It didn't take the Sunbeam long to take them back to their colony. Hongjoong by now knew the whole story of Jongho and Yeosang in their Lifepod in detail and the joke of them having played Battleship most of their time had long since lost its fun. Wooyoung had met San again too, the android having been sent back to their station after successfully having annoyed everybody until they would let him go.

In the end, all of them were happy again, except for Hongjoong. There was no news about Seonghwa, and of course, it was also not the main concern right now. They were still infected, still had no cure, and were the sole survivors of three weeks on a foreign planet. A storm was coming and Hongjoong felt too weak to face it on his own. He wanted to have Seonghwa by his side.

Hongjoong spent his days curled up in his bed sulking. He filled out all the forms they asked him for and he also made a show of showing his displeasure towards the people approaching him with scientific questions. Fuck science. He wanted Seonghwa back. His feelings were more important than their stupid research.

However, the crew of the Sunbeam wasn't responsible for further procedures.

So when they arrived back at their colony and were led through a narrow corridor into another isolation block, Hongjoong's spite blossomed with new hope.

He would do it the San way. He would annoy his way out of this.

The block they were brought to was much more accommodative than the Sunbeam's storage room. There was actual medical staff here - androids only - who immediately moved to separate them from their androids. Wooyoung was holding onto San's arm while he yelled at them to come at him, he'd take them all down before he would move away from his lover.

So in the end, Yeosang and San were allowed to stay.

After some tests, they had a video call with the chief director of the colony. His name was Eden and Hongjoong had met him under ceremonial circumstances before. Eden wanted to visit them as soon as possible, so he put great importance on their recovery. The data they had collected easily made financial support flow in so that they were the main topic of gossip on the colony quite fast.

The Sunbeam left them three days later with a big reward to go back to their work satisfied.

And Hongjoong nearly bored himself to death.

He was helping in searching for a cure for the bacterium but he only did it because he had nothing better to do. Without work, he would spend hours looking into an uncertain distance with empty eyes. He didn't feel horribly heartbroken or lonely without Seonghwa, but his protectiveness called him out for making sure the man came back. He wanted Seonghwa to return to a nicer life, without any walls between him and other people and with a purpose. He wanted to show Seonghwa that to him, he wasn't some mere machine.

This much, he owed Seonghwa. As an apology for all the horrible treatment, he had put the other through.

It took them two weeks to find an antidote. The main factor helping them had been Yunho's and Mingi's blood donations. Hongjoong was one of the first people to get the injections and while healing would take some time, he saw the differences immediately. His green blotches would get smaller, his skin less itchy.

In the evening, he sent out a prayer of thanks to their two friends.

Eden called them again after they had all been injected with the cure. Their healing time would be around two weeks and Eden was burning with his need to meet them.

"I'm proud of every single one of you. You did so well in surviving, showing once again how capable our race still is. I will make sure to utilize your data wisely. In the future, we might send other teams out to the planet to battle the bacterium and see if we can set up a colony there. You created a huge outlet, my friends."

Hongjoong didn't care. So what? The androids did most of the work. Hongjoong would be very dead without Seonghwa.  He was still salty about it.

Another few days passed with Hongjoong mechanically monitoring his regeneration and filling out more forms.

It was two days before they would be released into the storm of media coverage and research questions when Eden called again. But this time, he called Hongjoong only.

Hongjoong hid away in some corner to take the call in peace, pushing his overgrown hair back to look at least halfway acceptable. Not that Eden cared.

"Kim Hongjoong. How are you?" Eden was no old man. He was about 15 years older than Hongjoong himself. Old enough to be leading a colony. Young enough to not completely lose his touch. Hongjoong respected him like he had Yongguk. Those two had been close.

"Better. In two days I can finally go home," he answered monotonously. It was his go-to answer, telling people what they already knew so they would back off.

Not Eden.

"You did well. On the island, and also here. I'm proud to have men like you working for us."

Hongjoong hummed, basically looking into the air in front of the hologram. Focusing made him get a headache.

"I've been told that you were pretty easy to work with but objected when asked about your stay and what you achieved on planet 4546B. Care to elaborate?" Eden wouldn't stop asking so at the end Hongjoong decided to tell him. Having been split from Seonghwa anyway was already as bad as it could get.

"I had lots of help from a PSH 22 unit. However, he broke down on our escape. We managed to regain his data - the one you are meddling with right now - but not himself. I want him back but I know all too well that the androids don't have enough importance in our society for that to happen." He said it bitterly, directing his anger at himself.

Eden gave a thoughtful noise.

"Yongguk had a similar way of thinking. I figured you might be the same after hearing about the commotions of your team and their androids."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Eden hummed deeply.

"I quite respect that very human notion. Let's meet in two days and discuss it over some snacks. I'm sure it will be an interesting conversation."

Hongjoong didn't exactly have the energy to discuss androids with Eden, but he would not throw a fit. Instead, he agreed simply. Monday would be a mess anyway. Might as well sneak away with the excuse of having to go talk to Eden.

Eden ended the call there. Maybe he ran out of time, maybe he understood that Hongjoong wanted to be left alone. So Hongjoong simply put his tablet aside and went to curl up again.

He wanted to think about Seonghwa in peace. He felt quite lonely without the constant supply of useless information from the man. As annoying as it had been at times, it at least made him aware that there was somebody at his side, somebody talking to him. Now it was just him and this bed in the isolation room.

Hongjoong gave a huff, closing his eyes as if that would bring the android back. It did, in a sense. Hongjoong let his memories take him back to planet 4546B, back to the Floating Island. Being back here, all of the happenings seemed unreal. Like a feverish dream, sliding into a far distance.

However, the reminder of how Seonghwa's lips had felt against Hongjoong's seemed vivid.

Hongjoong could recall exactly how soft and gentle his kisses had been. The adoration in them, making him guess that Seonghwa had been liking him for quite some time even before Hongjoong came around.

It made him feel even worse about his constant ignorance, but at the same time, it made his heart sing with glee.

Hongjoong remembered Seonghwa's hands on his hips, still felt it like they had burned imprints into his skin. When he reached down to sling his arms around himself to copy the feeling, his hands seemed much too small, much less elegant than Seonghwa's fingers.

With a frustrated groan, Hongjoong pulled his knees up, hugging them close for warmth. Just why did he feel so incredibly lonely? What was it about the android being more comfortable to be around than his other friends?

Hongjoong sighed into his pillow, trying to will himself to sleep. It was not like he had anything else to do.

When he finally did sleep, he was restless. He was tossing and turning, sometimes waking up from people calling him out for his noise. He could only growl back at them. He didn't want it to be like this either.

-

Monday came with Eden's arrival right in the morning. Hongjoong was still busy with putting the formal clothes on that had been brought for him, when the man already barged in with a grand gesture.

"Oh dear, this is going to be so much fun. Everything outside is swarmed with cameras and media bots. If there's anybody particularly sensitive here, they should maybe stay in the facility a few days longer." He pushed his hair back, stressed, and then gave their group a winning smile.

"Anyway, it's nice to finally meet all of you! I want to invite all of you out for food this evening, no worries, there will be no cameras. You can tell them whatever you want today and we will cover your whole story in an orderly meeting tomorrow. I apologize for having to put you through all of this." He started shaking everybody's hands, greeting them one by one while Hongjoong finally closed the last button on his jacket.

Yeosang, San, and the other two female androids Chaerin and Jieun were still inside of here, standing back waiting. The medical personnel had left altogether, leaving them to deal with their departure with Eden's help.

Eden had done his homework. He greeted everybody with their names, patting their shoulders, and giving little thanks. Hongjoong was the last one in the row of eleven and Eden grinned at him brightly before coming to stand next to him.

"Now, shall we embark on our prison break? We have to move through some zombies out there but my glides are near. Maybe we should walk in twos and hold each other's hands?" He chuckled full of humor. Hongjoong gave a weak smile, following when Eden walked off after receiving some amused hums.

They made it safely through the door to the room and down the corridor of the important patient section. However, outside of that, the commotion and shuffling of many bodies was heard already. Everybody wanted to get a first glance at them and had their questions at the ready.

Eden turned to reassure the group again before stepping out.

"I brought more guards for you that will protect you from most of the chaos. They will accompany you home for today and are set up with a few programs to easily reach out to me and the hospital, in case of an emergency. They will also lead you safely to our rendezvous in the evening. You may keep them until you go back on the job and take them out in public with you until the commotions will have settled."

Hongjoong nodded numbly, glancing over to Yeosang, who had already shuffled up to Jongho's side protectively.

Traitor.

Hongjoong had to smile at the way Jongho lit up when he stepped out after Eden, immediately having his senses overwhelmed with noises. Humans and androids alike were trying to get a word in and for a long second Hongjoong felt incredibly lost.

Then, however, the group of protection units swarmed out, moving to cover them from the curious masses that were clogging up all corridors. Hongjoong flinched at first when a tall man stepped up to his side, but as soon as a protective arm came to settle around his hips, balancing him, he relaxed again.

Only to freeze up right after.

That hand fit perfectly on the imprints on his hips.

Hongjoong's heartbeat picked up in speed, making the dark-haired android look down on him worriedly.

There was no mistaking it. It was a PSH 22 unit. It looked exactly like Seonghwa, down to the little amused curl of his lips.

Hongjoong was ushered forwards, falling into the half-hug of this unit much too comfortably. Maybe he was biased.

However, it was only when they were stepping out towards the docks and splitting up in four gliders, that he noticed the second, right hand of the android. It seemed not finished yet, the metal still visible on it and without skin spanning above.

Why the hell would they send Hongjoong an android that was unfinished?

Confused, he stumbled into the glider, sliding into the front seat while his new guard settled behind the control console.

Yeosang jumped in with a friendly pat on the stranger's shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Seonghwa."

The android hummed lowly, his bright eyes settling on Hongjoong's disbelieving expression.

"Yeah, it is."