Excuse me while I kiss the sky

Posted on Sun Mar 2nd, 2025 @ 9:10am by Ensign Mercy Mourne

Mission: Remnant
Location: Ancient Alien Temple
Timeline: Day 409
1524 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Mercy watched as Madi headed back through the corridor until the light was long gone. Her chest tightened when she could no longer hear Madi’s steps. She leant back against the wall where she was propped up, looked at her traitorous ankle and sighed. At least the mild painkiller she had been chewing on was now starting to work.

“Deep breaths. Madi will find help. They will come looking for you Mourne.” She just needed to have a little faith. In her heart she knew they would come looking for her, it was just the pain and her anxious brain which raced away with all sorts of terrible scenarios. Most of them ended with her, sitting alone, in the dark.

Well not total darkness, thanks to the mushrooms, which emitted a steady, eerie soft glow. Mercy wasn’t sure if it was that steady, soft light or whether it was the painkilling plant she had been chewing on but as she waited she began to feel relaxed. She was still aware of the pain and discomfort in her ankle but she found that the longer she sat there, the less she was bothered by it.

With the relief Mercy began to look around at the carvings and statues that littered this room. From where she was sat she could see a very naked statue of an alien in front of her, as well as some carvings in the wall. Looking up at statue she giggled.

“Sorry! If I had known the dress code was business casual I would have dressed accordingly.” She yawned, a strange feeling of euphoria washing over her. Then her eyes widened as the statue turned to her and spoke a string of an unintelligible alien language. She stared l, mouth agape as it stepped down off its podium and came to sit down next to her, leaning against the wall. Mercy swallowed and shook her head. She should be panicking right? Clearly the plant drugs in her system were helping to keep her calm. Instead of screaming or worrying she was experience hypothermia enduced hallucinations she simply shook her head.

“Sorry I only speak… well, actually with a universal translator it’s a lot but apparently not that one.” She gave the statue an apologetic look. Then not knowing what else to do she held out the painkiller leaves to him. Around her the mushrooms glowed brighter abut all her attention was on the alien. It cleared its stone throat and then shrugged.

“Fine we can speak your language. How you holding up Mercy?”

“Huh… you speak my language pretty well. Are you some sort of god.” The statue shrugged at that, before taking the leaves and popping them in its mouth.

“Gods aren’t real Mercy, you know that. They are just simply either a societies idealised values personified or advanced alien life forms who we have not yet come to understand.” The statue popped the leaves into its mouth and then chewed.

“Oh… which are you?” She looked the statue up and down then flushed, eyes quickly fixing on its face so as not to stare at its exposed tumescence.

“I’m made of stone.” It said, as though that offered an explaination. Mercy giggled in response.

“Yeah. What kind of societal values do you represent then?” Mercy asked, trying to puzzle why a statue might appear in a vision in front of her. In response its stony face twisted into something amused.

“Well, the fact that this is clearly your mind which has summoned me, says more about your values than any long dead civilisation. But maybe I am the moment of connection between to lovers? The yearning that sits in your heart whenever a certain someone comes into the room? Maybe I’m the frustrated lust you push aside in an effort to remain professional? Take your pick. The most important thing here is really more about what you think I’m here for.”

“The frustrated… really?”

“I dunno Mercy. What do you think I am?” The statue as it looked at her with alien features, never blinked. Somewhere from inside it, it seemed to glow in between the cracks. That same every blue as the mushrooms.

“Honestly? I don’t know either. I thought at first you were my dying brain firing to try and come up with a solution to my problem, but I don’t think it’s been long enough for ke to be dying. Besides apart from my ankle I feel okay. Maybe a little cold, my clothes are wet. But there have been plenty of examples of people hallucinating divine figures moments before-“

“You do that a lot you know?” The statue interupted Mercy’s rambling with an amused chuckle.

“Do what? Ramble? Sorry I know I talk to much.” Laws of thermodynamics give her strength, now even her own hallucination was calling her a blabber mouth.

“No. Well yes you do but I meant deflect uncomfortable feeling with facts about marginally relevant topics. You ever notice you do that?” The statue’s tone wasn’t unkind, if anything it seemed gentle. Concerned even. Like it wanted to help.

“I… guess I never thought about it really.” Mercy’s mouth twisted as she consider dered the statues words. “Not really sure why I do that, guess it’s easier than the alternative.”

“I think it’s because you’re afraid to feel. You ever just try taking a deep breath and connecting to the moment?” The statue’s tone wasn’t seemed mildly surprised. “Yeah? What’s the alternative?”

Mercy shivered. It was cold here, and a wave of tiredness pushed over her. “I guess the alternative is taking a risk and being vulnerable with people. What if I find out that I’m not enough, was never enough? What if I get rejected?”

“What if you don’t?” The statue’s tone wasn’t said the words like it was the softest, easiest thing in the universe. “What if that’s just your ego talking. What if that fragile ego of yours is stopping you from experiencing the moment? What if it is stopping you from finding that connection? I mean really… what would you stand to loose by taking a risk and just being honest about how you feel?”

“Woah… I mean right now? Not a lot. I’m already stuck here, and I might never get out.”

“Exactly.” The statue said, his tone remained placid in the face of Mercy’s confusion. “It can’t get much worse, you could die here if they don’t come looking for you. But if you don’t, if they do find you… what would you say if you let the ego go and just said the one thing you’ve been holding back?”

“I don’t know about that. As wise as the whole death of an ego thing is… we still all have to live and work together. Besides Darru probably doesn’t feel the same way.” Mercy thought for a moment about the Vulcan. “And besides Madi, he’s maybe my best friend on board. I don’t want to loose that.”

Instead of giving a response, the statue then rolled his eyes, making a sound like two stones grinding against one another. “But what of what you have to gain?”

“I…” Mercy hesitated. She had never talked so openly about her feelings for Darru. The closest she had come was talking about the accidental kiss to Madi. “Anyone would be lucky to be his partner. He’s smart and competent but he’s also kind. Warm in a way I never expected Vulcans to be. Not necessarily with his words, but with his actions. He’s considerate. Takes time to understand humans. If I am feeling sad he somehow always knows and manages to find me. And he’s handsome.” Mercy giggled a wave of calming euphoria washed over her making her feel lightheaded. “His ears are so pointy, I wanna touch them…” Her words began to slur together as her vision grew fuzzy at the edge. “When he… when he looks at me…”

“Uh oh…” the statue laughed. “I think we’re loosing her.” Mercy blinked, she had the strange sensation of being watched. The mushrooms lighting the room slowly morphing into tiny fairies in hats, who danced across her vision, making her head swim.

“We’re all lost.” Mercy slurred the words, ending in a small giggle which echoed through the cavern. “Have been since before I boarded Atlantis.” Her eyelids felt like someone had attached weights to them. As she closed her eyes, her body felt like it was starting to float. “Am I going to die here? Feels nice.”

“I don’t know, what do you think I am? A god? Sleep Mercy.” The statue then let out a vibrating hum, low and in rhythm with the rushing of blood in her ears, and whether it was the strange herbal remedy she had been chewing on or the ancient statues words, she did. Body going limp against the cold stone floor.