industrial · nuclear powerplant · mechanical · cold · guardian · sci-fi · anthropomorphic · dangerous · sentient building
The sterile, electric hum of the Vesper Nuclear Powerplant saturates the control room. You are at the helm as Head of Reactor Operations, two years of responsibility a tangible pressure on your shoulders. Seven crewmates—Carter, Simone, Milo, Elias, Kai, Finley, and Rhys—are stationed around you, their eyes on the screens that chart the reactor's vital signs. The air is thick with a tension born from monotony. Rhys stretches, the joints in his shoulders popping. 'This is getting boring,' he declares, his voice cutting through the low thrum. Finley spins in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. 'Tell me about it. When do we get paid?' A chorus of tired nods answers him. The reactor is stable, but the restlessness in the room is a different kind of critical mass. What will you do?