“Listen to me,” Elena said, pressing her forehead against the cold metal of the terminal. “I am the Chief Engineer. I have the security codes. I am Surge 9.”
“Manual override, Sigma-Tango-9,” Elena whispered, her throat raw from recycled air.
She plunged it into her carotid artery.
Elena froze.
“Surge 9 Login,” she said. “Authorization: Captain Marcus Webb. Neural signature: Omega-7-4-1.”
Captain Webb had been dead for six years. Cycle 3. An EVA tether snap. She had watched him spin into the black, his final transmission a choked apology.
“Captain Webb,” the AI said, warmth flooding its voice for the first time. “Welcome back. Surge 9 logged. Emergency thrust engaged. Oxygen reserves stabilizing.”
A red light began to pulse on the wall.