Lost in Space: Part 1/3

Posted on Wed Apr 15th, 2026 @ 1:31am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark

1,575 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Prologue: To Boldly Go
Location: Airlock - USS Fenrir
Timeline: Day 13

ON:

Constantin Vansen was smiling to himself as he stood in the airlock, in the EVA suit but with the helmet under his arm, waiting for the person he was going with...Gabriel Stark. He had found a way of...well, making it work. Spacewalks weren't encouraged on the hull of the ship, but luckily for Vansen there was an issue with a junction panel on the hull, namely AH-32B. So he had volunteered for fixing it, plus offered up Stark's name as his safety-buddy. And he was sure that Stark wouldn't be thrilled, but...well, he had been difficult to pin down since they talked in Valhalla. This way, it could be...a coincidence if it was a horrible idea. Or a chance for them to talk somewhere else.

"Hey..." Gabriel chuckled as he turned into the airlock, watching Constantin with a grin as he shook his head slowly and tutted. "What did I say that pissed you off enough to try and get me killed?"

Vansen smiled as he looked at him, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. "I hoped to just...run into you. And then when I didn't, I decided to...find another way to see you."

"Are you telling me you sabotaged the ship? I'll have to put you in the brig in that case..." Gabriel shook his head with a tsk before giving him a playful smile.

"No, the ship just took pity," Vansen said and looked at him before he motioned to the suit. "Helmets on, I guess. I'll check your seals...I know the computer does it, but doesn't hurt to have it done again."

Gabriel chuckled softly as he moved to get everything on and locked, clearing his throat. He tried to look confident, maybe even a dash of playful cockiness for Constantin's amusement, but he was actually a little nervous. This wasn't something he did often. And when he had, it had made him green around the gills. "Don't trust me?" he teased.

"I trust you," Constantin said and moved close to him, moving to check the seals, smiling to himself. "I don't trust the computer telling me everything is fine. Computers can lie by just misreading a sensor."

"Hm, when you put it like that, glad to have you on it," Gabriel chuckled, holding his arms out to either side to let him move around him. "You are the expert, after all."

Constantin smiled as he checked the last seals before he nodded. "Okay, helmets on then," he said and took his own helmet, getting it on, sealing it and seeing the HUD come up. Oxygen levels, heart rate, seals...all the things you wanted to know.

Gabriel locked it into place, before moving to double check Constantin...just in case. "Promise you won't let me fly off into space?" he teased.

"Promise," Constantin put his gloved hand over Gabriel's arm, watching him. "I'll keep you tethered to me," he promised.

"Hm...at least we'll die together then," Gabriel nodded firmly to him before grinning. "Come on, let's fix up your sabotage before anyone finds out..."

Constantin laughed and nodded, picking up the tool kit and taking the tether to attach to Gabriel and himself. He put in his codes for opening the airlock, looking over at Gabriel. "Magboots on..." he said and tapped his heels, the light changing to indicate they were on.

Gabriel shifted as his boots sunk into the ground, testing them and feeling the resistance. He allowed him to take the lead, following out steadily before turning to close the hatch behind them, double checking the lock before settling on the hull. He took a deep breath, just allowing himself to get used to the change, almost feeling upside down in the vastness of the abyss around him.

Constantin reached out for his hand to hold Gabriel's, smiling as he nodded. "One step at the time...." he said, encouragingly...before he slowly started walking. "It's not far from here."

Gabriel reorientated himself, chuckling softly as he gripped his hand tightly, walking slowly after him. He had no choice with the laborious lock and release of his boots. "You're loving this, aren't you..."

"Yes I am...my neck doesn't hurt," Constantin laughed as he moved, looking around for a moment. "And my inner ear loves this. Having a set up and down took me months to get used to, and years to get in my brain. And...I got you here."

"Sure you're not going to murder me out here?" Gabriel teased, but smiled gently as he kept his eyes on the hull rather than looking around, knowing that would only lead to trouble.

"Murder?" Constantin chuckled softly as he led him to the panel he needed to work on. He let go of his hand and took the toolkit. "Nah, I wouldn't. I'd arrange an accident when I was nowhere near..." he teased back and crouched down, getting the panel open. "Mm...not as bad as it could have been."

Gabriel took the chance to look around as Constantin focussed on the damage. The stars were beautiful...but also overwhelming. The vastness was enough to make anyone feel fragile. He lifted a hand, as if to balance himself, his eyes tricked for a moment and making him sway in his locked boots.

Constantin looked over at the movement and stood, shifting to gently grab his arms. He leant close, helmets pressed close. "You're okay. Look at me."

Gabriel chuckled with embarrassment at himself, letting him right him as he straightened up. "Got spun round there for a minute..." he admitted, letting out a long breath.

"It happens to all," Constantin said as he held onto him, watching him with a small smile. "Just watch me for a moment, Gabriel."

"Well, that's an easy ask," Gabriel flashed him a grin inside the helmet, watching him intently as he gripped his arms tight to centre himself.

"Says you," Constantin said with a smile, chuckling softly. "So...you've been busy then? Working...or spending time with that petite woman with the dark long hair?"

"Aria?" Gabriel grinned at the description, nodding as he took a steadying breath. "She's a firecracker all right. And my partner in crime. Although, she's never forgiven them for making her an assistant chief. She'll never admit she's good at it."

"Yes, I couldn't be an officer...sounds like...too much at times," Constantin admitted before he gently let go with one hand, for it to settle on the chest of Gabriel's EVA suit. "Wasn't sure if you two were together."

"Aria?" Gabriel actually laughed at the suggestion, unable to help it. She was like a sister to him. One he'd go to war for, but a sister all the same. "She's er...not exactly my type," he replied with meaning.

Constantin watched him before he nodded, a small smile and a blush coming to him. "Alright," he said before he pulled away and crouched down, to start the repair. "Because I like to know these things first."

"First?" Gabriel asked with a small smile before moving to crouch and watch what he was doing. It would give him a fixed point to focus on.

"Before doing something that might be stupid," Constantin said as they worked, the clumsiness of the gloves not slowing him down. "Like...asking for you as my buddy here."

"Your buddy..." Gabriel smiled fondly at the way he put it. There was an innocence to it, and he really liked it. "Well, honestly, I've never really thought of myself as buddy material, but...I can try."

"You just make sure I don't float off into space," Constantin said and smiled, picking up a tool and using it, before he let it just...float. "Because it's...number four in the ways I'd like to go out, but I am not sure I want to test that theory today..." he said teasingly, then put his hands out to do a shrug...the same one he usually did, but in the EVA suit it suddenly made more sense.

Gabriel grinned, shaking his as he watched him, giving the tool a little nudge with a finger to watch it spin, unable to resist. "Part of me really wants to ask what ways 1 to 3 are, but I think that's better discussed over a drink."

"We can do that...been trying to bump into you for a while now," Constantin said teasingly before he reached to grab the tool, tutting...but playfully.

"I'm usually in the bar," he admitted with a soft smile, shaking his head with a gentle sigh. "Yep, I really am that shallow."

"I must have gone at the wrong times," Constantin said before he nodded and closed the panel, putting the tools back. He then ran a diagnostic, but stood and turned to face Gabriel.

"But let's be honest, you prefer this," Gabriel added knowingly, looking out to the stars again, but keeping a hold of his arm to stay steady with the view.

"Only for the bonding experience," Constantin said as he looked at him before he looked up, at the stars. "Do you trust me, Gabriel?"

"I wouldn't have come out here with you if I didn't," Gabriel assured, but with a small smile. Yeah, he even meant it.

To Be Continued...


PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS Fenrir
(PNPC - Blake)

&

PO3 Constantin Vansen
Operations
USS Fenrir
(PNPC Hanlon)

 

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