Issue 1 Downtime

((Spin off from the party thread))

Sean continued walking still seemingly oblivious to Kevin's pursuit.

"I know you know I'm here," Kevin said.

"I was hoping that the conquering hero would give up," Sean said icily.

"Conquering hero? No," he said regretfully, "We just came back. We... I failed to bring Mira back..."

"I'm sorry."

"We all failed..." Sean said, "But you don't even bother looking like you've failed. You strut into the party like some damned bloody peacock.

Your words aren't worth the wind they are spoken with. Go back to basking in your triumph, Kevin."

"They thought we were dead. I just wanted to let everyone be happy for a moment..." he responded, "So if you actually think I don't care then you don't understand a thing about me."

"Yes, they did," Sean said, "We all thought you were dead. We held a funeral service and constructed a monument. We grieved. Maybe you do care and maybe I should understand. But all you've done to me is reopen wounds."

"Is that all she is to you now? A wound? She's still alive, and no matter what her cosmic half says she will be back. I don't know when, but she will."

Sean froze once he realized what Kevin had said.

"You didn't think that maybe you should have bloody well opened with that fact?" Sean asked.

"Well I didn't honestly expect you to have given up on her."

"You think I gave up on her?" Sean asked.

"You just... seemed not to think she would come back... I'll be happy to be wrong."

"After a more than a month staring at the sky I wasn't sure she would be," Sean said, "I still hoped...even thought she would be, but I wasn't certain of it."

"It's easy to doubt when faith is all you can go on... but I've seen spacecraft that literally run on the stuff when doubt is removed. I'm not even exaggerating. There is a power to it. The problem is Mira's lost faith in herself, and is trying to bury herself in the Phoenix."

"I'm not sure that is a new problem," Sean said, "She hasn't really been the same since she came back from that other universe."

"And as her friend I should have been there for her. We all should have..."

"But I was getting through to her. I know I was. But the ship was blowing up and she sent us home before I could say any more."

"Hopefully she'll think about what you said then," Sean said.

"She will. She hasn't abandoned humanity yet."