Purple Haze

Posted on Sun Apr 6th, 2025 @ 10:31am by Ensign Mercy Mourne

Mission: Remnant
Location: Ancient Alien Temple - Mushroom Chamber
Timeline: Day 409
1782 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

What Mercy saw...

Mercy was floating somewhere warm and soft. Colours swirling around her limbs. She could hear colour, and it sounded weirdly like…

"Mercy," Darru? Wait why was Darru in the rainbow ocean with her? That wasn’t right that was… "Wake up ensign." Oh that’s right. She was asleep. She needed to open her eyes and…

Mercy blinked awake slowly. Her head felt floaty and groggy and she was so confused. “Darru?” She croaked out his voice then gave him a goofy smile. When did Darru get wings? “Did the naked alien bring you? Where did he go? Why are there two of you?” She reached up to try and boop the glowing point at the end of his nose but missed. She laughed, he looked so cute with a glowing pink nose. Instead her finger landed in his cheek, the touch cold and light. Two Darru’s! She must still be dreaming. Imagine how much data could get crunched late at night with an extra pair of hands!

“No naked aliens were met on my way here. Just one very soaked Ensign.” Madi must have made it out safely, that was good. And Madi had sent Darru, that was even better. Darru must not be able to see the naked aliens all around them. He looked worried to Mercy and she wanted to reassure him. However before she could try and offer a comforting pat on the shoulder he was looking at her expectantly. The biggest most naked aliens, who had keep her comfy repeated the question Darru had just asked. “What have you taken?” Taken? She hadn’t taken anything. She wasn’t a thief. The alien shrugged and then pointed to the canister before fading into the fuzzy light that surrounded them.

“He was just here! He was nice.” Mercy insisted, she then looked around and pointed to the grinning statue. “Looked a lot like that guy there, but he came to sit with me and keep me company while I waited for someone to come back for me. Knew Madi would get out. Knew you wouldn’t leave me behind.” She then waved an empty canister of the painkiller leaves. “Chewed on these, thought they would just make the pain bearable. Must have scanned them wrong.” She frowned down at the bottom of the empty cannister as though the leaves had betrayed her. She waited a moment or two for Darru to finish his scan then clumsily tried to take the portable scanner from him. “Don’t understand… must have… maybe something reacted.”

"We would not have left you behind," as one of the Darru's talked he seemed to shine brightly, a colourful aura around him that reminded Mercy of warm fires and cosy nights. He must be her Darru. The thought made Mercy warm and floaty, her Darru. She blinked hard trying to wave away the hearts which now swam around him so she could focus on what he was saying. "I do not believe the stuff is quite a pain medication that you could take for long." His voice was a deep purple, running through the space around them and blending into the swirls of colours.

Mercy let the cannister go easily, and instead frowned down at the little display. “This says I’m hallucinating… is that why there are two of you?” She then begins to scan the air besides Darru, before scanning him. “Ah there you are! That’s the real you. Should have known, you’re less fuzzy. But both of you are very handsome-“ she came to an abrupt stop. She blinked rapidly down at the little display, she tried to get her vision to focus. That couldn’t be right, it said Darru’s hormones were spiking. A small heart which had been floating around the real Darru sprouted arms and legs and began to point out the anomalous readings. “Darru!” She gasped and then clutched his arm. “Darru the scanner is saying you are either a teenager or dead!” Her lower bottom lip wobbled and for a moment it looked like she might cry. “You can’t die, not before I tell you how much I like you and ask you out to dinner. But a proper one this time! In our quaters, with the lights down low and with music!”

“We will have that moment Mercy but right now I need to get you out of here.” It was okay, Darru was calm and he was right, they couldn't go on a date until they were out of this temple.
Besides mercy wanted to wear something nice. Right now she had on a wet uniform. Darru's calm voice helped too. As he spoke she watched the purple fuzz around her, the little hearts who were waving their arms and pointing at the scanner popped. Darru had a nice voice, always made her feel calm and safe.

Mercy nodded, with that utter sincerity of someone trying their best to appear sober. Her face was very serious as she answered. “Yes of course. But then you need to remind me to talk to Darru. Promised the naked alien god I would tell him something important.” Her vision blurred slightly as the room spun, another Darru stepped out from behind her Darru's wings and she struggled to focus. There were three now? That was mean, Darru should take pity on her and stop multiplying. “Which one of you three is real enough to help me stand, not sure I can do it by myself while the walls are melting.”

Suddenly her world tilted as Darru lifted her up. Where they touched the connection seemed to sparkle and she had a moment of just staring at his chest as she watched the glitter spread through the air around them. “Put your arm around me.” That was nice, Darru was asking her to touch him. She looked at the aliens standing around them, the statues coming to life again so they could cheer them on. She wanted to giggle but the Darru was talking again. The world tinging purple telling her she needed to focus. “Now tell me about the naked alien god.”

Mercy made a small noise of surprise as her world shifted, grabbing hold of Darru and hoping that she wouldn’t fall. She had done enough falling today already. As she leans into him she gives him a dopey smile. “You smell nice. Like warmth and incense and cosy nights reading a book under a blanket.” He smelt like home, like she wanted to wrap his aura and his purple voice around her so she didn't have to worry about how cold she was or how much her ankle hurt. He'd asked a question though. She copuld tell, the purple still hanging in the air until she answered. The two other Darru's helpfully repeating what he had asked.

“That’s him right there. He’s waving.” As she pointed the statue started making rude kissing noises at Mercy. She waved back and then tilted her head as though she was listening.

"He's as good looking at you said he was, although the wings are new." The statue studied Darru from his pedastal like the two science officers were under a microscope. "His lips do look soft. You should teach him to kiss the human way"

Bursting out into giggles Mercy nods. “I told you so didn’t I. He really is.”

"He seems like the dependable sort. It's nice that he's looking after you huh? He look after you alot?" The statue reached out to pick up one of the other Darrus. As the statue lifted him the Darru seemed to shrink down to a tiny adorable version.

Mercy looked up to the real Darru with a warm smile. “Yeah he does. He’s great like that.” Her arm was now wrapped around Darru’s shoulders, tightened a little as though giving him a small squeeze.

"You should lock that down." The statue blew a small kiss to the tiny Darru and the image dispersed into a puff of glitter. "Life is too short for regrets." Strange, the statue sounded exactly like Mercy's grandmother.

"We have to leave." Darru's words break Mercy out of her reverie.

“Oh, okay!” Mercy gave one last wave to the statue and then settled down in Darru’s arms. “You’re so strong to be able to carry me. I thought I’d have to be dragged out of there.”

“This is a much better way to get in and out of the temple! We should have come in this way.” She muttered looking around. Her eyes then landed on Darru’s face. “I always thought the first time you carried me like this it would be at the end of a really good date. But this was a disaster. I’m glad it’s you rescuing me though. We should do this again, but out of uniform… and with candles.”

"I am stronger than humans, and you do not weigh much. The route back is not hard. We will discuss the other things when you are feeling better." Oh that was good. If Darru promised they would discuss stuff, then she could trust that he would follow through. Mercy giggled, her body shaking a little in Darru’s grip. “You are strong. And you have to promise. That we can talk about it when Doc has fixed my ankle!” He had never broken a promise to her, not matter how big or small. And this was the biggest thing in her world, because he was the most important person to her on the whole ship.

The mention of the Dr suddenly made the purple haze around Mercy flush blue and she felt chilly again. One of the faces on the wall morphed and suddenly the stern visage of the doctor looked out at Mercy, scolding her for being useless. “Hah man, Avira is gonna frown and call me an idiot with her face. She never says it out loud but I can see it when she looks at me.” Mercy pouted slightly. “Although to be fair, this time she is not wrong.” She relaxed in Darru’s grip once more and in the dark of the temple corridors just seemed to watch his facial expressions for a few moments.

“Hey Darru, promise me again we can talk about going on a date. Even if the doc gives me that look and makes me feel small, I don’t think I’d mind if-“ Mercy broke off into a jaw cracking yawn. “Hmm, what was I saying?”

"Nothing... nothing at all,"