ⁿᵃᶦˡᵃʰ'ˢ ᵖᵒᵛ

‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

"YOU COMMIT MUTINY, YOU FUCKING vaccinate a scientist with some sedative shit and steal strictly classified data?!" Tyler silently yelled, making sure his parents wouldn't have to hear his true use of vocabulary.

He had his head tilt as he massaged his forehead in utter bewilderment. Mumbling to himself at my grumbled 'yes's', he continued, "What's next on your crime bucket list? Jesus, Nal"

He quieted down after finally acknowledging my state — that was, in excruciating pain despite the epipen mom injected me with — it could only keep me from swelling up like a blowfish, I fear.

The adrenaline had evidently warn right off — my violently rattling headache and involuntary swaying told me that much.

But of course I couldn't complain about it considering the bulging sand burns and electric shocks that mom and dad had to treat immediately.

I leaned on the large glass viewport opposite of my older brother, inspecting the cloud swirls over what looked like the Atlantic Ocean. But I could feel the piercing gaze of a small figure in the distance as it slowly approached us.

Cam, in his little spacesuit, frowned at the giant ice pack stuck to my temple. But it was only then that I realised why he'd been walking so annoyingly slow — he held an overfilled glass of ice cold water.

I weakly smiled at his effort to carry his mission out, but before I could take the glass, Ty had beat me to it. We both whined in protest at him taking a huge gulp out of my glass of water, scoffing as he boastfully sighed in satisfaction.

He even let out the loudest burp in my face, before handing me the remains of the water as he breathily whispered, "For your trouble." I reluctantly accepted it, the glass almost slipping out my hands from my weak grip on it.

Cam squeezed in to sit in front of me, leaning his heavy head on my shin as we all took in our last ever glimpses of planet Earth.

The radar on the console regularly beeped for any frequency it could detect out in this vast void. It was actually ridiculous how far off we were from wherever the colony ship waited — and how much slower we flew due to our compromised Jupiter fighting to carry us with one less thruster.

"Earth looks peaceful from up here" Cam whispered. Though I did agree, I wasn't impressed by his plans to take a nap on my already tingling legs — there was no way these spacesuit boots were any comfortable to rest on, either.

"Yeah, until you look a little closer only to find grown men knocking out little girls with crowbars for stealing their precious candy" Ty mumbled. I weakly laughed at his ability to turn my situation into yet another joke.

It took me a while to realise that I was actually fading in and out of consciousness, besides my awful fatigue. But from my brothers' extremely rare silence, I guess we were all so exhausted that even a 60 second nap would do wonders.

"Well, you know what happens in Vegas..." I didn't even feel the words whisper out of me as I mumbled, "Stays in Vegas"

"APPROACHING TRANSPORT VESSEL: Solidarity. Identification 6-1-2-1-9-1-6"

"Solidarity to Jupiter 3, Do you copy?" The abrupt voice echoing the cockpit's comms forced a violent flinch out of our sweet slumber.

I shared widened eyes with Ty, before our eyes shot to the rotating cylindrical vessel hovering in the distance — the Mothership. Slowly curling up grins at each other, I lightly shoved Cam off my numb legs and sent him back to the kiddies table, otherwise known as the centre room.

Stumbling over the control panels with pins and needles stinging in my legs, Ty and I clumsily pulled down the cockpit's radio-comm from the ceiling panel — the device springing from our slippery hands as the chord bounced off on our faces, almost mocking us.

Tyler finally grabbed hold of the little comm after a series of the chord swinging around our legs. He puffed as he tried to compose his breathy voice. I waved my arms as I inaudibly pleaded for him to answer back to the voice repeatedly calling to us.

"This is Jupiter 3 to Solidarity, come in" Tyler's hoarse speech announced, our eyes glued to one another's as we impatiently waited for an answer.

Cam ran off to the med bay to yell, "Mom! Dad! Strap in-- We're here!" as his hops up and down echoed the entire ship.

"This is Solidarity to Jupiter 3, we see you," the woman on the radio smiled, before stammering as she asked,  "Just what the hell took you so long?" she chuckled

"And with a damaged thruster, already. Bloody hell" Said the thick Essex-British accented man who always carried an odd amount of passion whenever he spoke. Which would make him the excellent Colonial Representative that he is.

"Uh, we had some...minor setbacks, sir" I awkwardly chuckled into the radio I pulled from Tyler's hand.

"By that, we mean shots were fired" Ty chimed in. His tongue clicked at the surge of murmurs over the radio, "So...We're clear for docking or no?"

"Tyler? Is that you?" Our colonial representative asked, "Don't tell me you and your sister are the ones captaining, Cosgrove--"

"Hey hey-- We can talk all about our chaotic day once we're warm and cozy on the Solidarity," Tyler pleaded, stifling laughter as he added, "Maybe even over a couple shots of whiskey--"

"Sua alcoólatra filho da puta!" I slapped the radio out of my brother's hand as it cut out audio off continently after I yelled all those nice words at him.

"You do realise that everyone can tell you were cussing me out?" Ty snickered as I pursed my lips, my face red from everyone's suppressed laughter on the comm.

"You're clear for docking," the Captain finally announced, clearing her throat to tuck away her laughter, "Welcome, Cosgroves"

The flicker of shadows drew my attention up to the cylindrical rows above and around us, of docking stations already occupied by Jupiters.

As I strapped into my seat to wait for my brother's mark, I furrowed my eyebrows at his bewildered stare as he flatly whispered--

"What the fuck?"

"What?" I asked as I my neck tilted and twisted to try and find whatever had him in a daze. He softly groaned as he shut his eyes and shook his head.

"I swear I just saw some...giant metal spider up on th..." He trailed off at my scoff into an eye-roll as he clicked his tongue, "Yup, maybe this is my sign to quit"

"Maybe," I grinned coldly, "Can you hurry up with the docking sequence? I have some very important errands to run"

"Errands that mom and dad shouldn't know about?" He yawned as he pursed his lips at my silence. Letting out a quick nod, he continued, "I've got some unused excuses I could pull for ya...Whatever it is that you're doing"

"...Finding out what's on that chip that got me these lovely 'dents' in my face"

MY FOOT BOUNCED AT UNIMAGINABLE speeds as I waited for the bulkhead doors to free me of this decontamination spray that triggered the series of sneezes that made my throat itch.

On the bright side, this was a perfect opportunity to ask for dad's leather jacket, the same jacket with an access chip sewn into its left sleeve.

Mom squeezed my hand as she softly kissed my head. Now huddled into a circle, elevated grins grew on our faces at the finality of our new life in space for the next couple of months — it's actually insane.

"We're actually doing this?" I chuckled. My nose scrunched at dad's recital of the relatively vague rule he set to 'Stay out of trouble, will you?' to which he stared his eldest son down with those raised eyebrows.

I giggled with mom as dad squeezed Ty's neck, laughing past the offended nod that Ty gave as he avoided eye contact with us.

"How long does this welcome party go on for so-- so we can get some ice cream from the dining hall?" Cam went blue saying all of that in one breath, fiddling with his hands as his wide eyes wandered anywhere but mom's venomous glare.

I sulked at mom's objection to his request as the computer finally announced a countdown to open the doors. In my opinion, nighttime was the right time for a mean bowl of ice cream.

But it was important that I minimised as many of my usual comments on everything, so that mom and dad wouldn't expect more of them only to find out that I snuck off behind their backs.

"Solidarity Access Granted"

A flash of heat surged under my spacesuit as I attempted to at least neaten the hopeless state of my frizzy dark mane.

A humongous crowd of colonists gave their applause as we stepped foot onto the Solidarity for the very first time, proud nods on their faces as If we were all Neil Armstrong's reincarnation.

Roars of laughter and indistinct chatter overwhelmed my ringing ears so awfully that If I grinned any harder, my gritted teeth would shatter into pieces and sprinkle down my parched throat.

Of course I stood out by being the only one with two relatively fresh cuts across my face. But it beat having to carry around those lingering IV's mom and dad were ordered to carry around, by the doctor they requested escort to.

I recognised most in the crowd to be my fellow 25th colonist group members — whom I've met about a year ago before training began.

I can't tell you I was excited seeing some of them with the lingering fact that we'd be in space together for so long.

The hugs and concerned smiles and confetti sticking to my spacesuit weren't enough to distract my feening desire to find out what was on the data chip that dad gave me — before he could remember where he last put it.

Tyler gave me an absent wink, before diverting mom and dad from where I receded from the crowd.

Tyler's the perfect guy for this kind of job considering all the illegal raves he's managed to sneak off to while mom and dad were in the house, with my help. In other words, he owes me a ton.

In the center of the foreign smells that came from people's bulky boots, I crawled for what felt like an eternity to break off from this crowd. Dad's leather jacket did nothing but squeak and squeal with each arm I put forth.

It was unbelievably awkward to hear the voices directly above me ask my brothers "Where's Nailah?" "Where's your sister?" as If this 'Nailah' wasn't crawling in between their legs at that very moment.

I finally escaped the woods of giant boots. I let out the greatest breath I've been holding to inhale the artificial air that wasn't saturated with sour sweat and dust.

With the little momentum I had left in me, I began to sprint down the intricate design of the Solidarity's halls. It was alluring how slightly unfamiliar yet nostalgic the green vines on either side of the wall seemed to be. I don't remember this feature being on the 3D model, but I'd salute to whoever added these small gardens.

The burn in my chest spread all over my body to worsen the terrible limp I already endured. My hair now ambushed any peripheral vision I seemed to have left.

But my mission was so straightforward that it'd be embarrassing If I couldn't complete it for a reason as anticlimactic as 'I got tired'.

My paranoia began showing its symptoms with the cold chills that slithered down my neck, or the over sensitivity of my back that anticipated a touch to it. Torture, it was.

Constantly fixed on the fabrication of my mind that I was being watched, followed, I stopped to silently wheeze as my vision fringed at the corners.

My eyelids fought to stay open as I slowly lifted them. And at that, a dim bulb lit up in my head at the columns of rolling storage bin lockers — or my valid-ish excuse for wandering off.

As I pulled a gray cart out, the insane weight of its contents almost knocked me over to slide to the other side of the hall. Awkwardly clearing my throat, I forced myself to get my shit together and figure it out, or as mom liked to put it, "Desenmerda-te!"

I debated for way too long on whether it was my mind playing tricks on me or If there were actual voices echoing the empty hall, growing louder and louder from my right.

Oh, Thank God.

At least it wasn't mom. Or dad. Or Ty. Or our Colonial Representative. Or anyone I've seen in my entire 14 plus years of living.

I can't be that bad of a person.

Tightly shutting my eyes, I slowly tucked my thick hair behind my right ear, dad's leather jacket's lengthy grey sleeve drowning about 86% of my dry hand.

I debated in my head as to why I haven't ever seen the — mother and son — slowly passing by.

Excruciating silence beside their footsteps followed.

The mother's knowing smirk at me made me gulp. She had freakishly gorgeous ginger curls that I felt my face heat up as her hair bounced with her strut.

Her narrowed eyes lifted back to her much taller son. He beamed the gentlest of brown eyes I've ever seen in a stranger, holding so much concern over my solitude, as his eyebrows lifted for his forehead to wrinkle behind his dirty blonde fluffy locks.

I might've spilled my burning query right in their poor faces with the nasty eyebrow furrow I couldn't help but express.

Time moved so sluggishly that the little voice that piped up from my radio summoning me over and over, sounded like pure gibberish — and I usually can understand Cam's turbo speed talking.

But when your brain is this fried, your mind gets lazy to understand basic terms of the English language.

"Cam, devagar por favor-- Estou com a pior dor de cabeça" I whined, narrowly avoiding pushing the gray cart straight into the fluffy haired boy.

"Sorry" I weakly chuckled, with the burning urge to evaporate from the mother and son as I could feel their eyes on me as I used all of my strength to push the trolley-cart down the hall.

God, could this be any more awkward?

My eyes lit up at the pattern of shut doors with screen sensors waiting to be waved over at. Instinct forced me to storm up to the third sensor.

I aggressively knocked dad's jacket on the sensor. My hands began to shake as I squinted at the blindingly bright office before me.

"Welcome, Noah Cosgrove"

I aggressively raked my hair back as I hurried to the paper thin computer screen waiting for me to shove the blue chip onto its motherboard.

The 'MISSION 25' logo finally beamed on the screen. Typing dad's password in — hint: his favourite child, me — A menu popped up on the screen.

It reminded me of the menus dad used to show us in his collection of DVD's, that were discontinued ages prior. The coding-like font and dark green and black theme with dozens of titles to explore, I almost puked at how overwhelmed I was.

Letting out a shaky breath with mom's one of many phrases echoing in me, I puffed in relief at the comically large bar that practically yelled 'SEARCH' at me.

With my frozen joints, I slowly typed out 'E-M-F'. But the file was clearly on its day off that I disturbed with how slow it was.

I can't exaggerate the lengthy amount of time I've been watching the computer skim through every folder and sub folder, and how many 'NO MATCH' popups it disappointed me with.

At folder 21 out of 25, with still zero leads, the dim hope — and will not to leave without any answers — fuelled me to stay seated on the weirdly comfortable chair and wait for a miracle.

"Nal, you better be back before I come find you. Okay, sweets?" Mom scared the living shit out of me with her voice that blurted out from my radio, "There's a doctor waiting to check those cuts out in our med bay-- Do not waste her time, please"

I heard her loud heels echoing over her comm, the clacking of her shoes bleeding into my mind like a ticking time bomb. The beeping on the computer so thankfully accentuated the tick-tock-tick.

If she finds me here...

I shivered to even fathom the consequences. I knitted forward to the wide open doorway into the gray halls outside, then back to the search of the computer.

I shut my eyes as I pulled the chip out of the computer, the digital search party warning me with a blaring 'SEARCH INCOMPLETE' that etched in my mind as I fled the scene. I suppose that was my answer.

A BLUE BEAM SCANNED ME UP AND down, the doctor furrowing her eyebrows at my abundance of bruises and swelling limbs that caused her monitor to beep uncontrollably.

"Okay...Prepare to be here a while" She awkwardly chuckled.

I definitely wouldn't be the first to silently question her experience in this work field, but it would feel better to know that, yes I am in fact being consulted by a 19 year old med student.

Stripped down for my mint green sports bra, blush pink biker shorts, and strawberry socks being the only pieces of clothing to warm me in this ice cold med bay, my terrible posture got exposed for what it truly was.

"May I ask just-- how you got...all of these?" The doctor's calm voice asked me as she disinfected the bruises down my leg, "It's okay, You can tell me"

Her eyes, so gentle and etched with worry, made my sizzling thoughts run easier into more of a stream.

I told her — in a vague detail — how I managed to get a crowbar to swing across my face, how the hard fall right afterward invited these new bruises all over me.

But I couldn't bring myself to discuss the why — hell, I didn't exactly know either, it's best if she didn't know about the whole mutiny and trespassing, it's not something I'm necessarily proud of.

But it didn't matter anymore. For what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. It's all behind me — at least that's what I told myself, it's what I want to believe.

"That was one hell of a story," She smiled. As she stood up, my eyebrows furrowed at the embroidery on her shoulder, with the 'MISSION 24' badge leaving me in brief bewilderment.

"You were part of the 24th Colonist Group?" I pried. Her eyes widened as she stammered, before a smile grew on her face

"Uh, yeah. I assume you've heard of the stories?" She chuckled. I furrowed my eyes as I softly shook my head. She was evidently surprised that I did. I don't know what was more awkward, honestly, "Huh, Haven't heard of that answer in a minute."

"So, what did happen?" I pushed, fuelling my curiosity with the frustration of not finding what I wanted during my search earlier.

"For starters-- An alien-robot attack forced us to crash on a foreign goldilocks planet that--"

I let out a breathy chuckle as I shook my head. I lifted my eyebrows at her banter. "-- Now what actually happened, doc?--"

"--Ignore me, I'm here against my will," A familiar raspy voice grumbled. Our eyes shot to the direction of the open doorstep where a tall slim figure magically appeared.

I squinted my eyes, those thick eyebrows being the only feature left I could identify my older brother with. I can't say I don't miss curly-head Tyler.

Though his assholery remains intact, this short hair makes it harder to brush off — no pun intended.

"Didn't expect to see Eleven show up for a visit," I teased my brother, the biggest grin growing on my pale face at the satisfaction at his piercing glare as he nodded in defeat, "Well, Eleven, this is Doctor Robinson--"

"--It's-- just Judy" she chuckled, her smiling eyes managing to bring out a warm smile out of me. I lifted my chin back up to my lingering brother.

As he crossed his arms, a smirk curled up on his face as he slowly looked up and down at my frickin doctor.

There's a long list of encounters that make me want to disintegrate into the cold air — Ty flirting while I was in the room is pretty high up on that list.

Judy, of course had her back turned against my brother, mummifying me with ice-cold bandages. I frowned at Ty as he pouted to a smirk while nodding, completely ignoring my gestures of discouragement as he broke the icy silence--

"Hey, Doc-- Judy," Ty had those narrow eyes as he pulled a smirk, "You know, now that I'm here I've been getting these...abnormal pains down my abdomen, just all over here--"

"Oh Deus-- You are perfectly fine-- He's fine" I blurted out. Judy chuckled at my frustrated objection, her nose scrunching as she averted her eyes from me.

"It wouldn't hurt to check," Judy pursed her lips. I could feel Tyler's dark eyes light up, delighted at my exasperated eye roll, "Come on, uh...Elev--"

"--Tyler." My brother and I corrected in unison.

I sighed at his football-player bracket-walk he continues to deny. He grinned from ear to ear as his spacesuit's trousers scratched my bare outer thigh from how close he sat to me despite the plenty of room on this bed.

"Mover para sima-- You're suffocating me with your boy odour" I whined, weakly shoving him as he managed to put me as blame for our proximity.

"Plus, it's called a manly scent, get it right" Ty corrected me, silence following as he awkwardly chuckled at me dramatically covering my nose.

I scoffed at Judy turning her head away from our back and forth bickering to silently laugh at my suffering. She cleared her throat back to a serious face as she asked, well confirmed, "You two are siblings?"

"Not my idea, but sure" Tyler answered as Judy scanned his body with that blue beam.

"You wouldn't believe who's older" I mocked, wincing at Tyler's "light" shove on my bare arm that almost knocked me off the bed.

Judy's lips now parted slightly, like she was about to tell us something. But the obnoxiously loud automated voice blurting out of the intercom beat her to it.

"Attention all personnel of the 25th Colonist Group. Please proceed to the Solidarity's main dining hall, tomorrow morning at 9am. Thank you for your cooperation."

That broadcast repeated one too many times, for so long that both our checkups were now complete.

I now had a small white band-aid close up the openings of my face, with the new obligation to talk as little as possible in irrational fear of ruining the placement.

"D'you realise that our 9 am's gonna look and feel identical to 9 pm?" Tyler rambled as Judy packed away her portable med-kit, "The universe's just beggin' me to fuck my sleeping schedule over, again"

"Maybe get Cam to be your personal alarm-- he's pretty reliable...most times" I suggested, merrily slipping my spacesuit back on as we thanked the doctor.

As soon as Ty tuned his radio to Cam's frequency, an awful screeching noise stabbed into my brain, the three of us wincing at the echo as Ty and I yelled--

"What the fuck?!"

Judy seemed scarily unfazed, only to utter, "Looks like we have our work cut out for us."

I'VE BEEN TOSSING AND TURNING IN bed for what felt like hours. I for some reason couldn't get to the right sleeping position that didn't hurt the cuts on my face but was also somewhat comfortable. What a day I've had.

I can't believe that this is the level of exhaustion that ultimately triggers my insomnia. Plus dad's snoring that's so vile for having zero rhythm.

I couldn't get my mind off of the unfathomable events of today, and the fact that after the near concussion I had for that little useless chip, I might never learn the contents of it.

Nights like these could only mean one thing.

I limped like a zombie down our Jupiter's corridors in one of Tyler's old shirts with its faint whiff of weed, and stopped in front of an open bedroom door.

I sighed at the little boy lifting his messy hair off the pillow, rubbing his eyes to see his sister awkwardly waiting by the door.

"Can't sleep, either?" Cam whispered.

I shook my head, mounting my pillow on the grey sheets as I crawled onto his bed. He rested his head on my stomach as we whispered our goodnights.

But now, a tall slim figure lingered in the doorway, holding a pillow with marked names and drawings all around it. Cam and I shared a brief look, giggling with each other.

"Aw, Tywer want a goodnight kiss on the forehead?" Cam teased, Ty frowning as his face went pink.

"Where's your pacifier? Is that why you seem so cranky?" I babied.

"Both of you shut up. And move over...please?" Ty almost squished us to death as we reluctantly made space for him.

Sandwiched between my brothers, a weak smile curled up on my face at their body warmth speeding up my long awaited slumber.

I had to sacrifice the mobility of my legs and ability to fully breathe with these heavy boys using me as their life sized teddy bear.

But in this chilly gray bedroom, in this isolating and foreign spaceship, in this vast void of space — my brothers were my only constant solace.

So I wouldn't change it for the world.

translations

Sua alcoólatra filho da puta - You alcoholic fuck/motherfucker

Devagar por favor - Slower please

Estou com a pior dor de cabeça - I have the worst headache

Oh Deus - Oh God

Mover para sima - Move up

author's note

May I present, the Cosgroves 🕺(sooo making more of these they're so fun)

I recently watched My Fault and may I just say how many times I saw Nailah in the main character 😭 Like they got the same energy and I loved seeing that

This chapter was so fun to write (I love building sibling dynamics)

Anyways Im so excited for the next chapter like yall ain't readyyy ahhh

dedications

perishin pInkplover candysznn kurapichips2 hearts4walkerscobell euphoreallia ST4RRYBL4DE solyyybenonyy

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