As Jasper left the engine room that day, his mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The image of Thaddeus's softened expression, that hint of a smile, stayed with him long after he'd returned to his quarters. He found himself replaying the moment over and over, trying to reconcile this new side of Thaddeus with the gruff, prickly engineer.
Over the next few weeks, Jasper found himself paying closer attention to Thaddeus during their interactions.
Their routine continued, with Jasper bringing meals and assisting in the engine room. The tension between them eased, replaced by a cautious camaraderie. Jasper still found Thaddeus frustrating at times, but he couldn't deny the growing respect he felt for the engineer's skills and dedication.
It was during one of these routine days that a substantial shift had occurred.
The ship shuddered violently beneath Jasper's bunk, throwing him out of bed. Klaxons blared to life as he scrambled into his boots, his heart racing like a jackrabbit. He sprinted towards the engine room on instinct, his mind already piecing together what was happening.
When he burst through the door, Thaddeus was already there, frantically working over a panel of gauges. Jasper's eyes scanned the chaos around him - steam venting from pipes, warning lights flashing like a madman's dance party. He sprinted towards the engineer, who looked busy fighting with a malfunctioning piece of machinery.
"Jasper!" Thaddeus called out, his voice cutting through the din. "Ruptured steam line. I need your eyes!"
Something in Jasper's chest swelled at those words before pushing the feeling aside to focus on the task at hand.
Without hesitation, Jasper plunged into the labyrinthine world of pipes and valves, steam hissing around him like a living thing. Thaddeus called out directions as he followed, his voice clear and steady despite the chaos around them.
"Your two o'clock, about head height," Thaddeus yelled. "Do you see it?"
"Yes!" Jasper bellowed back, spotting the damaged section. He rattled off a string of details - size, shape, location - as Thaddeus guided him through the crisis.
For twenty minutes, they worked in perfect sync, Jasper and Thaddeus moving like a well-oiled machine. Steam continued to vent from the pipes, but Jasper's eyes were fixed on the problem at hand. Finally, with one final valve sealed and the alarms falling silent, they stood together in the sudden quiet.
When the final valve was sealed and silence fell, Jasper turned to find Thaddeus mere inches away, face flushed from exertion.
"We did it," Jasper panted, grinning despite his exhaustion.
Thaddeus turned towards him, a rare smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You did really well, LaBrant."
The praise warmed Jasper from the inside out. He opened his mouth to respond but as the adrenaline of the crisis began to ebb, Jasper felt the full weight of exhaustion settle over him. He swayed slightly, steadied only by Thaddeus's hand on his shoulder.
"Go get some rest," Thaddeus said softly, his voice laced with an unfamiliar gentleness.
Jasper nodded, then remembered to speak. "Yeah, I... thanks. You too, Thaddeus."
He turned to leave, but paused at the doorway, looking back at the engineer who had already returned to his work. Something had shifted between them, and Jasper found himself reluctant to leave.
"Thaddeus?" he called out impulsively. "I... I'll see you tomorrow?"
Thaddeus paused, then nodded. "Same time as always, LaBrant."
The next day, Jasper found himself in the engine room earlier than usual. Thaddeus was already there, meticulously cleaning a set of gears. Without a word, Jasper settled onto an overturned bucket nearby, content to watch the engineer work.
The gentle click of metal on metal filled the comfortable silence between them. Jasper's mind wandered back to the previous night's events, to the way they had worked together so seamlessly. Before he could stop himself, a question bubbled up.
"Thaddeus?" Jasper ventured, surprising himself with his boldness. "Can I ask you something?"
Thaddeus's hands stilled for a moment. "You can ask. I might not answer."
Jasper took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "What made you decide to enlist? To work on a ship like this?"
For a long moment, Jasper thought Thaddeus might not answer. Thaddeus's hands moved methodically over the gears, his unseeing eyes fixed on a point in the distance. His voice, usually so controlled, took on a softer quality as he began to speak.
"I was just a kid on the streets of Moon Harbor," he said, his fingers tracing the edge of a gear. "Scrawny little thing, always looking for my next meal. One day, I was passing by the docks when I heard it."
His head tilted slightly, as if listening to a long-ago sound. "It was coming from a Space Guard vessel. Just a tiny irregularity in the engine's rhythm, but it made my skin crawl."
Thaddeus's hands stilled on the gear. "I tried to tell the captain. He laughed in my face, told me to scram. But I couldn't let it go. That sound... it was wrong, and I knew it."
A wry smile played at the corners of his mouth. "So I snuck aboard. Stupid, really. Could've gotten myself spaced. But I had to find that sound."
His fingers resumed their work, moving with increased intensity. "They chased me through the ship. I managed to lock myself in the engine room, and that's when I heard it clear as day. A tiny fluctuation in the primary coolant system."
Thaddeus's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Just as I pinpointed it, the captain burst in. He was ready to throw me overboard, but then..."
He paused, his expression softening. "Old Gus, the engineer. He asked me what I heard. When I told him, he took a look. His voice... I'll never forget it. Pure shock."
Thaddeus's hands moved to another gear, cleaning it with practiced ease. "Turns out, that tiny irregularity could've caused a severe cascade failure. Would've torn the ship apart in deep space."
A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "Gus fixed it in minutes. Then he turned to the captain and said, 'This boy just saved our lives. He stays.'"
Thaddeus fell silent for a moment, his hands finally stilling. "And that's how I became an apprentice engineer. Gus taught me everything he knew."
He reached out, his hand finding a nearby tool with unerring accuracy. "It wasn't easy. But for the first time in my life, I felt... useful. Like I belonged somewhere."
Thaddeus turned his face towards Jasper, his unseeing eyes seeming to look right through him. "So that's why I'm here, LaBrant. Because once upon a time, an old engineer took a chance on a street kid with good ears."
Jasper sat in stunned silence, absorbing the weight of Thaddeus's story. The gentle click of metal on metal resumed as Thaddeus returned to his work, seemingly unaware of the impact his words had made.
"That's... incredible," Jasper finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I had no idea."
Thaddeus shrugged, but Jasper noticed a slight tension in his shoulders. "It was a long time ago." He held out a hand. "Pass me that solvent, would you?"
As Jasper placed the bottle in Thaddeus's palm, their fingers brushed again. This time, Jasper was certain he felt Thaddeus's hand linger for just a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
"What happened to Gus?" Jasper asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Thaddeus's hands stilled for a moment. "He retired a few years back. Lives back on Moon Harbor now. We still exchange messages when we can."
Jasper nodded, then remembered to vocalize. "That's good. He sounds like he was important to you."
"He was," Thaddeus said softly, "He was like a father to me."
A comfortable silence fell between them as Thaddeus continued his work. Jasper watched, mesmerized by the engineer's deft movements.
"You know," Jasper said, breaking the silence, "I think Gus would be proud of you. Of what you've become."
Thaddeus's hands paused, and for a moment, Jasper worried he'd overstepped. But then, a small smile tugged at the corner of Thaddeus's mouth.
"Maybe," he said, his voice barely audible over the hum of the engines. "Though I think he'd be more interested in how you're coming along. He always did have a soft spot for eager learners."
Jasper felt a warmth spread through his chest at Thaddeus's words. His pulse quickened, and he found himself studying Thaddeus's face - the furrow of concentration between his brows, the way his dark red hair fell across his forehead.
Thaddeus tilted his head slightly, as if sensing Jasper's gaze. "Something else on your mind, LaBrant?"
Jasper started, heat rising to his cheeks. "N-no," he stammered. "Just... thinking about what you said. About being useful."
Thaddeus's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "You're learning fast. You'll find your place here."
The words warmed Jasper from the inside out, and he realized with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that he might already have found it - right here, in this engine room.
As the autumn-like chill of deep space seeped through the Protea's hull, Jasper found himself looking forward to the warmth of the engine room more and more each day. It wasn't just the physical heat that drew him, but the increasingly warm interactions with the ship's enigmatic chief engineer.
On this particular evening, Jasper was greeted by Thaddeus's voice, tinged with what might almost be called enthusiasm.
"LaBrant, perfect timing. Come take a look at this."
Jasper set the food tray down and moved to where Thaddeus was working on an open panel. The engineer's fingers danced over the circuits with practiced ease, and Jasper found himself mesmerized by the graceful movements.
"What am I looking at?" Jasper asked, leaning in close.
Thaddeus launched into an explanation of the new power distribution system he was implementing, his words flowing with a passion Jasper had rarely heard before. As he listened, Jasper realized he was understanding more than he would have just a few weeks ago. Thaddeus's teachings, gruff and often backhanded as they were, had been sinking in.
"...and that's how we'll increase efficiency by 7.2%," Thaddeus concluded.
"That's brilliant," Jasper said, genuinely impressed. "But won't that put extra strain on the secondary couplings?"
Thaddeus paused, his unseeing eyes widening slightly. "You're not as hopeless as I thought, LaBrant. You're right, it would. That's why we're going to reinforce them with a duranium alloy."
As they worked together to implement the changes, Jasper found himself smiling. The awkward silences and tense exchanges of their early days had given way to a comfortable rhythm. Thaddeus's insults had lost their sting, becoming almost affectionate in their familiarity.
Thaddeus was elbow-deep in a complex array of wiring, with Jasper assisting by handing him tools and components as needed.
"Hand me the hyperspanner, LaBrant. And try not to drop it this time. I know hand-eye coordination is a challenge for you."
Jasper chuckled as he passed the tool. "I'll do my best, Mr. Beaufort."
A ghost of a smile flickered across Thaddeus's face, gone almost before Jasper could register it. But it was there, and Jasper felt a warm glow of satisfaction.
As they worked side by side in the engine room, the familiar hum of machinery surrounding them, Jasper found himself chuckling softly. His hands were deep in a tangle of wires, following Thaddeus's precise instructions, when the sound escaped him.
Thaddeus's head tilted slightly at the unexpected noise. "What's so amusing, LaBrant? Did you finally realize the futility of your attempts at engineering?"
Jasper shook his head, still smiling. "No, it's nothing like that. I was just thinking..."
"A dangerous pastime for you, I'm sure," Thaddeus quipped.
"It's just," Jasper continued, his voice warm with amusement, "if someone had told me a few months ago that I'd be here, elbow-deep in the Protea's engines, actually enjoying myself... I'd have thought they were crazy."
Thaddeus's eyebrows rose slightly. "Enjoying yourself…?"
"Yeah," Jasper confirmed, his voice warm with amusement. "Is that so hard to believe?"
Thaddeus fell silent, his unseeing eyes wide with shock. He opened his mouth to deliver a cutting retort, but found himself at a loss for words.
As the silence stretched on, Thaddeus found his mind wandering. He thought back over the past few weeks, the hours spent working side by side with Jasper. The banter, the challenges, the small victories... and realized, with a jolt of surprise, that he had been enjoying it too.
The revelation stunned him. The thought was almost too much for him to process.
"Mr. Beaufort?" Jasper's voice broke through his reverie. "You still with me?"
Thaddeus cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Of course I am, LaBrant. Unlike some people, I'm capable of thinking and working at the same time."
But even as the words left his mouth, Thaddeus found a traitorous part of himself fighting back a smile.
When he spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically soft. "You're... not entirely incompetent, LaBrant. Your presence here is not... unwelcome."
Jasper felt a warm glow spread through his chest at Thaddeus's words. Coming from the usually acerbic engineer, it was high praise indeed.
However, their budding connection was about to face a new challenge. As Jasper emerged onto the upper deck of the HMS Protea one morning, he was reminded of the vast, complex world beyond the engine room.
The artificial gravity generators hummed beneath Jasper's feet as he emerged onto the upper deck of the HMS Protea. The vast expanse of space stretched out around the ship, a glittering tapestry of stars and distant nebulae. Jasper paused for a moment, still awestruck by the view despite his months aboard.
"Oi, LaBrant! Stop gawking and get to work!"
The gruff voice belonged to Zork, a Rollien crewmember whose mottled green skin and six arms made him an efficient worker - and a demanding taskmaster. Jasper hurried to the supply closet, retrieving a mop and bucket.
As he worked his way across the deck, Jasper observed the diverse crew around him. Near the bow, a pair of Venusian twins with iridescent scales worked in perfect unison, adjusting the solar sails to catch the faint stellar winds. By the starboard rail, Glix, an amorphous Jovian, oozed between the intricate pipework of the atmospheric regulators, their gelatinous form allowing them to reach spots no humanoid could access.
Jasper's mop sloshed against the polished brass deck plates, his arms aching from the repetitive motion. He glanced enviously at Xan, the ship's Andromedan navigator, whose tentacle-like appendages allowed her to manipulate multiple instruments simultaneously.
"Watch it, groundpounder!" snarled Krix, a Ukien, as Jasper's mop nearly caught his fur-covered foot. Jasper muttered an apology, face burning with embarrassment. He still felt like an outsider among this seasoned interstellar crew.
A flash of familiar dark red hair caught Jasper's eye, and his heart leapt. Thaddeus stood at the port railing, his face turned towards the starfield. It was a rare sight; the engineer seldom left the bowels of the ship.
Jasper found himself stealing glances as he worked, drinking in the sight of Thaddeus silhouetted against the cosmic backdrop. The engineer's milky eyes were wide open, his expression one of serene concentration. Did he sense the vastness of space somehow, feel the starlight on his skin?
Captain Flint's heavy boots thudded across the forecastle deck as he approached Thaddeus. The grizzled officer leaned in close, speaking in low tones. From his position on the main deck below, Jasper strained to hear, but the words were lost in the ambient hum of the ship's systems and the distance between them.
"Well, well," came a sibilant voice from behind Jasper. "Looks like the captain's pet is getting another special assignment."
Jasper turned to see Sylk, a willowy Altairan with pale, almost translucent skin. Her silver eyes were fixed on Thaddeus and the captain with undisguised resentment.
"What do you mean?" Jasper asked, unable to keep the defensive edge from his voice.
Zork snorted, all six of his arms crossed. "Beaufort's always getting the choicest jobs, ain't he? Heard he spends more time in the captain's quarters than the engine room these days."
"But that's--" Jasper began, only to be cut off by Krix's growl.
"That's how you get ahead on this ship, apparently," the Rollien rumbled. "On your knees or on your back."
Jasper's knuckles whitened around the mop handle, his eyebrow twitching as he struggled to contain himself. He wanted to argue, to defend Thaddeus, but the words seemed to stick in his throat.
He watched as Captain Flint clapped a hand on Thaddeus's shoulder, nodding in apparent approval. Thaddeus's normally stoic demeanor betrayed a flicker of amusement - an expression Jasper had seen only rarely, and only ever directed at him.
A knot formed in Jasper's stomach, equal parts jealousy and doubt.
Sylk leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Must be easy for him. With a face like that, he probably just has everything handed to him for a few handjobs."
Jasper's jaw clenched. no longer able to contain his simmering anger. When he spoke, his voice was low and barely audible but trembling with suppressed rage.
"What the hell do you know?" he muttered under his breath, his voice tight.
Sylk's pointed ears twitched. "What was that, LaBrant?" she asked, her silver eyes narrowing.
Something in Jasper snapped. He whirled to face the group, his face flushed with fury. "I said, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?" he shouted, his voice echoing across the deck.
The crew fell silent, shocked by Jasper's outburst. He continued, his words tumbling out in a rush of emotion. "Thaddeus works harder than anyone on this ship! Do you have any idea how many nights he's stayed up, fixing problems you didn't even know existed?"
He took a step closer to the group, eyes blazing. "His looks have nothing to do with it. He's brilliant, dedicated, and he's saved all our lives more times than you know. If you spent half as much time doing your jobs as you do gossiping, maybe you'd understand that!"
Jasper's chest heaved as he fought to control his breathing, a mixture of pain and disbelief etched across his features. "Thaddeus deserves your respect, not your petty jealousy."
Up on the forecastle deck, Thaddeus's head tilted slightly, his unseeing eyes widening in surprise as he caught the tail end of Jasper's impassioned defense. The usually impassive engineer's face transformed, a myriad of emotions flickering across his striking features, visible even from afar.
At first, his body tensed, shoulders rising slightly as if bracing for an impact. His fox eyes widened, brows arching in surprise as he processed what he had just heard.
Then, Thaddeus's posture began to soften. The tension in his shoulders melted away, replaced by a gentle curve as he unconsciously leaned towards the source of the voice. His lips, usually set in a firm line, parted slightly.
A warm blush bloomed across his high cheekbones, spreading down his neck and disappearing beneath his collar. It was as though Jasper's words had physically enveloped him, leaving a trail of color in their wake.
His milky eyes, typically cold and distant, seemed to come alive with an inner light, following the direction of Jasper's voice. They glistened with the new-found realization of a profound, unexpected emotion.
As Jasper stormed away on the main deck below, the shock dissolved, replaced by something softer, warmer. His lips curved into a smile - not his usual smirk or the mask of polite indifference he wore for others, but a genuine, tender smile that reached his eyes and softened every line of his face. It was as if Jasper's words had not just penetrated his defenses, but had melted them entirely, revealing the depths of feeling he usually kept hidden.
Captain Flint, still standing beside Thaddeus on the forecastle, watched this transformation with growing unease. His cybernetic eye whirred as it focused, darting between Thaddeus and the main deck where Jasper had been. The captain's weathered face creased with concern, his mouth tightening into a thin line. Flint's hand, which had been resting on Thaddeus's shoulder, tightened its grip almost imperceptibly.
The tender moment passed quickly, awareness seeping back in. Thaddeus's features smoothed out, the smile fading to a ghost of it's as he turned back to his conversation with the captain, his ethereal beauty once again hidden behind a wall of professional detachment. But it didn't disappear entirely. Instead, it lingered in the soft set of his mouth, the relaxed line of his shoulders, and the warmth that remained in his unseeing eyes - a secret, cherished emotion, now carefully disguised but impossible to fully conceal.