The Price of Progress

Throughout the day, Jasper found himself constantly on the move, his duties taking him far from the engine room. The forward plasma manifolds needed realignment, then there was a problem with the steam vents in the crow's nest, followed by a series of minor but time-consuming repairs in the galley's cooling systems.

Each time he passed a speaking tube, he found himself tempted to call down to engineering, just to hear Thaddeus's voice. To know if he'd found the flower, if he understood what Jasper was trying to say with it. But he always stopped himself, his hand hovering over the receiver before pulling back.

By mid-afternoon, he was wedged into a maintenance shaft near the bow of the ship, sweat dripping down his face as he wrestled with a stuck valve. The narrow space was hot and cramped, but at least it gave him something to focus on besides wondering about Thaddeus's reaction to his gift.

But still, Jasper couldn't help but wonder. As he worked, his hands moved almost automatically through familiar tasks while his thoughts circled endlessly.

Jasper rounded the corner, hands still stained with grease from his day's work, and spotted them - Thaddeus and Captain Flint walking side by side. The sight made him pause, but then a small smile tugged at his lips. Finally, after a whole day, here was his chance to at least say hello.

"Hey, Tha-" Jasper's greeting died in his throat as Thaddeus suddenly veered away, ducking his head and practically brushing against the wall to avoid him. The movement was so abrupt, so deliberate, that it left Jasper frozen in place, his hand still half-raised in an awkward wave.

Captain Flint's cybernetic eye whirred as it focused on Jasper's face, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. But there was nothing friendly in that expression - it was cold, almost triumphant.

Jasper stood there, arm still suspended in mid-greeting, watching as they disappeared around the corner. The moment seemed to stretch endlessly, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. Thaddeus had never... he'd never just...

Slowly, mechanically, Jasper lowered his hand. The corridor suddenly felt too narrow, the air too thick. His chest ached with a pain he couldn't quite name, somewhere between hurt and confusion and a creeping sense of dread.

The day dragged on and on it seemed. His usual tasks seemed to blur together, his mind constantly drifting back to the interrupted moment with Thaddeus and the captain.

As the ship's clock chimed the hour for Thaddeus's usual meal time, Jasper made his way to the engine room, tray in hand. 

The engine room door creaked open, and Jasper's heart sank. Empty again. Just like before. The machines hummed their steady rhythm, but there was no familiar clanging of metal against metal, no acerbic greeting, no movement among the tools and gauges.

The tray slammed down onto the workbench with more force than necessary, soup sloshing over the rim of its bowl. That bruise on Thaddeus's face. The way he'd practically cowered in the corridor. His constant disappearances after meetings with the captain. The pieces were clicking together in Jasper's mind, forming a picture that made his blood boil.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Jasper was moving, his boots ringing against the metal stairs as he took them two at a time. His heart pounded in his ears, anger and fear warring in his chest as he made his way to the upper decks where the captain's quarters were located.

As he approached the captain's door, he heard muffled voices from within. Thaddeus's tone, usually so controlled, was unlike anything Jasper had heard from him before- agitated and strained. He leaned closer, trying to make out the words.

"You can't keep doing this," Thaddeus was saying, his voice tight with an emotion Jasper had never heard from him before. "I won't-"

"You seem to have forgotten our arrangement," Flint cut in, his tone dangerous. "Need I remind you-"

"No!" The word exploded from Thaddeus with unexpected force. "I haven't forgotten anything. But things are different now, I'm different-"

"Because of him?" Flint's voice dripped with venom. "That boy has made you forget your place-"

"My place?" Thaddeus's laugh was bitter, hysterical. "My place was never supposed to be-"

The sound of something shattering - glass or pottery - cut through their argument, followed by a heavy thud.

Jasper didn't think. He didn't consider protocol or rank or consequences. His body moved on pure instinct, hand grasping the door handle and throwing it open with enough force to make it bang against the wall.

The scene before him was chaotic, but not what he expected, and for a moment Jasper just froze. Captain Flint stood over Thaddeus, who was backed into the captain's desk, a broken decanter at his feet. Flint's face was twisted in an angry, almost disgusted expression.

But that anger faltered as soon as he saw Jasper, and for a moment, Captain Flint's face changed to one of shock.

"What in blazes?" the captain bellowed, turning to face the intruder.

Jasper didn't wait for an explanation. Seeing Thaddeus in what he perceived as a vulnerable position, he rushed forward. His fist connected squarely with the Captain's jaw, knocking him backwards into a headboard. The impact sent the captain crashing to the floor, where he struggled to sit up.

"LaBrant! Stand down this instant!" the captain's voice boomed behind them, trying to regain control over the situation, but Jasper didn't stop.

Hearing the name, Thaddeus's head snapped towards the captain, his face drained of color. "Jasper?! What are you-" 

Jasper didn't even flinch as he grabbed Thaddeus's hand and pulled him towards the door. "Come." He growled, without looking back at Thaddeus or the captain.

Thaddeus stumbled alongside him, his eyes wide with alarm. "Wait, Jasper! What are you doing?" he exclaimed, trying to pull his hand free from Jasper's grasp.

Jasper didn't respond. He just kept moving, propelling Thaddeus out of the cabin and down the corridor towards the engine room, ignoring the confused looks from passing crew members. Thaddeus struggled against Jasper's grip, but Jasper held him tight with only one hand. 

"Jasper, let me go!" Thaddeus demanded, his voice rising in panic. 

But Jasper just kept moving, not looking back or saying a word until they reached the safety of the engine room. Only then did he finally release Thaddeus's hand, letting him stumble backwards with a look of shock and confusion.

"Have you lost your mind?" Thaddeus hissed, his bewildered expression quickly giving way to frustration and embarrassment. "Do you have any idea what you've just done? You might have just cost me everything! Hell, you'd be lucky if they don't discharge you for mutiny on the captain!"

Jasper felt a pang of guilt as he realized the gravity of his actions. He had acted on instinct, but now that the heat of the moment had passed, all he could see was the look of hurt and betrayal on Thaddeus's face.

Thaddeus took a step closer to Jasper, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Do you not understand?! Mutiny is a serious offense, Jasper! If the captain decides to press those charges, I won't be able to help you!"

Jasper lowered his head, keeping his voice firm. "I don't care," he said, remaining steadfast in his conviction. "I'm glad I did it. You need to break off whatever arrangement you have with Captain Flint, Thaddeus. He's using you." 

Thaddeus raised an eyebrow, a hint of dark amusement in his voice. "Oh, I think I'm aware of that," he said dryly.

Jasper's expression turned into one of utter bewilderment. "So how can you even justify it?!"

"I don't have to justify it! I'm a grown ass man!" Thaddeus took a step closer to Jasper, his eyes blazing with intensity. "You think I have the luxury that most people do? I've had to work twice as hard as a normal person to stay afloat in this world. Every opportunity, every advantage I can get- I have to take it. You think I can afford to be picky about how I advance?"

Jasper felt a wave of outrage at Thaddeus's words. "So this is what you want for yourself!? Selling your body for career advancement? That's not an 'advantage', Thaddeus, that's prostitution!"

Thaddeus flinched at Jasper's words, but he didn't deny them. Instead, he turned his head away.

"It's not that simple," Thaddeus whispered, but there was a slight waver in his voice.

Jasper took a step closer to him, his voice softening slightly. "Is this really how you want to be, Thaddeus? Having to sell your body to some old man just to get ahead?" There was a pain in his tone, a tangible weight that Thaddeus could feel radiating off of him in waves.

"You don't need Flint's influence to advance," Jasper continued, his voice growing more passionate. "You're already the finest engineer in the fleet. The things you can do... I've learned more from you in these past months than I did in all my years at the academy. Your skills, your intelligence. You're brilliant enough to get by on your own merits - those should be enough. Those are enough. I just wish you could see that."

A small, sad smile tugged at the corner of Thaddeus's mouth. "Well, I can't see much of anything, so I suppose that's not surprising."

Thaddeus stayed quiet for a long while, his expression softening. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, keeping his head bowed and his voice to a low murmur. "I've never slept with Captain Flint," he admitted. 

Jasper's eyebrows raised, surprised by Thaddeus's clarification. "What?"

Thaddeus hesitated again before speaking. "It's just… Captain Flint has been making certain advances towards me, and I have been… reciprocating in some ways." 

Thaddeus's head darted up, his eyes looking through Jasper with an almost desperate expression. "But I've never slept with him! I swear it!"

Jasper felt a complex wave of confusion and relief wash over him as he processed Thaddeus's words. He had been so angry and hurt just moments before, and now he was starting to feel… bad. Like he had gone too far. He searched Thaddeus's face for any sign of deception, but all he saw was sincerity, his milky eyes turned downwards like a scolded childs. 

Jasper's expression was still soft with regret as he looked at Thaddeus. "Why do you let the others talk about you like that, then?"

Thaddeus shrugged. "I don't really care what they think," he said, "I guess it's just easier to let them say whatever they want."

Jasper's eyes narrowed in confusion;. "But why didn't Captain Flint do anything about it, surely it can't be good for his reputation? He could have easily stopped the rumors."

For a second, Thaddeus looked disgusted, his lip upturned as though he had tasted something bitter. "Actually… He likes the attention," He said. "He likes being able to show off and make people think that we're…"

He trailed off, but the implication was clear. Jasper's eyebrows knitted together in frustration, clearly trying to reconcile the old man's motives. "And you just let him get away with it?"

Thaddeus shook his head slowly. "I don't care what anyone else thinks," he started before pausing with a tentative look on his face. "But… I didn't want you to think of me like that."

Jasper was stunned, taken aback by the sudden admission. Jasper's emotions, a turbulent mix of embarrassment, frustration, and unspoken longing, finally boiled over. With a choked sound, he stepped forward, grasping Thaddeus's shoulders. His head dropped, forehead nearly touching Thaddeus's chest.

The sudden contact caused Thaddeus's breath to hitch. For a moment, the only sounds were the steady thrum of the engines and Jasper's ragged breathing.

When Jasper finally spoke again, his voice was softer, tinged with confusion and concern. "I'm sorry." He had felt a surge of emotion at Thaddeus's words, realizing why Thaddeus had been so hesitant to admit the truth. He realized with painful regret that Thaddeus had been trapped in this situation for too long, and he didn't know how to get out- and he had just made his path forward significantly more difficult by interfering. 

Jasper remained still for a long moment, his grip on Thaddeus's shoulders tightening slightly. Then, slowly, he raised his head. Though he knew Thaddeus couldn't see them, Jasper's eyes were brimming with tears, reflecting the conflict and emotion churning within him. 

"I..." Jasper began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just couldn't bear the thought of..."

Words failing him, Jasper did the only thing that felt right in that moment. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Thaddeus's.

The kiss was soft, tentative, laden with all the emotions Jasper had been struggling to express. For a heartbeat, the universe seemed to hold its breath. The constant hum of the engines faded away, leaving only the thundering of Jasper's heart in his ears.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the moment shattered. Jasper pulled back, the reality of what he'd done crashing over him like a wave. He stared at Thaddeus, whose unseeing eyes were wide with shock, lips slightly parted in surprise.

"Thaddeus, I..." Jasper stammered, panic rising in his chest. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

But before he could finish, alarms began blaring throughout the ship. The floor beneath them shuddered violently, nearly throwing them both off balance. Thaddeus instinctively reached out, steadying Jasper with a firm grip on his arm.

"What was that?" Jasper gasped, his personal crisis momentarily forgotten in the face of this new threat.

Thaddeus's expression shifted, his focus snapping back to the present danger. "Nothing good," he said grimly. "We need to get to the engine control panel. Now."

The ship lurched again, more violently this time. Jasper stumbled, catching himself on a nearby pipe. Thaddeus, despite his blindness, moved with surprising surety, his hands flying over the engine control panel.

"Status report!" Captain Flint's voice boomed over the ship's comm system.

Thaddeus grabbed a metal cone from off of the wall, speaking into it. "Engine room here, Captain. We're at full power, but something's interfering with our propulsion systems."

As if in answer, a new voice crackled over the ship's speakers – rough, mocking, and definitely not part of the crew.

"Attention, HMS Protea. This is Captain Silas Vex of the Crimson Scourge. You are now our prey. Surrender your cargo and perhaps we'll let you live."

Pirates. Jasper's blood ran cold. He'd heard stories of the ruthless bands that preyed on ships in the less-traveled space lanes, but he'd never imagined he'd encounter them firsthand.

The ship shuddered again, and this time Jasper saw why. Through a small porthole, he caught a glimpse of another vessel – a patchwork monstrosity of a ship, bristling with strange weaponry. Arcs of energy pulsed from the pirate ship, latching onto the Protea's hull.

"Grapples," Thaddeus muttered, his fingers dancing over his control panel. "They're trying to board us."

Captain Flint's voice rang out again, this time addressing the crew. "All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill. Repel boarders!"

Thaddeus's jaw clenched. Without hesitation, he moved to a locked crate near his workstation, his fingers dancing over a hidden keypad. The crate hissed open, revealing a cache of weapons.

"Here," he said, tossing the weapon to Jasper.

Jasper caught it awkwardly, his fingers closing around the unfamiliar weight of the pistol. "I've never used one of these before," he admitted.

"Point and shoot," Thaddeus replied matter-of-factly. "And hope you hit a pirate instead of yourself."

Another violent shake, and the lights flickered ominously. Thaddeus swore under his breath, his hands moving frantically over the controls.

"Jasper," he said, his voice tense, "I need you to be my eyes. What do you see out there?"

Swallowing hard, Jasper peered out the porthole again. "The pirate ship is... it's extending some kind of boarding tube. And there's... oh god, there's someone coming through!"

As if on cue, the sound of weapons fire echoed from the upper decks. The pirates had breached the Protea.

"We need to seal the engine room," Thaddeus said grimly. "If they take control of the engines, we're finished."

As the sounds of battle echoed through the ship, Jasper grabbed Thaddeus's arm. "No! We need to get out of here," he urged, his voice tight with fear. "The lifeboats are our only chance!"

Thaddeus shook his head firmly. "I can't abandon my post, Jasper. The ship needs me here."

"Staying is suicide!" Jasper protested. "The pirates are everywhere. We don't stand a chance if we stay."

"I have a responsibility to this ship and its crew," Thaddeus argued, his hands still moving over the control panel. "I can't just leave them defenseless."

Jasper's mind raced, searching for an argument that would sway the stubborn engineer. "Think about it, Thaddeus. If we escape, we can alert the Space Guard. We'd be saving more lives by getting help than by making a futile stand here."

Thaddeus paused, considering Jasper's words. He stood, taking in the sound of the ship. The humming of engines, the distant gunfire that now overshadowed them. After a tense moment, he nodded reluctantly, his voice sounding pained, "Fine. Let's go."

They had barely taken two steps when voices echoed from the corridor outside. Thaddeus reacted instantly, pulling Jasper behind a large boiler. They crouched in silence as several pirates entered the engine room.

"Search everything," a gruff voice commanded. "The captain wants this ship's engine specs. And keep an eye out for stragglers."

Jasper's heart pounded as he and Thaddeus slowly inched their way towards the secondary exit. They were almost there when Jasper's foot caught on a loose tool, sending it clattering across the floor.

"Hey! Over there!" a pirate shouted.

Thaddeus sprang into action. He grabbed a nearby wrench and, with unerring accuracy, slammed it against a steam valve. "Jasper, cover your eyes and mouth!" he hissed urgently.

A violent hiss filled the air as superheated steam erupted into the room. The temperature skyrocketed instantly, turning the engine room into a scalding sauna. Jasper felt the moisture searing his exposed skin, his clothes becoming damp and clinging uncomfortably within seconds.

The dense fog of liquid fire engulfed everything, reducing visibility to mere inches. The steam was so thick that Jasper could barely see his own hand in front of his face. The world became a swirling, opaque hell of white and gray, punctuated by the red glow of warning lights that now looked like distant, hazy stars.

From beyond the veil of steam came the startled shouts of the pirates. Their voices, muffled and distorted by the hissing vapor, betrayed their confusion and panic.

"What the hell?" "I can't see!" "It burns! My eyes!" "Where are they?"

The sound of coughing and cursing filled the air, accompanied by the clatter of weapons being dropped and bodies stumbling into machinery. The pirates' coordinated attack had devolved into chaos in mere seconds.

"This way," Thaddeus whispered, his hand finding Jasper's arm with uncanny precision. His blindness, usually seen as a hindrance, now gave him a distinct advantage as they navigated the fog-filled room. Jasper marveled at how confidently Thaddeus moved through the steam-choked space, unaffected by the loss of vision that had so completely disoriented their attackers.

They reached the door, but as Jasper moved to open it, Thaddeus held him back. "Wait," he said softly. "Jasper, I need you to do something for me."

"What? No, we're leaving together," Jasper insisted.

Thaddeus shook his head. "Someone needs to stay behind and sabotage the engines. If the pirates get this ship running, there's not much the space guard will be able to do. I'm the only one who can rig something like that to blow."

"But--" Jasper began, his protest cut short by a pirate's voice, closer now, shouting through the steam.

"Find that damn valve and shut it off! They can't have gone far!"

"Listen to me," Thaddeus said urgently, pulling Jasper's face closer, "You need to get to the lifeboats. Alert the Space Guard. Tell them everything that's happened here. It's our only chance."

Jasper suddenly felt stifled. "I can't leave without you, you know that," he choked out.

Thaddeus's expression softened. He reached out, his hand finding Jasper's cheek with surprising gentleness. "You have to. If you don't, we'll all suffer for it. Please, Jasper. Trust me."

For a moment, they stood there in the swirling mist, the chaos of the pirate attack seeming distant and unreal. Then Jasper leaned in, pressing a desperate, fleeting kiss to Thaddeus's lips.

"I'll come back for you," Jasper promised as they parted.

Thaddeus managed a small smile. "I know, you're too stubborn to do anything else. Now go!"

With a heavy heart, Jasper slipped out the door. As it closed behind him, he heard Thaddeus moving back into the steam-filled engine room, ready to face whatever came next.