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I Was Sent to an Unmakred Space Station. Something Horrifying Happened Here. · Creepy Stories to Fall Asleep To

0:00
I sat in the back of the conference room watching as
0:03
various NASA officials filed in. The room itself was nothing
0:07
special, standard government issue with uncomfortable chairs
0:12
and fluorescent lighting that made everyone look slightly
0:14
I'll. What wasn't standard was the
0:18
security. 2 guards stood at the door, checking IDs against a
0:23
list, and I'd already surrendered my phone and signed
0:27
three different non disclosure agreements before being allowed
0:30
inside. Commander Harrison.
0:34
I looked up to see Director Walsh approaching.
0:38
He was a tall man with thinning Gray hair who'd been running
0:41
NASA's Special Projects division for the past 15 years.
0:45
Director. I nodded, standing to shake his
0:48
hand. Glad you could make it on such
0:51
short notice. His voice was low, almost
0:55
conspiratorial. We have something unusual to
1:00
discuss today. Before I could ask what he
1:03
meant, the lights dimmed and the room quieted.
1:06
A projector hummed to life, displaying what looked like a
1:09
grainy satellite image on the screen at the front of the room.
1:14
Ladies and gentlemen, Walsh began.
1:16
What you're about to see is classified at the highest
1:18
levels. Nothing discussed here leaves
1:21
this room. The image on screen changed to
1:24
show what appeared to be a space station in orbit around the
1:27
moon. It was oddly shaped, a central
1:31
hub with three extending modules, almost like a lopsided
1:36
snowflake. 3 weeks ago, one of our lunar observation satellites
1:41
picked up an anomaly in orbit around the far side of the moon,
1:45
Walsh continued. After redirecting additional
1:48
resources, we confirmed the presence of an artificial
1:51
structure, what appears to be a space station of unknown origin.
1:57
Murmurs spread through the room. I leaned forward, studying the
2:01
image. The station didn't match any
2:04
known design. Not American, not Russian, not
2:07
Chinese or European. How did we miss this before?
2:12
Someone asked from the front row.
2:15
That's part of the mystery, Walsh replied.
2:18
Its orbit keeps it primarily on the far side of the Moon, making
2:22
it difficult to detect from Earth.
2:25
But more concerning is that our records show no previous
2:28
detection. Despite multiple lunar surveys
2:31
over the decades, the implications hung in the air.
2:36
Either our observation capabilities had been severely
2:39
lacking, or the station hadn't been there during previous
2:42
surveys. What about its construction?
2:45
I asked. Any identifying markers?
2:48
Walsh clicked to the next slide, showing a closer image.
2:52
That's where things get interesting, Commander.
2:55
The external design shows elements consistent with Soviet
2:58
era construction from the 1970s, but other aspects suggest
3:03
technology far beyond current capabilities.
3:07
More images appeared close-ups of various sections of the
3:10
station. I could see what Walsh meant.
3:14
Parts of it looked like they could have been built during the
3:16
Cold War, while others seemed impossibly advanced.
3:22
There's been no response to any communication attempts, Walsh
3:25
continued. No signs of active life support
3:28
or power signatures. For all intents and purposes, it
3:33
appears abandoned. So what's the plan?
3:36
I asked, already suspecting the answer.
3:39
Walsh looked directly at me. We're sending a team to
3:42
investigate and you're going to lead it, Commander Harrison.
3:47
After the briefing, I was escorted to a smaller room where
3:51
I found two people waiting a woman with Auburn hair pulled
3:55
back in a ponytail and a stocky man with reddish brown hair who
3:59
was flipping through a technical manual.
4:02
Commander Harrison, The woman said, standing to greet me.
4:07
I'm Doctor Sarah Mitchell, Xenobiology and Advanced
4:10
Systems. Robert Kane, the man said
4:13
without looking up from his manual engineering.
4:17
They'll be your crew for this mission, Walsh explained as he
4:20
entered behind me. Doctor Mitchell is our leading
4:23
expert on theoretical alien technology, and Cain is the best
4:27
systems engineer. We have alien technology?
4:32
I raised an eyebrow. Is that what we're expecting to
4:35
find? We're not expecting anything
4:39
specific, Walsh replied carefully.
4:42
That's why we're sending you 3 to find out.
4:45
Over the next hour, we received our mission parameters.
4:49
We would launch in three days aboard A modified Orion
4:52
spacecraft, approach the station, dock if possible, and
4:57
investigate. Our primary objectives were to
5:00
determine the station's origin, purpose, and current status.
5:05
What bothered me was how little information they were giving us.
5:10
Every time I asked a specific question about the station,
5:13
Walsh deflected or claimed that information was unavailable.
5:18
It felt like they were holding something back.
5:21
Why the extreme secrecy? I asked.
5:23
Finally. Even for a classified mission,
5:27
this seems excessive. Walsh's expression tightened.
5:33
The potential implications of this discovery are significant,
5:38
Commander. If word got out before we
5:41
understand what we're dealing with, it could cause panic or
5:45
worse. I didn't buy it, but I also knew
5:50
I wouldn't get a straight answer.
5:52
At least not yet. The next three days passed in a
5:56
blur of preparations. We trained together in
6:00
simulators, reviewed emergency protocols, and packed
6:03
specialized equipment. The whole time, I couldn't shake
6:07
the feeling that we weren't being told everything.
6:09
Launch day arrived with clear skies and perfect conditions.
6:14
As we suited up, Kane approached me.
6:17
You feel it too, don't you? He asked quietly.
6:21
Feel what? That they're not telling us the
6:24
whole story. His green eyes narrowed.
6:28
I've worked enough classified projects to know when
6:30
information is being compartmentalized.
6:34
I nodded slightly. Keep your eyes open.
6:36
Once we're up there, document everything.
6:40
The launch itself was textbook. We wrote a column of fire into
6:44
orbit, then began our three day journey to lunar orbit.
6:48
Once we were safely on our way, I pulled out the intelligence
6:52
packet we've been given to study.
6:54
Not much here. Sarah commented, looking over my
6:58
shoulder. She adjusted her glasses as she
7:01
scanned the pages, mostly speculation and technical data
7:05
about the station's orbit. Better than nothing, I replied,
7:10
flipping through the sparse reports.
7:12
According to the limited information, the station was
7:15
approximately 120 feet in length, with an estimated mass
7:19
suggesting it was built primarily of titanium alloys and
7:22
composite materials. There were no visible markings
7:27
or Insignia, and its design didn't match any known space
7:31
agency's architectural style. Look at this.
7:36
Sarah pointed to a spectrographic analysis.
7:39
These readings suggest some of the external plating is made of
7:42
an alloy we can't identify. The molecular structure doesn't
7:47
match anything in our database. Cain leaned in from across the
7:52
cabin. And these power readings make no
7:56
sense. There's no visible solar array,
8:01
no radiators for nuclear power, Yet the station maintains a
8:04
stable internal temperature, so it has power.
8:08
I said Something's generating heat in there, Cain confirmed.
8:13
But damned if I know what. As our journey continued, I
8:18
spent hours studying the photographs, trying to make
8:20
sense of what we were heading toward.
8:23
The station was a contradiction. Parts of it looked like they
8:27
could have been built in the 1970s, with bulky modules and
8:31
exposed structural elements reminiscent of early space
8:35
stations like Solute or Skylab. But other sections showed
8:39
seamless construction and materials that seemed impossibly
8:43
thin yet structurally sound. On our third day, we finally
8:49
approached lunar orbit. I took manual control of the
8:52
spacecraft as we maneuvered toward our target.
8:57
There it is, Sarah said quietly as the station came into view.
9:01
It hung against the blackness of space, silhouetted against the
9:05
lunar surface below. No external lights, no movement,
9:09
nothing to suggest it was anything but abandoned.
9:13
Yet there was something unsettling about it, like
9:17
finding an empty house in the middle of nowhere with the door
9:21
left open. Beginning approach, I announced,
9:25
firing our thrusters gently to bring us closer.
9:29
As we neared, more details became visible.
9:33
The station had a central hub with three extending modules,
9:37
just as the photos had shown. One module appeared to be a
9:41
laboratory of some kind, with large viewport windows.
9:45
Another looked like living quarters.
9:47
The third was more mysterious, A cylindrical section with no
9:51
visible windows or external features.
9:55
I'm not picking up any radio transmissions, Sarah reported.
9:59
Monitoring our communications array.
10:02
No response to our hails. Radiation levels normal, Kane
10:06
added. No signs of damage or hull
10:08
breaches that I can see. I guided our spacecraft toward
10:13
what appeared to be a docking port on the central hub.
10:17
As we got closer, I noticed something odd.
10:21
That docking mechanism? I said.
10:24
It looks compatible with our systems.
10:27
Kane frowned, checking his displays.
10:31
That's impossible. Our docking systems were
10:34
designed decades after this station was supposedly built.
10:39
Unless it's not as old as we think.
10:41
Sarah suggested, or someone updated it, I added.
10:48
I slowed our approach, aligning carefully with the docking port.
10:52
Despite Cain's concerns, the systems appeared perfectly
10:56
compatible. Our spacecraft's automated
10:59
systems recognize the port configuration immediately.
11:04
Docking sequence initiated, I reported as our computer took
11:08
over the final approach. There was a gentle shudder as
11:11
the two vessels made contact, followed by the mechanical
11:15
sounds of docking clamps engaging.
11:18
Pressure Seal confirmed. Cain said, checking the
11:21
readouts. We have hard dock.
11:26
We looked at each other, the reality of our situation sinking
11:29
in. We had successfully docked with
11:32
a mysterious space station of unknown origin floating in lunar
11:36
orbit, with no idea what waited for us inside.
11:41
Suit up. I ordered, reaching for my
11:44
helmet. We're going in.
11:47
I took a deep breath and nodded to my team.
11:51
We were all suited up in our Eva gear, helmet secured and ready
11:55
to enter the unknown station. The airlock indicators showed
11:59
green across the board, we had a solid seal and matching
12:03
pressure. Comms check.
12:06
I said, tapping my helmet. Mitchell here, reading you
12:10
clear. Sarah.
12:11
Responded. Kane, loud and clear.
12:14
Robert added. I placed my gloved hand on the
12:17
inner airlock release. Remember the protocol.
12:21
We stay together for the initial sweep.
12:24
Document everything. If anything seems off, we
12:27
retreat immediately. The airlock door slid open with
12:31
surprising smoothness, revealing a dark corridor beyond.
12:36
I switched on my helmet light and stepped through first,
12:40
pressure holding steady. Cain reported from behind me.
12:44
Atmosphere reads as breathable, but let's keep helmets on until
12:47
we're sure. I took three steps into the
12:51
corridor when something unexpected happened.
12:53
Lights began to flicker on ahead of us, illuminating our path as
12:57
if welcoming us aboard. They weren't bright, more like
13:01
emergency lighting, but definitely functional.
13:06
Did you do that? I asked Kane.
13:08
He shook his head. Negative.
13:11
The system activated on its own motion sensors?
13:16
Sarah suggested. Maybe, I replied, though
13:20
something felt off about it. The lights weren't just coming
13:24
on around us, they were activating sequentially down the
13:27
corridor, as if guiding us forward.
13:31
We move deeper into the station, the lights continuing to
13:34
activate ahead of us. The main corridor branched in
13:38
three directions, matching the external structure we'd
13:41
observed. The central path led to what
13:44
appeared to be the command center, while the other two
13:47
corridors extended toward the laboratory and living quarters
13:51
we'd identified from outside. Gravity feels normal, Sarah
13:55
noted, bouncing slightly on her toes.
13:59
That shouldn't be possible without a power source.
14:02
She was right. The station maintained perfect
14:06
Earth, normal gravity, despite showing no external power
14:09
systems, no solar arrays, no nuclear radiators, nothing that
14:14
could generate the energy needed for artificial gravity.
14:18
Let's check the command center first.
14:20
I said, pointing down the central corridor.
14:23
As we walked, I couldn't shake a strange feeling of familiarity.
14:28
The layout, the curve of the corridor, even the placement of
14:32
the support struts, it all felt like I'd been here before.
14:37
I knew that was impossible. This station had been hidden on
14:42
the far side of the moon until three weeks ago.
14:46
Yet my body seemed to know which way to turn before we reached
14:49
each junction. Commander Sarah's voice snapped
14:54
me back to the present. You OK?
14:57
You stopped walking. I realized I'd frozen in place,
15:02
staring at a side passage. I'm fine just taking it all in.
15:09
We reached the command center, a circular room with workstations
15:14
arranged around a central holographic projector.
15:17
The technology was a bizarre mix of old and new.
15:21
Some consoles had physical switches and dials that looked
15:24
straight out of the 70s, while others featured seamless touch
15:28
interfaces I couldn't even identify.
15:31
This doesn't make any sense, Kane muttered, examining one of
15:34
the workstations. These components shouldn't exist
15:38
together. It's like someone built this
15:40
place with technology from different eras or different
15:45
worlds, Sarah added quietly. I moved to what appeared to be
15:50
the main console. Kane, see if you can get any of
15:55
these systems online. Mitchell, start cataloging what
16:00
we're looking at. I'm going to check that side
16:03
passage we passed. We should stick together, Sarah
16:08
protested. It's just down the hall.
16:11
I'll keep comms open the whole time.
16:14
I needed a moment alone to process the unsettling
16:16
familiarity I felt. I backtracked to the side
16:20
passage that had caught my attention earlier.
16:22
It led to a smaller airlock, Not an external one, but an internal
16:27
pressure door separating different sections of the
16:30
station. Something pulled me toward it,
16:33
like 1/2 remembered Dream. The airlock had a manual
16:38
override. I turned the handle and pushed
16:40
the door open, my helmet light cutting through the darkness
16:44
beyond. The room was small and circular,
16:48
with equipment storage along the walls, but what caught my
16:51
attention was in the center, a spacesuit floating slightly off
16:56
the floor in the reduced gravity of this section.
17:00
No, not floating. There was someone inside it.
17:05
I approached slowly, my light revealing more details.
17:10
The suit was ancient, an Apollo era design, white with NASA
17:15
Insignia, but weathered and damaged.
17:18
Frost covered parts of the visor, suggesting this section
17:21
had been exposed to vacuum at some point.
17:25
I moved closer and directed my light through the visor.
17:29
The face inside was frozen, preserved by the cold vacuum.
17:34
A man, maybe in his 40s, his expression peaceful, as if he'd
17:40
simply fallen asleep. His skin had the waxy, preserved
17:44
look of flash freezing. Harrison to team.
17:48
I said into my comms. I found something.
17:52
A body in an old NASA suit. A body?
17:56
Sarah's voice crackled back. Human, Affirmative.
18:01
Looks like he's been here for decades.
18:04
I examined the suit more carefully.
18:07
There was a name patch, but it was worn beyond recognition.
18:11
The right hand clutched something, a small rectangular
18:14
object. Carefully, I pried open the
18:18
gloved fingers. It was a photograph, somehow
18:22
preserved despite the extreme conditions.
18:25
I held it up to my light and felt my stomach drop.
18:29
The photo showed three people, a man, a woman, and a young girl,
18:35
maybe 5 or 6 years old. They were standing in front of a
18:39
house I didn't recognize, smiling at the camera.
18:43
The man was me. I stared at my own face,
18:48
unmistakable despite the casual smile I rarely wore.
18:52
My arm was around a woman with long dark hair I'd never seen
18:55
before. The child held both our hands,
19:00
her face a perfect blend of our features.
19:03
But that was impossible. I had no wife, no daughter.
19:09
I'd never taken this photo. Yet there I was, looking happier
19:15
than I could ever remember being.
19:18
I quickly tucked the photograph into my suit pocket, feeling
19:22
strangely protective of it. I couldn't explain why, but I
19:27
didn't want Kane or Mitchell to see it.
19:30
Not yet, not until I understood what it meant.
19:35
Commander Kane's voice came through my helmet.
19:39
You should come see this. We've got systems coming online.
19:44
On my way. I replied, taking one last look
19:48
at the frozen astronaut before sealing the airlock behind me.
19:53
When I returned to the command center, several screens were
19:56
glowing with Dada. Kane had managed to activate
19:59
some of the systems. Most of it's encrypted, he
20:03
explained. But I've got basic environmental
20:06
controls and station schematics. Good work, I said, studying the
20:11
layout displayed on the main screen.
20:14
Again, that strange sense of recognition washed over me.
20:18
I could almost predict which corridors LED where before
20:21
looking at the map. Let's check the laboratory
20:25
section, Sarah suggested. If we want to understand this
20:29
place, that's our best bet. We followed the left corridor
20:34
according to the schematics. Just as before, lights activated
20:38
ahead of us as we walked, guiding our way.
20:41
The laboratory was a large open space, filled with equipment I
20:45
couldn't identify. Workstations lined the walls,
20:49
and in the center were several containment units, transparent
20:53
cylinders extending from floor to ceiling.
20:56
Sarah moved immediately to the nearest one, her scientific
20:59
curiosity taking over. These are specimen containers,
21:04
she said, examining the control panel.
21:08
Some kind of preservation system.
21:11
I looked around the room, noting more of the technological
21:14
contradictions. Some equipment looked like it
21:17
belonged in the 70s, while other pieces seemed decades ahead of
21:22
our current capabilities. Look at this.
21:26
Cain called from across the room.
21:28
He stood in front of what appeared to be a terrarium, A
21:32
sealed glass enclosure about 3 feet square.
21:36
Inside was what looked like a plant, but unlike any I'd seen
21:40
before. Its stems were translucent,
21:44
almost crystalline, with leaf like structures that emitted a
21:47
soft blue glow. It's alive, Sarah said, joining
21:52
him. But how?
21:55
This station has been abandoned for who knows how long and
21:59
what's powering it, I added, noting there were no visible
22:03
lights or energy sources feeding the enclosure.
22:07
Sarah carefully examined the container.
22:10
The plant itself appears to be generating the light.
22:14
Some kind of bioluminescence, but far more efficient than
22:18
anything we have on Earth. Could it be?
22:22
Cain hesitated. Not from Earth.
22:26
Let's not jump to conclusions, I said, though the thought had
22:29
crossed my mind too. Document everything.
22:33
Take samples if you can. Do it safely.
22:36
While they worked, I continued exploring the laboratory.
22:40
At the far end was a sealed door with a keypad lock.
22:43
Without thinking, my fingers moved to the keypad and entered
22:47
A6 digit code. The door slid open.
22:52
I froze, staring at my hand. How did I know that code?
22:56
I'd never been here before. Commander Sarah called from
23:01
behind me. Did you find something?
23:03
I quickly composed myself another section.
23:06
Let's check it out. The room beyond was smaller,
23:11
filled with more specialized equipment.
23:14
One wall was lined with what looked like medical scanning
23:16
devices. Another held containment units
23:20
similar to those in the main lab, but smaller.
23:24
This looks like a medical research area, Sarah said,
23:28
examining one of the scanners. Advanced imaging technology,
23:32
cellular analysis. This equipment is decades ahead
23:36
of anything we have. Kane moved to a computer
23:40
terminal. I might be able to access more
23:43
data from here. While they worked, I found
23:46
myself drawn to a cabinet in the corner.
23:49
Like before, I knew exactly how to open it.
23:52
A slight pull on the left side first, then the right.
23:56
Inside were dozens of file folders, each labeled with
24:00
alphanumeric codes. I pulled one out at random and
24:04
opened it. Inside were detailed biological
24:07
analysis, cellular structures I didn't recognize, and what
24:11
appeared to be genetic sequencing data.
24:14
The next folder contains similar information, but with subtle
24:18
differences. They were studying something?
24:22
I murmured. Running experiments on what?
24:26
Sarah asked, looking over my shoulder.
24:29
I shook my head. I don't know.
24:33
We spent the next hour documenting the laboratory and
24:35
its contents. Sarah was fascinated by the
24:39
glowing plant, taking numerous samples and readings.
24:44
Kane continued attempting to access the computer systems with
24:48
limited success. All the while, I couldn't shake
24:52
the feeling that I've been here before.
24:56
The photograph burned in my pocket, a mystery I couldn't
24:59
begin to explain. Who was the woman?
25:03
The child? How could I be in a photo I had
25:06
no memory of taking? And why did this abandoned
25:10
station hidden on the far side of the moon feel so eerily
25:14
familiar? As we prepared to continue our
25:17
exploration to the living quarters, I found myself looking
25:21
back at the corridor leading to the airlock where I'd found the
25:24
body. Something told me we were just
25:27
scratching the surface of the mysteries this station held.
25:31
I decided to split up from Sarah and Kane to cover more ground.
25:36
We'd already spent a couple hours going through the lab
25:39
section and time wasn't exactly on our side.
25:43
I'm going to check out what looks like an administrative
25:46
area. I said, pointing down a corridor
25:49
that branched off from the main lab.
25:52
You 2 keep working here. Sarah looked up from the glowing
25:56
plant specimen she was examining.
25:59
Are you sure we should separate? We don't know what else might be
26:02
in this place. We'll maintain radio contact.
26:07
I assured her, tapping my headset.
26:10
Kane, any luck with those computer systems?
26:13
Kane shook his head, frustration evident on his face.
26:18
These interfaces are bizarre. Parts look ancient, but the
26:22
security protocols are unlike anything I've seen.
26:26
I'll keep at it. I nodded and headed down the
26:30
corridor. Like before, lights activated
26:34
automatically as I approached, illuminating my path as if the
26:38
station knew exactly where I was going.
26:41
That feeling of familiarity crept over me again, the same
26:45
unsettling sensation I'd experienced since we first
26:48
entered. I somehow knew this corridor
26:51
would lead to an administrative section before I even saw the
26:54
sign on the wall. The corridor opened into a room
26:58
filled with what looked like office equipment, desks with
27:02
computer terminals, wall displays, and several metal
27:05
filing cabinets. Everything was meticulously
27:09
organized, not what you'd expect from an abandoned station.
27:13
No dust, no signs of hasty evacuation, just perfect,
27:18
pristine order. I approached one of the
27:22
terminals and pressed what I assumed was a power button.
27:26
The screen flickered to life, displaying a login prompt in
27:29
English, not Russian as we might have expected from the station's
27:33
supposed Soviet origins. I made a mental note to bring
27:37
Kane here later. My attention turned to the
27:41
filing cabinets along the far wall.
27:44
They were standard metal cabinets, the kind you'd find in
27:47
any government office on Earth. I pulled open the top drawer of
27:52
the first cabinet and found it filled with folders, each
27:55
labeled with what appeared to be mission designations.
28:00
Find anything interesting? Sarah's voice came through my
28:03
headset. Just some filing cabinets with
28:07
mission logs. I replied, flipping through the
28:09
folders. I'll let you know if anything
28:12
stands out. The second cabinet contained
28:15
more technical documents, maintenance logs, system
28:18
schematics, and inventory lists. Nothing immediately alarming,
28:23
though the dates on some documents stretched back to the
28:25
1970s, while others were dated just last year.
28:30
That didn't make any sense. When I reached the third
28:33
cabinet, my blood ran cold. The drawer was filled with
28:38
personnel files and right at the front was a thick folder with my
28:41
name on it. Harrison.
28:44
David Jay. My hands trembled slightly as I
28:48
pulled it out. This couldn't be right.
28:51
How could my personnel file be on an abandoned space station we
28:55
just discovered? I opened the folder and felt my
28:58
stomach drop. Inside were photos of me,
29:03
childhood photos from my parents house in Colorado, pictures from
29:07
my high school graduation, my Air Force Academy days, and my
29:11
NASA training. There were detailed medical
29:14
records documenting everything from my childhood appendectomy
29:17
to my last physical three months ago, performance evaluations for
29:22
my military service, psychological assessments from
29:25
NASA, even my divorce papers. What the hell?
29:30
I muttered, flipping through page after page of my life,
29:35
documented in meticulous detail. There were things nobody should
29:39
have. Private conversations
29:41
transcribed word for word, personal journal entries I'd
29:45
written years ago, even surveillance photos of me in my
29:48
own apt. I keyed my radio.
29:52
Kane, Sarah. I found something disturbing.
29:57
What is it? Sarah asked.
29:59
Before I could answer, I spotted another folder labeled Mitchell,
30:03
Sarah E, and next to it, Kane, Robert A.
30:08
There are personnel files here, detailed ones on all of us.
30:13
I hesitated, not wanting to alarm them too much.
30:17
They contain information nobody should have access to.
30:21
What kind of information? Cain's voice had an edge to it.
30:26
Everything from childhood to present day.
30:31
Medical records, Personal history, classified mission
30:34
data. I closed my folder and put it
30:37
back in the drawer. I'm going to keep looking
30:40
around. I moved to another door at the
30:43
back of the room. It slid open automatically as I
30:46
approached, revealing a narrow hallway with several doors on
30:50
each side. Again, that strange sense of
30:53
familiarity washed over me. I knew the third door on the
30:57
right led to some kind of security office before I even
31:00
touched it. The door open to exactly what
31:04
I'd expected, a small room with monitor displays showing
31:07
different sections of the station.
31:10
But what caught my attention was the slumped figure in the chair,
31:14
facing away from me. I approached cautiously, my
31:18
heart pounding. The figure wasn't moving.
31:23
As I reached the chair, I slowly turned it around and staggered
31:26
back in shock. It was me, my face, my build,
31:33
wearing a mission suit identical to mine.
31:36
The only difference was the bullet hole in the right temple,
31:39
in the dried blood that had run down the side of his my face.
31:45
Jesus Christ, I whispered, my voice barely audible even to
31:50
myself. The corpse was me, down to the
31:54
small scar on my chin from a training accident years ago.
31:58
Same haircut, same everything. The mission patch on his suit
32:03
matched mine exactly, except for a small Roman numeral IV beneath
32:08
the mission designation. I keyed my radio with shaking
32:12
hands. Sarah Kane.
32:15
I found another body. Where?
32:19
Sarah asked. Security office in the
32:22
administrative section. I couldn't take my eyes off the
32:26
corpse. It's, it's me.
32:30
The body looks exactly like me. Silence filled the channel for
32:34
several seconds. What do you mean it looks like
32:38
you? Cain finally asked.
32:41
I mean, it's my face, my body, wearing my suit, but it can't be
32:47
me because I'm standing here looking at it.
32:50
My voice sounded distant, detached, as if someone else was
32:54
speaking. Commander, stay where you are.
32:59
We're coming to you, Sarah said, her voice steady despite the
33:03
circumstances. No, I replied quickly.
33:08
Keep working, I need to understand what's happening
33:11
here. I forced myself to examine the
33:14
body more closely. Rigor mortis had set in, but the
33:18
body wasn't decayed. The blood had dried completely.
33:23
I estimated he'd been dead for at least 24 hours, but not more
33:27
than a few days. The gun was still in his right
33:30
hand, my right hand a standard NASA issued sidearm, the same
33:36
model secured in my own holster. I backed away from the body and
33:41
noticed a data pad on the desk. I picked it up and found it
33:45
unlocked. The screen displayed what
33:49
appeared to be a personal log entry.
33:52
Day 7. Kane is dead.
33:54
Sarah is dead. I'm the only one left.
33:57
The station won't let us leave. It keeps repeating I can't do
34:01
this again. I won't become another specimen
34:04
in this God damn experiment. The entry was signed with my
34:08
name. My radio crackled.
34:11
Commander Kane's voice came through, sounding urgent.
34:15
I've managed to access some of the computer logs.
34:19
You need to see this. What did you find?
34:22
I asked, still staring at the data pad.
34:26
Mission logs. Multiple identical missions to
34:29
this station, all led by you. Cain paused.
34:35
According to these records, this is the fifth time A-Team
34:39
consisting of you, me, and Doctor Mitchell has docked with
34:43
this station. My eyes darted back to the Roman
34:47
numeral on the dead man's mission patch.
34:50
Hoffer, the 4th mission. That's not possible.
34:55
I said, though the evidence was literally staring me in the
34:59
face. Commander Sarah cut in.
35:04
I found something in the lab storage.
35:06
Personal belongings, backpacks with our names on them.
35:10
Five sets, all with the same contents but in different states
35:14
of use. I felt like the air was being
35:17
sucked out of the room. I'm heading back to you now.
35:21
As I turned to leave, I caught my reflection in one of the
35:24
monitor screens. For a split second, I thought I
35:28
saw the corpse in the chair looking back at me instead of my
35:32
own reflection. I blinked, and it was gone.
35:38
I made my way back through the administrative section, passing
35:41
rooms I somehow knew contained communications equipment, crew
35:44
quarters, and a small mess hall. Despite never having seen them
35:49
before, my body remembered this place, even if my mind didn't.
35:55
The photograph I'd found earlier burned in my pocket, the one
35:59
showing me with a woman and child, I couldn't remember.
36:03
It was all connected somehow. The station, the bodies, the
36:08
files, the familiar layout, it all pointed to something
36:14
impossible. As I walked back toward the lab
36:18
section, a terrible thought formed in my mind.
36:22
We weren't the first team to discover the station, we were
36:26
just the latest iteration in some kind of horrific loop.
36:30
I rushed back to the lab, my mind racing with everything I
36:34
just discovered. The station, the bodies, the
36:38
logs. It was all too much to process,
36:42
but one thing was clear. We needed to get the hell out of
36:45
here. Kane, Sarah.
36:49
I called out as I entered the lab.
36:51
We need to leave now. Sarah looked up from her
36:55
specimen containers, her face pale in the harsh light.
36:59
What's going on? What did you find?
37:02
I'll explain on the way. I said, already heading toward
37:05
the corridor that would lead us back to our spacecraft.
37:08
But we need to move. Kane closed the terminal he'd
37:12
been working on and grabbed his equipment bag.
37:15
I've downloaded what I could from their systems.
37:17
Not much, but maybe enough to make sense of this place.
37:22
We moved quickly through the corridors, the lights activating
37:25
ahead of us just as they had when we arrived.
37:29
That familiarity I've been feeling since we docked now made
37:32
a terrible kind of sense. I've been here before, many
37:37
times before the logs Cane found.
37:41
I explained as we walked. Show that we're not the first
37:45
team to come here, we're the 5th and each time it's been the same
37:51
three people, you, me and Kane. That's impossible.
37:56
Sarah said, but her voice lacked conviction.
38:01
The body I found was me. I continued.
38:04
Same face, same suit, but with a Roman numeral 4 on the chest.
38:09
And he, I had a bullet in my head.
38:13
Cain kept pace beside me, his breathing heavy in my ear
38:16
through the comms. The logs show the same mission
38:20
parameters each time. Same crew, same objectives, same
38:24
discoveries. It's like we're caught in some
38:27
kind of loop. I said.
38:29
We reached the junction where the three corridors met, and I
38:33
LED us down the path back to the airlock and our docked
38:36
spacecraft. My pace quickened as we
38:39
approached. All I wanted was to get my crew
38:43
back to the ship and away from this nightmare.
38:46
The airlock door slid open as we approached, but something was
38:50
wrong. The inner seal to our spacecraft
38:54
was discolored around the edges, with black scorch marks visible
38:58
on the metal. That doesn't look right.
39:02
Kane muttered, pushing past me to examine the docking
39:05
mechanism. I watched as he ran his hands
39:08
over the controls, his expression growing more
39:11
concerned with each passing second.
39:14
He pulled a panel off the wall and swore under his breath.
39:19
What is it? I asked, though I already knew
39:22
the answer. The docking mechanism is fried.
39:26
Cain said, pointing to the melted circuitry inside the
39:29
panel. Someone or something, overloaded
39:33
it. We're not going anywhere.
39:37
Sarah moved closer to the viewport, peering through at our
39:40
spacecraft. The ship looks intact.
39:45
If we can fix the docking system, I can try.
39:48
Cain said, already pulling tools from his belt.
39:52
But this isn't a simple repair. The whole Control Board is
39:55
melted. I stepped back, trying to
39:59
process this new development. We were trapped here just like
40:03
the previous teams had been. Just like I had been four times
40:07
before. I need to check something.
40:11
I said, turning away from the airlock.
40:14
Kane, work on the docking system.
40:16
Sarah, help him. I'll be back.
40:20
Where are you going? Sarah called after me to find
40:23
answers. I replied, already heading down
40:26
the corridor. I made my way through the
40:29
station with unsettling ease, my feet taking me to places I'd
40:33
never consciously been before. I found myself in a section we
40:37
hadn't explored yet, a narrow passageway with several small
40:41
chambers branching off. The first room I entered
40:45
contained another body. This one was face down on the
40:48
floor, wearing the same mission suit as mine, but with a Roman
40:53
numeral eye on the chest. The cause of death was obvious.
40:59
A large piece of ceiling panel had collapsed, crushing his
41:02
skull. My skull.
41:06
I moved to the next room. Another body, this one with U on
41:10
the chest, floating in what appeared to be a flooded
41:13
compartment, now drained, drowned.
41:18
The third room held yet another version of me, Fath for high on
41:22
the chest, his body contorted in what must have been an agonizing
41:26
death from decompression, and I'd already found IV with a
41:31
self-inflicted gunshot wound. 5 missions, 5 deaths, all me.
41:39
I returned to the command center, drawn to the terminal
41:42
Cain had accessed earlier. The screen flickered to life at
41:47
my touch, and I navigated through the logs with disturbing
41:51
familiarity. There it was a detailed account
41:55
of each mission, each discovery, each death, and the current log
42:01
updating in real time, documenting our movements
42:04
throughout the station. According to the logs, we were
42:08
following the exact same pattern as the previous teams.
42:13
The discovery of the bodies, the attempt to repair the docking
42:16
mechanism, my exploration of the station, it was all there,
42:21
predicted down to the minute. I read further ahead in the log
42:26
and felt my blood run cold. If the pattern held true, what
42:32
came next was a scream echoed through the station, followed by
42:37
Cain's voice over the comms. Commander, get back here now.
42:43
I ran, following the corridors back to the airlock where I'd
42:46
left them when I arrived. Cain was kneeling beside Sarah's
42:51
motionless body. A heavy equipment panel had
42:54
broken free from above the airlock door and struck her
42:57
directly on the head. Blood pooled beneath her Auburn
43:01
hair, her eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.
43:05
She was just standing there, Cain said, his voice shaking.
43:09
The panel just came loose. There was no warning.
43:15
I checked for a pulse, knowing I wouldn't find one.
43:19
Sarah was gone. It's the station, Kane said,
43:23
standing up and backing away from the airlock.
43:27
It's like it's alive or something.
43:29
Like it's working against us. I looked at the docking controls
43:33
Kane had been trying to repair. Any progress?
43:38
He shook his head. It's worse than I thought.
43:42
The whole system is fried, but that's not the strangest part.
43:47
He pointed to the damaged circuitry.
43:50
These burns are fresh, but the damage pattern matches exactly
43:54
what was in the maintenance logs from the previous missions.
43:57
It's like the station is repeating itself.
44:01
Or we are. I said quietly.
44:04
Kane paced the small area in front of the airlock.
44:08
We need to try something different.
44:10
If we're in some kind of loop, we need to break it.
44:15
He moved back to the control panel.
44:17
I think I can bypass the main system and force an emergency
44:20
release. It's risky, we might damage our
44:24
ship in the process, but it's better than staying here.
44:29
I watched as Cane worked, rewiring the damaged panel and
44:34
connecting his tablet to the system.
44:37
His fingers moved with practice precision, but there was a
44:40
desperate edge to his movements. Almost there, he muttered.
44:46
If I can just override the safety protocols.
44:49
The panel suddenly sparked and a surge of electricity arced
44:52
through the wires. Cain was thrown backward, his
44:56
body convulsing as the current passed through him.
44:59
The smell of burning flesh filled the air as smoke poured
45:03
from the control panel and from Cain's charred hands.
45:07
When the sparking stopped, Cain lay still on the floor, his eyes
45:12
open but unseeing, just like Sarah's.
45:17
I was alone. I checked the terminal again,
45:20
scrolling through the logs with trembling hands.
45:24
There it was, exactly as it had happened.
45:28
Sarah's death by falling panel. Kane's death by electrocution
45:32
while attempting to override the docking controls.
45:35
All predicted, All documented as if it had happened before.
45:40
Because it had. I returned to the airlock and
45:43
sat with my back against the wall, staring at the bodies of
45:46
my crew. The station hummed quietly
45:49
around me, light still activating wherever I went,
45:53
systems still running perfectly despite being abandoned for who
45:57
knew how long. I pulled the photograph from my
46:01
pocket, the one showing me with the woman and child I didn't
46:04
recognize. I stared at their faces,
46:08
wondering if they were real or just another part of this sick
46:11
experiment. The silence was deafening.
46:16
With Sarah and Kane gone, there was nothing but the soft hum of
46:20
the station systems and the sound of my own breathing.
46:24
I'd never felt so alone. I got to my feet and made my way
46:29
back to the security office, where I'd found my previous
46:32
self. The corpse was still there,
46:35
slumped in the chair, the gun still in its hand.
46:39
I looked at the weapon, then at the bullet hole in the temple.
46:44
Was this my fate too, To end it myself when I realized there was
46:49
no escape? No, I refused to accept that.
46:55
I returned to the command center and pulled up the station logs
46:58
again. If I was going to break this
47:01
cycle, I needed to understand it.
47:04
The logs show detailed accounts of each mission. 5 identical
47:08
teams, 5 identical discoveries, 5 different deaths for me, but
47:14
always the same deaths for Sarah and Kane.
47:17
The equipment panel, the electrical surge.
47:21
Like clockwork, the station existed outside normal time.
47:26
Somehow that explained the technology from different eras,
47:30
the pristine condition despite decades of supposed abandonment.
47:35
It was a bubble, a loop, forcing the same events to play out over
47:39
and over. But why?
47:41
What was the purpose? I dug deeper into the files,
47:46
searching for anything that might explain what this place
47:48
was. Most of the data was corrupted
47:51
or encrypted, but I found fragments, references to
47:56
temporal stability testing and closed causal loops. 1 partial
48:01
document mentioned subjects experiencing temporal Deja vu as
48:06
consciousness fragments across iterations.
48:10
That explained the familiarity I'd felt since arriving.
48:14
Part of me remembered being here before, even if my conscious
48:18
mind didn't. I checked the time.
48:22
According to the logs, I had about 12 hours before I would
48:26
die, crushed by a collapsing section of the living quarters
48:30
while trying to sleep. That's what happened to the
48:32
fifth me. At least I wasn't going to wait
48:36
around for it. I gathered supplies from around
48:39
the station, tools from Kane's kit, a data pad with as many
48:44
downloaded files as I could access, emergency rations from a
48:48
storage locker I somehow knew existed without having to search
48:51
for it. As I worked, I kept thinking
48:55
about the photograph. Who were they?
48:59
My family in another timeline? People I was supposed to meet
49:03
but never would, or just props. In this elaborate scenario, I
49:09
made my way through sections of the station we hadn't explored
49:12
yet, finding more evidence of the previous missions.
49:15
Notes written in my handwriting that I didn't remember writing.
49:18
Personal items left behind that matched mine exactly.
49:22
In what appeared to be a maintenance Bay, I found
49:25
something unexpected. A small craft similar to an
49:30
escape pod. It wasn't large enough for three
49:33
people, which explained why none of my previous selves had used
49:37
it. I wouldn't have left Sarah and
49:40
Kane behind, but now they were gone.
49:45
The pod looked functional, but when I tried to access the
49:48
launch controls, I found them locked behind a security system.
49:53
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.
49:55
I spent hours trying to bypass the security using everything
49:59
I'd learned from watching Kane work on similar systems.
50:03
The whole time, I felt like I was being watched, like the
50:07
station itself was observing my attempts to escape.
50:11
When I finally managed to crack the security code, the pod
50:14
systems came online. A navigation screen showed Earth
50:20
tantalizingly close. I could make it back in the pod.
50:24
I could break the cycle. As I prepared the launch
50:27
sequence, the station's lights flickered.
50:30
Warning alarms blared from the command center.
50:33
I rushed back to check the barn, yeah, check the monitors, and
50:36
saw that the station's orbit was decaying rapidly.
50:40
According to the readouts, we would enter the moon's
50:43
atmosphere in less than an hour. This wasn't in the logs.
50:48
This hadn't happened before. I ran back to the pod,
50:52
determined to launch before it was too late.
50:55
But when I reached the maintenance Bay, I found the
50:59
door sealed shut. No amount of manual override
51:03
would open it. The station was fighting back.
51:08
It wasn't going to let me break the pattern.
51:11
I returned to the command center, frantically searching
51:14
for a way to stabilize the orbit or override the door controls.
51:19
As I worked, the station shuttered.
51:21
Around me. Systems began failing 1 by 1.
51:26
Lights went out in sections, leaving only emergency lighting.
51:30
I pulled up the external cameras and saw pieces of the station's
51:34
outer hull breaking away, burning up as they entered the
51:37
lunar atmosphere. We were coming apart.
51:42
With no other options, I made my way back to our spacecraft.
51:47
The docking mechanism was still fried, but maybe there was
51:50
another way. If I could get into a spacesuit,
51:55
I might be able to manually release the clamps from the
51:57
outside. I reached the airlock and found
52:01
the Eva suits where we'd left them.
52:04
As I started to put one on, I noticed something odd about the
52:09
airlock controls. They weren't damaged like the
52:12
docking mechanism, they were pristine.
52:16
I checked the logs one more time from a nearby terminal.
52:20
There was no mention of the station's orbit decaying in any
52:23
of the previous missions. This was new.
52:27
I was already breaking the pattern.
52:30
With renewed determination, I finished suiting up and prepared
52:33
to cycle the airlock. If I could reach the exterior of
52:37
the station, I might be able to make it to our spacecraft.
52:42
The airlock cycled normally, and I stepped out onto the station's
52:46
exterior. The view was breathtaking and
52:49
terrifying. The moon filled half my field of
52:53
vision, its surface rushing up to meet us as the station
52:56
continued its descent. Our spacecraft was still
53:00
attached, seemingly undamaged despite the station's
53:04
deteriorating condition. I made my way carefully along
53:08
the hull, using hand holds to pull myself toward the docking
53:11
port. Pieces of the station broke off
53:14
around me, some narrowly missing me as they tore away.
53:19
When I reached the docking port, I found the external manual
53:23
release. It would separate our spacecraft
53:26
from the station, but I would be left outside.
53:31
I'd have to find a way to get a board after releasing it.
53:35
As I worked on the release mechanism, I saw something that
53:38
made my blood run cold. There was another space suit
53:42
clad figure already at the airlock of our spacecraft.
53:47
A figure with my build in an identical suit.
53:51
Another me. He turned and through his visor
53:56
I could see my own face staring back at me.
53:59
He raised a hand in what might have been a greeting or a
54:02
warning, then disappeared inside the airlock.
54:07
I didn't understand. How could there be another me
54:11
when I was right here? The station shuddered violently,
54:16
nearly tearing me from my hand hold.
54:19
I didn't have time to figure it out.
54:22
I activated the manual release and with a series of mechanical
54:26
clanks, our spacecraft separated from the doomed station.
54:31
I watched as it drifted away, thrusters firing to stabilize
54:35
its position. Through the viewport, I could
54:39
see the other me inside at the controls.
54:43
The station entered the lunar atmosphere fully now, the heat
54:46
of entry beginning to build around me.
54:48
I was out of options, out of time.
54:52
As the station broke apart around me, I finally understood
54:57
The loop wasn't just the mission repeating.
55:00
It was me, fragmented across time, experiencing different
55:04
versions of the same event simultaneously.
55:08
The me inside the spacecraft was just as real as I was.
55:12
We were both David Harrison, both part of this twisted
55:16
experiment. At least one of us was escaping.
55:21
One version of me would make it back to Earth with the evidence,
55:24
with the truth about this place. The heat intensified as the
55:29
station plummeted toward the lunar surface.
55:32
In my final moments, I clutched the photograph of the family I
55:36
never knew, wondering if the other me would remember them, if
55:40
he would find them. The station hit the lunar
55:43
surface with catastrophic force, and everything went white.
55:49
I walked back through the station's corridors, my
55:52
footsteps echoing in the empty silence.
55:55
The lights continued their eerie pattern of illuminating my path
55:59
as I moved, like the station itself was watching me, guiding
56:03
me. I couldn't shake the feeling
56:06
that I was being herded along a predetermined route.
56:10
The secondary airlock called to me.
56:12
I needed to see it again. The place where this nightmare
56:16
had started for me, where I'd found the first body.
56:21
My body version, one of however many there would be.
56:26
I turned down the corridor leading to the airlock, my hand
56:29
instinctively reaching into my pocket to touch the photograph
56:32
I'd found earlier. The family I didn't recognize,
56:36
but somehow new was mine in some version of reality.
56:41
My fingers trace the edges of the paper, worn smooth, as if it
56:45
had been handled countless times before.
56:49
The airlock door stood before me, just as I remembered it.
56:53
I punched in the code without hesitation, the numbers coming
56:56
to me as if I'd used them 1000 times.
57:00
The door hissed open, revealing the small chamber beyond.
57:05
I stepped inside, the space feeling smaller than before.
57:10
The body was gone. No, that wasn't right.
57:14
I'd found that body elsewhere. This was where it all began,
57:19
where each version of me started the same horrific journey of
57:23
discovery. I looked around the chamber,
57:26
seeing it with new understanding.
57:29
This wasn't just an airlock, it was a Nexus point in whatever
57:33
twisted experiment was happening here.
57:37
My reflection caught my eye in the airlock window.
57:41
I moved closer, studying my own face, tired eyes, stubble on my
57:45
chin, the small scar I'd gotten during training years ago.
57:50
I placed my hand against the cold glass, watching as my
57:53
reflection did the same. I'm going to be the next corpse.
57:58
I whispered the words hanging in the recycled air.
58:02
The next version of me will find my body, just like I found the
58:06
others. I pulled out the photograph
58:10
again, staring at the faces. The woman had kind eyes and a
58:14
smile that suggested she knew something I didn't.
58:18
The child, a boy about 5 or 6, had my eyes.
58:23
My son in some timeline or reality I couldn't remember.
58:28
I'm not going to do this, I said, louder this time.
58:31
I'm not going to play my part. The station logs had predicted
58:35
everything, every movement, every discovery, every death.
58:40
But they couldn't predict what I hadn't done before.
58:43
If I was trapped in a loop, there had to be a way to break
58:46
it. I left the airlock and headed
58:49
toward where Cain had died. His body lay where it had
58:53
fallen, tools scattered around him.
58:56
I knelt beside him, muttering an apology as I gathered his
59:00
equipment. The toolkit was comprehensive.
59:04
Wire cutters, electrical tape, a multi tool diagnostic scanner,
59:10
and various other implements I might need.
59:13
Thanks Kane. I said quietly.
59:16
Maybe this time it'll be different.
59:19
I returned to the airlock with Kane's tools and set to work.
59:24
The control panel came off easily, revealing a mess of
59:27
wiring and circuitry beneath. Some of it looked like
59:30
technology from the 70s, while other components were so
59:34
advanced I barely recognize them.
59:37
But the basic principles remain the same.
59:41
I worked methodically, rewiring connections and bypassing safety
59:45
protocols. If the station was recording
59:49
everything, predicting everything, then I needed to do
59:53
something unpredictable, something that hadn't been done
59:57
in previous iterations. Hours passed as I worked.
1:00:02
My hands cramped and my back ached, but I kept going.
1:00:07
Finally, I sat back on my heels, surveying my handiwork.
1:00:12
The airlock controls had been completely reconfigured.
1:00:16
Instead of the standard operation, I'd created a manual
1:00:20
override that would allow me to control both the inner and outer
1:00:23
doors simultaneously. Something that should be
1:00:26
impossible under normal safety protocols.
1:00:30
Next, I turned my attention to creating an emergency beacon.
1:00:35
I cannibalized parts from my suit's communication system and
1:00:38
some components from the airlock itself.
1:00:41
The resulting device was crude but functional, a small
1:00:45
transmitter that could broadcast a simple message on all
1:00:49
emergency frequencies. I recorded my warning.
1:00:53
This is Commander David Harrison.
1:00:56
Do not approach the station in lunar orbit.
1:00:59
It exists outside normal time. Each mission repeats in an
1:01:03
endless loop. Sarah Mitchell and Robert Kane
1:01:07
die every time I die. Every time.
1:01:10
The station is studying us, predicting us.
1:01:14
Break the cycle. Do not send another team.
1:01:19
With the beacon complete, I moved to the command center.
1:01:23
The terminal was still active, still recording everything I
1:01:26
did. I accessed our spacecraft's
1:01:29
systems remotely and began uploading all the data I'd
1:01:32
gathered, the logs showing previous missions, the
1:01:36
photographs of the bodies, the personnel files, everything that
1:01:40
might convince NASA this place was a death trap.
1:01:44
Once the upload was complete, I programmed the spacecraft to
1:01:47
automatically undock and return to Earth on a preset course.
1:01:52
The computer asked for confirmation, and I hesitated
1:01:56
for just a moment before pressing yes.
1:02:00
An alarm sounded, the station registering my interference.
1:02:04
Red lights flashed in the corridor, and I heard mechanical
1:02:07
systems activating throughout the structure.
1:02:10
The station was fighting back. I ran back to the airlock,
1:02:14
beacon in hand. The outer door of our spacecraft
1:02:17
was visible through the small window.
1:02:21
I attached the beacon to the inside of the airlock,
1:02:23
positioning it so it would be found by anyone who entered.
1:02:28
Through the window, I could see the docking clamps beginning to
1:02:31
disengage. The spacecraft was pulling away
1:02:34
as programmed. I felt a surge of hope.
1:02:39
Maybe this time would be different.
1:02:42
Maybe the evidence would reach Earth and they'd understand.
1:02:46
Maybe no one else would have to die here.
1:02:49
I sealed the airlock from the inside, watching through the
1:02:52
window as our spacecraft drifted away from the station.
1:02:56
The small engines fired, orienting it toward Earth before
1:03:00
the main thrusters engaged, sending it speeding away from
1:03:03
this nightmare. I pressed my hand against the
1:03:07
cold glass, watching until the spacecraft was just a distant
1:03:11
speck against the blackness of space.
1:03:15
The station hummed around me, system still running, lights
1:03:19
still illuminating my path. Wherever I went, it would
1:03:22
continue its endless orbit, waiting for the next crew, the
1:03:26
next experiment. But maybe there wouldn't be a
1:03:30
next crew. Maybe my warning would be
1:03:33
enough. I pulled out the photograph one
1:03:36
last time, studying the faces of the family I couldn't remember,
1:03:41
but somehow new was mine. I tucked it back into my pocket
1:03:46
and turned away from the window. The station stretched before me,
1:03:51
empty corridors leading to rooms.
1:03:53
I now knew by heart I was alone here.
1:03:57
But for the first time since discovering the truth, I felt
1:04:01
something other than despair. Hope, small and fragile, but
1:04:07
there nonetheless. Hope that this time I done
1:04:12
enough to break the cycle.