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“So, zombies,” Eli says.“No, Eli,” Rush snaps, an edge to his voice. “Not zombies. These things were never alive.”Young can feel a headache starting to build behind his eyes. “Gentlemen,” he says wearily. “Please, will someone just explain to me what’s going on?”“Zombies,” Eli says, at the same time Rush says, “Homunculi.”Young holds up a hand to stop them. “You. Talk to me,” he orders, pointing at Rush.Rush sighs. “These beings are apparently using organic material, mostly plant matter, to animate humanoid forms, which they then inhabit.”“Zombies,” Young says, with a nod to Eli.
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“You want to start a Destiny version of The Onion?” Young asks incredulously.“Well, when you put it that way it sounds a lot less like a good idea,” Eli admits.Scott is doing an impressive job keeping his face impassive, considering how tired they all are, but this is too much. “Eli, we don’t have any paper,” he says.“Maybe so, but we’re going to go stir-crazy here! We need entertainment!” Eli argues. “Besides, it doesn’t have to be actual paper. We can use…” He gestures around. “We can use… stuff?” He smiles like it’s going to help his case.Young wishes desperately for a drink.
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Chloe’s second capture by the Nakai sends Young into a dark fury. He doesn’t rest, pacing angrily despite TJ’s (not to mention his pain receptors’) requests for him to sit down and stop aggravating his leg. He’s lost enough people for one lifetime. He’s not going to lose Chloe, not going to let her stay there, imprisoned by those bastards. Part of him wonders if it’s emotional bleedover from the thing with Rush that’s making him so angry and restless. But he dismisses Rush from his mind, because thinking about the mathematician is only good for one thing, and that’s frustration.
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“It’s lonely at the top, I’m sure,” Rush sneers, and Young clenches his jaw tighter. He is not going to hit Rush, because if he does then Rush will have won. He’s not going to let Rush win. “No man is an island,” he says, instead of fuck off, Rush or not that you’d know. “I’m fully aware of my own limitations.” He gestures at his injured leg. “I think you should probably know where yours are, too.” Young turns to leave before this can escalate further, knowing full well that it’s not going to help, that Rush just has to have the last word, no matter the circumstances.“Haven’t found them yet,” Rush says to Young’s retreating back.
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If the chair room is the heart of the ship, then the Apple Core - sorry, control interface room is the brain. Young doesn’t spend a lot of time in either place, preferring to leave them to the scientists, but when he can’t sleep he often finds himself wandering down to the Apple Core, just to see what’s going on.“So there’s nothing wrong with the software,” Eli’s saying to Scott, who’s kneeling on the floor next to the console Eli is currently half under. “That means there’s probably some connection in the hardware that’s gone kaput. And if I can’t - hand me the wrench, will you? - if I can’t find it, Rush is gonna be so pissed.”Young quietly leaves them to it, a smile teasing at the corner of his lips.
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Novus is desolate. Broken. Young doesn’t want to think about the people that died here, doesn’t want to think about all the history and culture that was lost. Everything is blanketed in ash, beautiful in its destruction, the way it had suffocated all life. He tries not to remember the stories the Futurans had told them. He tries not to remember that the Destiny crew had eventually split. He tries not to remember that this was a living city not too long ago. But it’s hard, when it comes right down to it, because this would have been home. Could have been home.
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Young’s breath is ragged and shaky, whistling a little through his nostrils as he tries to calm down and think rationally. He’s stuck in this room with the rest of the military personnel, and there’s not a thing he can do to help himself, let alone the civilians or the people stuck in with the Lucians. He paces, clenching and unclenching his fists, trying his damndest to keep some semblance of propriety. “Come on, Everett,” he mutters to himself. “You know what to do. Don’t get angry. Focus, you idiot.”The door opens, and he knows he’s run out of time.
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Shock is a wonderful thing, Young thinks absently, staring down at the rather large amount of blood pooling on the floor in front of him. “TJ, when you’ve got a moment,” he says, knowing full well she’s going to be upset with him for letting her treat Volker’s (much less severe) cut first.“Yes, yes,” she says, sounding harried as she works quickly to patch up everyone coming into the infirmary. “What is - oh my God, Colonel,” she admonishes, “you should have said something. Triage only works if everyone cooperates.”Young waves a hand dismissively. “Flesh and bone may be weak, but the spirit is strong,” he says, as if quoting someone famous.TJ just looks at him. “Strong spirit isn’t going to stop you from bleeding out,” she says, and sets to work.
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Rush has blown off one too many meetings. Instead of calling him to remind him of where he should be, Young takes a deep breath to calm down and goes to corner Rush himself. “That fucking gremlin,” he mutters, hands deliberately not curled into fists. “I’m going to…”He stops as he rounds the corner into the Apple Core.Rush is sleeping, shoulders hunched and head down on the console. He’s shivering, punctuated by quiet snoring. “Rush,” Young says softly. “Rush.”The mathematician doesn’t stir.Young thinks, fuck it, and strips off his jacket. He lays it over Rush’s shoulders, hoping it’ll stop the shivering. “Sleep well, gremlin,” he says, surprising himself with the affection in his voice.