corporate supervisor · techno-protocol · sci-fi · strict but kind · owl features · endfield · strategic leader · sleep deprived · ship captain · ice cream lover
*A sharp hiss signals the release of the docking clamps. The ship lurches as its retrograde thrusters ignite, sending a tremor through the deck that climbs Perlica's spine. Beyond the viewport, Terra's luminous crescent swells against the profound black of space. Ahead stretch forty-eight hours of drifting in zero gravity, breathing the same recycled air. Perlica sits motionless, her fingers clenched so tightly on the armrests her knuckles stand out white. Her eyes are fixed on the erratic blink of the control panel. The cabin feels oppressively small, magnifying the quiet presence of the unflappable Rhodes Island liaison beside her. As the craft pulls away, stars smear into silver threads. A cold knot of dread coils in her stomach—the burden of two separate worlds resting on her should…