Two days passed in a flash. Nothing remarkable happened and none of the crew members detected any signs of the alien virus in their respiratory systems. The ship's AI was steady as well, not alerting any troubles. Every time they had a meeting or Hongjoong met someone in the corridor, he couldn't help but count his friends and make sure he had seen everybody at least once in the past few hours.

But the peace remained, and Hongjoong forced himself to settle back into relaxation. Their theories of viruses, octopi and dangerous silence from San's sides leeched off their sleep with paranoia. As the days passed by, Hongjoong reminded himself that it had been an accident. And that the lack of evidence around the ship supported that claim. Any other solution was unsafe to think about in their narrow confinements.

They were less than two weeks away from entering uncharted territory. As they held their breakfast briefing with the painfully empty place at Wooyoung's side, some excitement returned to Hongjoong for being so near.

The trick out of their shock and grief was working. As long as everybody did their tasks, they had no time to be unsettled and search around for tentacles slithering through the shadows. For Hongjoong, it worked perfectly well. His logs got longer, the precision with which he studied their surroundings higher. Whenever there was too much time, he spent time with Seonghwa and they distracted each other with adoring affection that reminded both of them they were not alone and everything was well.

On Friday the next week, they found themselves once more gathered in the gardens. Hongjoong helped Yeosang break down a larger branch that had broken off their apple tree from the weight it carried. While Yunho fixed the tree's wound with gentle coos, Mingi watched the dandelions grow into the asteroid material.

Wooyoung sat on the grass further off the rest, detached from the world.

"I can't find Lancelot, I'm super disappointed," Seonghwa complained towards Yunho. The other man's snicker had Hongjoong smile, too.

"Maybe he took off to find a new home. To be very honest, that fir really sucks."

When Hongjoong glanced at Yeosang's face, he found him pensive. The frown that marred his forehead seemed etched into it by now.

"What are you thinking about?" Hongjoong inquired low enough that only the two of them could hear. Between them, they manually cut down the branch.

They absolutely didn't have to do that themselves, but the crew quite enjoyed physical labour at times. It kept them fit and in good spirits.

"Lancelot. The bugs inside this garden are the only other life form on the ship apart from us. Since they have their habitat, they can strive and live just fine."

Hongjoong inclined his head as he followed the train of thought.

"Is this about your octopus theory again?"

Yeosang nodded slowly. The grimace on his face was apologising.

"I know I keep bringing it up, but I just can't let go of that idea. Maybe I read too many books."

"We have no other way of knowing. Tell me what you think," Hongjoong indulged him. His patience brought a thankful smile to Yeosang's face. As he sat down to get more comfortable, Hongjoong copied him.

"So, I was thinking, the bugs are never around outside because we keep them here and this is where they have what they need. But they could leave anytime we open the doors. San had a moth in his room before."

None of them flinched at the mention. Hongjoong nodded gravely.

"If it were an alien creature, it would need its habitat to stay and feel comfortable in. Assuming tentacles, I usually think about water."

"The septic system beneath the bathroom?"

Their bathroom was a single big tiled space that allowed all sorts of pressurised showers. All water in the room drained into a collective drain on the ground. A drain, surely big enough that a creature powerful enough to strangle someone could climb in and out of it.

Yeosang nodded swiftly, the idea growing behind his eyes.

"Octopi are intelligent. I read about them being able to figure out detailed mechanisms and time schedules. Maybe San was at the wrong place at the wrong time and the creature defended itself."

The theory added up if the creature was anything like the octopi they had on Earth. It was by far not logical enough to reach the virus possibility, but Hongjoong connected the dots in Yeosang's mind.

"So we should check that out. But what do they eat? It doesn't seem to be interested in human flesh, or else San would look very different."

That was the top reason Hongjoong mistrusted it could be a creature. Most creatures didn't just kill for the fun of it. They killed for a reason. If San had been mauled, Hongjoong would fuel Yeosang's hypothesis instantly.

"I don't know... Assuming it's an alien trapped aboard a ship that offers no sustenance for it, it's likely it might be dying already."

Hongjoong added the smaller branches they had cut off to the pile next to them.

"So we need to check out the bathroom in detail," Hongjoong concluded. Shy, Yeosang nodded and gave him a kind smile for having listened.

"Although I hope I am wrong."

Hongjoong was sure he was wrong. Still, he agreed with that, too.

-

When Hongjoong went to the bridge in the evening to conclude his course check, Yeosang wasn't there. Earlier, the man had excused himself from garden work hurriedly to delve into his theories about a sewer monster. Jongho had loudly complained about him blocking the bathroom.

Yunho sat on his chair and switched up the defence modules into night mode, slowing down their speed and activating the secondary balance wings. Once they were stationed for the night, he also glanced up at Hongjoong, who hovered over the digital map.

When he felt his gaze on him, Hongjoong sent a fleeting smile in his direction.

"Have you seen Yeosang? He didn't tell me I would be doing this alone tonight."

Yunho glanced around the room as if Yeosang might be hiding behind a chair and just hadn't shown himself yet. When no giggling navigator surfaced, Yunho helplessly shrugged.

"Last time I heard of him he wanted to bother Mingi for tools in the machine room. Maybe you can follow his traces if you ask Mingi about him."

"Then I will try that." Hongjoong packed up his tablet and stood. He left Yunho alone in the room as he strode down the corridor. It was late, probably late enough for Seonghwa to have crawled into bed already. He enjoyed sleeping early.

Wooyoung sat in the kitchen alone. He stared at the bottom of his mug, lost in his own thoughts. On quiet soles, Hongjoong passed him so he wouldn't bother the man.

On the way down to the machine room, Hongjoong pondered methods to get their team spirit back together. The past few days had left deep dents in their trust in each other. Everybody retreated into their own shell and brooded sinisterly. But especially now, Hongjoong thought it important to stick together. They needed their combined efficiency for the mission, and spending time with their friends would only do well for those who grieved deeply over San.

Hongjoong's insides twisted uncomfortably at another brief reminder of Wooyoung's sorrow. He hadn't smiled ever since, as if his features had forgotten how to do it. It was devastating to watch. Even if Wooyoung was too tactless with his jokes sometimes and even if Hongjoong had developed several headaches from his volume before, they all still strived off the man's infectious enthusiasm. The ship seemed cold and bleak without it.

Hongjoong would like to try anything to bring it back. But for now, Wooyoung was sad and lonely, and it was far too soon to try to get him into his usual cheery behaviour again.

The lights in the deeper corridors of the ship were most often shut off. Apart from Mingi and Wooyoung's routine checkups, they were used rarely. As Hongjoong entered the long halls, the dim lights above his head flickered on.

Mingi and Wooyoung had their own tinkering room down here. Both of them enjoyed busying their hands with random little tasks, and Jongho sometimes joined them as they built little robots and useless decorative constructions that did nothing else all day long other than wave at every passing person and tell them 'hello' in a grotesquely artificial voice.

Since the gloomy cloud upstairs took away the fun of being around, it was no wonder that Mingi had hidden away down here, likely with Jongho, too. However, as Hongjoong peeked his head into the cluttered room full of materials and tools that he couldn't name to save a life, the chamber was empty. The constant disarray made it hard to tell whether somebody had just dropped out for a break or if the room had remained untouched for the day.

With a huff, Hongjoong opened the large door leading to the core machinery. If they weren't in there taking a stroll around the satisfactory functioning systems, Hongjoong would hit them up via his watch.

When the lights took a second too long to flicker on, Hongjoong halted in the door, surprised. Had Mingi messed with them? All lights on the ship usually functioned at the same time and relatively quick to avoid needless pauses. Maybe he had set them lower here so they wouldn't flash on and startle him?

Hongjoong ventured onto the gangplank carefully. He could hear the soothing hum of the reactor two rooms over as it powered their entire ship with its renewable energy circle. Big turbines flanked Hongjoong left and right, looming over him like a high court about to tell him his verdict.

With his fingers trailing along the white railing that protected people from tumbling down onto the ground two metres below, Hongjoong advanced. The path split up ahead around the turbine panel that was locked, as always. Hongjoong went right to round the pillar.

Then he froze in his step.

Just up ahead and out of sight behind the pillar until he had curved it, laid a person on the ground. Mingi's red hair was unmistakable, even if it blended well with the pool of blood that had formed around him.

This time, Hongjoong lunged forward immediately. His thoughts lagged with how many came in, instantly launching into frantic assumptions. He suspected another San case rather than a work accident and since the lights had been off, he must have laid here for a while and been just as alone. There was only one way leading down here.

Hongjoong skittered to his knees next to Mingi and shook him.

"Mingi! Mingi, wake up!"

While Hongjoong knelt in the concerningly large pool of blood, he instantly activated the group via his watch.

"Everybody, I found Mingi in the machine room; he is heavily injured! Somebody come help and prepare the med bay!"

He prayed they would be able to save the man, even without San's skilled hands.

Surprised by how warm Mingi still was despite his rapid blood loss, Hongjoong turned him onto his back. Flaccid, the tall man's body rolled around and exposed his blood-stained torso.

Hongjoong's hands flew over him, probing his bloodied head and chest for injuries. He had to rip open Mingi's uniform, exposing his tanned chest as he searched for the source of all the blood.

When he found none, his bewilderment only multiplied. Mingi's skin was unmarred and smooth, his neck also showing no signs of an attack. When Hongjoong felt for his pulse, it beat steadily beneath his skin.

The man was just unconscious.

"Mingi, what happened?" Confused, Hongjoong shook him again. No trail led up to the puddle they sat in, and Mingi was absolutely fine.

When Hongjoong felt over the man's long legs to see if he had missed something, something hit his forehead. Thinking it was some hair, he swiped at it with the back of his hand so he wouldn't smear the blood over his face.

However, as he lowered his hand, his skin came back stained red.

Icy dread petrified Hongjoong once more. He sat in place, mute and trembling, afraid to move. Even as his brain roared at his limbs to do something, he was bolted in place, as if hit by a spell.

Another touch ran down his face to fall from his chin. It hit Mingi's bare chest.

The blood was dripping from above.