LAST TIME...on SPACE CASE!
Out of the Institute, and into the depths...with all kinds of strange feelings on peoples' minds, something just doesn't feel right...

What could go wrong in a mountain's cave system?
Find out now- on SPACE CASE!
EPISODE 18: Down We Go

---

The Institute had been a massive campus, bustling with people and things to do. It had been overwhelming in many senses, and that combined with the exterior of it all gave a strong impression of how vast Mt. Moon is.




And yet, staring down at the actual interior of the mountain, and not just the heavily developed entry point-

You are shocked into silence once again.



The Institute had built itself around that singular crater, punched through by a meteorite and leading to that striking spiral structure.



This is not that.



There are tiers, yes, and paths, but the campus you just left behind had some degree of order to it.

They had to design it around some kind of purpose and central fixture. Things were well marked with signage, and some areas even had markings on the tunnel walls, floors, ceilings.


Comparatively, this is a maze, and you can tell by the look on your party's faces that the same realization hit at once.


Having Rappel had once seemed like a necessary annoyance.
But now, as the omastar begins to select the first couple of paths, taking you through a left,

then a right,

then an incline down to the right

and then left left left,

all to get to a more residential-looking route-



You think you understand how people die here without a guide.

She gestures to a pair of grooves in the floor, a semblance of road dividers.

"Sidewalks" lined the tunnel, local mons darting in and out of their residences.

Even her enthusiasm is turned down to a manageable level, clearly not wanting to disturb anyone.

You're surprised she even has that kind of volume control after how excitable she'd been at the campus, but...

The gloom is grinning wide, taking in all of the homes.

Similar to the travel tunnel entrances, doorways lined the sides of your current paths... but these have levels of personalization.

Carvings, engravings, subtractive sculpting into the rock- wall sconces, tapestries and murals helping to define the individual exteriors. 

Glancing inside uncovered windows and entrances as you pass reveals similarly styled interiors, furniture largely made from the structure of the cave itself.

Any hard edges softened by mats, quilts, blankets, padding-

She takes a deep, pleased breath.

Even with these being tunnels, Filigree is right- the space was incredibly open, more akin to a city street with tiered, multi-floored buildings than a mineshaft.

Even Sweetpea seems comfortable walking, xer own smile creeping in as the party passes by an onix without issue.

She pauses.

Minnie looks up from her sled, seemingly content to be dragged behind you thus far.

Xey let out an irritated croak.

....latte duty?



Minerva nods solemnly, already in solidarity with her new venusaur friend despite your suspicions she has no idea what xey're talking about.



She's doing better today, at least.



Lucid, back to her polite and caring self....cuddly as well, which is not something you want to focus on right now.

It'd be some time before you could get alone time, and you don't expect Rappel to grant that out of nowhere.



....though with the way she and the omastar share conspiratorial giggles, you can't help but feel a sense of dread.



The last thing you need right now is scheming.






Especially not of that nature-



....



After all




You need to lock in.




Focus.



Everyone but you had taken extremely hard hits during Route 3.


Minerva was still out for the count battle-wise, and while you had two new heavy hitters-




at least you FUCKING HOPE SWEETPEA WOULD IF IT CAME DOWN TO IT



-on your travel squad, the idea of your team getting hurt like that again makes your skin crackle unpleasantly.



Which is fine.


It's fine.



It's just stress.




your teeth itch



And you are going to manage it.



The residential neighborhood dwindles, leading to more non-housing intersections.

There's more gaps between peoples' booths and alcoves, some walls decorated and some left bare.

Some mons call out to passersby, trying to hawk wares and travel advice.

Her eyes narrow, disgust ripe in her voice.

....




It's the first time you've heard her actually...negative, about anything.



And something you agree with, at that.


The kind of greed on display sickens you, always has.



The profiteering off of the vulnerable, the sick, and even-

He nods, his face a little nervous.

Now it's the rest of your party's turn to look pale.

She smiles, a bit lost in her monologue.

Your eyes trail to the stalls on the sides of the path.

You didn't notice at first, but the people running the stands glare at Rappel as she passes, lips curling into sneers.

She grins, a bitterness to it.

Sweetpea's quiet, occasionally nodding in response to something. You watch xem out of the corner of your vision, a new focus to keep an eye on.



You still don't trust xem.


Xey helped you out of a bad situation, sure, but-

You whip around, perhaps too suddenly- as if you pushed too hard on a gas pedal, swerving too hard.

Your antennae crackle as you try to ignore Filigree's suspicious stare, locking in on whatever the hell Rappel is pointing out.

She's gesturing excitedly to an informative sign, pointing out specific symbols.

....you don't think that's what Frond was asking for.




But the information is helpful.

You didn't even know half of these.


Minerva looks outright nauseous, tugging on your tail gently to get your attention.

She frantically gestures towards the sign.

You exhale slowly, considering your words carefully.

Her ears flop, looking even more ashamed and worried.



Shit.



Your smooth moves strike again.

Nooo no no no you made her sad not again agggghHHH

You're too distracted to hear the rest, kneeling by Minerva's side as best as you can with your hover.

Your hand is trembling as you reach over to pat between her ears, current arcing the closer you get to her fur.



Something feels


off


or maybe more correct than you'd like to think about


as you make contact with her head.


Her skin is warm.

You can feel slight twitches in the muscles, largely from her ears and facial expressions.


Your fingers itch.

You snap out of it.

Your breathing had gotten heavy without you noticing.

You pull your hand away, taking some degree of relief in the slight, grateful blush on her cheeks.

She hesitates, but smiles.

Both of your attention's drawn back over to the rest of your party, Rappel starting to get moving again.

You enter a proper path now, no more businesses and homes to speak of.



Just you and the cave.





....and small talk.

She gestures to the cheery, ghostly looking omastar.

She keeps her eyes ahead, able to speak confidently without breaking focus on the environment around her.

Sweetpea finally speaks up.

Rappel straightens her posture, the venusaur panicking immediately.

Now your attention is piqued.

Xey have to take a deep breath.

Xer voice is so, so tired.

Your eyes widen.



You'd heard of this.


Not...extensively, but.

She conspiratorially raises a tentacle to the side of her mouth, not even pretending to whisper.

Sharing her story...



...it's a miracle she hasn't gotten sued.

Minerva makes a worried noise.

Rappel's eyes soften.

There's a fork in the road, Rappel pausing to check her map.

She points to the other side, making sure that the party notes the wave sign above the tunnel.

There's a downward slope now, Minerva looking worriedly up at you as soon as the elevation starts to decline.



Uh



Hm



There is an issue here.




You do not have any purchase on the ground beneath you.



Hovering is useful for avoiding the rough ground, yes, but- you haven't actually dealt with this sort of thing in years.

Even stairs posed very little issue to you now, one of the few rare perks of turning into whatever this is.



Ideal for someone floating along by themself.



Not ideal for floating with someone still on the ground, affected far more by gravity than you.




You immediately back up to where the ground's more level, Sweetpea noticing before either you or Minnie can pipe up.

You give xem a blank look.

Xey lean over to look at your feet, embarrassment and shame sneaking onto your face.



Stop



looking at those.




It's weird.




Your feet are weird and so is looking at them.

Xey don't seem to recognize how awkward this is as xey straighten back up, hands on xer hips.

One thing is clear from the Route 3 disaster- you are not going to be able to care for her without the help of others.

Sweetpea is the most physically capable out of anyone here- at least, in raw strength and bulk.

Xey don't know you, or your capabilities yet. You hadn't even gotten the chance to battle in front of xem.

To xem, you're



effectively just



another research subject.



Something to study and adjust procedure accordingly.



A science project.





.....





Minnie's eyes are full of gratitude.




You will have to tolerate this.
For now.



Sweetpea's able to cradle the sled between her arms, struggling only with xer own lack of dexterity, and not the golbat's weight.


Minerva seems unsteady at first, but settles in, giving the venusaur a huge smile.

Sweetpea looks embarrassed more than anything, clearly trying to play off xer nerves.




....xey better not drop her.

You're going to stay close-

You whip around again, smacking Frond in the face with your tail on accident.

....



The gloom isn't upset at all after he regains his balance, his stunned expression replaced with one

inscrutable to you.




Your chest clenches.


Breath hitching.



You swear you heard him make a sound that was



just



Inscrutable.

You look up at Sweetpea and Minerva, who give you nods of varying degrees of confidence.

Sweetpea's a little nervous, maybe?

Minerva's much more at ease.

Frond sticks by your side now, all of the awkwardness from a few days ago seemingly resolved.

On.


His end.


It's fine.


Keep it cool.



Maybe Eerie's right.


She has been hanging out with him a lot.

.....



maybe you could really try to bond-

He had done this.
SO MUCH.

After you told the clefairy story when you were kids.

And it drove you fucking crazy. He had to ask this about EVERYTHING.

Is this aliens?
Is that aliens?

Of course it isn't aliens it's never fucking aliens people are soooo bad at always assuming it's aliens and it dilutes the actual discussion of aliens and

She strikes a pose, managing to step around a large rock without looking.

Frond pumps his fist.

Xey grimace.

You cross your arms, floating along with your tail lashing.

It sounds way bitchier than you intend, but the omastar appears completely unbothered.

Ohhh. Okay.

She's


a Lunatic.




...just like you.

She lights up.

Your face heats up, Rappel bounding over with her face lit up.

You shake your head rapidly, the omastar immediately drawing back.

She doesn't turn her gaze away, staring into your equally unblinking eyes.

A slight smile sneaks onto her beak.


The feeling you had when you first hired her is back.



Recognition.

She returns to the front of the pack, one hand in her pocket as she checks her map.

The earth shakes.



Shaking isn't a strong enough word, actually.



It feels like the cave is being thrown around, the earthquake so much more dramatic than those you've felt on the surface.



The ceiling begins to crack, Rappel cussing as



something bursts out of her back




dragging everyone into a dark, tight space.







It's still going.


At first, you can't see-



Only to register the glow of your body, lighting up the faces of your entire party and scaring you out of your skin.



Rappel's looking strained as you realize that you haven't been dragged anywhere, no-



You're being shielded, some kind of dark barrier surrounding the team like a dome.

Something hits the top of the barrier, the omastar wincing.

You hear Minnie whimpering.



Sweetpea's no better, letting out miserable croaks.



Filigree is pressed against Eerie, using the much larger rhyhorn as some kind of additional shielding.



Eerie herself flattens against Sweetpea's leg, likely trying to do the same thing as Fili.




You hear Frond counting.



Shit.



Your own heart is pounding as you pull him in closer, yanking him in by his backpack strap.

He doesn't hesitate to latch back onto you, his counting getting less shaky now.




Ten years.



Ten years of waiting for you-




The shaking stops


only to be replaced with an overwhelming klaxon,


claws digging into Frond's skin






when did you get cl




Rappel dispels the shadowy shield, panting for breath.


The cave tunnel is full of rubble, but it held.


Your own heart is pounding.


You have to get it together.


You have to-

You pull your hand away from Frond,

clawless

fingers stained with his sap-like blood.




You feel sick.



Frond looks it even moreso than you, but



he nods.



He understands.



You struggle to get over to Sweetpea, bracing your antennae flush against your head as you gesture for her to fork over the sled.



Xey immediately oblige, covering up xer own ears as soon as you've wrapped your arms around Minerva, counting to ten over and over as you hear her shriek and cry, the sound too much for her delicate senses.


....



And then it's over, replaced with a booming voice somehow heard even this deep into the mountain.

A horrible,

gurgling sound,

someone choking on something wet.


Your eyes widen.


No one moves.

A new voice takes...what you assume to be the microphone, followed by a shuffling of papers.

Eerie's voice sounds hollow, unable to form words.

A lockdown has begun! Osteo getting ahold of the Lunar Institute can't mean anything good...

...especially after that announcement...

No suggestions for the next stretch of episodes- this is a MULTI-PART HELL EXPERIENCE! But how bad can it get?

Find out next time...on SPACE CASE!

LAST TIME...on SPACE CASE!
Today's the day the party leaves for the Mt. Moon travel routes...with Rappel as their guide, surely they'll have an easy trek!

...but where's that strange feeling in the air coming from...?

Find out now- on SPACE CASE!
EPISODE 17: Intern on Duty

---

You are now Sweetpea.



And boy.

Have you been busy.

...and it's not even the good kind, either!

Nooo, you get back from all of that stupid checkpoint work and what do they have you do?

MORE errands!


Ohhh get me this, get me that, the extraterrestrial department wants to see the readings you got from your last trip out- newsflash, no aliens today!

EVERYONE knows the peak season for signals doesn't even start for a MONTH!

Even though you're an intern, it feels like you're the only one doing your damn job around here.
None of the others do their work, and you're good at what you do, so all it goes right to you to make sure everyone on a higher rung can get their work done.

And guess what- there's a LOT of higher rungs!

You're going to pop a vein at this point.

Absolutely ridiculous.

You signed up for evolutionary stone studies, not this!



YOU ARE NOT HERE TO CARRY FILE FOLDERS ABOUT TIDAL CYCLES!


YOU DID NOT VOLUNTEER FOR TAKING PHONE CALLS!!


YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO CARRY COFFEE!!!


RIDICULOUS.



And that one-
that one, one jerk Rachel-
she asked you to do the checkpoints in the first place, only to tell you that YOU fumbled a reading!

Wow, Rachel, thanks a bunch-
maybe you should have asked someone with longer fingers to manipulate delicate equipment!

Noo,
no,
instead of working on safety measures,
let's just send the Big Girl out to handle it!

Ideal punching bag!
Takes a reeeal good hit!
And who cares about evolutionary stones anyway!
Not like it's one of the most important, practical fields in this entire campus!







You should poison her latte.
No, no, that'd be evil.
No latte poisoning.




....



You should sprinkle cheri flakes into her latte.
Like, three of them. 
That'd show her.



...as much as you complain, you did commit the biggest hubris of all yesterday.

You took a day off.


Orion was always going on about how you need to take more time for yourself, and while it sounds great on paper, you can't stand it.


Not only does it take time away from stone work-

and god, you were on such a roll before you had to come up here-

but these people start rubbing their hands together as soon as they see you rumbling around.


Ooooh, Sweetpea's in town and my interns are whining about pushing carts-

let's get that venusaur up and at 'em!


Even with a nice dip in the springs, any relief it may have brought you was immediately counteracted with your work email lighting up with what felt like five MILLION requests.


....



Your chest hurts.



You've been away from the Asterisms and your work together for TOO LONG-



And you cannot stand it anymore.


Screw the rest of the unread emails.
You can have Ursa write some kind of bullshit excuse.

She hates it just as much when you're pulled away this long- your biggest vindication coming in the form of her ranting about the lack of respect involved.




Your biggest allies in the world.



You cannot WAIT to get back.



Or, at least, you'd say as much if

the


damn

TRAM

WASN'T OUT

The butterfree at the tram station shrugs, leaning onto the counter.

He shrugs again, giving you a tired stare.

You stomp over to the side, the sulking setting in immediately.




Of all the times-



Why couldn't this have happened while you were on the other side?!




You could have been stuck over there without ANYONE able to tell you to come to Pewter!




.....




You make a soft, dejected croak as you pull out your phone.




It takes the usual amount of rings for your nav to get through, each subsequent beep making you more and more antsy.

Your boss pops onto the video feed- or, at least, one of them.

The magmar there beams, his glasses smudged all over- you TOLD him to wipe them more, he's going to fall down the stairs or something-

Another voice comes through, offscreen.

Dr. Orion Asterism rubs the back of his head, fiddling with the smoke wisps there.

God, he always does this.

You take an exaggerated inhale, making eye contact with the magmar onscreen.

You can practically hear his wife eye roll.

You nod furiously.

You look around and shuffle to a quieter part of the landing, whispering into the nav.

You hesitate, and nod.

You shake your head.

He sighs, leaning back in his chair.

He thinks, moving one hand to fiddle with a pen instead.

The clicks from it are audible- too familiar to bother you.

You harumph.

He smiles again, wide and warm.

He hangs up.



You stare at your nav's contact list-



Just him and Ursa.




You can make this work.











Well.
The issue with making it work is how.

As much as you do love a good sandwich, you know that the Asterisms aren't exactly rolling in cash.

Getting someone who upcharges would be no good at all, but the idea of getting a cheap guide who's too hands off sounds just as terrible.

After all, you do NOT want to do any more fighting.




....even if Ursa believes in you.




You pace.




You pace for a solid ten minutes.



And then thirty.

You're absolutely attracting attention but people can deal, they're already staring at you anyway for being the biggest thing in the room.



Shoot. shoot shoot shoot Shit this is-




A familiar voice cuts through.

Oh!

OH!
It's the Shooting Stars-



And by the look of it-

You thud over, having to sidestep a wayward oddish.

The golbat smiles ear to ear- lucidly this time, too.

The exhausted look on Stretch's face begs to differ, but- at least everyone else seems neutral, if not happy!

G. Good enough!

You tap your index claws together.

The omastar's face lights up. Stretch's falling in contrast.

Everyone looks decently awkward about it, especially with the bat and nautilus looking at the rest of the team with big, pleading eyes.

It nods its head towards the sled over its shoulder.

....

There

shouldn't be any fighting


right?


And- this is a whole team-

You tap the pouch at your side, grimacing.

You flash your pin at a scanner, tapping in the code for visitor access.

You smile-



-and then you notice Stretch's expression.



Its pupils are dilated, energy sparking between its antennae.

It snaps out of it, looking embarrassed.

You get a side glare from a researcher from Aerospace.

Stretch's antennae perk back up.

Yes. Yeessssss. Intrigue!

You glance over your shoulder-



-ohh, less enthusiastic now.


....hm....

Well....

You drop your volume, trying to at least sound a little less overbearing.

It untenses.

The rhyhorn shuffles.

You remember


the council, staring at you.

You're half expecting the other two to launch into responses just as quickly- and yet!



Hesitation.
Processing.

Her eyes flick to her party for just a moment.

The omastar rubs where her chin would be, if she had one.

Her tentacle feels somewhat chilled as she gives you a friendly shoulder punch.

You sling your travel bag over your shoulder, closing up your locker and waving to the guard on duty.

The party waits outside, not allowed into official staff storage- Stretch fussing over its bellsprout companion in hushed tones.




....and from the look of Filigree poking at the energy coming off of the electabuzz, it was getting fussed over back.

Both of them separate, immediately looking away from each other.

Rappel seems to be the only other person noticing- Frond, Eerie and Minerva busying themselves with an informational plaque on the wall.

Still, she says nothing.

....you're an outsider to this.



Whatever it is, it's


private.




probably.








The chatter resumes on your way back out, your heart pounding as you near the checkpoint.






This is really happening.




You've never actually- gone through the mountain.


But-

You need to get back to work!


You need to get back to the Asterisms!!!


And-



You feel your stomach churn, just the slightest bit


thinking about the tram.




it's never done that before.

A chorus of affirmation- but in many different tones, some clearly more excited to go than others.

She flashes her license, a large metal door opening wide for the party.

No time to delay, the team's on the road once more- with Sweetpea once again in tow! Will xey be able to keep up, or fall prey to xer anxieties?

We can develop xem a little bit now, though! Suggestors, what findings have Sweetpea and the Asterisms come up with most recently? Surely their work on evolutionary stones has turned up some intrigue...

Find out next time...on SPACE CASE!

LAST TIME...on SPACE CASE!
The Stars' brand new guide to the mountain had sidequests for the team- though these feel a lot more like sightseeing than actual work...

Rappel seems to be fond of these barely-disguised self care sessions- with her insisting on another day of rest, what could lay ahead? Find out now: on SPACE CASE!

EPISODE 16: A Nice Long Rest

 

You're supporting Minerva on one side, Eerie on the other. She's able to walk properly, but after a few days of having to be tugged around, it's clear that she's not as steady as she- or anyone else- would like her to be.

The rhyhorn huffs, pointedly slumping as the three of you arrive at your destination-




-changing rooms for the Lunar Institute hot springs.

Rappel had insisted on it, pulling three passes out of her pocket like another one of her card tricks.

She proceeded to make an exaggerated kiss gesture towards the sky, Minnie giggling like crazy.

.....at least she's making another friend.









You do not like being naked on a normal day.

Even with Minerva, it's- a whole situation- though you guess that's not particularly strange considering how short of a time it's been.

Sure, you had seen people in their tight battling gear, but-

You would struggle to cut the tension between you and Eerie with a knife, the two of you in towels as Minerva dangles her feet in the water.

Eerie holds her towel up against her chest, posture stiff. You're about as well composed with it over your waist, feeling extra self conscious over the markings on your chest being visible- elliptical rings instead of the standard electabuzz stripes.




The two of you shuffle, the seemingly oblivious golbat making herself at home.

Even so, helping Minerva get properly situated takes the edge off, both of you taking your own spots to the side as Minnie starts her soak. The second you both sink into the water, you realize why she'd been able to relax so quickly-

You make a sound not unlike a warbly purr as you feel yourself untense, worries melting away.

She nods at the golbat having the relaxation of her life.

You would have panicked in any other situation, but all you can do is shrug as the water gives you a nice, steamy hug.

You both fall silent again.

You remember Frond's wet cheeks.

She doesn't sound fully convinced.

Your chest clenches.

the vague feeling of him clutching you


the smell of rot as he told you to count




feeling him choke on his own vomit as he gripped you with newly-formed arms





suffering




for you.

She stares at you for a few agonizing moments.

She snorts tiredly.

You immediately flush, praying it comes off more as the heat from the springs than-

You open and close your mouth.




She just watches, waiting for your explanation





that never comes.

She points downward, panic flooding you as you see the water rippling around you in a perfect circle.

She snickers, looking back at Minerva.

You turn to look back at the golbat as well-

Your lip twitches, the golbat kicked back without an ounce of tension in her body.

She sighs, clearly more relieved than cocky.

Her face grows somber, still looking at Minnie.

She blinks, stunned.

You stare at the gentle, even ripples coming off your body.

She snort-laughs.

It's dark.








It had been dark for a long time.




You had stopped trying to count an eternity ago- and yet instead of being accustomed to it, you could register it as "dark."





Like looking at the inside of one's eyelids, forever.
Did you have those, once?
Likely not now.




Now.


What a concept.



Now, then, what did those things even mean anymore?

It's not like you ever had a good idea of time passing anyway.

Even these thoughts are scattered and malleable, translated from your best attempt at connecting words and concepts together.






Your thoughts dissolved into a pulp alongside your body,





....but one day, you feel definition.




An edge, something pressing against your container.




Something to you.












Time passes.






You've developed more edges, now.


They're strange, tangled and folded in and across each other.

You try to move them sometimes, a twitch here and there, cramped too tight to actually achieve a gesture or stretch.





A hard surface develops, and the pain begins- your confines crushing you more and more.









It feels like a much longer wait, now.




Are you dead?






Is this where dead people go?






You had heard stories- hadn't you?






People...there were people once-












Light.










Oh





it hurts.








Are you screaming?


Something's- there's a noise coming out of you, and it hurts.
Everything hurts.



The edges escape their confines, spilling and scrambling everywhere.

Surfaces unlike your cage, oh, what is this-





This isn't home.

You don't remember what home is, but this is NOT it.

Home wasn't cold. Home wasn't bright, searing into- oh, you have eyes now.

Eyes?

Eyes.



The thought doesn't match the word you would use in the future (the real Now?), but right in This now, it's an imperfect translation.





There are shadows around you blocking out the light- do you know them?
No, no, they're wrong-


Noises escape your mouth, teeth clacking, all borrowed words from the future for the sake of remembering This Now.

Where are they?

Where are-




They're not like you.



They're not your friends- oh, you had friends, you remember having them even if you can't remember anything and they're not here and-




The figures step back as you make a terrible, wet sound.




You're crying.




One of them makes noises back, but they aren't like anything you've heard.







you want to go back.













You pick up things quickly.



The first few escape attempts are highly unsuccessful, but you learn a bit more with each try.

Your awareness on how to move your body gets better as you learn how to sneak around, open doors- even if you always get caught.



....you start to wonder why they're making it easy for you. This is nothing compared to being compressed for infinity, being dissolved and reformed however many times before they cracked your cage open.



Sometimes, they make strange expressions over it-



-and then you realize that it's happiness.
They're smiling- you knew what smiling was back then, didn't you?





They give you extra delicious food when you manage to break out.

More time wandering around the cold, white tiled facility, less harsh pushes to return to your cell.




...unfortunately for your escape efforts, you are easy to sway, and you find yourself more drawn to the promise of treats and being allowed to poke at new objects than actually getting out the door.








You still miss the people and places at the edges of your memory- how could you not?



But it does become more manageable, more and more time in between crying fits and nightmares spent exploring your new world.










...Something tells you that there isn't a way back, after all.






The people keeping you here aren't cruel- and while it takes some time to parse these expressions as well, you do start getting those down.






They feel terrible for you.




Every time they catch you crying, they get you what you come to understand as a quilt, something to drink, a snack- and they make those noises again.

Tone is one thing that you're getting better at reading, being able to pick up on when someone is happy, sad, angry...but they keep making the same noises in distinct patterns.




You kind of like the noises.
Some of them make you happy when you notice them, and you making a noise back makes them even happier.

More treats for you.
Yum yum yum.


Once they notice your enthusiasm over what you soon learn are "words", they get right to helping you through it. There are so many ways to speak, let alone to listen, write, read- it's overwhelming at first.



....not just for you, but for your caretakers.

They struggle to keep up with your demands, never satisfied with their stumbling pace.

You want to know everything, and each new bit of information gets you curious for more.

The words "slow down" and "not today" are very much embedded into your early vocabulary, shortly after you pick up on the dreaded "more".





You're introduced to others kind of like you- "omastar", they keep saying.

Funny word.

It takes you ages to actually pronounce it.
They seem to grasp this so much easier, and some days you feel frustrated beyond belief.



....others, you poke and prod and ramble at them until they teach you new things, often out of an urge to make you please just go away.




It stings, but your carers tell you that they didn't come from the same world you did.



You want to understand their world.



You want to go outside.













They give you a television instead.


The television.


The TELEVISION!!! 



How many wonderful things you watch on TV!

You can hear some of the researchers express concerns- won't this just rot your mind?

You're pretty sure minds can't do that, especially not when you scribble on paper as you watch. 

They're nonsense symbols and markings to everyone else, but they make sense to you.

Even if you can't use their words back at them yet or know how to move your tentacles in the ways they ask of you, your notes do plenty!





The amount of tapes they give you are limited, but you learn to love every one of them- okay, well, not that one they called "golf".


A waste of your time!
Too slow!
Not enough action!





One day, there's another person in your TV room- not a researcher or a doctor or a carer.



The two of you stare at each other, unsure what to make of the other- it was close to what you'd heard called a "kabutops", but not all the way.




There was something different about it.



It likes TV, though.
Likes your symbols too.



It doesn't have any way to draw like you, so you end up stealing couch cushions and helping it figure out how to poke and cut into the fabric.


You realize that this is driving your caregivers up the wall, but who cares?
You have a new friend now, and the two of you LOVE to get up to shenanigans.







It ends up being just what you need to learn further.
Both you, and your new pal.



It's so much easier to get the hang of this with someone who's actually interested in having a real conversation, versus the negative and positive reinforcement based lessons- though, you will never refuse a bribery burger.





You play.



You laugh,
you cry,
you pick up affects and vocabulary from your favorite videotapes-
and why not?


They're incredible!




It takes some serious effort and convincing, but you finally get some of them to pay attention and make sense of your notes, and you learn to write together as well.





The tools "made for your species" aren't too bad once you get the hang of them, though the doctors find both of your methods...creative.




....and then they tell you you can go outside, with some final necessary steps.






They tell you you both can pick a formal name of your own, as well as ways for people to identify you.




You and your friend really have to think this one over.
It's given the same offer, a way to formalize a name for legal identification.

This is something that requires real consideration, considering the nicknames racked up during your time here are much more fluid than an entry in a global database.



You take them up on it, both going through a couple of options.
A name is such an interesting thing, and the two of you end up keeping track of lots of names from your shows, finding patterns, symbolism, meaning.



You just keep coming back to one of the tapes- a caving show, mixing real world footage and lessons along with dramatic narrative segments.

Adventures into the depths, discovering new worlds and biomes.

It takes some time to sift through all of the potential terminology, and even more fascinating is the gender aspect.

So many things to rotate around...






And then one day, the decisions stick.




You are named Rappel, and she is named Plunge.











The world is beautiful, more than you could have imagined.



Some of it even reminds you of the vague remainders of your memory, and the same for Plunge.


It's easy to stick together,
pursue life,
jobs,
learning,
housing together-





Admitting your love for each other is more of a casual statement than a grand event, even more natural than picking up new phrases.






You add a last name on after exchanging vows, your ID proudly listing "Cara" along with licensing for cave exploration.







Plunge stays in Cinnabar, tending to your shared home just down the road from the lab that freed you both.








You travel, sending her pictures, postcards, care packages, every meetup a chance to kiss and embrace and make love-












Two decades pass.





It never stops being exciting.






You are so happy,

and so, so alive.

You gesture to a map spread across a rolling easel, having meticulously prepared it the night before.

She shrugs.

You turn, looking over the various paths before grabbing a piece of chalk, tracing it along.

You nod.

It was true, actually.
Not because you were immediately skilled- that'd be ridiculous.
You're no illustrious hero.

No, it was through what got you to this point in the first place.

Practice.

Minerva breathes a sigh of relief.

You look around, taking your bunch of explorers in.



Minerva is a fast friend, and boy, are you thrilled about it.
She's just lovely, and you're looking forward to spending more time chatting and going over procedures.


....interesting, though.
An Eclipse, here?
You're certain if she's gotten this far, there's not a lot of chance for her to be recognized....and you're not going to scare her by bringing it up.
Some pasts are best left behind, and you never trust families focused on bloodline.
Her getting away from that is likely a good thing.



Eerie...ex-Osteo, for sure.
No one needed to tell you- no, you recognized the scrapes in the armor around her joints even before you saw her packing away the club.
That terrible wire practice they do....keeping your tentacle on those pulses was almost a part time gig to your full time one!
Still, you get a lot of people affected by them.

An increasing amount, even.
With each one, you learn a new horror.

It disturbs you.

Why someone would torture another mon like that is beyond you- but you've had your share of feeling trapped and desperate.

Just...lucky that your captors were relatively kind.



Frond, now there's a great guy.
Reliable, charming, caring for his peers-

But that nasty tendency to overextend, even in the brief observations you've had of him...

...something to keep an eye on.

Even if it's as simple as him reaching for something on a shelf for Filigree- the shelf too high, his hand not dexterous enough- it indicates opportunity for DISASTER if you don't watch for it.

....he seems quite close to that Stretch fellow, even if it's difficult to tell if it's requited.
They'd known each other a long time...




Best to watch for that too.


Stretch itself is a live wire, and...it doesn't seem to notice it, yet.
That or it's dead set on ignoring it- not good at all.

Solid chance of it being volatile and impulsive when like this....stress levels would have to be kept down.
Not knowing what someone with that much of a flat affect would benefit from is a bit tricky, though.

Going to be a hard read.




....and then, Filigree.




Ohhh this one troubles you.

The bellsprout is sick.
No doubt about that.
It tries to hide it, but you've got a strong eye for this kind of thing.

Trick of the trade, necessary for your line of work to keep someone from falling into a spike hole.

You even tried to inquire about it earlier, but got brushed off.
Monitoring them would probably be your #1 priority, even compared to Stretch in a state.
Electabuzz overclocking is one thing- and not a small one- but you're unfamiliar with whatever's going on with that plant.


...it can't be anything good.

Still...

Quite the crew!
A lot of different backgrounds, stylings, species...



....and you weren't kidding about that card.

Stretch, the leader-

It- and its team!- are on a similar path to your own. How, you're unsure.


....but this will be quite the adventure to find out!
 

---

Minerva's been properly soaked, and Rappel's history begins to unravel- and just for you, the audience! Time will tell how much she'll share with her new comrades...

But I have to ask, suggestors...what do you think the reason Rappel and Stretch were brought together could be? Perhaps something could be divined from this very forum thread...

Find out next time...on SPACE CASE!


(hi author's note i have been writing all of the winning suggestions now and incorporating them into overall update plans since the project is being written/played through way ahead of when you see it. because this shit is long. your suggestions Will come to haunt you later.)

LAST TIME...on SPACE CASE!
We're here at the Lunar Institute, and our gang has to get their bearings before setting off....after everything they've been through, a little R&R is sorely needed.

 This should be a nice break episode, right? Find out now- on SPACE CASE!
EPISODE 15: Scavenger Hunt

---

You are now Minerva.

Words do not describe how much better you feel.

Yes, you're unbelievably sore, and moving around is a bit of a struggle- but oh my goodness, your brain works.
It was so AWFUL, and you barely have any recollection of the past few days outside of all of that terror.




From the party's recounting, you had every right to be scared.






....and the fact that they were all so burdened with helping you....




No one said it, but you know that






it must have been






difficult.





...you were difficult.




Embarassing, even.

They had to hand feed you.


Stretch had to help you go to the bathroom!
It's-



Even with Stretch, it felt so revealing, just like the awful maze...

The omastar closes the door behind you- a specialized community center room reserved for cave guides, Rappel having claimed specifically for the two of you to get privacy.
It puts you on edge- why you?

Is it because-

are you a liability-

She pumps a rolled up tentacle, the closest thing she has to a fist.

You wring your wing-claws, immediately overwhelmed.

She points her tentacle into your chest, an excited look on her face.

She pauses dramatically.

You are completely overwhelmed, the guide in front of you striking dramatic poses with every syllable.

She points to you again.

You look away.

You sniffle.

You nod, eyes welling up with tears.

Pointing to herself now.

You blink, trying to get yourself together.

You laugh before you can catch yourself, caught off guard.

You do your best to smile, nodding.

She pats a mid-level bench- the room featuring a couple sizes. You don't have to jump or bend too far to sit down at all, your back extremely grateful.

You shake your head, embarrassment sinking back in.

She raises her brow at you, stopping you in her tracks.

She rubs the side of her face.

Another giggle escapes.

She shuffles over to a closet on the side of the room, tentacles looking rather ridiculous as she goes.

It takes her a moment, fumbling through equipment and tools you've never seen before-

-eventually hauling out some...kind of...sled?

She holds it over her head as if it's nothing, stanced up.

You briefly picture Stretch in horse tack, giggling all over again.

....oh.


Well.




Guess that's a bit more literal then.

She does what you assume to be her take on a finger gun.

You hesitate




before shaking your head.

She winks.

You laugh outright this time.

She leans in.

Frond raises his hand.

You groan, tipping your head back.

You pipe down, rubbing the back of your head.

It coughs, pulling out a piece of paper.

It narrows its eyes, letting out an exhausted sigh as it reads the scrawl on it.

He reaches up to take the paper, Stretch not even bothering to protest.

He beams at you.

 
Well, at fucking least you got paired with him.

Any cynicism you had about the scavenger hunt escapes as soon as you enter the Institute itself, your jaw falling open as you step into the atrium.

Just like Stretch explained, it's a completely clean tunnel from the top of the mountain to many, many floors below, all carved out in a spiral shape.
Rooms and corridors trail off, more pokemon than you'd ever expect to see in a place like this, even from the crazy view outside.
Some of the paths have stone carvings, metal accents and even reinforced doors and glass- a patchwork of additions from different eras, different purposes.


And on top of it all, covering the atrium- a massive, stained glass dome, patterned with planets, stars, you name it.



You hear Stretch sigh, and-

-weirdly enough, it looks...calmer. The fizzling blue energy on its body seems to quell, if only for now.

The bellsprout shrugs at you as they trail behind.

Ugh.



Fine.

Stretch was right again.

The market is enormous, just like the atrium- and the sounds and smells hit you far quicker than the actual sight of it did.

Frond catches you smiling, elbowing you carefully.

The two of you get to walking, Frond half-looking over Rappel's list.

You make a grim, pained smile.

Guilt eats at you.

He spreads his arms wide.

You let out a huff.

He gets you your damn jerky, insisting you have to wait until you're on the road- right after you got to pick a good flavor, too.
Little bastard.
Minnie gets some well-sealed blood pouches- they make those?
Filigree gets home-dried fruits and shelf stable sap, and...

He picks up a couple bags of things for Stretch- a mix of nutrient bars and drinks you think you've seen it slam back in passing, but would never have guessed the names of outside of their brand.
He picks the products out with ease, complimenting the vendors' skill with making homemade spins on the recipes.

He freezes, zooming over to a stand with widened eyes.

By the time you shuffle over, he's already got it bagged- and with the stand advertising jewelry and accessories, you doubt this is on the menu.

You raise your brow as he turns to you, the goofiest grin on his face.

He flushes, rubbing the back of his head a bit.

He still does not show you the goods.

His face falls, sighing.

Fuck. Shit. You made him sad.





Sad Frond just isn't right.

He doesn't protest, walking alongside you with a small nod.








The bench is nice and out of the way, Frond having to do a little hop to get up on your level.

You do.

Part of you



wishes you didn't.





Seeing your own self rigged up to wires, trapped in a room, that was bad enough.

Another mirror containing you as a younger, pre-Osteo self, you as the person you wanted to be before you signed on and it all went to shit.




....but somehow, it didn't scare you as much as the look in Frond's eyes.
Your mirrors, you knew those. A sickening sense of familiarity.


They weren't the horrors of a near-complete stranger, filled with the weight of something very, very bad has happened.




Staggering, panicked, an oddish in torn, bloodied clothes-



-lit like a flashlight shining on its hollow expression.





A different version of himself looking hazy, delirious, tearing up as it spoke wordlessly to its source.








....



You don't want to think about the third one.

Something makes your heart clench.

It comes out frantic.

He nods, relenting on that point as he thinks over his words.

His voice gets quiet.

He has to stop for a second.

You aren't really sure what to say in a situation like this.



Like, hey, sorry about that?

Sorry that happened?

No, shit, that sucks.

You know what you'd want to hear in this situation but Frond was a much more sane and normal person and-

Frond splutters, caught entirely off guard.

He nods, wiping his eye a bit- at least it wasn't as bad as yesterday, the gloom outright crying into his shirt at the time.

The look on your face clearly makes him panic.

He shakes his head.

He shrugs, fishing out the bag and handing it to you.

A little UFO-shaped pin.

It's your turn to laugh.

You're quiet, but it feels...okay now.

You're both laughing now, catching the attention of some passersby-




And for once, you don't really care.










You are now Filigree.



You can't say you'd ever been somewhere like this before- you spent the majority of your life getting educated in trade, any general education largely handled through your own studies on the side.

You'd heard about this kind of place though, and there's a sort of delight as you see all of the fancy, almost playfully assembles exhibit displays.

Every bit of decor seems to have a purpose, placards telling you what everything was, how it worked...


There's stools for smaller mons like yourself to get a better look at this, and audio guides if you need them-
You even saw something with a text readout, with the front desk guaranteeing that no matter who came by, they'd get a chance to learn.

It immediately shakes its head, making a face.

Its lip twitches.



You're still...worried about it.



Even when calmed down significantly, its motions are more jumpy, tail more prone to lashing.

Its nearly-invisible fuzz stands on end at the slightest noise, bristling at sudden moves.

The energy still crosses its body, occasional versus constant- thankfully not enough to cause trouble, seen about as dangerous as a charizard walking around.
The museum would have elemental protection if it had this much foot traffic-




So it must be fine.





For now.




It floats behind you to each exhibit, its expression softening with each one.



You follow along, relieved that it waits for you to signal you're good for the next.



A fair amount goes over your head, but there's a sense of success when you manage to click different concepts together.






You stop at a tapestry, woven pink figures dancing in a circle- accompanied by all sorts of other pokemon, festive and joyous together.

This is...awkward.



You do want to get to know Stretch more, the electabuzz an enigma even still.
Every bit of information you get just makes more questions pop up-



You feel a slight pang in your chest, hiding a wince.


...it'd been cropping up since Sweetpea's camp.



Just stress.




You catch it looking over for a moment, a little bit of panic spiking.



Shit.

It raises its brows.

You think about how its speech had smoothed out, coming easier when it could talk about an actual interest versus forcing itself into everyone else's conversational speed.

It's not that much of an ass cover, frankly.
You had become entranced in its retelling, and...maybe this would be good for both of you.


A way to keep your mind off of the clenching in your torso, and a chance for letting it engage with its interests.


Stretch's eyes widen more, coughing into its hand.

Win/win.



It gestures to the imagery in front of you, taking a moment to breathe.



The ring of clefairies, upon closer look, included the whole evolutionary line- and so many intricately crafted expressions and poses.

You could almost see the movement in it if you unfocused a little, ready for them to spin and twirl in front of you at any point.

Stretch pauses, closing its eyes for a moment.

Some of the clefairies towards the edges held each other, their faces despairing and lost as they looked up at the sky.

It nods.

It points to a cracked meteorite in the corner, some of the pink aliens carrying little shards away- barely visible at a glance, but distinct up close.

It pauses, trailing off.

You





don't know whether to press it.






Especially after everything that'd happened so far- it feels like a bad idea to push buttons.

It makes a face.




Oh, god, that was a button-

Its voice comes out exhausted and low.

Ohhh.



Oh,
that




makes a lot of its tension around you and Eerie worse.




Shit.

You can't blame it.


Lunacy was...to put it bluntly, a fringe religion.




A scientific field as well, yeah, for sure- and people tended to respect that part a lot more.

The whole "searching for alien life" and theories about lunar radiation, though...

It pauses, surprised.


You did allude to your family finding it all...a bit crackpot.




You wouldn't have if you'd known.

You nod.

It gestures up and down its body.

Tapping its forehead now, avoiding your eyes.

It winces, realizing its implications.



Your chest is still hurting.




You had stopped noticing it for a while, but, nope, there it is now that you're thinking about health stuff.

You really wanted to believe it's stress.

Stretch doesn't catch on.

It's for the best.

Even for all of its attention to detail, the last thing you'd want is for that to kick in when it's actually opening up to someone.

Its lip twitches again.

It's an expression Frond told you to keep an eye out for when you asked him if you could help at all.


He said that it has a hard time of smiling, always did- but it had its own way of looking appreciative, if not outright happy, if you looked closely enough.

Back to avoiding your eyes.



Even still, before you can get worried-

Good.


You-



It'll work out.



You did good today.






You'll just take an extra pill later.



It'll ease up.




Your symptoms always do with some meds.






You both turn back to the tapestry

watching the clefairy dance.
 

---

The mountain is full of mysteries, as are the members of our team...though at this point, that shouldn't be a surprise.

Suggestors, we've got another day of rest and relaxation for the Shooting Stars- giving you all one more day to inquire about lore for us to discover much, much later.... Your curveball today is simple: what is something the folks at the Lunar Institute are hiding?
Find out next time...on SPACE CASE!

 

Way ahead of xem.






You have been staring at the ceiling for hours.

He stops mid greeting, definitely seeing your expression.






You would rather look anywhere than at him right now.

Your frown worsens, eyes boring a hole into the tent fabric above you.

You should probably say. Something.
Anything.
Play this off.


You make some kind of garbled hissing noise.
Shit.
That's not even close to a word.



His face pales.

There's a tone to his voice you don't want to analyze.




You say nothing.

You aren't sure how much time passes before Minerva stirs, immediately distressed with the lack of her comfort object and scrabbling around for you.

She shouldn't
have to rely on someone like you.
You're disgusting.
You're-

You drag yourself into a sitting position, the world feeling hollow as you force yourself to tap your fingers against her claws.

She calms, no longer panicking.

She looks cloudy still.
Guilt squeezes your chest.
Look at all these people you're failing.
She's sick because of you.
She wants to be your friend and what have you given her?
For all you know, this whole incident could have messed up her head as bad as yours!


Fucking idiotic piece of shit DISGUSTING R-

You whip around.

Eerie's voice is startlingly harsh- you'd heard her go off of you, sure, but-

This was different.

She huffs.

Her volume drops.

The rhyhorn storms off before you can ask for clarification, Filigree poking their head through the door with a pale expression.

You rub the back of your head, your confusion visible along with the prior distress.

They make an indiscernible gesture with their leaves.

You're supporting Minerva on your shoulder as you walk into the main clearing, relieved that she's at the very least moving around better.
The rest of your team is working on getting rations prepped for breakfast, Sweetpea helping contribute xer own stash.

You manage a grunt, still feeling extremely sick to your stomach.

Frond looks over, managing a forced smile as he hands Filigree their portion-



....his cheeks look a little wet.



Ohhh no you understand now.



Eerie shoots you a dirty look at you.



ohhhhh no. god no. fuck



Sweetpea seems completely oblivious to the interpersonal drama- drama fixated ENTIRELY on you being a fuckup, mind you- Filigree giving you a panicked gesture out of sight.



This time its meaning is clear.




Fix this, now.




You help Minerva sit, taking a deep breath-

-and taking your own place next to Frond.

The gloom is shocked, eyes wide as you lean over.
You hate this.
You hate-

His face contorts into a further grimace.

oh god NO that was supposed to help

GREAT now you've made it MORE complicated FUCK your stupid ass life and your stupid ass brain and stupid ass dick oh my god you do NOT want to think about that-

Xey rub xer cheek, looking deeply embarrassed.

Filigree seems infinitely grateful for the excuse to not focus on the dread radiating from you and Frond.

Xey nod, looking even guiltier.

Your golbat companion makes a noise, thankfully able to eat her own food today.

She smiles, nearly wobbling to the side before you catch her.

Sweetpea beams at the compliment, though tinged with concern.

Xey make a face.

The smile comes right back.

Oh, thank god, no more storytime from you.





.....







You catch Frond's eye, both of you looking aside as soon as you make contact.




....time to handle this first.












The corner you and Frond have tucked into feels claustrophobic, even when exposed completely to the air.

No one knows how to start this off.

Does he know?
Did he-
oh god, did he watch you clean up last night-

His lip trembles.



Fuck, fuck, goddamnit-

please don't know PLEASE don't know-

he doesn't
hate?
you?

He shakes his head.

He takes a deep breath, running a hand down his face.

You pull him in for a hug before you can stop yourself.




Your heart is pounding.



You try not to think about how he can hear it.




the faint scent of

You release him, looking away.


Words don't come.

Frond


smiles.

You nod.


For now, somehow-
it's enough.







Eerie takes Minerva's tether today after Frond ties the harness, heavily implying that you'd be better off being muscle in the process.
Still- she seems infinitely less hostile now that both you and Frond talked.

Sweetpea doesn't even question your bizarre setup, too focused on getting home- and rambling.

Xey're not wrong, the trail is winding- your inability to keep track of how many times you'd turned left or right raising your anxiety with every fork in the trail. Still, Frond helps point out the way when they come up, and Sweetpea is allowed to chatter xer head off.

Filigree makes a little noise of distress, Eerie shooting them a look.

Xer ears perk up, remembering Minerva's request.

His energy's returned a little- thank god- but you can recognize an attempt to cheer you up from the gloom immediately.
Still, your lip twitches.

Xey grin.

.....


Now that you know his field



It'd be hard not to.


The Asterisms were a husband and wife pair known for their research into evolutionary anomalies, particularly in relation to stones.
Calling them famous would be going too far, more recognized in niche enthusiast circles and scientific journals.



....after your own changes...