so grateful they made that comic. Without it, this story wouldn't have been born.

I hope you like this story so far. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know in a review. I would really like to hear your thoughts! If I use any of your ideas, I will be sure to credit you at the beginning or end of the chapter they're used in.

Thank you again for your support! I really appreciate it. God bless!