I wake up to the insistent ring of my phone. I was sleeping so well… Why would you betray me like so, smartphone? Maybe if I just ignore it…
But the little thing keeps ringing, loudly.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming, Mr. Phone. No need to yell," I mumble as I grab it from the bedside table.
Seriously, who's calling me so rudely at this hour?
I glance at the caller ID.
Ugh. My boss.
I answer.
"Dax," a booming voice says, "sector nine has lost power!"
Sector nine? That's environmental control. Another critical system down. Still—
"Boss, I just fixed the issue in sector twelve. I need some rest. Can't one of the other mechanics handle it?" I reply.
"Come on, don't be like that. You're my best mechanic," he insists.
Yeah… unfortunately. The other mechanics can't even tell the difference between an HVX-2000 and an XPL-300.
"You know we're in quarantine," I remind him, even as I start getting out of bed.
"Yeah, well, quarantine doesn't stop systems from breaking down," he shoots back.
Fair point.
"Alright. Send me the details, and I'll take a look," I say with a yawn.
"I knew I could count on you, Dax!" And he hangs up.
Well… at least I'm already dressed. Didn't bother changing when I got home from work yesterday—just collapsed onto the bed, coveralls and all.
I head to the kitchen and grab my medication: two blue pills and one yellow. The yellow one is vitamin D. Helps compensate for the lack of real sunlight. And it's dinosaur-shaped! How cool is that?
I wash them down with some coffee, grab my backpack, put on my electrical hazard boots, and head to my van—well… the company's van.
Once I'm seated, I open my backpack and pull out my trusty datapad.
"Alright, let's see where the problem is," I say to no one in particular as I bring up the information the boss sent.
Hmm… looks like the issue is in Block E. I can get there by cutting through the storage area.
With the destination set, I pull out of the parking lot and onto the streets.
The roads are mostly empty. The quarantine order has everyone staying indoors. I do spot a couple of people outside, though. Not that surprising. Living on a space station built to function as a hospital without borders means we get quarantine orders almost every month. It's usually just a precaution.
Still… those people seem a little strange.
They're just standing there, staring at nothing.
Meh… whatever. They aren't bothering anyone. For now, I'll just focus on the job.
Soon I arrive at my destination: Block E's storage facility. I park the van, grab my bag—and my datapad—and head for the front entrance.
…Which is locked. Of course.
And there's no security guard around to let me in. Where did they go?
Well, no matter.
I connect my datapad to the terminal and override the lock. It takes me a couple of minutes, but eventually, the electronic lock buzzes and the door opens.
I step inside the storage area. The interior is pitch black. I try the lights, but nothing happens.
"Looks like I'm in the right place," I mutter before pulling a flashlight from my backpack and heading in.
I navigate through the stacks of cargo containers, taking extra care not to bump into anything. The cargo is secured, but I'm not taking any chances. I reach the maintenance shaft and open it.
The shaft is just a long corridor, with switchgear cabinets lining both walls.
"I'm looking for…" I glance down at my datapad. "Cabinet E-11032."
I walk along the corridor, sweeping my flashlight over the cabinet numbers.
"11026… 11028… 11030… Ah, here it is—11032!" I say as I open the cabinet. "Now let's see what the problem is."
Ugh. The fuse is blown.
Not surprising. A lot of these systems weren't designed for a station this big. Well… not for the station's current size, anyway. There's been a lot of expansion over the years.
What started as a simple hospital has gradually grown into a full-fledged city.
Yeah—station Liv-41 is pretty impressive. It now has two separate habitat modules rotating around a central engine to generate artificial gravity. The upper module is the residential district and general hospital, while the lower one houses the primary medical complex—the place that deals with the more dangerous cases. They're kept separate to prevent outbreaks.
And the craziest part? The whole thing runs on charity. Massive corporations donating billions without asking for anything in return, all to help people in need all over the galaxy.
Makes you believe in the good of humanity.
"Okay, that should do it!" I say as I finish installing a new power module to regulate the load—I always keep a spare in my backpack. After that, I slide in a fresh fuse and flip the power switch.
The lights flicker back on.
Perfect. Another job well done. I close the cabinet, gather my things, and head out.
Honestly, I can't wait to get back to bed and get some real sleep.
I return to the warehouse—now fully lit—and make my way between the cargo stacks when I hear a strange sound.
A grunt… No—more like a mix between an exhale and a growl.
Someone's clearly having a rough day.
"Hello? Anyone there?" I call out, scanning the area.
Maybe the security guard?
"I'm maintenance staff," I add. "Just here to fix a problem."
Where is he?
Oh—there. Behind a stack of crates. Judging by the uniform, not security. Probably an inventory clerk.
"Yeah, it seems the issue was affecting the lights in here. Got it fixed. No need to thank—"
"GRAAA!"
He lunges at me—like, full-on lunges—knocking me flat on the floor and landing on top of me. I barely manage to raise my arms to prevent him from slamming into my face.
"W-What are you doing?!" I shout, panic rising in my voice.
Is he… attacking me?
«Don't ask, fight back! End the problem!»
"Please stop," I plead.
But he just keeps growling like some rabid animal, snapping at me.
Is he trying to bite me?!
«Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!»
I grab my flashlight and slam it against the side of his head.
WHAM!
He barely reacts.
How is that even possible?
"GRA—"
He tries to bite me again, but I jam the flashlight straight into his mouth. His teeth snap down, shattering the glass.
Oh. This is bad.
«This is great!»
"Please don't make me do this," I beg.
«Please make me do this!»
"Grrr—"
He doesn't stop.
With no other option, I flick the flashlight on, turning the broken tool into a crude makeshift taser. Sparks flash inside his mouth, and his entire body locks up.
I shove him off while he's stunned, scramble to my feet, and run.
A flashlight won't keep him down for long. I can already hear him chasing me—heavy, uneven footsteps, but terrifyingly fast.
«End him! Leave no survivors!»
As I sprint, I grab the straps securing a stack of cargo and yank them loose. Boxes crash down behind me, blocking the path.
I don't check if that stopped the assailant. I just keep running, straight to my van, slam the door, lock it, and immediately call the police.
Come on, come on, come on…
"You've reached the police—" a mechanical voice begins.
"Yes!" I cut in, breathless. "There's a madman in Section E storage! He attacked me. Please—"
"All occupants are currently indisposed; please try again."
I stare at the phone.
What?
Indisposed? How can the police be indisposed? What the hell is going on?
«Hahaha!»
I shake my head.
Focus.
But my thoughts keep spiraling.
«Burn the warehouse! That'll solve the problem!»
Maybe I should contact warehouse security instead…
«Fire solves everything!»
I glance around through the windshield.
I don't see anyone—
Wait.
Behind the warehouse fence, a couple of people are standing there.
I should ask them for help—
No… Something's off about them.
They're just standing. Completely unfocused. Staring into nothing, like the ones I saw near my house.
…
Okay, this is getting way too weird.
I start the van and drive to the station's docking area.
I'm catching the first spaceship out of here.
Someone else can deal with whatever nightmare is happening on this station.
Along the way, I notice more of those people standing around, completely zoned out. Are their numbers increasing, or am I just noticing them more because I'm on edge?
Either way, I don't like it. Not one bit.
I reach the docking area, park the van in a hurry, and rush toward the terminal's main entrance. Once I'm inside, I can grab a ticket and board the first ship out of here—
"Locked?" I shout in disbelief as I tug on the doors.
Why would the terminal gates be locked?
«A trap!»
I pull again, harder, but nothing happens. The doors are firmly shut—like electrically clamped shut.
This has to be a malfunction… right?
«This is deliberate!»
I pull out my datapad and connect it to the terminal.
The display shows Alert 7001.
7001… That's a quarantine lockdown protocol.
Then… the quarantine order wasn't just precautionary.
It's real.
Why weren't we told? When did this happen?
I pull up the logs.
Alert 7001 was issued around the middle of the night cycle by someone with administrative access.
That was… about four hours ago.
Wait.
There's something else in the logs.
That same administrative account was used to disable long-range communications an hour before lockdown.
Disable long-range communications?
Why would anyone do that?
«This is getting fun!»
No. This is bad.
Really bad.
What am I supposed to do?
"Grr…"
I freeze.
«Hostile! Locate and destroy!»
That's the same sound the madman made.
I don't even bother trying to see where it came from. I yank my datapad free and sprint back to the van.
«Acquire a weapon! Fight! FIGHT!»
I jump inside and slam the door shut, locking it immediately.
«USE THE VAN! RAM IT!»
My breathing turns frantic.
Hands shaking, I dig through my bag for my pills. I find them—the blue kind—swallow one, and chase it down with water from the bottle I always carry.
I'm going to be okay, I tell myself—even if I don't quite believe it.
Still… it helps a little. My breathing steadies.
After a moment, I open my eyes and look around.
No madman nearby.
Good.
But what in space is happening?
A secret lockdown. Communications disabled…
My eyes drift back to the terminal doors. No one has come out yet. But how long will that last?
I need to get somewhere safe and get some answers.
But where?
The police aren't responding.
The hospital!
Okay—maybe not the hospital itself. In the middle of a quarantine? That's a terrible idea.
But the hospital's cargo security unit—that's different.
They operate out of a separate building behind the main hospital complex, right where the supply trucks load and unload. Their job is mostly to guard the hospital's shipments—medical supplies, equipment, all kinds of expensive stuff. It's why the entire area is surrounded by a tall, reinforced security gate.
And! I've done a few maintenance jobs there before—got to know some of the guards. I'm pretty sure I can convince them to let me in. And maybe they'll know what's going on.
Yeah. That's perfect.
I start the van and head toward the hospital.
Along the way, I notice even more of those people with the empty stares. Their numbers are definitely increasing. I even have to swerve around a couple standing right in the road.
I don't honk.
Something tells me that would be a very bad idea.
Instead, I slow down and drive carefully. It takes longer, but eventually I reach the hospital's cargo parking lot—the one reserved for supply trucks. It's tucked away from the main traffic routes.
Perfect for slipping in unnoticed.
I park the van and scan the area. A few people are wandering around, but they're far enough away.
Good.
I grab my backpack and hurry over to the security gate.
It's closed.
That's… actually reassuring.
I press the comms button.
"Hey… anyone there?" I whisper—about as loudly as I dare.
No answer.
I try again, a little louder. "Hello?"
I think those people in the distance are starting to notice me.
"Yes? Who is it?" a voice finally replies.
Relief floods through me.
"Hello! Yes! I—I'm maintenance staff…" I start explaining, but the words get tangled. Where do I even begin?
"Maintenance? Did Frank call for one again?" the voice asks.
Frank. The older guard.
He's terrible with technology and always blames the equipment instead of himself. I get calls from him at least twice a week. I keep telling him to read the user manual, and he keeps telling me to do a better job fixing things.
Makes me laugh.
"Well, no… I mean, I know Frank," I reply.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice those people slowly drifting closer.
"You know what? Just get over here," the voice says. "He's been complaining about his computer all shift."
The gate buzzes.
I slide it open and shut it close behind me in a hurry. Triple checking that it's locked.
Finally, safe.