Mankind's Last Hope (closed)

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad was finally getting to make some progress on his report when suddenly he heard the shower start, and he knew Sloan was in there. Images of her nubile, soft, body entered his head and he remembered last night. The memories hurt him and he made a fist and punched the steel wall above his terminal. He winched in pain, and pulled his hand back. The skin was a red-purple mix, and was started to swell up.

"Fuck, I broke it," he said to himself. Cradling his hand, he walked out to the kitchen, and grabbed a first aid kit from its position below the sink. He opened it and started wrapping it up with white medical tape. He didn't want Sloan to know, he occasionally glanced back at the door, hoping she wouldn't enter. In the mean time, he continued one-handedly wrapping his broken hand.

 

[PaintaPicture]

She continued her shower and then heard a very loud BANG and she jumped and nearly slipped in the shower. she quickly got out and pulled her clothes on not knowing what it was. Was it part of the ship? Did something break off? Did they hit anything...she made her course perfect so they couldnt hit anything and ran out with her hair dripping wet.

"Brad? What happened?"
She then saw him and then saw him wrapping his hand and immediately came over.
"Hun...what did you do? Gimme your hand, i used to work in the medic ward. Lemme see it..."
She gently took his hand and took the tape off that he was trying to put on. She grabbed a splint for his hand and gently placed it under his and then started to gently tape his hand to it the proper way.
"Okay come with me."
She walked him to the rec room and propped his hand up.
"Keep your hand here, above your heart level and i'm gonna get you some ice."
She ran back to the kitchen grabbing the ice pack she used for her knee and came back and ever so gently put it on his hand. She smiled and then sat next to him.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad couldn't help but smile while she tended to his hand. She knew what she was doing. She came back with the ice and put it on his hand before she sat down next to him. There was an awkward silence between them. "So..." he said conversationally. "How was your shower?"

 

[PaintaPicture]

She sat there for a moment and then he asked her his question.
"It was fine...it was interupted by someone though..."
She then nodded and layed back on the couch and looked over at him.
"Let me know if you're in pain or anything. I'll need to check your hand everyonce in awhile. If your arm starts to tingle or you feel anything weird let me know."

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad sighed. "Fine, it feels fine now, thanks," he said. "You can go back to your shower, or whatever now if you want. I don't need you," he said, rather coldly.

He turned to the video screen and flipped through the stack of vid disks with his good hand looking for one he hadn't seen in a couple of days.

 

[PaintaPicture]

What he said next almost pissed her off. Like he didnt appreciated that she had helped him and preventred him from seriously screwing up his hand. Then he turned his attention away from her and flipped on a movie and she got up.
"whatever...your welcome."

She then walked back to the shower and took off her clothes that were now damp from have putting them on wet before. She finnished washing and then went back to her room quickly and put clothes on just laying there looking at the ceiling.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

About 30 minutes into the movie Brad felt guilty for what he had said to Sloan. He couldn't even think about the movie, just about her and her feelings. He got up and walked to her quarters and softly knocked on her door before walking in.

She was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She looked angry. She was cute when she was angry, Brad thought.

"Sloan, I'm sorry, I didn't-...." His eyes darted to a picture of Scott by her bed, which made him angry. He sighed and forced himself to continue. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just don't like to have to depend on other people," he said softly.

 

[PaintaPicture]

She heard him knock at her door and she just layed there figuring he'd come in anyways. As he did, she didnt even look over. She didnt want too, there was nothing really to discuss. She then looked over as he appologized and explained things. She rolled her eyes and then went back to looking at the ceiling.
"Whatever Brad...thats a shit excuse. I'll remember it next time you need something or if you get hurt or whatever."
She moved her hands behind her head and went quiet.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad sighed and felt himself getting more and more angry at Sloan. "Listen, I'm not going to beg you to forgive me or apologize, ok? Can't we be polite to each other?" Brad demanded. He walked closer to her bed and stood over her, looking down at her.

 

[PaintaPicture]

"yeah we can be polite...lets just do what we gotta do, finnish the damn mission and get the fuck home."
She looked up at him and really didnt appreciate the look he was giving her and she raised an eyebrow back at him and then resumed looking at the ceiling.
"things are getting complicated around here...lets just do our job, Lieutenant Comander."

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad gave her a curt nod before he turned and left her quarters without a further word. He headed up to the cockpit and sat down when suddenly, an alert popped up on the display. Brad studied it carefully before bringing it up.

Warning - To All Scout Vessels - From Earth - Earth Has Suffered A Major Tragedy - Do Not Return To Earth Under Any Conditions - We Are Evacuating To Other Planets - Continue On Your Missions - May God Have Mercy On Your Families

The words didn't have an immediate effect on Brad. He thought it wasn't possible for the ship to receive messages from Earth without setting up with land-based transponder dish, which they were supposed to do when they arrived at their planet. Something about it seemed so wrong and surreal. He read it several times, then the fear set it. Fear for Melissa, and his family, and even for that bastard he'd never met, Scott.

He wasn't sure what to do. Finally, he stood up and walked back down to the crew deck. Sloan was still laying in her bed. He frowned softly at her and said in a low tone, "Sloan, I think you should come to the cockpit and read this. I think its a live message from Earth," he said.

 

[PaintaPicture]

He left and she just layed there. She closed her eyes and almost fell asleep when Brad came back down and she heard his voice she groaned slightly to see what he wanted. What he said next was rather odd. She sat up and swung her legs over the bed and stood up giving him a rather weird look. She didnt say anything and just walked back up to the cockpit and quickly sat down looking at the message.

She read it. And then re-read it a few more times. She took a deep breath and laid back in her seat and ran her fingers through her hair pulling at it slightly cursing under her breath.
"might as well fucking shoot me now."
she mumbled while gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad watched Sloan read it. It took her a while, so she must have read it a few times before any visible reaction happened on her face. She immediately got angry. Brad sighed, and put his broken hand on her shoulder.

"Sloan, do you think we should stop and turn back to Earth?" he asked softly. "I know it says to continue, but we might be able to do something for the survivors of whatever happened," he said. "Besides, we don't know where to send our message when we reach Proxima Centauri," Brad explained.

 

[PaintaPicture]

Sloans head turned quickly to look at Brad's hand on her shoulder. But she didnt immediately brush it off. She let it sit there as he spoke. She looked away and thought about what he was saying, this wasnt something they briefed you on really. There was always the chance that things would go badly on earth and this kind of thing would happen. She almost wasnt surprised, but it came sooner than she thought it would.

"We cant return, it will be hectic and there's no way to guarantee anything. We keep going and i'll send out a signal to any other scout vessels and see what they are doing if i can reach any of them. But for now we continue on with our mission like instructed."
She then pulled her seat foward closer to the controls and started typing away, pushing buttons and turning nobs trying to get across to anyone.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

"Thats the thing, Sloan. The ship only has a short range transmitter. I don't know how we got this message from Earth," Brad explained, taking his seat next to Sloan. "The transmitter we are supposed to use to contact Earth is much bigger, we're supposed to assemble this when reach the planet," Brad explained.

He sighed, and decided to let her continue. It would keep her mind off Scott, he thought. "But keep trying to reach the other ships on the short-range transmitter," Brad explained, before he walked out of the cockpit and headed down to his quarters to note this in his log in his computer terminal.

 

[PaintaPicture]

She completely ignored what Brad was saying. She'd try and she knew she couldnt reach them unless she were to manually re-wire the transmitter to contact earth but that would take forever and was very risky. A risk that wasnt worth taking and could potentially make things worse. She sighed and kicked the wall.
"fuck!"

It wasnt that it hurt, she was just pissed. She wanted to cry and break something all at the same time. She wanted to hurt something or break something. She then got out of the cock pit and started pacing the hallway like a mad woman, brainstorming. She could re-route them and go some place else that wasnt where they were really going. But she'd get her ass handed to her by her commanding officer for doing it. She was trying to keep herself distracted from thinking about Scott or her family and friends. It wasnt working well.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad was working away on his computer terminal when he heard a bang coming from above. It was a familiar banging noise. He stood up and walked up to the command deck, where Sloan was pacing around in a panicked fashion. Brad frowned and put his arm around her. "It'll be ok, Sloan. I'm sure Scott's fine," he said softly in her ear.

 

[PaintaPicture]

She kept her pacing and then Brad came out and she had really hoped he wouldnt since she wanted to chew someone out really badly and he did the one thing she truely didnt like when she was pissed...comfort her. As he put his arm around her she immediately pushed it off.
"Get the fuck off me. I dont need your sympathy or empathy or whatever!"

She then stormed into her room and she slammed the door behind her.

 

[TheAntiRebel]

Brad sighed. I guess she needs time alone, Brad thought. He headed back down to his quarters and quickly finished his own log before he headed out to the kitchen. He pondered making dinner for both of them, but decided against it and instead, prepared a small meal for himself.

He ate alone, and when he was finished, he wondered what to do about Sloan. He pondered going into her quarters, but convinced himself against it. He instead, went down to the telescope room. He sat down and looked at the viewing window. The planet was still just a small dot in the horizon. So far away, he thought. We won't get there for over a year. Maybe longer. So long for her to wait. Brad thought. He pondered what he should do about his sad crewmate while the ship continued barreling along in space towards Proxima Centauri.