Why We Have Trust Issues
We called her Snow Queen. Mostly because she liked to wear white. She was actually pretty friendly when you got to know her. The two of us had been besties for a while now. We did everything together, which was why we stuck together, during this horrible time.
There were rumors that one of the people working here at the research station, one of our friends, had been replaced by an alien monster bent on killing everyone else. At first, Snow Queen and I didn’t believe it. We spent every hour of every day with these people. We knew them too well not to notice that they had been replaced.
Then, what was left of Cypress’s body was found in the snow outside. It had been so badly mutilated that we only knew it was him based on the cyan spacesuit.
After that, a meeting was held, and everyone believed the rumor. There was a killer among us. All trust in one another was lost. There were only five of us in the camp now. We were alone on this strange planet, and one of us was an impostor who had committed murder.
But who? That questioned echoed through everyone’s minds as we stood around the table. The problem was, no one saw what happened. No one had any idea who could have committed the horrible deed. We wanted closure, but no one other than the killer had any to give, and they were staying quiet.
So we left the meeting without answers and tried to return to our tasks as if nothing ever happened. Snow Queen and I stuck together, hopeful that would make us less of a target. We headed for the laboratory. As Snow Queen stood before the computer and recorded the outside temperature, the doors slammed shut, sealing us in. time slowed as Snow Queen and I looked at each other. At that moment, we both knew what was about to happen. Only one of us would be leaving the room alive.
We stared at one another for a long moment, and then she darted, but she wasn’t fast enough. I tripped her and fired my gun twice.
She never stood a chance.
I ran for the bathroom and exited the lab through the secret tunnel. By the time they found her body, I was long gone and had already killed again. I had found Blake alone, took care of him as well.
When everyone arrived at the meeting, I spoke first. “Where’s Snow Queen?” I asked, making sure my voice rose an octave. Falling into the role, I stared at the remaining crewmates around the table.
There was a beat of silence before Wine answered. “I found her in the lab.”
I cried out in anguish, which only added to the panic as they realized that Blake hadn’t arrived either. From there, the meeting lost any chance of civility and devolved into baseless accusations. There were only three left, and one had killed.
“How do we know Wine didn’t kill her?!” Lima asked.
Wine gasped at the accusation. “I never saw her, or Blake! I was in the boiler room checking the water pressure. Rose saw me.”
Lima then turned the accusations on me. “What about you, Rose? How do we know it wasn’t you who killed her?”
“Why would I kill my best friend?” I wailed.
Lima scoffed. “That’s not an alibi! You endanger her all the time!”
He might have had a point there. I could be reckless at times, but that didn’t matter here.
“You really think so little of me?” I asked, to which he nodded. “I was in weapons, saving your sorry ass from getting hit by any incoming meteors before I headed to O2 to fill canisters. Wine saw me.”
Lima scowled, clearly not believing my story. I doubted my ability to convince him otherwise. However, I only needed to convince one of them of my innocence and I knew how to work Wine.
“You sure are throwing around those accusations!” I started. “Wine and I have known each other since childhood. I know she’d never betray me.” I paused for a moment, staring at one of my oldest friends. Then I turned back to Lima. “You, on the other hand, have been trying to drive a wedge between us and split us apart. I bet you’re the real impostor! I haven’t seen you all day, which is really sus.”
The accusation caught him off guard and he sputtered. “I-It wasn’t me!”
I looked at Wine. “What do you think? I trust your judgment.”
Together, Wine and I sent Lima spinning like a windmill off the cliff and into the lava pit we’d been studying since our arrival on this alien planet. Together, we stood there in silence, Wine wondering if she made the right choice, and me reveling in my victory. I could practically hear the Imperial March playing as the game ended, knowing that I’d succeeded in killing my best friends.
Once my victory screen was displayed for everyone, Gwen, the Snow Queen, was the first to unmute. “Rose! I trusted you!”
I burst out laughing, which only added to her indignation. Oh, I’d be hearing about this when ‘Snow Queen’ and I went horseback riding this weekend.