Singularity Dark Chapter 1
Summary:
You're an infantry cadet with a dream of transferring into the Aerospace program.
Caleb is drawn in by your indomitable spirit but also by the fact that you just look so damn familiar.
He dies before he can ever really figure out how you feel. You don't even know yourself.
When he returns, he intends to find out. By whatever means necessary.
(This is my first time using Tumblr so I'm learning as I go. If anything is weird or I've made it shitty to read somehow let me know.
This is written in the second person because that's what came most naturally, but the mc isn't self insert, she is AFAB and has a fully formed appearance and personality.
I'd love to know what you think, your likes and dislikes, even your requests. Ao3 readers don't seem to comment very much compared to Tumblr ❤️.)
Originally posted on Ao3
Chapter 1: Looks like freedom
You always feel a bit like you're swallowing something bitter when you see the Aerospace Academy students.
Their sleek haircuts and impressive uniforms far outshine you in your Infantry camo and your self done razor cut pulled into a short regulation approved ponytail.
The distance between you and them seems longer than the Deepspace Tunnel.
“Getting a glimpse of how the other half lives?” your friend Owens quips in your ear.
“Give me a year and you'll be looking at me in that uniform. Don't forget to salute me,” you say.
“You? Keep your temper for a whole year? I'll believe it when I see it,” he laughs.
You look up through the glass roof of the massive hangar bay into the black beyond.
“Gotta do it though. Being up in that sky? Looks like freedom to me.”
He's got a point, though. With your rap sheet before joining the military, you really can't afford to have a single incident this coming year if you have any hope of transferring into Aerospace.
Your history of delinquent behaviour as a minor hangs over your head like the sword of Damocles, and you cannot let it fall.
You need to keep your cool, lead your squad and ace your exams.
“Piece of cake,” you say.
You don't notice the pair of eyes following you, from one Aerospace cadet who was close enough to overhear your longing for freedom.
Warm purple eyes study your face, lingering, trying to recall why you look so familiar.
Yours stare up into the boundless sky, drinking in all the promise it holds.
The massive military academy starship Endeavour currently hovers just off-planet orbiting Earth, a transitory home to thousands of military hopefuls.
You are no different; here to build your future and leave behind a past best forgotten.
“Jiejie! Jiejie!” You turn to see your meimei, Meg, running after you. A few years younger than you, she followed you around everywhere at the orphanage where you grew up, and much to your chagrin she's followed you into the military as well.
You tried to dissuade her, but you're not her guardian so you couldn't stop her.
“Slow down, you're gonna trip.”
“Did you see them? The Academy students? They're so handsome and pretty. They look so cool! And Caleb Xia was there!” She looks like her eyes are about to glaze over.
“Oh yeah? You think they're cooler than us? Reckon whatsisname could beat your jiejie in a fight?” You put an arm around her.
“No way! Nobody could!” Meg says, with stars in her eyes.
She's completely wrong, of course.
With their elite training, any one of the Aerospace students could probably take you one-on-one, but you like to think you'd get a hit or two in first.
Meg has always thought you were better than you really are. It's one of the reasons you try so hard.
So you never have to let her down.
A while later, you've just finished a gruelling workout and you're grabbing a shower in the change room of one of the gyms when you hear the sound of sobbing.
“Aww, hun. Was he mean about it?” a girl's voice asks.
“No, he was nice. I just can't believe he d-doesn't want to see me again.” another girl replies, voice thick with tears.
“Well, he did say he wasn't looking for anything right now, right? That doesn't mean it'll be that way forever.” her friend says carefully.
“I know, I just thought he liked me.” the girl sobs.
This goes on for some time.
Even before she mentions his name, which she does, you don't need to wonder who this is about.
You've heard this conversation about five times in the last month or so.
Caleb Xia, slowly - or not even that slowly, he's making quite a pace - fucking his way through half of this military academy starship.
At least you assume that's what's going on, you can't think of any other reason so many girls would be crying their eyes out around every corner of the starship you currently call home.
Xia is a cadet in the Aerospace Academy, while you're a squad commander in the Mobile Infantry. Basically a student officer.
Not that it would matter much if you outranked him.
You're a ground trooper. He's a future asset worth investing in.
Pilot skills are highly valued. Infantry are bodies to be thrown at a problem.
Which is why you take your job very seriously, making damn sure those bodies don't belong to your squad.
You wait for the other two to leave before getting out of the shower, to avoid embarrassing the crying girl.
You change into your uniform and go to report for duty, hoping you don't have to hear the name “Caleb Xia” anymore today.
“Commander, a word?” a guy in a neat Aerospace Academy uniform approaches you as you're on your way to the facility to train your squad.
He has blonde hair and somehow just feels wealthy. Honest to god, he has a pencil moustache.
“Do I know you?”
“We haven't met before, but maybe you've heard of me. Errol Whitlam,”
“Hrm, doesn't ring a bell. Oh, wait! You're number two in the Aerospace rankings, right? I've seen your name on the leader boards,”
He seems to bristle slightly at the mention of his ranking.
“I'm having a little private get-together at the whiskey bar on the fourth deck. I was wondering if you'd like to attend. As my guest.”
You stop walking and turn to face him.
“Why? Like you just said, we've never even met. You're inviting me to a private party?”
“Why not?” he says, as though he hadn't expected to be questioned much less rejected.
“You’re the fifth guy to ask me for drinks this week alone. I don't think I've had a glow up since last month so I'm very curious what's piqued everyone's interest all of a sudden. Do you mind telling me what's going on?” You fold your arms.
“What’s going on is that I'm offering you the opportunity to leave the riffraff and enjoy some intelligent company for once.”
“You don't think much of the infantry then?”
He snorts. “Should I?”
That gets your hackles up.
“‘Leave the riffraff’? Buddy, I am the riffraff. And I think we should eat the rich, not date them. Stick your little get-together up your ass.”
“How charming,” he sneers.
“This is who I am. Maybe if you'd ever spoken to me even once before asking me out you would have known that and reconsidered. See you around,”
You're fuming as you walk away. Forget not stirring up trouble with Aerospace. If another goddamn flyboy gets in your way you swear you're going to burn your whole career and crush him into a fine paste.
You've been receiving invitations like this for weeks. You don't know exactly what's going on - whether it's a dare or what - but there's definitely something.
Five minutes later whatever it is has been forgotten as you argue with the guy manning the front desk of the training facility.
“But I booked to train my squad over a week ago.” you say.
The soldier seems apologetic. He reads off the screen in front of him.
“Sorry, ma'am. It looks like someone named… Caleb Xia had a superior pull rank.”
“Goddamn flyboys.” you mutter, as if you're not busting your ass to become one of them.
You don't give the guy at the counter any more trouble. It's not his fault after all, it's…
“Caleb fucking Xia!” you say, grabbing your head dramatically with both hands.
“Yes?” a polite but amused voice cuts into your rage.
You straighten up and turn to see a young man with brown hair approaching.
So this is the infamous Caleb Xia. He's not exactly what you expected.
Big, pretty eyes survey you with bemusement from under thick lashes. A spattering of little freckles kiss his pale skin.
He's built, sure, but his face has more of a friendly, boy-next-door quality about it rather than accentuated good looks.
Like a puppy, you think.
You should apologise for your outburst. Your lieutenant is always telling you all to keep on good terms with Aerospace. But you don't.
“Is there a reason you took my squad's training slot?” you say instead.
He gives you what you imagine is supposed to be a charming grin. You get the feeling this usually works for him. It only makes you more annoyed.
“My guys are headin’ out first thing tomorrow morning. We need the last minute training. Apologies. I'm not sure we've been introduced. Aerospace Cadet Caleb Xia.” he holds out his hand to you.
“Pleasure to meet you,”
Unsmiling, you shake his hand and give him your name and rank in return.
It's not a pleasure at all.
You're utterly sick of hearing his name and want to nut him for all the trouble he's been causing lately with the women on board.
“We'd be willing to share the space with your team, Commander. Though we will be needing priority on equipment.” He smiles again, all blithe charm but you somehow also get the impression that he's needling you.
“Whatever you say,”
You turn away from him.
“Change of plan, recruits. Break into groups of six groups for a bodyweight reps competition. Circuit style. Squats, lunges, push-ups, burpees, planks. Final eliminations in one hour. We're leaving the equipment for the flyboys today.”
There's a couple of resentful groans at the last line but your squad obey.
Caleb looks for you after his team finishes their training.
He was hoping you'd have more to say about his little training slot stunt. That was why he did it, after all.
He hasn't stopped thinking about you since seeing you in that hangar bay looking out at the stars like they held your future. So he found out your name and forced an interaction.
When he locates you, you're in a planking competition with one of the guys from your squad. You appear to be winning.
About ten of your people are crowded around, hooting and hollering.
“Looking for your next heart to break?” Gideon says disdainfully, walking up next to Caleb.
“What do you know about her?” Caleb mutters, giving an upward nod towards you.
Gideon snorts.
“Good luck,” he says, misinterpreting the question. “Half the ship has given it a crack at this point,”
“What? Why?” Caleb says, a little startled. Gideon tries to explain.
The first time someone hit on you, you were cold as a cut snake and twice as mean. It was hilarious.
Word got around, more people started trying as a challenge and it's the military, so of course a pool was started. It's now in the thousands.
“Does she know about it?” it all sounds messed up to Caleb.
“If she does, she hasn't said anything.”
“Are you in on it?”
“No! Geez, dude.” Gideon sounds offended. As much as he likes women and desperately would like to lose his virginity, he is a romantic at heart.
“But you didn't think to tell her about it, either.” Caleb says.
“I'm scared that if I talk to her she'll kick my ass.”
As your abs start to cramp from planking for so long, you throw your head back and make a loud noise of complaint. It sounds a bit suggestive, actually.
Certainly Caleb's nervous system interprets it as such and he starts to feel a little warm.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't incredibly drawn to you already, watching the intensity with which you're throwing yourself into something as dumb as a planking competition. Or starting shit with another department over a training slot.
He'd love to see that same fire in your eyes looking up from underneath him.
You've pulled him from the sea of boredom and despondence he'd been drifting in for some months now.
Your planking competitor - a relatively fit looking guy with a shaved head - finally taps out and you count five more seconds just to show off before collapsing next to him, laughing.
You rise slowly, clutching your abs and Caleb catches full sight of you in your training gear.
Your shirt hikes up just slightly as you stand, and before you pull it down he catches a dragon tattoo snaking down the right side of your torso.
You've got squatter’s thighs and a physique that leaves no mystery as to how you won the competition.
He's so sure he's seen you before. He's really hoping it's from somewhere recent. He doesn't dare to think back too far in his life.
“Drinks are on Owens tonight!” you declare and the surrounding squad cheers before dispersing to the showers.
You're shaking hands with Owens as Caleb approaches.
“I'll go you halves. I was going to treat the squad anyway.” you say.
He goes to reply but is distracted by the approaching pilot.
Owens gives you a look that suggests he's not the one Caleb is interested in here, and excuses himself to hit the showers.
Xia flashes another blinding grin at you. You almost wince.
“That was some competition,” he says. “Can I buy you a drink tonight to celebrate?”
God, another one? Did someone replace your deodorant with a pheromone spray or something?
“I'm out with my squad tonight,” you say flatly.
You don't invite him to join - you'd rather he stay the hell away from your squad. Especially the women. The gym changeroom was quieter before he was around.
You offer him a quick nod of acknowledgement as you depart and head for the showers.
He watches you go, resolving to find out in which of the many bars on the giant fleet starship you and your squad can usually be found.
Chapter 2
Taglist available, lemme know in the comments ☺️
