UNKNOWN

A groan sounds off from his throat, him not entirely sure where the fuck he is, or why he's even there. The first thing he feels is the intense throbbing ache that resides in his chest. It feels as though he was ripped from his feet, forced to fall to the ground over and over again. Jungkook twitches his fingers, attempting to regain control of his body. When he gets it, he shifts his position to be on his knees. He throws up seconds later, right onto the floor of the Astray. Or he thinks it's the floor of the Astray. One could hope.

He hits the side of his head to regain consciousness fully, his vision that was fading in and out of focus tunes in on his vicinity. He grunts and rests one hand on the wall he's kneeling next to. Alright, definitely on the Astray. Where is he then? He crashed, probably. All he remembers is going through some distortional waves and suddenly everything went black. How he survived, he's not sure, but he's not about to complain.

Jungkook lets himself regain feeling in his stiff body. He stretches his legs while sitting, the nausea he had passing. When he's sure he's ready to stand, he does. He regrets it, him gripping the wall to stabilize himself. His eyes find the cracked window, him staring out it only to see... nothing. There's too much fog and smoke. He's not sure if it's coming from the environment he's in or the ship. Jungkook prays it's the former.

Without wasting anymore time, he dusts himself off and takes a few steps. They're painful, each one shooting more ache up his veins. It takes him a solid two minutes to regain his footing. He does eventually, but it's a painful process to say the least.

The ship is in emergency mode, lights flickering a maroon shade that has him shuddering. He can't remember the last time he was in a situation where emergency lights came on. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid. Jungkook shoves the negative thoughts away and dips down to the main bay, going to the armory and opening it. Remembering Jimin's words, Jungkook takes weapons and the cloaks, concealing his weapons and strapping them around his body. Next comes the utility belt he stores grenades and extra ammo on. Knowing he could be here a while, he's also sure to bring the bag Tae got for him. The one that includes the snacks (and banana milk that Jungkook hasn't drank all of yet).

Jungkook pauses for a moment, bringing up the stats on his wrist comm. Alright, he has a concussion. Grade 2 concussion, so he probably shouldn't be doing much running and jumping. Too bad so sad, that's what he's about to do. Doesn't look like he has much else, on the bright side. No fractures or breaks. Mostly deep bruising. His heartrate is stable unlike the ship, so yay, some good news.

He straps armor around himself, ditching his helmet to instead rush to the cockpit. He attempts to enable any internet connection, but nothing comes. Even the tracker to the ship is offline. But, the exterior scanners are up. Jungkook reads over the data for the environment he's in, his eyebrows furrowing when he sees the exact composition of the air. Breathable. Not only breathable, but nearly identical to Earth's.

Not questioning it, Jungkook brings up his monitor to view the surface. Alright, he got his question answered. The ship wasn't smoking, it was the environment. The area outside the ship is filled with fog, a scarlet, glowing ground there as well. What else could there be...?

Jungkook double-checks his gear before sliding down the ladder into the bay, opening the doors without wasting time. He departs his wreck of a ship, marking it on his map before observing the new biome. He darts his eyes around, his hand falling to the only visible weapon on his body: his pistol.

Without thinking, he draws it, fearing the worst. In an area where the ground is crimson, the trees are leafless, and the only thing in his vision is fog, he thinks he has the right to be a bit nervous and even overreactive. He chooses to take this trait of his as a good thing.

His footsteps squish into the ground, Jungkook wondering if lava is trapped underneath the thin layer of muck covering the brightness. Jungkook stares at it, trying to comprehend it, but he's no scientist. Now would be a wonderful time to have Anya or Sapphire here, Anya in particular, but both of them is even better. Anya is the researcher, Sapphire is the doer. Jungkook tries to channel both sides, but there's some things he can't do, as much as he hates to admit it.

"Alright Jungkook, you're lost in a huge, fog place. This is not like those fun videos on Orange YouTube. Not at all. Stay calm, don't freak out, keep your weapon close and your ship closer," he mumbles to himself.

He creates a map as he goes, the blue hologram slowly shifting colors and becoming gray, reflecting the smog covering his eyesight. Jungkook finishes the basics, connecting a line between his suit and the ship that will automatically track his journey and fill in data he might forget to insert manually.

The old days he had as an intelligence officer come rushing back to him, his heart beating a bit faster than before. Jungkook doesn't let that bother him. He goes down the terrain, hearing faint branches cracking and what he can only imagine are animal noises. He can't decipher any of them well enough to say which animal, but he's willing to bet it's not like any he's ever seen. This entire place isn't like anything he's ever seen. Jungkook mentally repeats that so he knows to always be ready.

He jumps when he hears a small clicking sound, Jungkook snapping around to face the ship, the direction the noise came from. He lowers his defense when he sees a small probe hover over to him. "Hello Executive Jeon," it says in a masculine yet robotic tone. "My name is S1E313. Commander Park designed me to activate if danger is detected."

"You can just detect that, hm?" Jungkook asks with a chuckle.

"Correct, sir. It's not always accurate, but when the ship crashes, I'd consider that a threat," it replies.

Jungkook shrugs, eyeing the little wings the thing has. They flap up and down, creating a soft background noise Jungkook could use right about now. "Well I'm not calling you by your serial number. Jimin give you a name, or is he stupid?"

"Stupid."

"Should've known. Alright S1E313... S1... E313... how about Stevie?"

"Sir, I'm disappointed you gave me such a basic name while we're on an alien planet," Stevie replies.

"Stevie it is," Jungkook says with a smile. "What exactly can you do?"

Stevie's digital face (which is just two cyan vertical lines and a mouth to go with it), lights up. The top of his small metallic body opens up, revealing a thin rod that acts as a scanner. "Quick repairs and scanning. I've been told I charm ladies too, so if you need a wingman..."

"I'm gay, but thanks," Jungkook says. "Go ahead and run a scan. On both the ship and the environment. Without enhancements my ears are pretty useless, but yours aren't. Keep an ear open for anything that might want to hurt us. You have weapons?"

"Commander Park is a nerd, sir. The idea of a flying probe that can shoot lasers is the kind of stuff he jerks off to."

"Wow, Park really gave you a personality, huh?"

"He claimed it would make me more likeable to humans, sir," Stevie says as he runs a quick scan.

"You mind if I call you he? I mean, I don't know if robots have genders." Stevie hums in approval, Jungkook observing him while he does his job. He's not that large of a probe, but he seems resourceful. He looks a bit like one of those old scanners used in the medical field. He's about a medium-sized orb, a metallic body with a navy circle on his front that details his face. That's where the cyan lines are. The cyan lines that give him the digital features a human would recognize: two eyes and a smile.

"Sir, the ship is in poor condition. It would take a lot of work to repair this, a lot of time, too," Stevie says, clicking away from the ship and scanning the environment.

Jungkook nods and watches some more, eyeing the little flaps he has as wings. They're flapping constantly, basically a blur of two black metal plates vibrating nonstop. Jungkook can faintly see the outline of other ports on his body, probably ports concealing tools such as weapons or items used for repair. Jungkook mentally jots that down in case they're ever in a jam.

The Executive isn't surprised Jimin has a probe buddy installed in the ship. He's an overprotective dad with an interest in all things nerdy. "What kind of weapons do you have exactly?"

"Defensive and offensive, sir. Laser beams that burn anything it touches, and a speaker system that can be used to play pitches that repel enemies or any sound of your choice. I have a whole library downloaded."

"Even disco?" Jungkook asks.

"I'm programmed not to lie, but I'm very close to breaking programming just to say no to that, sir."

Jungkook chuckles, waiting for him to finish up the scan. When he does, Stevie bounds over to him, hovering around face-height. "So, any scary monsters?"

"I'm looking at one, sir," Stevie replies.

"Ha."

"Nothing according to my scan. This environment is on no known databases from all nine planets and hundreds of civilizations around the Belt, Neptune, and so on. This matches nothing like humanity has ever seen."

Jungkook glances down at the glowing ground, hopping up and down on it. It squishes underneath his weight, Stevie scanning that as well. "This doesn't look like anything I've ever seen, so I'd say your scanners are working well. The atmosphere is just like Earth's. I even feel some wind. Any clue how to get out of this fog?"

Stevie opens a compartment on his silver body, Jungkook holding out his hand to catch the pill he drops. "No sir, but please do take that for your concussion."

"You have medicine too?"

"Don't get too excited, it's only pain killers. I can't fly too high, my wings aren't that reliable, but I'll attempt to get a bird's eye view of the vicinity, sir." Jungkook agrees, Stevie soaring upwards.

Jungkook stays on guard, keeping his hand right by his pistol. He doesn't trust anything about this place. To a certain extent, he doesn't even trust Stevie despite him being the Executive's only ally. Jungkook thinks back to Jimin. Does Jimin remember making Stevie? He's made so many contraptions in his lifetime, Jungkook wouldn't be surprised if Jimin forgot about the little drone.

Before he can make a mental answer, Stevie comes back down. "I see an exit, sir. Take your pill, I'll lead the way."

"If you're lying, I'll stomp on you like a cockroach."

"You live on a spaceship, sir. You probably haven't seen a bug in years."

Jungkook grunts, popping the pill into his mouth and dry-swallowing the substance. Stevie isn't wrong. The one good thing about living in space is no bugs. No gross insects except the ones they may pick up from Earth. They have a tendency to dock at Earth for extended periods of time. Even in the greenhouse they choose to use fertilizers over natural remedies such as insects.

Stevie turns on his flashlight that overshadows his facial expression, Jungkook following the light. "Is it safe to leave the Astray like this?" Jungkook asks.

"Unlike you, I locked the ship. No one can get in or out without clearance codes from you or me."

"You're just a whole bundle of joy, huh?" Jungkook says, pitter-pattering down the vicinity.

"Very much so, Executive Jeon. I must ask, why do you think I have better ears than you?"

"Back on that now, huh?" Jungkook shrugs, pointing to his cheeks and eyes. "I used to have enhancements. Made me better than anyone around me. Smart, hot, fast, and strong. Came with some additional perks like sensitive hearing. I don't have that anymore now that they're gone."

"But sir, your eyes are glowing red."

Jungkook stops, Stevie stopping with him. "Do you have a mirror on your interface?" Stevie zips down, shutting off the flashlight and instead changing his face into a mirror. Jungkook gasps when he sees his reflection staring back, Stevie's words confirmed.

His eyes are red.

He traces his fingers across his cheeks, but there are no lines there. "What the fuck...? I haven't had enhancements since my twenties. This isn't possible. No way this is fucking possible. I don't even feel enhanced, I just feel like everyday Jeon Jungkook." The need to panic hits his core, Stevie turning the mirror off to instead show the cyan lines of his face.

"Sir, do you know the theory of parallel worlds?"

"Partially. It's a theory that there's a possible parallel universe far away from ours, matching the qualities of Earth and other planets?"

Stevie dips his body in a way of nodding. "Correct, sir. Of course there's more to it than that, but is it possible we're in one of those parallel worlds? It would explain why the atmosphere is nearly identical to ours not to mention your angry eyes."

Jungkook pauses to consider it, still touching his face. "At this point, anything is possible. But Stevie I could've sworn I only went out of the solar system, not the galaxy, and sure as hell not the universe. How would I have been able to go to the edge of a universe? That doesn't make sense to me."

"You having red eyes doesn't make sense to me either, sir. We need to move. I sense something coming."

The Executive picks up his pace, the endless fog blinding his red eyes. Neither Stevie or Jungkook speak. They have other priorities. The hair on the back of Jungkook's neck trembles until it hops right up, goosebumps forming on his skin. He attempts to hide his arms, but he knows something's coming. He's not sure if it's from the possible return of his abilities or natural instinct from his experience. He's gonna call it both and try not to break his brain thinking about it. The Jeon's aren't exactly known for being smart.

"Here, sir. The exit is near," Stevie says.

"On it."

Jungkook follows the little beam, but not before the ground shakes and he's thrown to the floor. He groans when the muck sinks into the back of his armor, him resting on his elbows so he can see what knocked him over. His eyes pop open, his gaze finding the single, hound-like figure not far away. The thing has fog radiating off of it, almost acting as hair for it. It has four eyes void of color from what Jungkook can see, its body gray and covered in smoke, but it seems to be in the shape of a fucked up dog. Four legs, sure, but its body is all screwed up as if it went through a bunch of saws.

The thing plants its feet, Jungkook gripping the ground. "Uh... shit," Jungkook says. Stevie floats in front of Jungkook, pulling out what he assumes is his weapons. Two little cylinders pop out of Stevie, pointing at the creature. "What the fuck is that." Stevie doesn't answer. The alien appears to be waiting. Stalling, almost. "Should I run?"

"No sir. Last time you were moving, it hit you."

Jungkook doesn't speak again, deciding silence is the best answer here. He takes a risk and turns, his body freezing when he sees two glowing eyes approaching. "Stevie," he murmurs. Stevie shifts, eyeing the new creature. Jungkook stays calm despite his rocketing heartrate, his adrenaline spiking.

And that's when he feels it.

Pain rushes through his veins, pain he hasn't felt in two decades. Pain he thought he'd never feel again. He yelps, biting back tears and screams. The sobs that threaten to leave his throat have him shuddering, his cheeks burning. It's like his skin is being burnt off.

Stevie protects him, staying above him while the two glowing eyes approach. Jungkook whimpers, covering his mouth to mask his sobs. Then, the body of the new intruder comes into view, and Jungkook's pain momentarily subsides in favor of shock and awe.

The familiar shape of a fish is flying there: yes, flying. A flying fish. Jungkook forgets about the tears staining his face when he sees the way the thing moves, the fins flapping the fog away and the lips bobbing open and closed as if drinking in the air like water. Jungkook observes the alien go toward the other, the fog-like creature planting its feet. As soon as the fish flies by, the fog jumps at it, the fish screeching in dismay and falling to the ground.

Stevie taps Jungkook's shoulder. "Now's our chance, sir. Run."

Jungkook, still in searing pain, hops to his feet and limps as far as he can with Stevie nudging him more. When they make it out of the fog, Jungkook falls to his knees in a soft bed of white. Snow? Here? On this alien world?

"A different environment? How interesting," Stevie says, running a quick scan on the place. "I ran a scan on the two creatures. They match nothing of Earth's properties despite the environment being similar to our home. This place continues to surprise me, Mr. Jeon."

Jungkook raises a wobbling hand to his face, pressing on the skin on his cheeks. The red sky doesn't even matter to him at this point. "A-Are they back? The enhancements, did that adrenaline spike bring them back?" Jungkook asks, attempting not to let the sobs out until he has an answer. Stevie finishes his scan, turning to Jungkook and observing him.

"I'm sorry, sir. It appears they have." Stevie's face shifts into a mirror, Jungkook removing his hands so he can clearly see the two red lines on his cheeks. He trembles at the very sight of them, slumping back on his ass and pretending this is normal.

"It's okay... it's all okay. Random alien planet you magically appeared on after leaving the solar system, creatures are attacking each other right in front of you, and your red enhancements are back."

Stevie's face returns, a frown resting there. "Sir, we can use this as a good thing. If your enhancements are back, we can move at double the pace we normally would and possibly find leads."

Jungkook sinks further into the snow, staring up at the crimson sky. Funny how the sky is the most normal thing to him. It's not the first time he's seen red above him. "Do you really think there's anyone living here? And even if they are, what are the odds they're my son and Namjoon? This place is already cursed enough, don't you think? Maybe we should try our luck with fixing the ship. I don't see many other options here."

"With all due respect, Executive, my scan confirms footprints leading up to the first main mountain." Jungkook snaps up, searching the terrain for the footprints. "It's hard to see, sir. They're on your right, two o'clock." He glances in that direction. Behold, in the distance, there are footsteps. In the far distance at that, but thanks to Jungkook's newfound abilities he's choosing not to freak out over yet, he can see them. "They must be fresh, otherwise they would've been covered by more snow by now."

"Holy shit. Creatures, new world, enhancements, crashed ship... that all might be worth it if I actually have a solid lead," Jungkook says, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "Stevie?"

"Yes sir?"

Jungkook grins. He's not sure why, but he has an amazing feeling blossoming in his chest. It has to be Sehun. The footprints, they could belong to both Namjoon and Sehun. Or if not, at the very least maybe Jihyun or some of Jihyun's crew. Jungkook can sense it. This is where his answers are. After a year and nearly a half, he might finally get some answers.

"Let's go find my son."

~~~

A/N: How do you like Stevie so far? I know it's early, but I've never written like a robot character before, so I'm curious on your first impressions!