Another dead body on the floor, next to a bloodstained chair.
Disgusted by the whole situation, Apoc turned around and focused on the screen showing the data log from the failed mission, trying to find a reason, a pattern, anything that might make this more bearable. It was the third failed attempt in less than two years. Another overconfident candidate, another smoking hole in a virtual chest.
Morpheus was getting desperate in his attempts to find the One, and the crew was paying the price in their sanity. For the first time, Apoc truly considered requesting a placement in Zion instead, maybe even just for a while, to regain some peace of mind. The atmosphere on the Neb was getting a little too tense.
"Are you going to leave?" Switch whispered that evening as they were sitting in one of their usual hideouts in the guts of the ship, where the others knew well to give them a wide berth after stressful events.
Had his disdain shown so clearly recently? "I might, if nobody manages to get through to Morpheus, talk some sense into him. How about you?"
She sighed, "Not sure. I had started to really like ship life before things started to go south. And I don't know whether I'm ready for a big change." A pause. "But if you go, that's also a change. The Neb would be weird without you." Lonely, the tone of her voice seemed to add.
Only hours later, in the safety of his dark cabin, Apoc dared to admit to himself that she was indeed the one thing keeping him on board, currently. The one lightness that remained in his life while everything else felt like a crushing weight. He cursed his own sensitivity, and vowed not to let her know before the situation was resolved. This was his burden to bear, and he would never make her feel like it was her responsibility to make him comfortable enough to stay. If anything, he'd stay on for her sake.
Through the thin wall, he could hear Trinity quietly arguing with someone in the narrow hallway. He tried not to eavesdrop, but caught enough fragments of the conversation to understand she was telling Morpheus she was willing to go behind his back and speak to their superiors if he didn't start watching out better for the wellbeing of the crew.
So at least the second in command had their back. Silver linings. Maybe there still was hope.
Fading footsteps, the sound of two metal doors closing.
He got up, put on an extra layer of clothing against the cold feeling in his tired limbs, and went to find Switch on her post.