Retvik sat at the control panel, staring out into the strange environment outside. It was raining shards of pale blue glass, sharp sheets of crystal meth, and the swaying trees outside had been completely battered. Based on the planet’s orientation, it should have been entering summer season, but the sudden changes to the planet had completely screwed the local weather systems, damaging much of the local wildlife as well.
“Hey, Retvik…”
Psiksi appeared in the doorway. Without waiting for any sort of acknowledgement, he leapt into the seat next to Retvik.
“Hello, Psiksi.”
“How are you?”
Retvik grunted. “Annoyed. I did not want to come on this mission, but this mission has already been deemed a failure and I do not want to return home quite yet to face my sibling.”
Psiksi poked a monitor, only half paying attention. “Not your fault.”
“No, it is not…”
“Yet you’re still worrying.”
Retvik pointed outside. “I think you can understand why!” He didn’t mean to snap, but he couldn’t stop himself. “We should have never have landed! We should have not even entered orbit!”
“We weren’t really to know…” Psiksi hesitated, then tried to alter the subject a little. “You don’t seem okay. You seem more than just worried… We have hardly seen you since we got here and found out this place is the planetary equivalent of a drug rave.”
Retvik grunted again, crossing his arms. “I can feel my mind twisting and turning. It is making me ill. And when I am ill, I lash out. We all do. But you or Tenuk or Elksia lashing out is far, far less damaging than what could happen if I lash out! I say I am worried, but in truth, I am terrified. Terrified of harming you all.”
Psiksi blinked. “That is… Very… Chivalry-y of you. For lack of a better word.”
“You are young, Psiksi. You do not know… what monsters us Rethianoi really are.”
“You’re not a monster though!” Psiksi smiled, desperately trying to lighten the mood. “You’re just… High. Drugged. Drugs are temporary. You are fine…”
Suddenly, Revtik smashed his fist into the arm of his seat.
“I AM NOT FINE.”
“Okay, okay, you’re not fine!” Psiksi immediately went on damage control. He raised his hands, signalling that he was not a threat. “But we can deal with these problems!”
Retvik stood up in anger, but then slowly backed down. He knew Psiksi was trying to calm him down. In more ways than one. He could feel Psiksi’s voice echoing in the back of his mind.
“You are…”
“Trying to keep everyone calm, yes…” Psiksi explained. “I just want to go home too. It sucks, but we have to suck it up and deal with it. Otherwise we make things worse.”
Slowly, Retvik sat back down, taking deep breaths as he did so. After a moment of contemplation, he reached for one of the control panels.
“What are you doing, Retvik?” Psiksi asked.
“I am getting us into orbit…” Retvik growled. “We have to leave this place before it destroys us all…”