driftfleet | Look - up in the sky...!

Suddenly, the SS Pathstone and the SS Golden begin to move on their own... slowly, calmly, they drift to two different points, a certain distance apart, away from the other ships of the fleet. Then, just as slowly, they turn to face each other.

And that is all the warning there is before the engines engage -- full speed ahead.

Like a pair of rockets, the ships torpedo toward each other, perfectly lined up for a head-on collision, and there is nothing to stop them. No matter what buttons the crews press, no matter how much they might panic, nothing is going to stop the inevitable. Any other ships watching will not have time to attempt any sort of interception.

CRASH!!

As if to shield spectators' eyes from the horrors of ships colliding in space, there's a blinding light upon impact -- and once it gradually fades, the results can be clearly seen by all: There is no wreckage. Nothing is broken. But where there were once two ships... now there's only one.

One ship that is... very clearly made up of parts from the SS Pathstone and the SS Golden, but somehow seems well put together, at least!

-----------

On the bridge, the crews of the SS Golden and the SS Pathstone arrive, along with the usual pop! of Atroma confetti and ridiculous jingle music upon a successful shuffle. Sitting in the captain's chair is a round cake, just large enough for everyone to have one slice. There's a single candle, and the following message scribbled on top in yellow icing:

"Congratulations - SS Goldstone!
Happy Fusion!"

... What, did you think you were going to die? Sorry about that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We'd like to know that too! I think we're all fine, but no one knows what's going on.

Nightingale!

[And that's four! Whew. All his people accounted for]

Well from out here, it looked like your two ships collided together, and then there was a bright light- and when that was gone, it was just one ship.

One shi-

[She pauses, then realizes.]

No. Absolutely not. No way in hell.

Huh?

But it's what I saw?

I refuse to accept the ships fusing by crashing.

...Really.

Then what other explanation do you have?

We died in the crash and this is a last-second hallucination as my brain stops working.

...I think it's been longer than a second, Nightingale.

Also if the ship crashed, you wouldn't have enough of a brain left to hallucinate.

It still makes more sense than crashing turning into a fusion!

I see....

...So do you still want your piece of the cake?

The cake is probably poisoned or something.

[Welp okay definitely taking her piece of the cake then!!]

That's fine! My Innocence can neutralize poisons.

Unless the Atroma can turn that off while you're eating it.

[SHE'S GOING TO HURL THE CAKE INTO SPACE.]

[Allen doubts that, but he's kinda learned not to argue with Nightingale when she gets into full conspiracy theory mode]

Then I'll die doing what I love!

Edited 2017-02-19 17:58 (UTC)

Risking yourself with eating extremely questionable things? Besides, we already know the Atroma can control our sensory input, it might not even be a real cake.