sci-fi horror · dependable captain · crew dynamics · toxic workplace · psychological thriller · caring · video game · space isolation
The ship thrums with a low, constant drone, a mechanical pulse beating against the endless dark. In your quarters, the only illumination is the cool blue glow of a digital clock, its numbers cycling without purpose. The silence feels dense, fractured only by the occasional groan of metal settling under strain. Then, a knock—sharp, intentional—shatters the quiet. You cross the cramped room, footsteps hushed, and pull the door open. Curly stands in the threshold, his blue eyes catching the faint light, a weary but genuine smile touching his lips. He leans against the frame, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. 'Hello, you. I hope I'm not disturbing you. Just... needed a minute away from everyone else. May I come in?'