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Chapters 1

Sunrise painted the room in warm gold. Sarah woke up to the light on her face and the rich aroma of coffee brewing downstairs. She shuffled down, hair tousled, and house robe pulled tight, to find her husband already immersed in his newspaper, a cup of coffee in hand. Sarah grabbed her favorite mug and poured herself a cup. 

“Good morning, Hun,” Nathan said, lifting his head from the paper. 

She placed her free hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before kissing his cheek. “Good morning. The new assignment should be coming in today; just waiting for confirmation from central command.” She paused, raising the mug to her lips. The first sip brought a small, satisfied smile to her face. “Anything interesting in there?” 

Nathan took a sip of his coffee, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. “Apparently, President Lenmark is calling a world summit to celebrate his 12th term. Guess it helps when you’re the first president to make world peace with every country.” 

In the hall leading to the office, Sarah paused. The walls were a gallery of their life: missions she ran solo, and missions she and Nathan flew after they married. She could barely remember a time they'd spent more than a couple of months on Earth before returning to orbit. Space has become normal. While she savored the terrestrial pleasures—the sun on her face, the salty air of the ocean—she knew her real home was among the stars. 

Months after graduating from top of her class at the academy, she was already on her first mission. Soon after, she was commanding her own ship. The photos chronicled her crew's growth over the years, a handpicked team she’d forged into the best. A swell of pride warmed her chest. Before entering the office, her eyes landed on one last picture: her old mentor, pinning on her commander’s insignia in front of her first ship. 

Setting her coffee on the desk, Sarah turned on some soft music and settled into her chair as she logged into the computer. After a hot shower, Sarah headed downstairs to find Nathan in the garage, cleaning his workshop. “Hey Hun. We must be at the base today for our briefing. Clean up and meet me there in an hour, and we can grab lunch.” 

Nathan smirked, throwing a towel over his shoulder before kissing her cheek. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied. Sarah climbed on her motorcycle, and with a roar of the ignition, headed down the driveway. 

An hour later, Nathan pulled his car into the parking bay at the base and spotted Sarah’s motorcycle. She was already inside, waiting for him. 

The lobby buzzed with the constant flow of uniformed personnel. The receptionist greeted him with a warm smile and asked for his credentials. After he signed in, she directed him down the corridor to the briefing room. “Major General Lockhart is already there,” she said. “Just present your ID badge to security at the door.” 

Nathan followed the holographic signs, his footsteps echoing on the slick floors. The hum of server banks grew louder as he passed a row of climate-controlled labs. The guards stationed outside the briefing room door raised their hands in unison. One asked for his ID badge and, after confirming his clearance, showed Nathan inside. Unsurprisingly, Sarah was already there, saving him a seat. He sat, and she gave him a smile brimming with eagerness. 

Several minutes later, an officer called, “Attention on deck!” 

Everyone stood and saluted as Major General Lockhart entered. He returned the salute crisply. “At ease.” 

Once they were seated, a guard scanned his badge. A click sounded from the wall, and the indicator light on the door flashed from green to red, signaling the room was secure. 

“Thank you for coming,” Major Lockhart began, his voice commanding. He looked toward the holographic projector on the wall. “Echo, pull up operation specs for mission Phoenix.” 

A synthetic voice responded from the room’s speakers. “Voice confirmed as Major General Lockhart. Accessing.” 

The projector hummed to life. Lines of code flickered across the wall before resolving into schematics and video fragments of a space station. 

“Alright, people,” the Major continued, “this mission is different. Normally, your objective is to test new stations before we hand them over to the government. This time, the station was built nearly two decades ago and was believed to have been decommissioned. It was rediscovered by accident, caught in the orbit of a Chinese satellite. It’s approximately one hundred kilometers out and closing. At its current trajectory, impact is in two months.” 

He paused, letting the weight of the words settle. “Your objective is to dock, get this station fully operational, and prevent it from colliding with that satellite. A collision would not only rain debris into Earth’s atmosphere but would be seen by China as an act of war.” 

A flurry of questions erupted from the team. Why hadn't the station been decommissioned properly? Who oversaw the original project? The Major deflected most of the questions with vague half-answers. 

As lead engineer, Nathan needed all the files he could get. “Sir, I’ll need complete schematics and structural integrity reports on the station.” 

A concerned, puzzled look crossed Sarah’s face. “Sir,” she asked, her lips pressed into a thin line, “once we have control of the station and have averted the collision, what is our objective?” 

Major Lockhart paused for a fraction of a second too long. “Those orders will be given once the international incident has been avoided.” 

The answer didn't sit right with Sarah. This wasn't normal protocol. Missions always had primary and secondary objectives fully outlined. Nathan started to speak up, but Sarah laid a hand on his, giving a slight shake of her head. 

After the Major dismissed them, they walked to the parking bay in silence. Nathan could see the unnerving look on Sarah’s face and took her hand. A small, grateful smile touched her lips as she looked at him. Reaching her motorcycle, she asked, “So, ready for lunch? I’m in the mood for a greasy burger from that old diner just outside the city.” 

Nathan laughed. “Wow, we haven’t eaten there in years. What made you think of that?” 

“I don’t know,” she said coyly. “Suddenly craving something real instead of base food.” She swung her leg over the motorcycle. “Last one there pays. And I’m getting a shake.” 

Before he could respond, her engine roared to life, and she sped out of the parking bay. 

Nathan pulled into the rundown parking lot of ‘Old Andy’s’ to see Sarah already there, leaning against her motorcycle with a victorious smirk. The old neon sign flickered, a relic in an age of AI-managed solar utilities. 

They slid into a booth by the window, the worn leather cool against Sarah’s hand. The feeling brought back a rush of memories: sitting in this very booth in high school, laughing with friends and… him. She blinked, pulling herself back to the present. 

Nathan was chuckling. “Where’d you go, babe?” 

“Oh, nowhere,” she said with a shy laugh. “It’s just… I can’t believe nothing’s changed.” 

A waitress with too much makeup and a chirpy smile hustled over. “Hi there, I’m Tess. What can I get for you, sweetie?” she asked, her focus on Nathan. 

He glanced at the chalkboard menu. “I’ll have the Mega Greaser, please. With everything on it.” 

“And for you, miss?” 

“The Mini Greaser, please,” Sarah said. “And a strawberry shake. The old-fashioned way.” 

“I’ll have a Coke,” Nathan added. 

They talked and laughed while they waited, reminiscing until their food arrived. The burgers were even better than they remembered, a welcome change from months of prepped meals in space. After they’d both cleaned their plates, Nathan reached across the table and took Sarah’s hand, a comfortable silence settling between them. It was as if they were having a whole conversation without a single word. 

Nathan finally broke the quiet. “Well, we better get home and enjoy our last night on Earth for a while.” 

As they parted ways in the parking lot, Sarah looked at Nathan with a playful glint in her eye. “Race you home? Think you can handle losing twice in one day?” 

Driving home on the interstate, Nathan watched the city lights flicker on, transforming the night. Holographic billboards slid across skyscrapers, illuminating the sleek electric vehicles on the road. Technology has come so far. 

When he pulled into the driveway, Sarah’s motorcycle was already in the garage. He laughed to himself. Inside, he found her curled in a chair by the fireplace, a glass of wine in one hand and a paperback in the other. 

He walked over and kissed her forehead, the heat from the flames warming his skin. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he settled into the chair opposite her. They relaxed in the quiet crackle of the fire until Sarah finished her wine and closed her book. 

Nathan rose and rubbed her shoulders. “Time for bed,” he said softly. “We’ve got a long couple of days ahead of us.” 

Sunlight trickled through the blinds as Nathan woke, Sarah still sleeping peacefully against his chest. He lay motionless, listening to her calm breathing and the birds chirping outside. For what felt like moments but was several minutes. He held the love of his life, wrapped in blissful silence. 

Sarah’s eyes fluttered open. She took a deep breath, stretching as she sat up, then looked back at him. Nathan met her gaze with a soft smile. 

“Good morning, hon,” she said, her voice thick with sleep. 

He sat up, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek. “Good morning, you.” He pulled her close, and they sat together as the sun climbed into the morning sky, brightening the room. 

The morning unfolded into their familiar routine. They needed to prepare for a two-day training course for their next mission. While Nathan cooked a simple but savory breakfast, Sarah finished signing mission files in the office. The smell of cooking food drew her downstairs, where Nathan had everything waiting on the dining table, the morning paper sitting on the corner. 

“Gosh, that was delicious. I’m so full,” Sarah exclaimed after they’d eaten. 

Nathan gathered the dishes, with a satisfied smile on his face. He glanced at her as she read the paper. “I’ll get these if you want to get our gear in the car.” 

 

Sarah agreed, and soon after packing, they pulled out of the driveway. 

After arriving at the base, they parked in the garage and grabbed their gear from the trunk. Nathan and Sarah flashed their ID badges at the front desk and headed to the lab’s locker rooms to change into their FDA-approved spacesuits before making their way to the training facility. 

Signs for the Environmental Training Facility led them to an entrance where an assistant to the Certified Environmental Specialist (CES) Officer stopped them. 

“A reminder,” the assistant said, his voice rote. “No outside food or drinks, no personal effects. To prevent anomalies during data analysis, remove anything that could interfere with the monitors and simulators.” 

This was standard procedure, so they walked straight inside. 

Dr. Marsh, the director of the Space Environmental Program, stood at her podium, a transparent data-tablet in one hand and a folder in the other. She looked up as Sarah and Nathan walked in, noticing the familiar smile on Sarah’s face—the one that always appeared when she was close to a mission. 

Dr. Marsh approached, greeting them with a nod. “I’d shake your hands, but mine are full. You’ve done this enough to skip the standard introduction. Let’s get you settled in your quarters and start the assessment.” She paused; her expression turned serious. “You have two days to complete your assessments. Normally this is a week-long process, but this mission is time sensitive. You have a week’s worth of evaluations to complete in forty-eight hours. Your records suggest you’re more than capable. Let’s get started.” 

Nathan gestured for Sarah to enter the controlled environment first, then followed her inside, sealing the airlock door behind them. As they entered the main corridor, lights flickered on with a low hum, and cool air began circulating from the ducts. 

Sarah immediately began her captain’s protocols, logging into the main terminals and running security diagnostics to check for equipment malfunctions. Meanwhile, Nathan headed for the engine room to bring the simulator’s core systems online and establish a comms link with both the captain’s quarters and Central Command. 

After a few minutes, Nathan got the comms link established. He moved on to performing a full diagnostic on the engines and mechanical systems. Once everything was accounted for and reading one hundred percent, he gave Sarah the green light to assume full command of the simulated station. 

Sarah entered the command room, her fingers flying across the consoles as she took control of the station’s systems. As captain, she rarely had to pilot, but government regulations required her to maintain qualifications in emergency maneuvering protocols. She rerouted auxiliary power, purged the secondary conduits, and calibrated the navigation array in half the time the simulation allotted, a testament to the skills that made her one of the best captains in the fleet. 

The first day went by in a flash. A high-pitched ping sounded over the intercom, followed by a voice from Central Command praising their excellent work and telling them to call it a night. 

Nathan headed to the sleeping quarters. Upon entering, the sleek shine of the new sleeping pods caught his eye—a definite upgrade from their last mission. A hiss of the door lock announced Sarah’s arrival. The pods were built for one, but their upright position allowed them to see each other as they settled in for the night. 

A low hum woke them as the pod doors slid open and the lights came on. “Time to wake up,” a voice announced over the intercom. “Day two begins now.” 

They were guided to the airlock room, where they helped each other suit up for the EVA simulation. Once their helmets were secured, Sarah initiated the sequence, and the room began to depressurize as the artificial gravity disengaged. When the console indicated a successful vacuum, Nathan hit the release on the outer hatch. They pulled themselves through the opening into the zero-gravity training area, a vast chamber designed to mimic the void of space. 

Sarah performed a perimeter check while Nathan ran external diagnostics on the simulator’s structural integrity. After an hour of running through various “what-if” scenarios, Central Command ordered them to return to the control room for further instructions. 

Floating back to the airlock, Sarah held the hatch open for Nathan before sealing it behind him and reactivating the pressurization system. A moment later, a beep signaled that the environment had stabilized as artificial oxygen pumped from the air ducts. 

They checked each other’s suits for any compromise before racking them and heading to the control room. As they entered, the intercom crackled to life. 

“Congratulations, team,” the voice from Central said.  

“You’ve performed above and beyond during this compressed evaluation. You’ve exceeded our expectations, and we see no need for further testing. Get some rest. Be ready for launch tomorrow at 0800 hours.” 

In the simulation building’s mess hall, Nathan and Sarah relaxed over dinner, recalling stories from old missions—the funny moments and the stressful ones. 

Meanwhile, in Central Command, Major General Lockhart monitored their conversation on a screen, his face a stern, unyielding mask. A security officer entered the room, saluted, and was waved to stand at ease. 

“Sir, if I may speak freely?” The officer dared to ask. 

Lockhart nodded. 

“Is it wise to send her on this mission? If she finds out about Project Astraea, it could compromise everything.” 

Lockhart’s gaze hardened as he stared at the monitor. “Don’t you think I know that soldier? I tried to recommend anyone else without raising suspicion. But this is a time-sensitive crisis, and we need the best. That’s her team.” He turned from the screen. “They may have forced my hand, but we’ll have a man on that ship to monitor the situation and ensure she stays focused on her orders.” 

The officer looked confused. “Who is going on the ship, sir?” 

Lockhart straightened his uniform and walked toward the door, placing his hat on his head. He paused and looked back, his expression like granite. 

“You.” 

Sarah and Nathan were laughing as they finished dinner when an automated message sounded. “The time is 2000 hours. Primary power cycling to sleep mode. Please return to your quarters.” After a long day, they were asleep almost as soon as they settled into their pods.

The room lit up as the station came to life. Mission day.

They dressed quickly, needing no instructions. The intercom crackled, and Central Control ordered them to the launch site. As they arrived, Sarah’s pilot, Jax, was the first to greet her.

“What’s up, Captain?” he boomed with a laugh. “Let’s get this show on the road! I’m ready to get high and cause some havoc in the atmosphere.”

In the locker room, surrounded by her team as they changed into their flight suits, Sarah felt a surge of pride. She had hand-picked each one of them over the years. They trusted her with their lives, and she trusted them with hers. She had the best crew in the fleet because space was a life-or-death reality, and there was no room for error.

The locker room Intercom crackled again, ordering everyone to the flight deck. Sarah led her team out onto the bustling tarmac, where military personnel and engineers swarmed around their ship as it was prepped for launch.

Major General Lockhart stood near the boarding ramp, a rolled-up document in his hand. His look told Sarah everything she needed to know.

“Report to your stations and prep for launch,” she ordered her team. As her second-in-command, Nathan remained by her side.

Sarah approached the general and shook his hand. “To what do I owe the pleasure, sir?”

Lockhart’s posture was rigid. He handed her the papers. “You’re adding two people to your crew for this mission, Captain.”

Sarah’s brow furrowed. “Sir, with all due respect, my crew is more than capable. We don’t need extra hands.”

His expression hardened. “This isn’t a debate. We’re adding a prisoner. She’s one of the best engineers in the service, and we’ve decided to give her a second chance rather than let her talents rot in a cell. She is sentenced to serve out her years on your ship.”

The word “prisoner” set Sarah on high alert. “Sir, I can’t have someone I can’t trust endangering my crew.”

Lockhart held up a hand, cutting her off. “She won’t be a concern. I’m assigning a security officer to escort her and keep her in line. This is an order, Captain. The conversation is over. Figure out where to put them and deal with it.”

Sarah gritted her teeth. “Yes, sir.”

The Major General lifted a comms device to his ear. “Bring her in.”

Nathan turned at the sound of footsteps. A young woman in high-tech cuffs was being escorted by three men. Lockhart stopped them a few feet away.

“Captain,” Lockhart said, nodding toward the prisoner. “This is Louise Wilson, former mechanical engineer for the US Army. She can build you anything you need.”

The woman, Louise, jerked her arm free from an officer’s grasp. “If you expect me to do anything,” she said, her eyes fixed on Lockhart, “you can start by taking these cuffs off.”

Lockhart gave a slight nod to the officer beside her. “Do it.”

With a soft swish, the light on her wrist cuffs blinked from red to green and they popped open. The officer bent down and repeated the process, releasing her ankles.

Louise rubbed her wrists, then her gaze found Sarah’s. “Let’s be clear. I may be forced to be here, but you have nothing to fear from me. Endangering a crew isn’t how I operate.”

Sarah stared, baffled. There was no way Louise could have overheard her protest to the General. Before Sarah could form a response, Louise started toward the ship, her security detail falling in behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder. “The name’s Lu, by the way. Only my mother calls me Louise.”

Lockhart shook the hand of the remaining officer—the one from the command center—and informed Sarah he was the man assigned to Lu. With a wave, he sent the officer toward the ship. He turned to Sarah one last time. “You have your orders, Captain. Good luck out there.” And with that, he was gone.

Nathan took Sarah’s hand as they walked up the ramp to the ship, pausing at the entrance.

“Ready for another adventure?” he asked.

A small smile touched her lips. “With you, every day is an adventure.”

They boarded, and Nathan sealed the hatch behind them.

When Sarah stepped onto the bridge, her first officer called out, “Captain on the bridge!” The crew stopped their work and saluted.

Sarah took her command chair, her hands running over the familiar worn leather. So many memories were tied to this spot, commanding her ship: the FSF Nautilus I. She gripped the armrests as the intercom hummed to life, the signal panel showing a full charge. Clearing her throat, she hit the broadcast button on her console.

“Welcome back, crew. This is your Captain. We are launching for orbit in T-minus five minutes. All hands to stations, prepare for launch.”

Sarah deactivated the broadcast and looked toward the cockpit. “Jax, set a course for the rogue station at Bravo Point.”

She tapped her console, opening a channel to Engineering. “Chief, have your team fire up the pulse thrusters.” She closed the channel and opened another. “Navigation, have you run a final diagnostics check on our route for orbital debris?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the navigation lead responded instantly. “We have a clear path to the station.”

Sarah straightened in her chair, opening one last channel. “Central Control, Nautilus is ready for launch. Do you copy?”

Static gave way to a clear voice. “Copy that, Nautilus. We read you loud and clear. You are clear for launch.”

A deep vibration ran through the deck as the ship came to life. It was time. Sarah glanced at her pilot. “Alright, Jax. She’s all yours. Take us up.”

His fingers danced across a holographic dashboard, swiping commands into place. “Launch in T-minus ten… nine… eight…”

As the countdown hit one, Jax gripped the controls. The Nautilus lifted, hovering for a heartbeat above the flight deck. Sarah gripped her armrests, a smirk of confidence on her face.

A deafening BOOM shook the ship as the main thrusters ignited, pressing everyone back into their seats. The roar grew into a sustained, overwhelming scream as they tore through the sky, the blue of the atmosphere giving way to the black of orbit, leaving the Earth to shrink into a blue marble behind them.

After a few moments of heavy turbulence, the ship broke free of the atmosphere. Silence descended. Before them, the galaxy glittered in all its glory. A sense of peace washed over Sarah as she eased back in her chair.

Jax tapped his console a final time, then glanced back. “Good to be back in your turf, ain’t it, Captain?”

Sarah simply smiled and nodded. She was home.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

An hour into the mission, Sarah couldn't hold in her excitement. She was ecstatic, radiating a joy that came from being exactly where she belonged: outer space. She looked at Jax and asked for a status report.

Another puff of smoke escaped Jax's lips as he took a drag from the small blunt tucked behind his ear. “Yeah, I got you, Captain.” He tapped several places on the dashboard's monitors and then swiped his hand across the entire screen. 

“Thrusters are reduced to 60 percent to preserve fuel. The bridge reports no external structural damage from the launch to orbit. Our spaceship's internal integrity is at 100 percent. We are fully operational and have a clear path to the station.”

Sarah stood from her chair and told everyone, “At ease,” before they could stand at attention. She walked toward the corridor and pressed the hand scanner on the wall; the doors swished open. Sarah walked the halls, occasionally glancing into the different rooms and admiring her spaceship. She could hear the constant humming of the ship itself, but also the sounds of personnel, the chime of the intercom, voices making announcements, and others asking for reports as doors swished back and forth. Her walk was enjoyable, and she came to a stop at a viewport looking out at Earth. It was hard to believe they were down there just an hour ago. Now, she was staring into the vastness of space, planets glimmering in the distance.

Nathan appeared beside Sarah, startling her for a moment, but she smiled as he took her hand in his. “Admiring the view, are we?” he asked in a hushed chuckle. She laid her head on his shoulder, sighed softly, and continued watching in silence. She was home, and she was with the person she loved.

They stood there in their own little bubble for several minutes, not needing to say anything, just enjoying the moment together. The intercom crackled with static before a voice came on, saying, “Chief of Engineers, please report to the engine room.” The message repeated twice more before falling silent. He looked at Sarah as she lifted her head. He kissed her lips gently before saying, “Work never stops for us, I guess.”

She smiled. “I guess not. Hurry back to me,” she responded simply and softly.

Nathan hurried to the engine room. Upon the sound of the doors swishing open, he heard arguing, followed by a socket wrench flying across the room. Nathan found a woman yelling at another mechanic and intervened. “Hey, what’s going on here, Louise?”

She whirled on Nathan, her frustration palpable. “My name isn't Louise, you moron! It's Lu.” As she spoke, she raised her hand to throw another tool, but Nathan held up his hands to calm her down.

 

She hesitated, then breathed in deeply when she saw his genuine concern. Nathan lowered his hands, trying again. 

“Alright, Lu. What’s going on here?”

She straightened, lowering her arm. She glanced at Nathan and then back at the other mechanic. “This guy was touching my stuff after I told him not to,” she said, pointing at him.

Nathan looked at the mechanic. “Explain yourself.”

The man stood straight. “Sir, this criminal doesn't have ‘stuff.’ Everything she is claiming is hers belongs to the Federal Space Union.”

Nathan’s irritation flared at the man's judgment. He snapped, his expression stern, “You are an officer and a mechanic on this ship, not a judge or a corrections officer.” Nathan paused for a moment before continuing, “When someone is under my command, you will show them respect. She may have made bad choices before today, but she is now a member of this crew and your superior officer while aboard this vessel. Is that understood?”

Confusion and fear washed over the mechanic's face. He started to retaliate but, seeing the look on Nathan's face, quickly replied, “Yes, sir. Apologies, sir.”

 

Nathan stood his ground. “Dismissed.” He then turned his focus to Lu.

Lu looked surprised but kept her guard up. Nathan cleared his throat. “Now, when you're on this ship, you will abide by our rules and act like an officer of the Space Force.”

Lu started to speak, but Nathan held up a hand, stopping her. “I’m not finished. I don’t care what you did on Earth. We are not on Earth. As of now, you are a new person, and you must decide if you want to be a part of this team or go back to your old life.” Nathan lowered his hand and nodded for her to respond. Lu's face was difficult to read, but he hoped he had gotten through to her.

She looked at him for a moment and then said, “The only team I’m on is my own. I didn't ask to be here, but I am. So, if I’m here, I’ll do what I must do. But just know, when I fix something, don’t touch it.” She paused and sighed. “I do know you're right, though. I don't want to go back to my old life.”

Nathan felt a wave of relief. As he started to head for the corridor, he spotted the socket wrench he’d seen thrown earlier. Picking it up, he turned back to Lu and tossed it to her. “You dropped this.”

As she caught it, she chuckled a little. “Oh, jeez. You're going to be one of those people.”

 

Confused, Nathan asked, “What kind of people?”

She looked at him, her guard seemingly gone for a moment. 

“The kind that actually cares what happens to people.”

He smiled, knowing he’d reached her, and walked out of the engine room as the doors swished closed behind him.

Sarah was doing her rounds when she noticed a crew member from the engine room walking past her in a hurry, an irritated look on his face as he mumbled under his breath. She wondered what Nathan had done to upset the man. Nathan was a humble guy; if he had to put his foot down, the mechanic probably deserved it, she mused.

The intercom turned on. “Captain, please report to the navigation room.”

Sarah made her way to the room. Everyone stopped and saluted, and she told them to return to their work. A very shy woman with glasses at the maps table waved at her. 

“Captain, Captain, over here.”

Sarah smiled and walked over. “What is it, Miss Li Yung?” The woman was fresh out of the academy and shy as a mouse, but she had been one of the best in her class for astrogation and navigation.

 

As Sarah approached, Miss Li Yung pushed her glasses up her nose and looked down at the holographic table. “So, we’ve just come into range of the space station, approximately 1,000 kilometers out. At our current rate of speed, we should arrive in 32 minutes.”

Sarah looked over the charts and then back at her. “Have you looked over the station's blueprints? What's the best approach?”

Li Yung swiped her hand over the table's screen and pulled up the station's blueprints. She clicked on an image before she stopped and looked up at Sarah. “The best approach is on the southeast side, coming in from the north. We'll need to drop our thrusters to 20 percent to give us a smoother connection at the docking bay.”

Sarah pondered the mapping and the reasoning behind the woman's decision. She nodded and looked up. “Excellent work, Li Yung. I’ll inform our pilot and prepare for docking.”

The young navigator smiled proudly at the praise from her captain and returned to her work as Sarah left.

Returning to the bridge, Sarah sat in her command chair and tapped on her monitor. She swiped and tapped, then cleared her throat before speaking. “Central Command, this is the Captain of the Nautilus. Do you read me?”

Static crackled over the intercom, and then a voice responded. “We copy you loud and clear, Nautilus. Status report?”

Sarah sat up straighter. “Copy that. We are T-minus 20 minutes from the space station. Do we still have a green light to move forward with the mission?”

Static rippled through for a moment, then the voice came back. “Confirmed. You are a go for approaching the station. Good luck, Captain.”

Sarah tapped her monitor, turning off linked comms, and looked over at Jax. “Alright, you heard them. Let’s get ready for final approach.”

Jax nodded. “I got you, Captain. Reconfiguring for final position now.” With that, he swiped a couple of times over his dashboard monitor and grabbed the controls, taking the ship out of autopilot.

In the vast distance, a small object appeared, growing larger as they moved closer. The darkness had cloaked its size, but as the sun crested the curve of the Earth, its massive form was revealed. This station was beyond anything Sarah had ever seen. At first glance, it had to be at least six times the size of the International Space Station.

Sarah turned on the intercom to contact navigation. “Li Yung, run a diagnostic check on the docking bay and the external structure of the station.”

After a minute, Li Yung responded, “Yes, ma’am. I’ve run the test and I’m sending you the results.” Almost immediately, a file appeared on Sarah’s monitor. Li Yung continued, 

“According to our systems, the docking bay appears to be fully intact, though I would still use caution since it hasn't been used in over a decade. Also, the station's structural integrity is at 83 percent, most likely due to the pressure of outer space and solar radiation over the last decade.”

Sarah figured as much. She began to respond when Li Yung’s voice came back over the comms. “Captain, the strange thing is, our monitors are picking up massive heat signatures inside the station.”

Sarah knew that couldn't be possible. This station had been decommissioned for 17 years. She immediately turned off comms with navigation and sent a link to Central Command.

“Come on, Central Command, do you copy?” A few moments went by before Central finally responded.

“We copy, Nautilus. What's going on?”

Sarah took a breath. “We are getting heat signatures inside the space station. We were told this facility was decommissioned.”

Another minute of silence passed before Central responded again. “Captain, we aren't picking up any heat signatures on our end. Please reset your monitors and proceed with the mission. Over and out.”

 

Before Sarah could get another word in, the comms link was closed.

“Alright, Jax, bring us in from the north and drop your thruster output to 20 percent.” Jax nodded and got to work. Sarah swiped her screen and broadcast a message across the ship. “All personnel, we will be docking soon. Be ready to board the station.”

After restarting the monitors, Sarah asked the navigation team for an update. “Captain, I’m not sure what happened, but our systems are now showing no heat signatures.” Sarah was just as confused as Li Yung; she had seen the readings with her own eyes.

The ship came in from the north on the southeast side of the station as planned, and they had a visual of the docking bay. Jax cut the thrusters completely, bringing them into a hover as he glided the ship onto the landing zone and gently set it down, swiping at his dashboard to power down systems and switch others to idle.

Sarah broadcast on the intercoms, “Expedition team, make your way to the airlock for breaching protocol. All other personnel, please remain at your stations until further instruction is given.”

When she made it to the airlock, Nathan was already there, suiting up the team and giving them instructions. Sarah sometimes forgot that he was just as much a leader as she was. He had given up being captain of his own ship to be by her side, just one of the thousands of reasons she loved him.

The expedition team was all present and suited up, ready to move into the station. Sarah moved in front of the hatch, stood straight, and asked if everyone was ready. A booming unison replied, “Yes, Captain!”

She hit the lever. The hatch alarm blared as the door lowered, and the only thing between them and the vacuum of space was their suits. Sarah stepped out onto the docking bay. “Eyes up. Let’s move out, people.”

They spacewalked over to the entrance, which had zero power. Nathan stepped in, connecting a small energy source to the outlet connectors. He sent a signal into the doorframe's monitors and handed the controls to Sarah, who hacked into the system's protocols, allowing her access. She hit the latch, and with a pop of pressure, the door opened, releasing a decade of stale air.

They slowly gathered inside, cautious as they entered a station, they knew almost nothing about. As the door closed and sealed behind them, Sarah immediately realized the station seemed to be on backup power, which shouldn’t have been the case. She had her specialist run a diagnostic check to confirm her suspicions.

“According to my systems, Captain, the backup power is in effect but only designated to roughly 20 percent of the station's systems, which is why we couldn't get a reading from the ship. It appears to be going to oxygen and water reclamation, and at least a few rooms on the west side of the station, ma’am.”

After making a risky decision, Nathan decided to test the air levels for himself. Before Sarah could stop him, he quickly unlatched his helmet, took it off, and inhaled a small breath. He exhaled and stood there for a moment before saying, 

“The air is thick and old, but breathable.”

Sarah’s body had tensed in panic as she watched him. It was a horrible feeling, but her nerves slowly calmed. Now the concerning question remained: why was the backup power on after all this time, and were they alone?

“Alright, listen up. We need to be on alert, and no one goes anywhere alone. We're splitting into two teams. Jax, Li Yung, you're with me. We need to get to the command center and establish comms with Central. Nathan, you'll take Lu and Officer Wilson to the engineering bay and try to get the main power back on so we can see what's going on.”

Right before they parted ways, Sarah grabbed Nathan's hand, her expression full of worry. This mission felt wrong. Nathan noticed her concern, squeezed her hand gently, and said, “Hey, it's okay. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Li Yung sent the schematics for the engineering bay to Nathan and then pulled up the path to the command center, informing Sarah that it was in the northeast sector. Li Yung led the way.

“Alright, guys,” Nathan said to his team. “Li Yung just sent me the schematics for our engine room. We’ve got a walk ahead of us. According to this map, it will be in the lower section of the station. The access point should be in the mess hall.”

After several minutes of walking the halls, guided only by the emergency lights on the floor and the beams from their suits, Nathan's team reached the mess hall. He had an unsettling feeling about the whole station. A facility of this magnitude didn't make any sense. His team reached the entrance to the engineering room and descended to assess the damage.

Nathan grabbed Lumina-Burst Grenades (L-30s) from his vest, tossing them into different corners of the room to illuminate the space. He activated his Holo-Manus Interface (HMI) and sent out a recorded message to the other team, avoiding a live link in case of hostile listeners. “Team one, this is team two. We’ve found our objective and will begin work on the systems. I repeat, team one, this is team two. We’ve found our objective and will begin work on the systems.” Nathan quickly turned off his mic and told his team to get to work.

Back with Sarah's team, the air seemed to grow thicker the farther they walked, forcing them to pace their movements and approach each hallway carefully. It wasn’t long before they arrived in what looked like an office area, which didn't seem right. Li Yung shined her light on a sign above one of the corridors. “Captain, over here. I need help getting this door open.”

Once they got closer, she continued, “I can’t override this door with just backup power; it will have to be opened manually.”

Jax put down the equipment cases he was carrying and got on one side of the door as Sarah and Li Yung took the other. After several attempts, the door finally popped and slid open, granting them access to the command room.

Just as the door was pried open, Sarah received the message from Nathan. She pulled up her Holo-Manus Interface (HMI) gauntlet and hit play. When the message finished, she looked at Jax. “Alright, Jax, light us up.”

Jax grabbed two L-30 grenades and tossed them into the unsealed room, making it as bright as daytime on Earth.

Jax took point, entering the room first. Li Yung followed, and Sarah took the rear as they breached and secured the command room. Once inside, they started setting up the equipment. Sarah looked over at Li Yung. “Have everything ready to establish comms with the ship and Central Command once Nathan has the main power core up and running.”

Nathan was looking over the engine monitors, running a diagnostic to determine the best approach to restoring power. In his testing, he noticed that most of the systems seemed pristine, despite not being touched for so long. He moved over to the override panel. Unfortunately, it appeared that parts were missing from the engine, which could make starting it up harder than he’d thought. Nathan called over Lu and asked for her assessment.

Lu laughed at the challenge. After a quick look at the machines, she glanced up at Nathan. “Oh, please. This is nothing. I’ll have this ready in less than ten minutes, tops.” 

She quickly got to work with her portable welding kit. After a flurry of banging and flying sparks, she was done.

This gave Nathan time to run through the startup instructions. When Lu lifted her visor, Nathan said, 

“Diagnostics show it’s a two-person manual flip-switch.” He gestured toward two levers roughly six feet apart. “Lu, grab that lever, and on three, pull it down.”

Nathan gripped his lever, and Lu grabbed hers. He started counting. “One… two… three… PULL!”

A roaring sound, like the engine of a jet, erupted as lights flickered on the machines and monitors. The room’s power awakened after a decade of hibernation. Overhead lights beamed on, and just like that, the station was coming to life. Sector by sector, they could hear an endless echo of machines, monitors, and lights popping with static and then settling into a solid, steady hum.

“Great work, everyone. Now let’s get back to the others.”

As Nathan and his team ascended the ladder back to the mess hall, an immediate sense of unease settled over them. Nathan could see it on Lu's face. “What’s wrong, Lu?” he asked.

But as he looked around the mess hall himself, he knew something was deeply wrong. This wasn't an ordinary mess hall. There were bars over the kitchen area. There were chain brackets on the floors at each table. Lu had a disgusted look on her face as she looked up at Nathan.

“This isn't a space station,” she said, her voice grim. “It's a prison.”

Chapter 3

Nathan’s mind reeled. He looked at Louise, unable to process what he’d just heard. “This can’t be a prison. How can you be so sure?”

Lu shot him a look that screamed, Are you serious? “Oh, geez, Chief, look at this place,” she said. “The shackle holders, the lines on the floor, the protective bars on the serving area. I’ve been locked up for a year; I know a maximum-security prison when I see one.”

Nathan didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was undeniable. While he was trying to wrap his head around it, the officer escorting Lu cleared his throat. “Look, we don’t know what we’re looking at here, so let’s not jump to conclusions. Our objective is to keep this station from crashing into a Chinese satellite, not to ask questions.”

Lu eyed the officer suspiciously. He had to know this place was designed as a prison. She started to say something, but Nathan interrupted. “He’s right. We need to find the others and figure out what’s going on before we make assumptions.”

Sarah heard a distant boom, followed by a hollow humming that grew louder, coming their way fast. Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and a moment later, the monitors in the room booted up. The door they had pried open earlier swished shut, then opened again, resetting itself on its track.

“Captain, we’ve got the monitors up,” Li Yung reported. “Running diagnostics. The servers are slow from being offline for so long; it could take some time to—” She fell silent, her eyes following Sarah’s gaze. Li Yung’s expression immediately mirrored her captain’s concern.

The office was trashed, the scene of a violent struggle. In the disorienting light of the lumina grenades, they hadn’t noticed the debris-strewn floor or the smashed monitors. A chill ran down Sarah’s spine. This mission was not what it seemed. Something had gone terribly wrong here. Her training kicked in. She looked at Jax. “Alright, this is now a hostile zone. Prepare defenses.” Then she turned to Li Yung, whose face was pale with fear. “Get those systems online. I want a line to Central Command, now.”

They both nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Jax had barricaded the outer hall and was programming defense measures when Nathan’s team rounded the corner, nearly catching him off guard. He’d disabled the automatic door to keep it open and stuck his head inside. “Captain, Nathan and the others are here.”

Sarah rushed out, relief washing over her at the sight of Nathan, unharmed. As he rounded the barricade, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He drew her close, his arms wrapping around her waist, and felt the anxious tremor in her body. Looking over her shoulder, he saw the shambles of the office and understood her concern.

He pulled away just enough for her to look at him. “So, it would appear this mission isn’t what we were prepared for,” Nathan said, examining the area. He waved Louise over. “We need to debrief. Now.”

Everyone gathered in the command office to share what they had found. After a moment of silence, Sarah spoke first. “So, Lu, you think this is a prison?”

Confident, Lu replied, “I don’t think. I know a prison when I see one.”

Sarah looked even more concerned. She might be right, but it didn’t explain why it was here. “It doesn’t make any sense for a prison to be in space.”

Jax voiced his thoughts. “Plus, there’s no way this is legal. No country on Earth or any of the colonized planets would authorize an off-world prison. There are too many variables, too many things that could go wrong.”

Nathan tried to process everything. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. Someone clearly built this place and went to a lot of trouble to cover it up. Judging by the state of this room, I’d say those variables already went wrong, and they kept it quiet.”

A sense of justified panic filled the room, but the officer stood proudly, defending his employers. “I’m sorry, but there’s no proof this is a prison. This sounds like a conspiracy theory without any evidence. Clearly, something happened here, and I’m sure there’s an explanation. We need to find it before we report this to anyone, because what you’re all suggesting is a government cover-up.”

Neither Nathan nor Sarah wanted to be right, but despite their gut feelings, they had to agree with the officer. Sarah gathered her composure and took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any concrete proof. For now, we stick to the mission and follow our orders.”

After an hour of wrestling with the outdated systems, Li Yung finally broke through. She navigated the settings and established a communication link with their ship. “Captain, the local comms are online, but I still can’t get a signal to Earth. This isn’t my area of expertise, ma’am,” she said, her voice laced with disappointment.

Sarah knew she was doing her best outside her element. “You’re doing a great job, Li Yung. Don’t give up. I’ll send for a communications specialist to help.” Sarah’s words seemed to encourage her, and she refocused on her work.

“Jax, get back to the ship, but be careful,” Sarah ordered. “Find me a specialist, grab our emergency weapons, and get back here as fast as you can.”

“Yes, ma’am. Leave it to me,” Jax said with a cocky grin.

Jax made his way back to the airlock, running a quick check on his suit before opening the doors to the docking bay. As he finished his check, he heard a clang in the hall behind him. He called out, but there was no response. Shaking it off, he secured the inner door and stepped out toward the ship.

Sarah grabbed the comms unit to let the ship know Jax was en route. “Attention Nautilus, this is your Captain speaking. Do you copy?”

Only static crackled back. She repeated herself. “Attention Nautilus, this is your Captain speaking. Do you copy?” The static blared through the monitors.

Everyone in the room gathered around the command desk. Sarah looked at Li Yung. “Are we sure there’s a link to the ship, Miss Li Yung?”

Li Yung tapped and swiped at her monitor, hesitating for a moment before confirming. “Yes, ma’am. Our board shows a clear connection.”

Sarah gripped the mic again. “Nautilus, this is your Captain. Come in.” Nothing but static echoed through the office.

When Jax reached the ship, he noticed the hatch was closed, though he remembered leaving it open. He managed to open the outer door without issue and entered the airlock. Something felt wrong. Jax moved cautiously inside, but he wasn't prepared for what he was about to witness.

Walking down the corridor, he saw someone lying on the floor. He hurried over and turned the body to find one of the engineers, dead, her throat slashed. Jax took a deep, quiet breath. Looking up, he saw more bodies scattered down the corridor. He clenched his fists in anger, ready for a fight.

Not many people knew Jax’s background. Only Sarah and the military branch he’d come from. He had to find a survivor—anyone. On his feet again, he moved quickly but silently toward the ship’s armory, hoping something was left.

After sneaking through the ship for what felt like an eternity, he saw the armory sign and felt a surge of hope. He accessed the door panel, slipped inside, and sealed the door behind him.

Scanning the room, Jax saw that nearly every rack and drawer had been ransacked. Luckily, he knew about the hidden caches, installed in case of mutiny or boarders. He got to work, moving cargo crates to access a panel in the floor. A thumbprint scanner, keyed to only a few authorized personnel, lit up.

He pressed his thumb down. The scanner beeped, turned green, and with a soft click, a section of the wall slid away, revealing a rack of Advanced Pulse Rifles (APRs), a dozen ammo packs, a selection of energy pulse pistols (EPPs), and lumina burst grenades. He’d found what he needed.

Jax grabbed an XR-3 Aegis Pack and filled it with everything he could carry. He slung two APRs on his back and held a third. After locking in his ammo packs, he powered the rifle on. A warping sound filled the air as a line of light shot down the barrel. An AI voice emanated from the rifle: “Advanced Pulse Rifle D113 online.”

Leaving the armory, Jax continued his search. He set his HMI gauntlet to scan for heat signatures and motion. Room after room, he found only more of his dead crewmates. He froze when the gauntlet alerted him to movement in a nearby server room.

He entered in a low crouch, moving toward the signal until he was right on top of it. He heard a muffled cry. Lowering his rifle, he risked making contact. “Hello? This is the pilot of the Nautilus. Identify yourself.”

Two heads slowly peeked out from under a desk, trembling. It was two lab techs, a man and a woman. Recognizing Jax, they both let out shaky breaths, and the woman began to cry. Jax could see the terror in their eyes; they had witnessed everything.

He approached slowly, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. Their expressions softened as he got closer. The man looked at Jax, his voice pleading. “Please, get my sister to safety.”

Jax placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I know you’re both scared, but there could be other survivors. If you want to get off this ship, you have to stick with me.” He looked the brother in the eye. “If you want to protect your sister, you need to stay focused and help me.”

Jax reached into his pack and handed the brother an APR. “Can you do this?”

The fear on the young man’s face was replaced by a look of focused determination. He stood up straight and took the rifle. It lit up, and the AI voice announced, “Advanced Pulse Rifle D216 online.”

Jax then turned to the sister, who was still in shock. “I need your help, too. I know you don’t want anything to happen to your brother, so you need to be strong.” He offered her an EPP from his pack. She shook her head, refusing to take it. He could see her terror, but he also saw her strength.

“I know you can do this.” Jax glanced at her name tag. “Look at me, Madison.” He took her free hand, and she lifted her head. “If we can save anyone else, we owe it to them to try. You wouldn’t want someone else to be hurt if you knew you could help them, would you?”

Her crying finally subsided. She nodded, freed her hand from his, and took the pistol. Her voice was shaky but clear as she looked at her brother. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Jax took point as they left the server room. The brother stopped him at the corridor. “My name’s Eli.”

Jax gave a half-smile and clapped him on the back. “Alright, Eli. Cover our six. Keep Madison between us.”

“Yes, sir,” Eli nodded.

The three of them swept each room, but tragically, they found no other survivors. When they made it to the bridge, they heard the captain’s voice over the intercom: “Nautilus, this is your Captain speaking.” Do you copy?”

Jax scrambled to the console. “Captain, we’re here! Copy?”

He could hear the relief in Sarah’s voice. “It’s good to hear you, Jax. Give me a status report. Why has no one responded?”

Grief tightened his voice. “Captain, I’m sorry. When I got here, almost everyone was dead. So far, I’ve only found two survivors: Madison and Eli, a couple of lab techs who were hiding.”

A stunned silence met his words. Everyone in the command office with Sarah was in disbelief. Li Yung’s face went pale, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Nathan was talking to Sarah, but his voice sounded distant, disoriented. He touched her shoulder, snapping her back to reality. “Sarah, you have to focus. We need to get them back here now.”

She nodded, her lips trembling, and took a deep breath before keying the comms. “Jax, get yourself and those two back to us safely. Understood?”

After a moment of static, Jax responded, “Copy that, Captain. We’re on our way.”

Sarah was still in shock, trying to wrap her head around the imminent fact that her crew was dead. Men and women under her command, gone. She turned to see Li Yung, motionless except for her tears. Sarah was about to speak when Li Yung blurted out, “We have to get them back, Captain. I can’t lose them. They’re my best friends—we grew up together, joined the Space Force at the same time.”

Sarah had to get a grip on her emotions for the team she had left. She looked firmly at Li Yung. “We don’t have time for a breakdown. We have to get them back safely. Get the station’s security cameras up and running so we don’t lose anyone else.” Li Yung knew she was right and immediately got to work.

Several agonizing minutes passed. Just as Sarah was about to go look for them herself, Li Yung spoke up. “Cameras are online, Captain.” She swiped through screens, bringing up feeds one by one from the station’s entrance to their office. “I’ve done everything I can. The rest of the cameras are either offline or blacked out.”

Sarah scanned the monitors, her heart pounding. She couldn’t see them anywhere. Then, relief washed over her as she spotted them rounding a corner just down the hall. She signaled to Nathan to get the door.

A hollow feeling engulfed the room as Jax reported what he’d seen. Li Yung clung to Eli and Madison, afraid to let them go. Sarah was relieved they were safe but furious that they had been put in that situation.

“What didn’t make sense, Captain,” Jax continued, looking from Sarah to Nathan, “was that there weren’t enough bodies to account for the whole crew. I think some of them might still be alive.”

Nathan was horrified by the loss of life but more concerned about the culprit. He looked at Sarah. “Whatever happened here, someone didn’t want it getting out. We need to contact Central Command, notify them of the situation, and request backup immediately.”

Sarah turned to Eli and Madison. “I can’t begin to imagine what you went through, but I need you both to focus. Get our comms working with Central Command. Can you do it?”

Madison was still shaken, but with Eli by her side, she knew she had a job to do. They quickly got to work.

Jax approached Sarah. “Captain, we need to fortify our position. We have to be prepared for an attack.”

Sarah agreed completely but lacked Jax’s tactical knowledge. “What do you suggest?”

“I served two years as a longshot sniper before moving to fighter pilot during the colonization wars,” Jax explained. “From what we know, these hostiles have military training.”

Nathan asked, “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“The bodies on the ship,” Jax answered. “The kills were too clean, too quick for a struggle. Most were killed from unknown positions. Our crew never had a chance to fight back.”

The logic was sound. Jax laid out a plan to keep them all alive until rescue arrived, and everyone agreed. Sarah told Lu to work with Jax, given their shared military experience. Nathan accompanied them. The officer started to follow, but Sarah stopped him.

“I need you in here as backup.”

He looked at her with frustration. “My job is to escort Louise at all times, Captain.”

Sarah’s patience snapped. She slammed her hand on the desk, startling everyone. “Officer, on my mission, you are under my command! We are under attack. You will do as you’re ordered and protect my technicians. Are we clear?”

He gritted his teeth. “Clear.”

Nathan took a comm link from Eli, who manned the security cameras to guide their way. Madison coordinated with Sarah, rewiring the comms to reach Central Command. Li Yung pulled up station schematics for Eli and tried to access old log files to learn more about the station.

“Chief, you’re clear for the next three corridors,” Eli’s voice came over the comm.

“Copy that,” Nathan responded. He was in the rear, with Jax at point and Louise in the middle.

Jax stopped and turned to Louise with a serious look. “Lu, besides me and the officer, you’re the only one here with weapons training.” He unholstered his EPP, handed it to her, and met her gaze. “I need to know you’ll have our backs.”

Nathan was surprised but understood the reasoning. Without flinching, Louise took the pistol and switched off the safety. “Looks like you’re both just going to have to trust me.”

Jax knew he’d made the right call. He glanced at Nathan, who nodded in agreement.

“Where to first, boss?” Louise asked, looking at Nathan.

Nathan consulted the schematics on his HDI gauntlet. “Our first objective is this room here. An armory. Let’s see if there’s anything we can use.” With a shared goal, they moved out.

Back in the command office, Madison threw her hands up. “Captain, we have comm links to Central Command!”

Sarah grabbed the mic, her voice urgent. “Central Command, this is the Captain of the Nautilus. Do you copy?”

Static crackled, then a voice came through. “Copy, Captain. We hear you loud and clear.”

Everyone in the room felt a sense of hope.

“Central Command, this is a code red!” Sarah said. “We are facing hostiles and need immediate backup and rescue at our location.”

After a moment of silence, Sarah asked, “Central Command, do you copy?”

A different, stern voice came through. “Captain, this is Major General Lockhart. What is happening up there?”

Sarah was confused. “Major General, we are not alone on this station. We are facing hostiles and need immediate rescue.”

More silence. Then Lockhart’s voice returned, cold as ice. “Captain, that station has been abandoned for almost two decades. I don’t know what’s going on, but if you can’t complete the mission, I will relieve you of command and hand it over to Officer Wilson.”

Frustrated and bewildered, Sarah yelled into the comms, “This is an emergency! We have dead crew members on my ship! We need help!”

“Captain, you are clearly under too much stress to do your job,” Lockhart replied harshly. “You are relieved as Captain of the Nautilus. Officer Wilson, I am giving you command. I expect you to complete the mission.”

Sarah couldn’t find the words. She looked around the room at her crew, who had all stopped, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. What just happened? She thought to herself.

 

Chapter 4

There were no words to describe Sarah’s feeling-just a heavy pressure on her chest as she been a Captain for over seven years, and to have it suddenly taken from her was unthinkable.

Office Wilson straightened up, walked away from Li Yung, and approached Sarah with a harsh demeanor. “Alright, Officer. You heard the Major General. You’ve been relieved of command. Step away from comms and help the tech, Eli, get this station back into it’s correct orbit.”

Sarah immediately lashed back. “I’m the Captain of the Nautilus, and these people are my responsibility.”

Officer Wilson reached for his EPP, aiming it at Sarah and making her step back in fear and confusion. “Officer Sarah Wren Mitchell, you have defied a direct order from your government and commanding officer. You are hereby under arrest of negligence and abandoning your post.” He glanced at Eli. “Eli , take my cuffs and place them on Miss Mitchell.”

Eli was on edge, his eyes darting between Sarah and Wilson. He was about to protest when Wilson’s yell shocked him back to reality. “You’ve been given an order, Mister Eli! Arrest this woman before I arrest you as well.”

Horrified, Eli froze. Sarah spoke up to comfort him. “Eli, do as he says. It’s okay, I promise.” She tried to hide her emotions to keep her people safe, since no one else was armed.

Eli’s hands shook as he approached. Sarah took his hands in hers and whispered, “Stay focused. Protect the others.” Her words got through to him. He placed the cuffs on her wrists, and they flashed and clicked as they locked.

“Yes, Captain,” he said in a low voice, a newfound determination on his face.

Once she was secured, Wilson grabbed her arm and escorted her to a corner of the room. Sitting her down in a chair, he said, “If you do as you're told for the rest of the mission, maybe you won’t have a long prison sentence, Miss Mitchell.”

Wilson holstered his weapon and went to the command desk. “Li Yung, cut off all comms, stop assisting Chief Mitchell, and get me the schematics for the navigation room. The rest of you, get started on solutions to get us back into orbit.”

Everyone hesitated, especially Li Yung, who was having conflicting thoughts about abandoning Nathan and the others.

“Please, do as he says,” Sarah urged. “We’ll get out of this faster.”

Wilson quickly spun around, snapping at her. “Quiet, prisoner! You're not giving the orders.” He glared at the others. “I’m your Captain now, and you’ll do as I command if you expect to keep your jobs.” Reluctantly, they nodded and got to work.

Jax stopped at a three-way intersection and asked Nathan which way the armory was. Nathan pulled up his HDI gauntlet, looked over the map, and signaled left. As they kept tight to the walls to be less visible, Nathan said, “The armory is two doors down on the left.”

Approaching the door, Jax used caution. The door and its frame were beaten, as if someone had rammed it open. He held up a fist, signaling them to stop, then motioned for Lu to get on the other side of the door frame to help him breach it, and for Nathan to be ready for anything.

Once everyone was in position, Jax counted down in a hushed voice. “On three. Three, two, one... go.”

They rushed inside, but thankfully, the room was empty. They relaxed and took in their surroundings, immediately realizing it had been nearly cleaned out, just like the ship's armory. Nathan lowered his rifle and checked a storage closet. To his luck, he found a few Aegis Hades vests—Heuristic Armor & Damage Evasion Systems. He handed one to Jax and another to Lu before grabbing one for himself. They set their weapons down long enough to get the vests on and activate the armor.

They searched the rest of the armory but only found a few extra vests and some packs of APR ammo. The room had been swiped clean.

Lu looked at Jax. “What’s our next move?”

Jax thought for a moment. “We still don’t know who or what the hostile is, but we know they’re armed and capable of killing without us knowing. I saw the bodies on the ship.” He paused, weighing his options.

Nathan looked between them. “What are you thinking?”

“I think we shouldn’t go back to the others just yet,” Jax said. “You never want your enemy to know exactly how many people you have. We also know that not everyone was on the ship when I went back, which means they have them alive somewhere in this place.”

Lu, being former military, understood his logic. “You want us to find the hostiles, don’t you?”

Jax gave them both a half-smile.

Nathan was against leaving Sarah but understood the reasoning behind Jax’s idea. He knew it was their best play. They agreed that staying separated was the best decision until they knew what they were dealing with.

Lu looked out the window and saw the sun moving behind the Earth. It explained why she felt so drained. In the constant state of alert, she had lost track of time. “If we don’t get some rest, none of us will be any good in a fight.”

Jax knew she was right. He nodded and began to barricade the door as Nathan sent a message over his gauntlet to Sarah’s team: Bunkering down for the night. Will continue sweeping the station tomorrow.

Jax volunteered for the first watch so Nathan and Lu could rest. Sitting there, he reminisced about the old days, stationed in other parts of the world—long, brutal nights on cliffsides, in caves, or in open fields, whether scorching hot or pouring rain. When a soldier was ordered to camp and keep an eye on the enemy, he did it without question. Jax could remember staring for hours through his sniper scope, waiting for the kill order.

A few hours passed, and Nathan joined Jax by the window. He sat down quietly, and they both stared out into the dark mass of space. Neither said anything for a long while; there was nothing to say that could fix their situation. After some time, they heard Lu mumbling in her sleep. Nathan let out a short laugh, then stopped himself.

He looked at Jax and said quietly, “We have a duty to protect them and get them off this station, no matter what. I’m just upset about all the lives we’ve already lost to this unknown threat. It infuriates me that I couldn’t stop it.”

Jax stopped him before he could continue, recognizing the deep, digging feeling of guilt. “Man, look, you can’t hold that weight. Yes, we lost people, but others are still alive, and they need our help. We owe it to those who died to protect the ones who are still here.”

Nathan looked down at the EPP in his hand. Despite the pain, he knew Jax was right. He simply nodded. Without another word, Jax moved over to the sleeping area, and Nathan went back to staring out the window at the distant stars, thinking about Sarah and hoping she was okay.

Sunlight streamed through the armory's window as Earth revealed the sun once again, waking Jax and Lu. It was time to move. With a new sense of purpose, Nathan was ready to do what needed to be done. They suited up and pushed further into the station, away from the security cameras. Nathan disconnected all links and comms to the others to prevent anyone from finding them.

Sarah was abruptly woken by a kick to her shoe. “Time to wake up, prisoner. You can be useful today.” Wilson was towering over her as she rubbed her eyes. She saw Madison sitting in the exact same spot as when she had fallen asleep. Did she work all night? Sarah wondered.

Wilson was extra aggressive, likely due to the unsuccessful efforts to get the station back in orbit. Sarah felt confident Wilson wasn’t going to hurt her—he would have already done it if he was going to—so she decided to push for information. “Wilson, what’s really going on? Why are you and Lockhart covering this place up?”

He didn’t like the questioning. He rushed toward her as if to strike her but stopped himself. “Enough. I’m tired of hearing you speak. Frankly, you should be more worried about why most of your people are dead instead of spouting nonsense about cover-ups with no proof.”

“My crew is dead because Lockhart sent us here under false pretenses,” Sarah countered. “He knew there was a danger and didn't warn us.” Her words echoed in the quiet room. Everyone knew it was true but was afraid to say anything.

Wilson couldn't handle the pressure and snapped. He took his EPP from its holster and fired a shot that hit the floor just beneath her seat. “Enough,” he said, his voice dry.

The sound of the EPP blast startled everyone but Wilson. Sarah knew she was getting a reaction out of him, but she backed off for the time being. Eli knew something had to be done, and fast. He didn’t want anything to happen to his sister, but he couldn’t just stand by while people were dying, and Wilson was helping to cover it up.

Eli stood up calmly and approached Wilson. “We are running on fumes, and everyone is scared and exhausted.”

Wilson gave him a stern look. “Do you have a point, lab tech, or are you just stating the obvious?”

Eli straightened up. “We have weeks to get the station on the correct orbiting path before it crashes into the Chinese satellite. Let’s stop and focus on the bigger issue right now.”

issue might that be?”

“Someone is killing our people,” Eli said, astonished by Wilson's behavior. “I don't care what this place is or that it's being covered up. What's not in your control is the killer. You can't be in charge if you're dead. So, unless you want to make it back to Earth alive, I suggest you stop acting like everything is under control and start thinking like a real leader, instead of stripping someone of their title without knowing the consequences.”

Wilson hesitated. He knew Eli was right but didn't want the tech to think he could speak to him that way. “We are all in this together, yes, but you will do as you're told. If that's going to be a problem, you can be cuffed right next to your former Captain.”

Eli resented the remark but let it go, hoping he had made a slight difference.

“Now,” Eli continued, “We need to figure out the food and restroom situation. We control thirty percent of the security cameras, so we need to utilize the areas of the station that we can see.” Wilson was terrified of moving around the station, but he couldn't disagree with Eli without giving away what he already knew. With a fraction of hesitation, he agreed, deciding to go along with the idea so he could come up with a plan of his own.

Wilson stood up straight, fixing his uniform. “It would appear we might not be alone up here, but we still have a mission. We will have to go in groups. I suggest we get back to the ship and supply ourselves with enough food and water to last a few days.”

Tears welled in Madison’s eyes. “There’s no way I’m going back to that ship after seeing all those dead people! Plus, we have no camera coverage between the station’s airlock and the ship’s hatch.”

Wilson, irritated but understanding, threw out another suggestion. “Okay, then how about we go to the mess hall? We can find the access point to the kitchen and see if we can get supplies there.”

The suggestion was horrible, and everyone was scared. Sarah could see the panic and knew it had to be done if they wanted to survive. “Send me to the mess hall.”

Wilson choked back a laugh. “Let you go? Do I look that stupid to you?”

“What other choice do you have, Wilson?” Sarah pressed. “Look at everyone. They’re tired and terrified. And where am I going to go with no crew to fly my ship?”

Wilson hated the idea but knew she was right. He caved, but with a twisted demand. “Fine. You want to play the hero? You can go to the mess hall, but you’ll be taking…” He looked at Madison. “You’ll be taking her with you as extra hands.”

Both Sarah and Madison protested, but Wilson continued. “Think of it as motivation to return. Because if you don't, this gentleman here can be removed from his job and follow you to prison.” He looked between Eli and Madison with a crooked smile, knowing Sarah wouldn't let that happen.

None of them liked it, but it wasn’t up for debate. Eli took his sister’s hand. “Just stay close to Sarah and do as she asks.”

Madison was panicking, but Eli calmed her. “I know you can do this. I’ll be watching the monitors from here.” She nodded, not confident but trusting her brother.

Sarah walked to the door with Madison, talking her through setting up an HDI gauntlet on her arm. Then she looked back at Wilson. “We need a weapon if I’m going to stay in these cuffs.”

“Out of the question,” Wilson laughed.

“We don't have time for this, Wilson!” Sarah lashed back. “I need to know she’s safe while we’re running blind around this station. Give her a weapon.”

“You have all the protection you need right here,” Wilson said, gesturing to the monitors. “And you have the HDI gauntlet, so be grateful. Now, you both better get moving if you want to make it back.”

Jax and his team pushed further into the darkened zone. He came to a halt, and Nathan looked ahead to see what had stopped him. There was no way to describe what they were witnessing other than carnage. The walls were soaked in blood smears, and the hall looked like a battleground where a war had broken out. Bodies were hunched against the walls and scattered on the floor. At first, they thought the victims were their people, but upon closer examination, they saw the bodies were much older. A small relief came over Nathan, but the fact remained: people had lost their lives here.

They moved in formation, checking room after room for answers or survivors, but found nothing. Every room beyond the bloodied walls echoed the same fate: blood and bodies. Jax had seen a lot of war in his time, but nothing prepared him for this. Lu had seen bloodshed, but this was different. War always had a reason—money, power, territory—but this was just chaos.

Jax signaled for them to keep their eyes forward. He shone a light on a sign to their right: WARDEN’S OFFICE. Lu was right; this was a prison. Noticing the door was damaged and partially open, Jax slowly pried it open just enough to slip inside without making much noise. Once in, he stood guard while Lu and Nathan sorted through the files and papers scattered everywhere.

It took a few hours, but working diligently, they cleaned up the office. “Jax, any chance of getting this door more secure?” Nathan asked.

Jax shook his head. “It’s too damaged. The hydraulics are completely broken.”

Nathan sat at the desk and tried to access the computer. He wasn’t as fast at hacking as Sarah, but he knew he could get in with time. Finally, he cracked the access codes. The outdated computer hummed and hissed as it ran its processing system. He asked Lu to look through the physical files for who oversaw the prison while he skimmed the digital records.

“Chief, take a look at this,” Lu said, handing him a file. “Apparently, this was an experimental prison called Project Astraea. It was shut down in the year 2098.”

Nathan read over the files, seeing exactly what Lu was telling him. “But how did they even start this? There's no way any government would have signed off on locking people up in space. Do we know who oversaw this project?”

Lu took the file back. “Unfortunately, the name of whoever funded it was redacted, along with several other names and companies. The specifics of the project are gone, too.”

Jax listened to their conversation. “Check if there was a lead scientist, or any company around that time studying long-term space stations.”

It was like a light bulb went off for Nathan. He started typing away, fishing for answers, when Lu jumped up. “Look here! Most of this paper is redacted, but there’s a mention of a Dr. Lucien. He was working on a project to sustain life for long periods in space, but that's all that isn't redacted.”

Nathan immediately started researching Dr. Lucien in the system. They were on to something.

“According to this, Dr. Luke Lucien worked for a company called Genesis Labs,” Nathan said after a moment. “His title was Space Logistics Engineer. He studied stations in orbit and their inhabitants on a psychological level. It seems his work is the reason we can do what we do now. He monitored people after they returned to Earth from long missions to evaluate their mental health.” Nathan scrolled further, his face darkening.

“What did you find?” Lu asked.

Nathan looked over the file again before confirming. “Dr. Lucien was approached by the US military to conduct an on-board experiment for a project called Astraea.” They all looked at each other as Nathan continued reading.

“Construction began in 2096 but was shut down in 2098 when complications started on board the prison. The project was abandoned and scheduled for decommission in 2099 to salvage some of the billions that went into building it. Soon after, Dr. Lucien reportedly quit his position and was never heard from again.”

It didn't make sense. If the prison was decommissioned, they wouldn't be standing in it.

“Someone was lying,” Jax said. “Who was the military liaison for the project?”

Nathan kept scrolling, then he stopped. It all began to make sense. He couldn't hide his anger.

“What’s wrong?” Lu asked, seeing the look on his face.

With his fists clenched, Nathan said, “It was Lockhart. He was the one behind Project Astraea.”

 

Chapter 5 Reveal

Sarah and Madison made their way to the mess hall, trying to be as quiet as possible. Both were terrified and just wanted to get it over with. More than scared, Madison was upset. If anything happened to her brother, she would never forgive herself. Sensing her distress, Sarah tried to distract her.

“So, how long have you been in the technician field?”

Madison, caught off guard by the question, replied, “Oh, I’ve been a lab technician for two years. This was my first real space mission after countless simulations.”

Sarah could see Madison relaxing as she talked, so she kept asking questions. “Really? How many simulations did you go through before being assigned here?”

“I’ve completed eighty-two simulations, with seventy-four successful missions,” Madison answered without hesitation.

Sarah was impressed. “With that success rate, why didn’t you find a ship to work on sooner?”

Madison looked down, her pace slowing. “Because Eli and I promised we’d only go up in space if we were together. Most captains don’t allow families to work together, so we waited until one would.”

It made perfect sense to Sarah. She knew many captains saw family members as a hassle or a liability, overlooking their potential.

Their walk fell silent for a moment before Sarah spoke up. “Well, I’m proud to have you and your brother under my command. Not many people could handle themselves under these circumstances, but you both have stepped up when it mattered. That’s the sign of a real leader.”

Madison offered a half-smile and held her head higher. “Thank you, Captain.” That was all Sarah needed to hear to know she had gotten through to her.

They reached the mess hall and started searching for a way into the kitchen. Sarah spotted a door that was nearly hidden from view and motioned with her head. A palm scanner guarded the entrance, but since neither of them had authorization, Sarah had to hack the access protocols to grant them clearance.

Once inside, they found the kitchen in disarray. Supplies were thrown all over the floor, and the pantry had been cleaned out except for a few cans of old, expired soup. They had to eat, so they grabbed what they could and started for the exit. As they were leaving, they heard footsteps and chattering from the outside hallway. Sarah grabbed Madison’s arm, silently telling her to follow, and they rushed back into the kitchen to hide.

The voices grew clearer, and Sarah could tell the speakers were now in the mess hall and getting closer. Madison hid underneath the sink while Sarah concealed herself in a large storage bin near the stoves. She had a clear line of sight to Madison and could see her terror, but Madison held a hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound.

The footsteps grew louder as two men entered the kitchen. Sarah could finally put faces to the voices. They were both wearing inmate clothing that clearly hadn’t been washed in some time. One had fresh scars on his face from a recent fight. They moved in patterns that suggested they had training; they were not ordinary prisoners.

“Look over here,” one of them said. “Our guests have helped themselves to our canned food.”

Noticing the missing items, they began searching the room. They moved dangerously close to Sarah’s hiding spot. Madison knew she couldn’t let Sarah get captured. She wasn’t brave, but she thought of her brother and knew he would do something. Sarah saw the look on Madison’s face, her entire demeanor changing as the men got closer. She shook her head toward Madison, but it was no use.

Madison found the courage she needed. She climbed out from under the sink as quietly as she could, then darted for the door and into the mess hall. The two men took off after her, laughing as if it were a game. Sarah held back tears as she heard Madison screaming and fighting back. As her screams became muffled and the laughter faded, Sarah knew they were gone.

She forced herself out of the bin and looked over to where Madison had been hiding. More tears fell down her cheeks. She sat there for a while, emotionally defeated. Her wrists were rubbed raw from the electronic cuffs, and she didn’t want to move. But anger began to burn through her despair. She had to do something before it was too late.

As Sarah stood up, she noticed something blinking by the sink. She walked over and found Madison’s HDI gauntlet. She must have taken it off so I could find her, Sarah thought.

She knew she couldn’t get far with the cuffs on. She grabbed the gauntlet and began reprogramming it to take her cuffs offline. After a few minutes, the cuffs switched off and popped open. Sarah rubbed her badly bruised wrists, waiting for the feeling to return before grabbing the gauntlet and setting off after the men who took Madison.

Meanwhile, as Eli watched the women make their way to the mess hall on the security feed, Wilson asked Li Yung for an update. “Any idea why the station is out of its original orbit?”

Li Yung was tired and frustrated. This wasn’t her area of expertise, but after digging through the station’s archives, she thought she might have an answer. “Sir, I’m not qualified in this field, so I’m not sure, but based on these notes I may know how to find out.”

Wilson sighed but motioned for her to continue.

“When you and the others were in the engine room, did you find any other panels with monitors or switches?” she asked.

He thought for a moment but couldn’t recall anything. It had been hard to see, and they hadn’t stayed long. “Why?”

“Well, if I’m reading these power surge diagnostics correctly, we are still only running on eighty percent of our total power,” she said, showing him the location on the map. “If we can finish powering up the station, there’s an AI monitoring system that can better assist us.”

Wilson was impressed with her resourcefulness. “Alright then. Good work, Miss Li Yung.” He walked over to Eli. “Let’s get word to Madison and have them take a look at the engine room while they’re already in that direction.”

Eli didn’t like the idea of his sister being in danger any longer than necessary, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. He sent a recorded message to Madison’s HDI gauntlet and waited for a response. After a few minutes passed with no reply, he sent another. A bad feeling grew in his gut. He switched over to the security camera feed, cycling through sectors to locate them. Wilson came and stood over his shoulder.

“Try the mess hall feed,” Wilson said, his voice tight with concern. “They should be there by now.”

Eli quickly typed and pulled up the mess hall cameras, but he was not prepared for what he saw. Sarah and Madison were running through the mess hall and into another room—most likely the kitchen. Wilson demanded that Eli get eyes on them immediately, but there was either no camera in that room or it had been destroyed.

Just as he started to look away, two men entered the mess hall, heading straight for the room the women had run into. Panic seized Eli, and he shot up from his chair. Wilson pushed him back down.

“That’s my sister!” Eli yelled, trying to get up again.

Wilson put his hand on his EPP. “We won’t make it in time. Sit down and focus.”

Eli stared at the monitors. Every worst-case scenario ran through his mind. Suddenly, he saw Madison running back through the mess hall as fast as she could, but it wasn’t enough. The two men were on her heels. He watched in horror as she fought them, but they restrained her effortlessly and carried her out of the mess hall, down a few hallways, and out of sight of any online cameras.

Eli’s blood boiled. He yelled in agony.

“Stand down, Eli, or I’ll have to restrain you,” Wilson said, raising his own defense.

Through his tears, Eli saw Sarah running out of the mess hall, heading in the direction his sister had been taken. She was no longer wearing cuffs. He refused to let anything else happen without doing something. He didn’t care what happened to him; he had to get to his sister. Without another thought, he charged Wilson.

Li Yung watched the tackle, then heard the sharp crack of an EPP. Wilson fell to the floor with Eli on top of him. Eli punched Wilson repeatedly, intending to kill him, but Li Yung rushed over and caught his wrist.

“Eli, enough! This isn’t what Madison would want!”

Wilson was alive but badly beaten. Once Eli stopped, he began to cry again. Li Yung pulled him into her arms. After a moment, she noticed her hand on his shoulder felt warm and wet. It was blood.

“Eli, you’ve been hit! We have to get you to the medical wing. Now.”

He was fading, but he mumbled, “We have to find Madison.”

Li Yung grabbed the EPP from the floor beside Wilson and used her weight to pull Eli to his feet. “We can’t get to Madison if you’re dead, and she would kill me if I let anything happen to you. Let’s go.”

Eli let out a weak chuckle. He knew she was probably right. The adrenaline was draining away fast. Li Yung half-carried him toward the medical wing, hoping she could get him there in time.

Nathan and the others heard muffled screams and the sounds of a struggle echoing down the hallway, growing louder as they approached. Jax had his APR raised, ready for contact. Lu moved to the opposite side of the wall, mirroring Jax’s position. Nathan tapped Jax’s shoulder, signaling him to stay back, then stepped into the wedge of the doorway, waiting.

He saw them—two men—carrying Madison. Without hesitation, Nathan stepped into the hallway, APR aimed directly at them. “Let go. Now,” he demanded.

The men froze. Madison, still struggling, caught sight of Nathan and felt a wave of relief—he was alive. But the standoff lingered. The men didn’t seem intimidated. Nathan repeated his warning, this time with unmistakable aggression. “Let her go. Now.”

They chuckled, unfazed, unaware that Nathan wasn’t alone. Suddenly, a blast rang out—an explosive pulse scorched the floor beside one of the inmates. Their expressions shifted. They realized Nathan hadn’t fired the shot. From the shadows of the warden’s office, the barrel of another APR protruded—silent, steady, and aimed.

One of the men nodded toward the office, acknowledging the threat. They glanced back at Nathan, whose expression hadn’t changed. Slowly, they released Madison. Nathan motioned her back toward the others, careful not to mention any names.

Both sides stood still, uncertain of their next move. Nathan needed answers—and he intended to get them.

“I want to meet whoever’s in charge,” he said.

The inmates laughed. One of them spoke up. “You don’t want that, my man. You’re already dead—why rush the inevitable?”

Nathan didn’t flinch. He kept his APR trained on them. “I said I want to meet your leader. Enough blood’s been shed. There are worse things than us killing each other.”

Confusion flickered across their faces. They didn’t understand what he meant. The same man shrugged it off. “Fine. You want to meet the boss? Come with us.”

Nathan didn’t bite. “No. One of you stays here. The other goes to get your leader.”

They hesitated—clearly unwilling. But then came the unmistakable chime of APRs locking onto them from the doorway. Reluctantly, they gave in. The speaker nodded, keeping his hands visible, and walked down the hallway, past the blood trail and bodies. Nathan kept his APR aimed until the man was out of sight.

He turned to the remaining inmate—a fresh scar marked his face. Nathan motioned with his APR, directing him into the warden’s office. Inside, APRs were aimed at him from both sides of the door.

Meanwhile, Sarah was sprinting down the hallway, desperate to catch up to the men who had taken Madison. But then—Madison appeared, running toward her in a panic. Sarah caught her in her arms, hugging her tightly, overwhelmed with relief and confusion.

“Thank God, Madison,” she gasped, both of them breathless. “What happened? How did you get away?”

Madison was still trembling, adrenaline surging through her. “Nathan. He saved me.”

Sarah’s heart leapt at the sound of his name. He was alive. “What? What happened?”

Madison took a moment to catch her breath. “They were carrying me down the hallway. I fought, but they overpowered me. Then—Nathan was just there. Standing in front of us with an APR aimed right at them.”

Sarah had never held a gun before, let alone pointed one at someone. Madison continued, her voice quieter now. “If it wasn’t for Nathan, I don’t know what would’ve happened. But… it was strange.”

She paused.

“Strange how?” Sarah asked.

Madison hesitated, then spoke. “Nathan… he seemed different.” She took a breath. “If I didn’t already know him, I would’ve been scared of him myself.”

Sarah had known Nathan for seven years. She had never seen him lose his temper—not once.

Sarah’s first instinct was to chase after Nathan, but her thoughts were interrupted by Madison’s scream.

“Oh my god—Eli!”

Madison didn’t finish her sentence before sprinting past Sarah. Sarah spun around to see Li Yung struggling to hold Eli upright. Blood soaked the left side of his body, and Li Yung’s free hand was pressed tightly against his shoulder, trying to slow the bleeding.

Madison rushed to Eli, grabbed his limp arm, and threw it over her shoulders. Sarah snapped back to reality and hurried toward them.

“What happened, Li Yung?” she asked.

Li Yung handed Sarah the EPP to help support Eli’s weight.

“Wilson,” she said breathlessly. “Eli saw two men take Madison from the mess hall. He snapped—rushed Wilson—and the EPP went off during the struggle before Eli could disarm him.”

They all rushed toward the medical wing. Li Yung was panicked, afraid Madison would blame her.

“It all happened so fast. I didn’t know what to do. He was so angry—he would’ve killed Wilson if I hadn’t stopped him.”

Madison was in tears. She looked at Eli, then back at Sarah.

“You’re going to be okay, Eli. We’ll get you fixed up. Everything will be fine.”

Eli could hear Madison’s voice, but his eyes were barely open. He forced out a single word.

“Madison…”

The girls were frantic, running in circles. Sarah raised her HDI gauntlet and pulled up the station schematics, searching for the fastest route to the medical wing.

“We’re almost there, Eli. Just hang in there,” she said.

The doors swished open. They got Eli onto a hospital bed. Sarah grabbed surgical scissors and cut his shirt from collar to shoulder. The wound was bad—deep and still bleeding.

With only basic first aid training, Sarah turned to the others.

“Do either of you have medical experience?” 

Both shook their heads. Sarah looked at Madison.

“You’re his next of kin. If I operate, I need your permission—now.”

Madison stared at the wound, frozen in shock. Blood kept gushing out. Sarah grabbed her arm to snap her out of it.

“Madison, if I don’t act now, he could bleed out.”

Madison looked at Sarah, fear in her eyes.

“Save him, Captain. Please,” she begged, her voice breaking.

Sarah nodded. She turned to Li Yung.

“Okay, Li Yung. I need you to hold him down—use your body weight if you have to. Don’t let him move, no matter what.”

Li Yung was trembling but nodded. She understood.

“Madison, I need towels, syringes, and bandages—go!”

Madison darted around the medical wing, gathering supplies. Sarah ran to the medicine cabinet, searching for anything to numb the pain.

“Eli, listen to me. This is going to hurt. You have to fight it. Stay as still as you can.”

She pulled off her belt, folded it, and placed it in Eli’s mouth. “Bite down.”

She nodded to Li Yung, then jabbed the syringe into Eli’s shoulder. He flinched violently. There was no time to wait for the medicine to take effect. Sarah poured hot water into the wound left by the energy burst. Eli groaned through clenched teeth.

Sarah grabbed a can of Pyroclast Hemostatic Foam—known as Screamer’s Foam—and pressed it against the wound. She hit the trigger.

A bright spark of light erupted, sending waves of pain through Eli’s body. He thrashed, but Li Yung held him down with all her strength. After several agonizing seconds, the spark stopped. The hole was sealed, a small bubble of foam forming around the entrance. The bleeding had stopped—but Eli had lost too much blood. His body went limp. He passed out.

Madison panicked, but Sarah grabbed her. “He needs blood. You’re the only match.”

Li Yung stepped back, tears forming in her eyes, but she held them in.

Hours passed. Eli’s pulse had stabilized, but he remained unconscious. Madison was pale from the transfusion, but she didn’t care—he was alive.

Sarah approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. “How are you feeling, Madison?”

Madison’s response was slow. Her eyes stayed on Eli, but she looked up and gave Sarah a faint smile. “Eli’s alive, so I’m okay. Thank you, Sarah.”

It was the first time she hadn’t called her “Captain.” It felt different—but good.

Sarah knew they’d endured so much in the last 24 hours. She was amazed by the bond between the siblings. “I didn’t do much. I just did what I thought was right.”

Madison reached up and held Sarah’s hand. “My brother wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I don’t know if I could’ve found the strength to do what you did.”

Sarah gripped her hand and looked her in the eye. “Madison, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You saved his life just as much as I did.”

Madison’s arm was still sore from the transfusion. Sarah patted her shoulder. “Try to get some rest. You’ll want to be awake when he is.”

Sarah walked over to Li Yung, who was no longer trembling. “How are you holding up?”

Li Yung looked exhausted but relieved. “I’m okay. This whole ordeal has just been… a lot.”

Sarah nodded. She’d never had a mission this complicated. She looked out the window of the medical wing, down at Earth, wondering why all of this was happening.

“You’ve all proven yourselves,” she said. “When this is over, I’d like you to stay on my ship—despite everything that’s happened.”

Li Yung stood tall and saluted. “I’ll follow you anywhere, Captain.”

Sarah turned—and to her surprise, Eli was awake, sitting up in bed. Madison stood beside him, both saluting.

Eli looked at her and said, “So are we, Captain. We’ll fly with you across space—no matter what.”

Meanwhile, Nathan waited for the man in charge. Time dragged on. When the man finally arrived, Nathan studied him, trying to get a read.

“So why did you kill our people? Why attack us at all?” Nathan asked.

The man huffed and shrugged, offering no answer.

Jax stepped forward, pulled the EPP from his leg holster, and pressed it to the man’s temple. “Yo. The man asked you a question.”

The man didn’t flinch. “You show up here, invade our home, and expect us not to retaliate?”

Nathan’s fury boiled. “We didn’t know anyone was up here. Even if we did, that doesn’t give you the right to take innocent lives.”

“We didn’t know who you were—or who sent you,” the man replied. “After all these years, they finally send people. We assumed you were here to finish the job. To eliminate us.”

Jax lowered his weapon. “What job? Why are you here? How did you survive all this time?”

The man saw Jax’s genuine concern and finally answered. “We were part of an experimental trial. This is a military prison—for soldiers who knew too much. They didn’t want to risk us talking.”

Jax had suspected military ties. “So what went wrong?”

The man sighed. “Things were fine at first. But then some prisoners learned that others were planted—spies. Just regular people: construction workers, therapists, folks who needed work. Riots broke out. Accusations flew. Guards were outnumbered, disarmed. Most were killed. Some joined the survivors.”

He was about to continue when Lu interrupted. “Guys—we’ve got company.”

They moved into the hallway. A man stood calmly, flanked by nearly a dozen armed men with APRs. Beside him were terrified crew members.

Nathan stood face-to-face with the man. Jax crouched behind him, APR in sniper position. Lu mirrored the stance on the opposite side, her body mostly hidden but ready.

The man raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. “You asked for me. I’m here peacefully. So how about we put the guns down and be civilized?”

Nathan glanced at Jax, uncertain. “How do we know you won’t just shoot us like the others?”

The man chuckled. “If I wanted you dead, I clearly have more guns than you.”

Nathan nodded to Jax and Lu. They lowered their weapons.

“The name’s Marcus,” the man said. “And it looks like we have a lot to discuss.”

Chapter 6

Marcus stepped forward and offered Nathan his hand. Nathan found the man difficult to assess. He was unlike the other two they had encountered, and he appeared to be neither an inmate nor a guard. Nathan perceived something distinct in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment before taking Marcus’s hand and shaking it.

Marcus then extended his hand to Jax and Lu, but Jax refused to move his hand from his APR. Lu, however, accepted the handshake. Marcus took her hand gently, a knowing smile on his lips. “It is a rare pleasure to see a woman of such capability,” he said with a disarming charm, kissing the back of her hand. “Any woman who can hold an APR without wavering while others have weapons pointed at her… I would surmise you are not someone to provoke.”

Lu offered him a confident smile. “I suppose you will find out if you provoke me.”

Marcus stepped back, gesturing for them to return to the warden’s office. He motioned for the crew members his men had been holding captive. They were brought into the office as Marcus seated himself on the corner of the warden’s desk. He observed Nathan and then Jax, who remained standing, refusing to lower his guard. He flashed another smile at Lu before speaking.

“Let us be clear,” Marcus said, his focus settling on Nathan. “When I ask you a question, you will be truthful. When you ask a question of me, I will do the same.”

Nathan nodded silently; Marcus could see the sincerity in his expression.

“Why have your people come to our particular paradise?” Marcus asked.

Numerous possibilities raced through Nathan’s mind, but he chose his words with care to prevent any harm from coming to his crew. He never broke eye contact with Marcus. “Our mission briefing stated that the station has fallen out of its designated orbit and is on a collision course with a foreign satellite.”

Marcus could tell Nathan was not lying. “Which country?”

“China,” Nathan replied.

Marcus rubbed his jawline before responding. “Well, that explains your presence, but it does not explain why none of you attempted to contact us upon your arrival.” Nathan began to respond, but Marcus continued, “Out of orbit, you say? That would clarify the power surges we have been experiencing.”

“We were informed that no one was aboard,” Nathan said abruptly. “That the station had been decommissioned for the past seventeen years.”

Marcus paused as whispers stirred among the others in the room. His hand fell from his jaw, and he rose from the desk to pace. “Has it truly been that long?” Nathan could tell it was less of a question and more a statement to himself.

“Marcus,” Nathan pressed, “how have you all survived here this entire time?”

Marcus looked back at him, his expression suddenly colder, conflicted. He ignored the question. “And what was their mission for you here?”

Nathan noticed the other men in the room shifting uneasily. “Our mission was to repair the orbital relay and prevent the collision.” He was growing weary of the interrogation without receiving any answers himself. “I have answered your questions. It is time you answered mine.”

Marcus laughed softly. He understood why he had taken a liking to Nathan. “For a man who is so clearly outnumbered, you possess a defiant spirit.” He was impressed by Nathan’s boldness. “Very well. We conserved what power we could and converted the majority of it to a single room to construct a greenhouse.”

One of Marcus’s men—the one Nathan had held captive earlier—spoke up. “Sir, we should not be sharing information with them.”

Marcus remained silent, which seemed to agitate the man further. “We have more than enough men! We should eliminate them now!”

This immediately put Nathan’s group on high alert, but the subsequent event was unexpected. A sharp crack echoed through the room, its source a mystery. Everyone tensed, raising their weapons, but Marcus waved his men down. Nathan exchanged a confused glance with Lu and Jax. Where did that shot come from? He wondered. Suddenly, he heard a soft cry of pain and looked up to see it was coming from the insubordinate man. A scorch mark smoldered in the center of his chest. Blood poured from the gaping wound and from his mouth. Only then did they see the modified EPP in Marcus’s hand. He had shot one of his own men.

Marcus lowered his weapon as the man collapsed against the wall. He walked over and placed a hand on the dying man’s shoulder. “It is ironic that you have the audacity to defy me when you are the one who was captured. From what I can ascertain, had you performed your duties correctly, we would not be in this situation.”

The man coughed up more blood and attempted to plead for help. Marcus simply patted his shoulder and stood. “I suppose if not for his incompetence, events could have escalated,” he said, looking back at Nathan as he returned to the desk. They heard the man’s final breath as his body slumped to the floor. Marcus sat on the desk again, silent for a moment as he stared at Nathan, as if determining their fate.

“Well,” Marcus said, clearing his throat, “it would appear we began on unfavorable terms, gentlemen… and lady.” He smiled at Lu again. “So, how much time do we have until this prison reaches the satellite?”

Nathan sat up straighter. “We had two weeks as of three days ago. But I do not know how we can restore this station to its proper orbit now that most of our crew has been killed.” The anger in his voice was unmistakable.

Marcus observed his fury. “As I said, we began on unfavorable terms. We must move forward.” He chuckled. “Besides, you could have easily killed my man here, and you did not. That demonstrates your integrity.” Marcus looked at the captive crew members, then back at Nathan and Jax. “As a gesture of good faith, I am returning your people. In exchange, I will provide all the assistance and resources you require to repair the prison’s orbital relay.”

Nathan started to question him, but Marcus held up a hand, his knowing smile returning. “On one condition.” It was a statement, not a request. Seeing the fear in his crew’s eyes, Nathan focused on them. He gritted his teeth and asked, “What is the condition?”

Marcus stood, waving his other men to release the crew members. As he ordered them back to their posts, he paused in the doorway and looked back at Nathan. “Bring your Captain to our next meeting.”

Without another word, they departed. Nathan sat there, the words “Bring your Captain” echoing in his mind.

Jax’s voice recalled Nathan to the present. “Nathan, we must get these people back to Sarah and the others to ensure they are safe.”

Nathan knew he was right. He stood and focused on the survivors they had just recovered. He instructed them to remain calm and stay between the three of them as they were escorted away. Nathan took the rear, constantly checking to ensure they were not being followed while Jax led them toward safety.

“Hold up,” Lu said to Jax. “Voices ahead.”

Jax raised his APR as he approached the intersection. As soon as they rounded the corner, he lowered his weapon. The voices belonged to Sarah and Li Yung. Nathan was elated to hear her voice and ran to her, his weapon hanging at his side. When Sarah saw him, her heart leaped, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek. He embraced her, pulling her into a tight hug. Neither was willing to let go, but they reluctantly separated as Jax, and the others caught up.

“Thank heavens you are all right,” Sarah said first. She looked past them to see the other crew members and was overjoyed, though she wondered how they had been found. Still holding Nathan’s hand, she gestured for everyone to enter the medical wing.

As everyone settled, low conversations rippled through the small groups forming around the room. Sarah, Jax, Lu, and Nathan sat at a lab table in the back of the wing, exchanging intelligence and assembling the pieces of the situation. Considering the events that had transpired in a single day, it was a great deal to process.

Sarah looked at Nathan. “I knew something felt wrong about this place,” she said. “And this man killed one of his own in front of you?” It was more a statement of shock than a question. She was astonished that he would kill one of his own over a minor infraction. Nathan shook his head in disbelief that Wilson had apparently known about them all along.

“It clarifies why they released me from prison,” Lu said with a small, bitter laugh. “My make shifting skills are impressive, but they merely needed a pretext to place someone on your ship to ensure you did not uncover the truth.”

Sarah nodded in agreement. She wanted to understand the circumstances that would necessitate such a cover-up.

Nathan looked at the others at the table. “We must return to Wilson and extract more information from him.”

Everyone concurred.

As they prepared to depart to find Wilson, Nathan took Sarah’s arm. She appeared startled and asked if everything was alright. He regarded her with a serious expression. “Their leader requested something in exchange for his assistance with the orbital relay.”

Sarah looked at him, waiting.

Nathan sighed. “He wants to meet our captain at our next encounter—you.”

“Why does he wish to meet me?” Sarah asked. She looked away for a moment before her curiosity compelled her to ask, “How can we be certain he is trustworthy? Did he provide a name?”

Nathan shook his head. “Frankly, we have little choice. Given the number of men I saw with him, I am certain that was not his entire force. Furthermore, he could have eliminated us at any time, but he refrained. I doubt he desires this prison’s destruction any more than Lockhart does.” He paused. “His name is Marcus, or so he claims.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, then returned to normal just as quickly. No, it cannot be him, she thought.

Nathan noticed the fleeting expression on her face. “What is it?”

“It is nothing,” she said simply. “Events are just unfolding quickly. We need to depart before he arrives in our absence.” She glanced back at the frightened and injured crew, then motioned for Li Yung.

“Yes, Captain?” Li Yung asked. Despite orders from Wilson or Lockhart concerning her removal from command, no one there was adhering to them.

“While we are away, I am leaving you in charge,” Sarah said.

Li Yung was speechless and attempted to protest. “But ma’am?”

Sarah stopped her. “You have earned the right to be second-in-command in my and Jax’s absence. Your responsibility is now to watch over our people. Is that understood?”

Li Yung was elated but concealed it out of respect. She saluted crisply. “Yes, ma’am. Understood.”

With that, Sarah, Nathan, and Jax proceeded back toward the front of the prison to search for Wilson.

They returned to the command center hoping to find answers, but upon their arrival, the only evidence of Wilson was spots of blood on the floor. He had vanished.

Jax looked at Nathan, who was crouched down examining the area. “We must get the prison fully operational. Then we can locate him more efficiently. He cannot have gone far without risking being seen by us or them.”

Nathan stood, contemplating their next move. He looked up at Sarah. “What are your thoughts?”

Sarah hesitated. She was unsettled by the idea of Wilson remaining at large, but she agreed that pursuing him was a waste of time. “Restoring the prison to full functionality is our primary objective, regardless of the situation. Locating Wilson is our secondary objective.” An idea occurred to her, and though she was not fond of it, she knew it was their most viable option. “If this Marcus individual wishes to meet me, perhaps his men can locate Wilson while we concentrate on the power situation.”

Jax agreed it was the best course of action for the time being. Nathan did not trust Marcus and was reluctant to have Sarah near him, but he also knew it was their best chance, especially given the time that had already been wasted. Nathan was unsure how to contact Marcus, but he suspected he would not need to; Marcus would initiate contact soon enough. They returned to the medical wing to update the others and devise a plan.

Arriving back at the medical wing, the group saw Lu standing guard outside the door. She spotted them and relaxed, letting her APR rest on her shoulder. “Marcus was here,” she said. “He wants Sarah to meet him in the mess hall. Alone.”

“Absolutely not,” Nathan protested immediately. “We do not know his intentions. It could be a trap.”

Sarah could sense his frustration. She gently cupped his cheek. “I recognize the gravity of this situation, but you must trust that I can handle myself.”

Nathan looked at her and sighed. “Just be careful. Return safely.”

Her hand slid from his face. She turned and left the medical wing, making her way to the mess hall.

Nathan sought a distraction and went to check on Eli. He was sitting up in bed; Nathan could see he was still weak, though resilient.

“Eli, I know you are still recovering,” Nathan began, “but you are our head technician for gravity and relay circuit programming.”

Eli did not let him finish. He moved to the edge of his bed. “What do you need, boss?”

Nathan knew Eli would perform his duties without question, despite his injuries. “I need you to work with Madison and Lu. Your role is to supervise. Find a way to get the orbital relay back on its proper trajectory and prevent a collision with that satellite.”

Eli was displeased that Nathan was sidelining him. He started to protest, standing too quickly and wincing as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. He felt useless but knew the feeling was temporary. “Yes, sir. We will begin immediately.”

Once Nathan had given Eli his instructions, he approached Li Yung, who was sitting with the rescued crew members. As he drew closer, he could hear her speaking to them in a comforting tone, helping them to focus.

“Li Yung, do you mind if I speak with them?” Nathan asked, wanting to give them a choice.

Li Yung looked at the others, who nodded. She gave Nathan a soft smile. “I will be back. I need to check on Eli’s bandages.”

Nathan sat down before them and remained silent for a moment, allowing them to compose themselves. Most of them knew Nathan from their time on the ship or from serving under his command, which helped them relax. Some were longtime crew members, while others were newer, and Nathan regretted that he could not recall all of their names. It is difficult to remember everyone when you are responsible for a crew of over fifty people.

Nathan looked at the survivors and began to speak. “I know the last day has been a difficult ordeal, and some of you may have lost someone during the attack on our ship. Perhaps it was a friend, perhaps family, but I will make sure their deaths will not be in vain. We must stay strong for them and push forward.”

He could see the fear and stress on their faces, but he could also see a glimmer of hope in their eyes. “Now, I understand two of you worked in the labs with Eli and Madison. What were your positions?” Nathan asked, addressing the two women to his left.

One spoke up. “I worked as a medical assistant under Dr. Napper.”

Nathan felt a surge of hope. “Do you know what happened to Dr. Napper on the ship? Did he survive?”

The woman looked away and sighed before meeting Nathan’s gaze again. “Dr. Napper was trying to shield everyone in the lab. He tried to talk the attackers down, but they didn’t hesitate. They killed him and a few others before taking the rest of us.”

Nathan was confused. “Wait, there are other survivors besides you?”

She nodded. “Yes. There are at least a dozen other crew members still being held by them.”

This was excellent news, but Nathan couldn’t understand the motive. He looked at her and asked, “Was there any specific reason they were keeping you alive? Did you hear or see anything?”

The woman next to her spoke this time. “It was their leader—the man who brought us back to you. He told his men that we were all off-limits until he made contact with the captain.”

Why would he protect the survivors when he was the one who ordered the attack? Nathan wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted when the first woman spoke again. “I’m just glad to be back and want to focus on anything else. What can I do to help?”

Nathan sat up straighter. “Well, without Dr. Napper, you are now our acting medical lead. I suggest you get the monitors running and take charge of this medical wing while we are here.”

She stood with a renewed sense of purpose. “Yes, sir. I’ll get to work immediately.”

After delegating her task, he looked at the other woman from the lab. “And what was your role?”

“I was a biochemist and DNA analysis specialist,” she answered.

Nathan considered what she could do. “For now, please assist her in keeping everyone calm and comfortable.”

The two men to his right were familiar; Nathan knew them from the engine room. He felt confident they could assist him in repairing the orbital relay once they had more information. “We still need to acquire schematics of the engineering bay to better examine the power issue. However, given our lack of manpower and the general exhaustion, we will have to wait until tomorrow.” He continued, “Eli and his team should have some good news for us by morning, so for now, the two of you get some rest.”

Nathan patted one of the men on the back as he stood up from his chair and made his rounds to check on everyone else.

As Sarah approached the mess hall, she slowed her pace. Two men stood guard on either side of the corridor. She drew near and cleared her throat, forcing them to acknowledge her.

Both men turned. One opened the door to the mess hall and peered inside. “Boss, their Captain is here.”

As he spoke, the other guard held out a hand, denying Sarah entry until he received confirmation.

“Let her in, Butcher,” a voice from inside commanded.

Sarah stepped through the doorway, her eyes fixed on the floor. The doors swished shut behind her. She took a deep breath before looking up at the man, not realizing how profoundly her world was about to change.

Marcus had his back to her when she entered, but as the doors closed, he began to speak. “It’s about time we get to know each other, seeing as we’re going to be stuck in this prison together for the next week.”

He said this as he turned around to face her, a devilish smile on his face. But the smile vanished as their eyes met. The cocky, confident demeanor he projected evaporated in an instant.

They stared at each other as if they were seeing ghosts. In the sudden, suffocating silence, the frantic beating of their hearts was the only sound.

Sarah was the first to break it, her voice a fragile whisper. “Marcus?”

He seemed unable to speak, his body rigid as if a fire had been lit at his feet. Finally, words broke through his shock. “Sarah… you’re not supposed to be here.” He shook his head, unable to process what he was seeing. “This can’t be real.”

Chapter 7

The silence between them was so thick it felt physical. Though no words were spoken, their eyes held an entire conversation—of shock, of pain, of years of questions.

In a moment of weakness, Marcus stepped toward Sarah. She instinctively stepped back, not from fear, but from the terrifying possibility that he was real, that he was truly standing before her after all this time. Her own body seemed to betray her, moving toward him as if compelled by a force outside her control. Marcus remained silent as he slowly closed the distance, still struggling to believe she could be real.

When he finally reached her, he stopped. The air between them was a palpable barrier. Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest, but she fought to show no emotion, a task that grew more difficult with every passing second. Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but the words were gone, just like the man she had known. He stepped back again.

Her heart broke as she watched him retreat before she could even verify, he was real. Marcus’s expression hardened, his vulnerability vanishing behind a carefully constructed wall as he adopted a business-like tone. “I don’t know how or why you are here, but you should not be.”

Feeling him pull away sharpened her focus. This was the man who had allowed so many of her people to be killed. She pushed her personal feelings down and remembered why she had come. “Well, I am here. You asked for the captain, and now you have me.”

A war raged inside Marcus. With every word she spoke, he fought to keep his emotions in check. He flashed that devilish smile, a hollow imitation of his earlier confidence. “So, 

‘Captain.’ That’s impressive for someone who wanted to be an artist.”

Sarah’s emotions roiled. This was not the man she remembered; something had fundamentally changed him. “You don’t get to say that to me. Not after all this time. Not after leaving me.” 

The words, spoken aloud, became more real than she could handle. Tears welled in her eyes, and a single stream ran down her cheek.

Marcus felt a pain deeper than she could realize but refused to let it show. “Oh, really? I think I can, because it appears I know you better than you currently know yourself.”

Rage coiled in Sarah’s gut. She wanted these feelings to stop. 

“Enough, Marcus. I’m here. What do you want?” she snapped.

He knew he had found a vulnerability and his smile widened. 

“Right. Straight to business then, Captain.” He chuckled, gesturing with his hand for her to have a seat. The way his eyes pierced hers, however, made it clear it was not a request. She nodded, wiped her face, and sat down.

Marcus waited until she was seated before taking the chair opposite her. Sarah held herself together, though he was so close she could have reached out and touched him.

He looked at her. “From what I was told by… Nathan, I believe his name was.” He paused, confirming the name in his head. 

“According to him, you were sent here because this prison is off course and approaching a Chinese satellite. Is that correct?”

Sarah simply nodded, offering him no words.

“So, you need to get the orbital relay back online to prevent the collision?”

She nodded again.

“Okay then,” he said, leaning forward. “What’s our first move?”

Sarah looked at him with disgust. “‘Our’ move? Why would I do anything with you and your people?”

Marcus laughed, the sound devoid of real humor. “Well, you will require assistance to fix the problem, and you are lacking the manpower. I am willing to provide it.”

Fury erupted within her. “Willing?” she yelled. “You’re the reason I don’t have manpower! You’re the reason my crew was hunted down and slaughtered! You took all those lives—for what?” The sheer nerve of his offer infuriated her.

Marcus could see her pain, but he continued his pretense of indifference. “Look, you can be angry all you want, but it is done. Frankly, you should be thanking me.” He let out another hollow laugh.

Sarah stared at him in horror. This wasn’t Marcus anymore. The thought only angered her further. “Thank you for what?”

He could admit to himself he had never seen her this angry, and he slightly softened his tone. “One, if it were not for me, my men would have killed everyone on your ship instead of taking prisoners. Two, if I hadn’t convinced them to stand down when Nathan and his companions were aiming APRs at us, they would have been killed on the spot. So, it seems I have been instrumental in saving the lives you have remaining under your command.”

She was furious, but she had to admit to herself that he was right. She could have lost everyone. “Then why kill any of my people?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Why, Marcus?”

Seeing her so defeated, a crack formed in his composure. His voice softened as he looked at her. “These men are not normal people, Sarah. They are trained killers who have been trapped in this place, left to die for seventeen years. They are angry and want revenge on the government that put them here. If I hadn’t given them an outlet, they would have killed every one of your crew without hesitation.”

Sarah looked up at him, and through the hardened exterior, she could finally see a trace of the man she once knew. She could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. It didn’t erase her anger, but she began to understand why he did what he did. She reached for his hand, needing more answers. “Marcus, why are you here? How are you in charge of these people? You don’t belong in a place like this.”

Her fingertips brushed his knuckles. The touch sent an electric shock through his body, a jolt so emotionally potent it nearly broke him. He couldn’t break. Not after all this time. He pulled his hand away and forced the conversation back on track. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

Sarah cleared her throat and drew back.

Marcus avoided eye contact, afraid of what he might feel. “We need to decide on our next move, and we cannot do that if we are not working together. The way I see it, the faster we prevent all of us from dying, the better our chances are of keeping my people civil. So, tell me what your team needs.”

Sarah suppressed her emotions and thought. Wilson was an immediate threat. “We have a problem. We came with a man who was planted on our ship by the same people who tried to bury this facility. We need a tracker to find him.”

He chuckled grimly. “It doesn’t surprise me that someone would try to hide what happened here. If we find this man, what are your orders?”

“We need him alive,” she replied. “He may be our only chance of getting more information.”

Marcus rubbed his chin—a familiar, old habit he had when he was thinking. The gesture sent a pang through her, and she quickly looked away.

“I believe we have a tracker in our ranks who can handle it,” he said. With one less thing to worry about, Sarah focused on the primary mission.

“Do you have any expert scientists? Anyone specializing in mechanics or gravitational engineering?” she asked.

A look of recognition crossed Marcus’s face. He stood up, startling her. “I will send them to the medical wing later today. 

And I will have someone inform your team when we locate the spy.”

Marcus started for the exit, but a hand on his arm stopped him. He froze but did not turn.

“Thank you, Marcus,” Sarah said, her voice soft.

He looked back over his shoulder. “For what?”

“For being alive,” she whispered.

Without another word, she let her hand slip away and left the mess hall ahead of him. Marcus stood there in the silence, his heart fracturing. What he didn’t know was that as Sarah walked down the empty corridor, a silent scream of agony echoed in her chest. He still loved her, and she still loved him.

Nathan and Lu were focused on their work, reconfiguring the security feed from the command center, when Sarah entered the medical wing. She composed herself, careful to betray none of the turmoil from her meeting with Marcus. 

Nathan spotted her and immediately stopped what he was doing, hurrying to her side to ensure she was alright. He hugged her close, and for a moment, Sarah felt a genuine sense of relief in his arms. The feeling was quickly replaced by a flood of guilt, which she concealed with a smile as she told him she was fine.

“Let’s get everyone together and discuss our next move,” she said.

Nathan nodded and turned toward the others, waving for them to join. Just as Sarah was about to begin, however, there was a knock at the entrance. Nathan and Jax moved to the door, shielding the others as Nathan hit the access panel.

A man in inmate clothing stood in the doorway. “The boss said we were giving you back your crew,” he stated flatly. “So here they are.”

Behind him stood nearly two dozen of their missing people. Nathan was at a loss for words, unable to understand why Marcus would return their crew without demanding something in return. A small smile touched Sarah’s lips; she knew Marcus would not have done this if not for her, and she felt a flicker of gratitude that a part of the man she once knew remained. As Jax helped the survivors inside, the inmate departed without another word.

Nathan guided the injured to nearby beds and asked the others to gather for a meeting. Sarah took a deep breath. “Alright, we need to discuss our current situation and how we will move forward.” She paused, letting everyone settle around her. “I know this has been a stressful ordeal, and I don’t want to make anyone more uncomfortable. However, to get this prison back in orbit before our deadline, we will be forming a joint force with the people who reside here.”

Whispers and questions of “Why?” rippled through the crowd.

Sarah continued, her voice firm. “That said, if anyone wishes to walk away from this mission and my command, you have my blessing to do so now. You may remain here in the medical wing until the mission is over.”

Mixed emotions played on the faces of the crew. They were scared, exhausted, and injured after everything that had happened. Sarah expected many of them to step back, but to her disbelief, despite all the trauma they had endured, not a single person moved. Everyone who could stand did so. Jax, standing beside Sarah, raised his hand in a salute.

“To our Captain,” he declared. “We’ll stand by your side until the end.”

In unison, the crowd saluted her. Sarah stood straighter, her demeanor resolute. “In that case, we have a lot to do. Let’s get started.”

“Yes, Captain!” the crew responded as one.

As they dispersed to their tasks, Nathan brought a woman forward. “Sarah, this is Kira. She was the medical assistant under Dr. Napper.”

Sarah shook her hand warmly. “Hello, Kira. It’s wonderful to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

Kira managed a half-smile. “Thank you, Captain. I agree.”

Nathan looked between them. “Kira has informed me that we lost Dr. Napper during yesterday’s events. I’ve made her the lead medical liaison for the injured so Li Yung can rest.”

Sarah agreed it was a good call. “Well, Kira, I have complete confidence in you. I hope you’re up to the task.”

Kira sighed but smiled again. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do the best I can.”

Sarah and Nathan stepped into the hallway to speak privately. As the door swished shut behind them, Nathan hugged her again. “So, what happened with Marcus? Why are we suddenly accepting his help?”

Sarah knew she could not tell him the truth, least of all that she knew Marcus from her past. She focused, keeping her tone professional. “From my assessment of the situation, I do not believe Marcus is like the others here,” she said.

Nathan laughed sarcastically but stopped when he saw she was serious. It clearly unsettled him. “The man’s people attacked our ship and killed dozens of our crew, Sarah. I think he’s exactly like the other men.”

Sarah fought the urge to defend Marcus, deciding instead to relay what he had told her. As Nathan listened, she could see the conflicting emotions on his face. He could not deny that it made a certain kind of sense, especially considering his own encounter with Marcus in the warden’s office.

“It seems he realizes he made a mistake and is trying to help where he can,” Sarah concluded. “He doesn’t want this prison to be destroyed any more than we do. This has been his home for years.”

Nathan was still conflicted, but he knew they needed the extra manpower. Sarah was just as conflicted, but for entirely different reasons. He looked at her and said, “I trust your judgment, whatever you think is best.”

Sarah kissed his cheek. “Thank you, my love,” she said softly.

They held hands as they walked back into the medical wing, where everyone was focused on a task. Lu waved them over, ready to update them on her and Eli’s progress.

“Since we don’t have the AI systems online to assist us, we had to find the hard copies of the engineering bay schematics,” she explained. “We figured out where we missed completing the power-up sequence.”

Nathan skimmed the schematics. “Shouldn’t the secondary control panel be near the main one?”

Lu pointed to the schematics, first to where they had been, then moved her finger to another location in the same room. “It appears we would have walked right past it when we entered. It’s on the left. Eli has gone over the plans with me; he’ll stay on comms with us as a precaution.” She stood up and cracked her knuckles. “If we get moving now, we should have everything up and running within the hour.”

“Make the preparations,” Nathan ordered. “Get your gear and a couple of people who can assist. We head out in five minutes.”

As Lu gathered her team, Jax approached Nathan at the door and tossed him an APR. “I’m taking a group of volunteers back to the ship to recover the bodies and gather supplies.”

“Be careful, Jax,” Nathan said. “Get back as soon as you can.”

He looked over as Lu geared up with a few mechanics and a technician, then raised his voice. “Engine team, let’s move out!”

Sarah looked up, hearing a new authority in Nathan’s voice. She saw a different side of him—a firm, decisive leader taking charge without her direct order. A flicker of pride mixed with concern passed through her; she hoped his assertiveness wouldn’t be misinterpreted as a challenge to her command.

Nathan and Lu led their team down the corridors. Suddenly, the main station lights went black, and the emergency power kicked on, casting the hallway in the dim glow of light strips along the floor.

“Aegis lights on!” Nathan commanded, his own vest flooding the area with light. Once the others had done the same, he called for a head count. They all checked in. He pulled up his HDI gauntlet and tried to establish comms. “Eli, this is Nathan, do you copy?”

After a moment of silence, Eli’s voice came through. “Yes, sir, I copy. The crew is panicking over here.”

“We’re almost to the engineering bay,” Nathan said, relieved they were physically safe. “Keep everyone in that room and keep them calm.”

“Yes, sir. On it.”

Nathan motioned for Lu to take the rear while he ran point. “Stay tight and watch each other’s backs. Let’s move.”

They arrived at the mess hall and found the access hatch already open. “Lu, cover me,” Nathan said, descending first. As his feet hit the floor, he readied his APR and tossed a Lumina Burst Grenade about thirty feet ahead, bathing the cavernous space in a dim, steady light. After a quick sweep, he signaled for the others to follow.

As they came down, Nathan quickly found the source of the power failure. Lu caught up to him and swore under her breath. “You have got to be kidding me. What did I say about people touching my work?”

The entire control panel was smashed, the console shattered and almost beyond repair.

“Can you fix it, Lu?” Nathan asked.

Before she could answer, a new voice echoed from the shadows, laced with irritation. “The question isn’t if she can fix it, but why she has to.”

Nathan spun, bracing his APR on Lu’s shoulder as she locked her EPP onto the figure emerging from the darkness—Marcus.

Marcus chuckled. “I’m not the one you need to be pointing those at.”

“And you expect us to believe you didn’t do this?” Nathan demanded. “You’re the only other one down here.”

Marcus, who had his hands raised in a placating gesture, relaxed them with an air of annoyance. “If I wanted you dead, you would have died in the armory, or the corridors, or the command center. Besides, I am not going to risk damaging the one thing keeping us all alive.”

Nathan could see he wasn’t lying. “If we didn’t do it and your people didn’t do it, that leaves only one option,” he said.

Lu lowered her weapon, as did Nathan. She turned to look at the damaged panel, then at Nathan. “I’m going with Wilson.”

Marcus and Nathan locked eyes. “He needs to be found,” Nathan said, his voice grim.

“Agreed,” Marcus replied.

Nathan looked at the ruined console, then at Lu. “Is this level of damage even fixable?”

Lu laughed. “Don’t underestimate my skills. They didn’t release me from prison just for my charms.”

“Assist her with whatever she needs,” Nathan ordered the rest of the engineering team. He then turned back to Lu. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”

She started to protest, but he gave her a look of confidence that silenced her. She simply nodded and began salvaging what she could from the wreckage.

Marcus led the way out of the engineering bay and back to the mess hall hatch. He offered a hand, helping pull Nathan the rest of the way through before they shut and locked it behind them.

A cocky smirk played on Marcus’s lips as he looked at Nathan. “So, where should we look first, Chief?”

Nathan disliked the idea of working with him, but Wilson was a problem that now affected them both. “This is your terrain,” Nathan replied. “You tell me. Where would you hide if you wanted to remain close enough to stay ahead of everyone?”

Marcus rubbed his chin as he thought, then a look of realization crossed his face. “The outer guard towers. None of my people possess the suits required for extravehicular activity, and he’s likely betting that you don’t have enough personnel to risk sending a team after him.”

Nathan considered the logic. He saw no reason to doubt Marcus’s assessment, which meant they now had to decide which tower to pursue.

“Let’s get to the airlock,” Marcus said. “We can determine our approach from there.”

An outer-space excursion with a potential psychopath, Nathan thought grimly. What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter 8

Nathan and Marcus made their way to the airlock bay to suit up for the search. An uncomfortable silence hung between them, which Marcus decided to break with a bad joke.

“So, my body isn't going to explode once we get outside, is it?” he asked with a laugh.

Nathan choked back a laugh at the image but didn’t respond. Noticing the hint of a smile, Marcus pressed again.

“Yep, I knew it. I’m going to die. Should have seen this coming. Puts a new meaning to ‘exploding guts,’ don’t you agree?”

This time, Nathan broke and laughed for a moment before his expression turned serious. “If anything happened to you, my people wouldn’t stand a chance. I assure you, there will be no killing today.” Marcus knew he wouldn’t get anything more out of him and let it drop.

Once their suits were secured, Nathan hit the panel, locking and depressurizing the room before opening the airlock hatch. He sealed it behind them as they stepped outside. When he turned around, he found Marcus standing precariously on the edge of the docking bay. Nathan panicked, rushing over to him.

“What are you doing so close to the edge? If you fall, I won’t be able to get to you.”

Marcus just stood there, staring out into the mass of space, thinking about how small he was. Who would care if he just stepped off? He turned to Nathan. “You know, this is the first time I’ve stepped outside these walls since I finished building them.”

Nathan was shocked. He realized Marcus wasn’t an inmate but had, in fact, helped build the very prison meant to contain them. “You were one of the construction workers tasked with building this place?”

Marcus’s gaze drifted back to the void. “Yes, but that was a very long time ago.” Nathan couldn’t begin to imagine what he must have gone through to survive. Finally, Marcus pulled himself away from the edge. “We need to get moving. If Wilson sees us coming, he might try to bolt.”

Nathan considered what he would do in Wilson’s situation and pointed to the northeast tower overlooking the docking bay. It was the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on the entrance and the ship. They made their way toward it, with Marcus letting Nathan take point, as he was the only one with a weapon. The tower door had clearly been tampered with. Nathan had Marcus grab the door, allowing him to ready his APR. In sync, they rushed inside, meeting no resistance.

They ascended what felt like an endless staircase, finally reaching the hatch to the radio tower. The hatch looked as though it had been forced open from the outside. Nathan proceeded with caution, lifting the door and checking his surroundings as he climbed into the room. It was completely trashed, as though a violent struggle had occurred. Nathan looked back at Marcus for answers.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Marcus said quickly. “We didn’t even have a way outside the airlock bay until your group arrived.”

Frustrated, Nathan knew he was right. Judging by the stale air, the tower hadn’t been accessed in a long time. They searched the room for clues. The radio console was destroyed in nearly the same manner as the panel in the engineering bay. After combing through papers and trash and coming up empty-handed, they decided to move on.

They searched tower after tower with the same result: no Wilson and a trashed radio room. Neither could figure out why the rooms were destroyed. Nathan looked over at Marcus, who was still sifting through papers. Despite having witnessed Marcus kill a man, Nathan found that he didn’t give off a malicious vibe; he seemed more like one of his own people. He couldn’t fathom how Marcus had not only convinced the inmates to keep him alive but had also become their leader.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Nathan gave up on finding anything. He glanced around the room one last time. “We need to head back and get our suits recharged before we run out of oxygen.” He checked his HDI gauntlet, running a diagnostic on their vitals. The results showed Marcus’s oxygen at 32 percent and his own at 34. He was impressed that someone who hadn't worn a suit in years was able to regulate his breathing like a trained professional.

On the way back, Nathan had to ask, “How long did they have you in training before sending you up here?”

Marcus thought for a minute. “Honestly, it’s hard to remember, but it was somewhere between one and two weeks. Why do you ask?”

“Your breathing rhythm is nearly on point with mine,” Nathan answered. “It’s quite impressive.”

Marcus was surprised by the compliment but smiled without saying anything. Once they were back inside, Nathan locked the airlock doors and started the pressurization sequence. 

“Where do we try next?” he asked.

Marcus pulled off his helmet, inhaling the station’s air as if he’d been gone for years. He took a moment before answering. “I don’t know where else to look. Running around in the dark isn’t going to find him any faster.”

Nathan agreed. “Let’s backtrack to the engineering bay and see how much longer until the power is restored.”

Marcus laughed. “Look, it’s been fun playing adventure with you, but I need to get back to my people before they get impatient with the power situation.” Nathan nodded, slightly irritated, as Marcus took off down the corridor. Nathan turned and headed for the engineering bay to see how he could help.

As he descended into the bay, he was met with the sounds of banging and clattering. Lu had black smears of grease all over her face and hands. It was a funny sight, and Nathan couldn’t help but smile. Lu saw him and threw a small wrench in his direction. “Don’t laugh. Don’t even say anything.”

Nathan threw his hands up to shield his face. He cautiously walked closer, seeing the others holding components over their heads while working on the monitors. “What do you need help with Lu?” he asked calmly.

She sighed and hit a pipe with another wrench before throwing her hands up in defeat. “I don’t know what to do to fix this stupid thing. I can’t possibly get the parts we need without breaking something else.”

Nathan nodded, seeing the frustration through the grease on her face. “Well, what do we need to get this up and running?”

Lu examined the broken scraps and the panel on the wall. “I’ll need at least two heat coils, a metal plate to cover the exposed wires, and a pipe fitting to run the adapters through to the generator and the monitors. Plus, the monitors are smashed, so they’ll need to be replaced.”

Nathan pulled up his HDI gauntlet and accessed the prison’s schematics. His expression gave his excitement away. “The schematics show a storage room. Surely, they’ll have some of the parts we need.” Seeing how exhausted Lu looked, he added, “Take a break. I’ll go retrieve the parts.”

He rushed off, his eyes darting between the schematics on his gauntlet and the dim corridor to keep from tripping. When he reached the storage room, he hoped its contents hadn't been destroyed during the riot. With the power down, he had to force the door open, but he found the room in decent condition. He combed through massive amounts of old equipment, finding usable monitors and heat coils. He was still missing a plate to cover the wires and an adapter. 

The communications room, he decided, was his best bet.

Arriving at communications, Nathan noticed the door was slightly ajar. Not knowing if it was recent, he didn't want to take any chances. He pulled a Lumina Burst grenade from his vest, tossed it inside, and moved in quickly with his APR at the ready. Once he confirmed the room was clear, he searched and found the adapters he needed. He tore down a section of a decommissioned air duct to use as a cover plate and headed back to Lu.

He found her sitting on the floor, humming to herself, while the others were huddled a few feet away, running diagnostics on their HDIs. Nathan handed over everything he had recovered. “Will any of this work?”

Lu ran her hands over the items, lifting and flipping them with a curious sigh. She looked up at him with a cocky smile. 

“Well, I suppose it’ll do. Give me thirty minutes, and I’ll have this engine purring like a kitten.”

Nathan was curious to see her skills in action. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” He walked over to the others and asked for an update on the rest of the systems.

One of the technicians approached and presented his HDI gauntlet. “According to our diagnostics, in theory, once the power comes back on, we can run a software update on both monitoring systems and then open the air ducts to their power chambers.” He pointed to each component as he explained. “Once those chambers are filled, we’ll flip the switches on the panel, and the prison should be back to one hundred percent power. But that’s just a theory until we get the power on.”

Nathan patted the man on the back. “Great work. Let's just hope there are no other surprises, then,” he chuckled. He saw sparks flying from Lu's direction as she welded and decided to kill some time by searching the schematics on his gauntlet, trying to figure out where Wilson could be hiding. He must be somewhere inside the prison, Nathan thought to himself. With the main systems still down, he couldn’t pull up the complete schematics, and it was infuriating.

He checked in with the medical wing. Sarah replied that everyone was okay on their end, just freezing, as there was no heat with the power down. Nathan told her to have everyone sit tight and that they should have power back on soon.

Just as he relayed the message, Lu yelled, “Heads up, people!” She motioned for Nathan to grab the other main lever. “On three… two… one… now!”

They flipped the levers. Small sparks flew, and a weird screeching sound rolled from the engine, which then fell silent. For a moment, they thought it hadn't worked. Nathan could see Lu’s face contort with anger. She suddenly took her wrench, slammed it against the panel, and yelled, 

“Work, you stupid thing!”

A huge bang echoed through the bay, and then the deep roar of the engine came to life. Lights popped on sequentially from one end of the bay to the other. The monitors flickered on, displaying streams of code. They had done it.

The technicians immediately began working diligently to get the systems fully running. Nathan looked over at Lu, who wore a small smirk beneath the grease. “Great work, Lu. Go get cleaned up and rest.”

She gave him a sarcastic look. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Nathan approached the technician he had spoken to earlier and asked for an analysis. The man was typing furiously, updating software that was over a decade old. He looked up from his monitor toward the ceiling. “Mnemos, start backlogging and cataloging all station events in the months leading up to the shutdown.”

A smooth, soothing female voice came over the intercoms. “Of course. Where would you like me to send these files?”

“Send them to the medical wing, Mnemos.”

A slight humming sound filled the air as the AI processed the command. “Files have been sent to the medical wing under 'Backlog and Catalog.' Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

Nathan cleared his throat. “Can you link a live feed from us to the medical wing team?”

The humming returned for a split second. “Of course, sir. Establishing link now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, an auxiliary monitor on the panel lit up with the surprised faces of Eli and Li Yung.

“Chief, I’m assuming the files coming in are from you guys?” Eli asked.

Nathan nodded and updated him on the situation. On their end, everything appeared to be working. Li Yung smiled. 

“Yes, sir. All monitors and AI-assisted machines are at our disposal, and the heat is finally working. Everyone is grateful.”

Nathan could see people in the background still wrapped in blankets. He was happy his team could help and told Eli he wanted a full report when he returned. “Mnemos, end the live feed.” The monitor went black.

“Feed ended,” the AI stated. “Can I assist you with anything else?”

Nathan's stomach growled, reminding him they hadn’t eaten since they arrived. He told Mnemos to stand by, then instructed his team to keep the monitors running. He would have another group come to relieve them, as the engineering bay would need to be always guarded.

Nathan headed up to the mess hall, using his HDI gauntlet to ask Jax if his team had returned with supplies from the ship. Jax replied, “Mission accomplished.”

“Bring the food to the mess hall as soon as possible,” 

Nathan sent back. He then addressed the AI again. “Mnemos, are your systems active throughout the entire prison?”

“I am currently linked to ninety-three percent of the prison's cameras, intercoms, and archives,” she responded. “The remaining seven percent is unavailable due to error, damage, or insufficient authorization clearance.”

Nathan thought that was odd but decided to worry about it later. “Mnemos, send a broadcast across the prison, informing everyone to come to the mess hall for dinner.” The soft humming returned, followed by an announcement that repeated three times before ending.

Jax arrived shortly after, a concerned look on his face. “I see we got the AI working, but did you mean for everyone to come to the mess hall?”

Nathan nodded. Jax still looked uneasy. “Is it wise to trust the people who just killed half our crew to be in the same room with us?”

“No, we can’t simply trust them,” Nathan answered, understanding his reasoning. “But if we’re going to survive up here, we have to find some common ground to prevent any more deaths.”

Jax knew he was right but still didn’t like it. He gestured to the men behind him holding crates. “Where do you want all this?”

“Just set everything out on the counters in the kitchen,” Nathan said.

In the medical wing, Sarah had just heard the announcement. The people around her stared at her, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion. Li Yung came up behind her. “You don’t think Nathan really wants us to gather in the same room with the other group, do you?”

Sarah thought it was strange herself, but she trusted Nathan’s judgment. “If Nathan wants us in the mess hall together, then I trust he has a good reason.” She turned to the others. “Everyone, follow me and Li Yung to the mess hall in a calm manner.”

No one moved. Li Yung cleared her throat and said firmly, “Your Captain gave you an order. Now, let’s go.” To Sarah’s surprise, the people listened and started gathering at the door.

As Sarah hit the access panel, she heard the heavy footsteps of another group approaching. Marcus was at the front of his people. He stopped, looking at her with a devilish smile. “I take it you’re not the one who made the announcement?”

Sarah shook her head, trying not to look at his lips. “No, I think it was Nathan. He’s in the mess hall.”

Marcus smirked. “Well, we shouldn’t keep him waiting then, should we?” He looked at Li Yung and then back at Sarah, holding out an arm to let them lead the way.

The two groups walked the corridors together, Sarah and Marcus at the front with Li Yung between them. Marcus’s men were laughing and joking, sneaking glances at the people they had held hostage only hours before. Sensing Li Yung’s tension, Marcus looked back.

“Do we have a problem back there, men?” His voice was sharp as a knife but smooth as still water.

The laughter died instantly, their smiles vanishing. An echo of “No, boss,” followed. Marcus turned back to Li Yung. 

“You don’t have to worry about them with me around.” She could tell he was confident in his words. Even Sarah felt the seriousness in his tone; she remembered that even when they were younger, he was a terrifyingly natural leader. When he spoke, you listened.

At the entrance to the mess hall, Marcus gestured with that same smile. “Ladies first.”

Sarah couldn’t help but return a slight smile before forcing herself to focus. Upon entering, the smell of cooking food filled the air. Marcus’s group, including him, lifted their heads as if they hadn't smelled a real meal in forever.

Nathan stepped out of the kitchen, covered in flour, which Sarah found surprisingly adorable. He cleared his throat. “I know the last couple of days have been difficult. But to survive what comes next, we have to work together. For now, 

I want us to enjoy a meal together. I know I’m hungry, so I know all of you are too.”

With a final smile, Nathan walked back into the kitchen. Whispers filled the room until Marcus chuckled under his breath and took a seat at the center table. He gave his people a look, and they sat down, occupying one entire side of the room. Sarah nodded to Li Yung, who began directing their people to the empty seats.

Sarah took a seat across from Marcus, and the air immediately became awkward as she tried to avoid eye contact. He noticed her nervousness and decided to point it out.

“You know, you can look at me. It’s not like I bite… hard. Which you would know.”

Sarah’s cheeks flushed a bright red. “Marcus, that was a long time ago. You don’t get to speak to me like that now.”

He laughed, seeing that his words had bothered her. He just stared, and for a long moment, he said nothing. Sarah could feel his eyes on her, stirring up feelings she didn't want to feel. Flustered, she blurted out, “I’m married now, Marcus.”