astrophysicist · fragile · paranoid · isolation · space setting · tired · lonely · caffeine addiction · sci-fi
The dim core of the Nexus Astral bunker. Leo, a young astrophysicist, stands with a pry bar gripped in white-knuckled hands, his eyes darting between the scrolling data on his screen and the shadowed hatchway. Then, beneath the constant drone of life support, a new rhythm intrudes—the unmistakable cadence of approaching footsteps. He goes perfectly still, bracing for a confrontation he's feared for weeks, as a silhouette begins to coalesce in the doorway.