"Console" : The Dig Fanfic (for Mostly Walking)
The console glowed under her fingers, illuminating her brow in the light. She dragged her fingertips over glass panels racing with information that Low could never understand.
“Just let me do my job,” Maggie said to him, her eyes never meeting his face.
“Take care, Robbins.”
“I’ll ‘be safe,’” she shot back. Firecracker of a woman, but Boston was glad to have her. An expert in languages is sure to wield a silvery, if sharp tongue. Maggie had it all, but Low couldn’t get distracted, not now.
The alien planet seemed so calm around them, so few dangers to be found that it was easy to be lulled into a sense of comfort. All Boston Low wanted was to keep his crew safe, but apart from falling off of downturned ledges, there wasn’t much peril they seemed to be in, nor anything to assuage the loneliness of exploring this alien place alone.
Commander Low was a strong-hearted team worker. With no special skills to his name, the last few hours had been just him and his shovel in an endless expanse of alien technology that, really, just looked like clumps of rocks and trees. He was sure it was fascinating to Robbins and Brink, being a linguist and an archaeologist in turn, but all Low had was grit and bravery. Though maybe there are worse things than being brave on an alien planet.
The distance got to him though. He was talking to himself, thinking through everything aloud. Damn, it’d sure be good to talk to a real person again. Robbins had already dismissed him and she seemed serious about her work, but… well, it wouldn’t hurt to hang around and see if he could glean anything from being around her.
“Why are you watching me like that?” she asked over her shoulder. Seems his attentions had alerted hers. Say something profound, he thought to himself.
Low stepped forward, green crystals glowing in his hand, “It seems impossible, and humbling that these tiny objects can return something to life.”
“There are already other systems for creating life,” Maggie said, “ones that humans are more comfortable with.”
“I admit, I prefer that method much more.”
“I think that’s inappropriate, Commander.”
“Sorry Robbins,” Low shrugged, “it feels like so long since I talked to another person. It gets lonely out there with just a flashlight and a shovel to keep me company.”
The room was quiet except for the shrill sound of the console.
“I understand loneliness too,” she whispered.
So maybe she really was human, Low thought. After a pause, he asked “What are you working on?Looks fascinating.”
“If my instincts are correct, this…” her eyes flicking across the glowing runes, “I believe this is a love poem.”
“Instincts tell you that?”
“It’s part of language. It’s something you… feel. I’m not sure what it says, but it evokes strong emotion and… warmth.” Her face was flushed.
“Linguist like yourself and you’re reading alien romance novels,” Low stepped away, expecting a catty reply as ever. Maggie— no, he corrected himself, —Robbins never let a comment like that slide.
She didn’t react. “It’s why I work alone. I don’t like my work being tainted by outside emotion.”
Maggie faced him, her dark hair illuminated by green glow and Low had to turn his eyes away. This couldn’t be the time nor the place. After what happened with Brink, it’s hard to say whether any of them were in their right minds. But as Maggie stepped forward, those thoughts melted away like a deactivated light bridge. She was so strong, so intelligent. It was a shame he could never think of anything to say—
Her arms were around his chest, the top of her head tucked beneath his chin. “It does get lonely,” she said but he dared not move.
“Maggie, are you okay?”
She recoiled, looking at the floor, “Yes, I’m sorry, forgive me Commander. That was inappropriate.”
“No,” he started, but there was silence again. “I just worry that you’re alright.”
They were frozen in place, steps apart. It felt like the right thing to do, even when his professional mind screamed at him to stop. He moved close to Maggie and placed his lips on her forehead, “I think we’re all going to be alright.”
Robbins did not stay in his embrace, she turned back to her console, “There’s still work to be done until we can go home.”
“And you like to work alone, Robbins.”
“I do.”
“I’ll call you if I find anything interesting,” Low said, his eyes lingering on her as she flipped through complicated glyphs and designs on the screen, her face just as unreadable to him as the language on that glass.
“Bye, Low.”
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Super fast challenge fanfic. I was gonna make this snarky about alien spider web bondage and crystal-play but somehow it ended up kinda cute ugh so gross
Congrats to Sean, Sean and Bill for completing The Dig and asking for romantic fanfic haha suckers didn’t think you’d get it didja
