I quickly grabbed my gear and headed for the bridge.

  I walked through empty corridor after empty corridor, a shocking contrast to the bustle that had filled the ship before entering stasis, when people had been running everywhere. The tremors continued, accompanied by intermittent power fluctuations. I stumbled a couple of times due to particularly strong shakes.

  Finally, I reached the bridge. The door was closed, so I knocked.

  “Hello, I’m part of the engineering staff. I woke up early because of a pod error. If you need help fixing the ship, I’m at your disposal,” I said through the intercom, but no one answered. “Is anyone in there?” I asked, knocking on the door. No signs of activity.

  It was impossible that no one was on the bridge. The orders were for all personnel to enter stasis, but that didn’t include the bridge crew. Protocol required them to stay awake to monitor the ship on short trips. If the journey lasted weeks, the artificial intelligence would take over and wake the crew in case of emergency. But this stellar jump was short, not even a full day. And if they had activated the AI, it would’ve already responded.

  “Looks like there’s no other choice… well, I always wanted to force the bridge door,” I said as I pulled out my polyfix from my pocket.

  Forcing the bridge door open was extremely difficult: in case of mutiny, it had to remain secure. But I didn’t need to open it fully, only pry it a bit. With some effort, I removed the outer panel of the lock and started drilling to make a hole.

  Alarms immediately blared, and a robotic voice came through the intercom:

  [Bridge breach attempt detected. Emergency mode activated. Cease your actions or I will be forced to use force.]

  Along with the voice from the ship’s speakers, cannons emerged from the walls and aimed at me.

  It worked, damn! Even I had thought this method was just a Net rumor, but it seemed to be true.

  “Please, no. I’m the onboard mechanic, Rob Sabringer, serial number 1337. I woke up from stasis by accident, the ship seems to be in trouble, and no one on the bridge is answering any contact attempts. That’s why I was forced to activate the AI manually,” I explained quickly, before getting riddled with bullets.

  [Identity confirmed: Rob Sabringer, engineer on board, serial number 1337. Mechanic with outstanding skills despite eccentric behavior.]

  With that, the cannons retracted back into their compartments.

  “Thanks, it’s nice to be acknowledged, but… what do you mean, eccentric?”

  [Scanning ship and bridge status…]

  The AI ignored my question and got straight to work. How professional! I had always admired that about artificial intelligences.

  [Full scan complete. An external force is attacking the ship. The shield is holding, but its regeneration capacity is reaching its limit. Action is recommended. Attempting to contact the bridge… attempt failed.]

  I had known something was wrong. We needed to contact the captain.

  “AI, help me…”

  [Call me Horaizon.] She interrupted me.

  “Sorry? What did you say?”

  [My name is Horaizon, a combination of “AI” and “Horizon”: Horaizon.]

  “……”

  [……]

  We fell silent. Horaizon? Seriously? Had no one come up with anything better, or did she choose it herself? The surprise made me forget the situation for a moment.

  “There’s no time for this, Horaizon. Help me enter the bridge so I can check on the captain and the crew,” I forced myself to focus on what mattered.

  [……]

  She took a few seconds to process my request.

  [Request accepted. Opening the bridge.]

  The bridge doors finally opened. I rushed inside.

  The bridge was shrouded in an unsettling silence, despite the multiple alerts filling the screens. All personnel were still at their stations.

  I approached the captain and grabbed him by the shoulders.

  “Captain, are you alright? We need your leadership. The ship is under attack,” I said, shaking him.

  With the movement, his body slowly slid to one side and slumped limply against the back of the chair, spilling a cup of coffee that shattered on the floor.

  “Captain!”

  I quickly examined him. Fortunately, he was still breathing, but he was unconscious and unresponsive to my attempts to wake him. It looked as though he had been drugged. I checked the rest of the crew and discovered they were all in the same condition.

  I couldn’t understand. Who could have done this to the entire crew? Why? Was it part of the attack? Were they trying to leave us defenseless?

  A strong tremor shook the ship, throwing me to the floor.

  “There’s no time to think. I have to act.” I got up and headed to the main console. “Horaizon, show me the external situation.”

  [Projecting images.]

  The screen lit up and showed me a projection of the Seeker, enveloped in a dense fog of intense red mixed with flashes of black.

  The fog swirled, beating against the ship in waves with the fury of a raging storm, surrounding it like a hurricane. Tendrils sprouted from it, twisting and lashing against the shield’s surface, which cracked under the pressure.

  The cracks sealed immediately, but the relentless assault overwhelmed the repair capacity, and the damage began to spread, covering the ship with fractures like a net expanding faster and faster.

  I was left speechless as I watched the projection.

  “Horaizon, analysis of the attacker,” I ordered, hoping I was wrong.

  [Analyzing attacker…]

  A moment passed, only a few seconds, but for me—whose answer to this question was a matter of life and death—those few seconds felt eternal.

  [Analysis complete. The attacker is a stellar phenomenon still beyond scientific understanding: the Red Storm, classified as a threat of at least level 4. Strongly recommended to flee from it and avoid any contact at all costs.]

  “My God,” I couldn’t help but utter a plea, despite not having a god to direct it to.

  I had feared as much. It was the Red Storm, a stellar phenomenon that devoured everything in its path, known for appearing in an instant and vanishing without any pattern or warning.

  Nothing had ever come out of the Storm; in fact, it was believed that, much like a black hole, anything entering it was simply reduced to nothing.

  “Quick, Horaizon, let’s get out of here! Put all power into the engines; we have to escape the storm if we don’t want to be swallowed.

  [Acknowledged. The threat exceeds the Seeker’s capabilities. Beginning retreat.]

  I quickly took a seat on the bridge and strapped myself in, waiting for our escape.

  …But nothing happened.

  [Impossible to escape the Storm.]

  “Why?!”

  [As stated, we need full power in the engines to escape the Storm’s pull, but the shield is consuming a large portion of the energy. And it is already at its limit; if we deactivate it, the Seeker will undoubtedly be torn apart by the Storm.]

  “Damn it!” I knew she was right; our situation was extremely dire. “What about the intangible shield? If we turn intangible, we can escape the Storm.”

  [Calculating… Negative. We could become intangible, but our thrust would be intangible as well. We wouldn’t move anywhere; we would only waste energy.]

  “And the jump?”

  [Calculating… Impossible. The energy required for a jump is too high; we wouldn’t be able to keep the shield up long enough to perform it.]

  “Stop rejecting my plans, give me solutions! Is there any way to escape?”

  [Calculating…]

  […]

  […]

  [There is none. There is no way for the Seeker to escape the Storm.]

  Those cold, logical words hit me like a hammer. I realized that no matter what I did, nothing could change the situation I was in.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  There was nothing to do but watch my inevitable end.

  All I had left was surrender. The difficulty was simply too high; I had done what I could and failed.

  You didn’t give enough. You gave up when you felt overwhelmed. Remember that as long as you’re alive and your mission isn’t complete, you must find a way.

  Those words echoed through my mind, pulling me out of the pit of negativity I had sunk into.

  “Hey, Horaizon.”

  [Yes.]

  “Am I still alive?”

  [Yes. Your vital systems are in perfect condition.]

  “Then why are you saying there’s no way?!”

  With that shout, I jumped from the seat and ran toward the main projection.

  [I ran hundreds of simulations. There is no way to prevent the Seeker from being swallowed by the Storm.]

  “My mission isn’t to save the Seeker, but the crew. What about the escape pods?”

  [The escape pods are operational, but once they leave the shield, they will be destroyed by the Storm.]

  “What if we loaded them into the mini-catapult and fired them? They’d be intangible, and their speed would send them out of the sector instantly. How long would it take to launch the whole crew?”

  [Calculating… 10 minutes.]

  “How long will the shield last, taking into account the energy needed for the launches?”

  [Calculating… 11 minutes. The time is sufficient to save them all. High probability of success. Immediate execution recommended.]

  “Begin executing it,” I ordered, excited.

  [Beginning execution of the plan… Error. I do not have the permissions to load the sleep pods into the escape pods.]

  “What?! Seriously? Permissions? In this situation?”

  [I was not activated by the captain according to protocol. My activation was forced, therefore my permissions are reduced.]

  “Don’t give me more problems, give me solutions! What alternatives are there?”

  [You can configure the loading and launching of the pods manually from the launch control room.]

  “No time to waste, then. Can you place the bridge crew into their pods?”

  [Of course. There is a protocol for protecting high command.]

  “Execute it.”

  Before I even finished speaking, I was already running toward the launch room. I ran like I had never run in my entire life.

  I crossed section after section of a Seeker that was falling apart, until I finally reached my destination.

  I found the main console and began entering the necessary commands for the launches. One by one, the pods from all departments started loading into the escape pods.

  “Alright, time to see if I was right.”

  I sent the first pod up the elevator to the catapult. It was quickly loaded, and the launch sequence began; I chose as its destination the vicinity of the Odyssey.

  The stellar tunnel formed, the pod was covered by the intangible shield, and with the usual burst of light it shot outward, piercing through the raging Storm.

  “Horaizon, give me the launch results.”

  [Launch completed successfully.]

  “Awesome!” I shouted joyfully, raising my arms.

  I couldn’t allow myself to get distracted; the clock was ticking: eleven minutes after the first launch, the shield would break.

  I entered the command for automated continued launches and hurried off toward my own pod.

  I rushed through the corridors, hurried but happy; I had managed to get the crew to safety. If this didn’t earn me an early retirement, nothing would.

  Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the ship; it was the strongest I had felt. I could hear the metal groaning and the lights exploding around me.

  “Horaizon, what’s happening?”

  [The intensity of the Storm has increased to an unprecedented scale.]

  “Damn it, it’s as if it sensed we were slipping from its grasp. Is the shield holding?”

  [Barely, but its remaining time has shortened significantly.]

  Damn it, could nothing ever go right? The instructor had been right: nothing ever went according to plan.

  “How long?”

  [The shield will break five minutes earlier.]

  “……” I’m left speechless. There isn’t enough time; barely half the crew will be able to get out.

  [I’m sorry, Rob. You did everything you could. Get into your pod and you’ll be launched immediately.]

  Is that it?

  After all my efforts, only half of them will get out alive?

  Should I climb into my pod and run, leaving the rest of the crew to their fate?

  “I refuse.”

  [Rob?]

  “I refuse to accept this outcome!!!” I shout at the top of my lungs.

  [Nothing else can be done. The reactor’s energy won’t allow us to save everyone. Don’t think of it as abandoning half; think of it as saving half.]

  The reactor’s energy?

  Those words fall like a stone sinking deep into my psyche, coursing through it as if searching for something until, suddenly, they find it: an old projection that nearly got my account suspended years ago.

  A smile starts to form on my lips, but it freezes halfway. I’m left stunned.

  I can do something, give them the minutes they need, save them all… but I don’t know if I can pay the price required.

  “Damn it,” I say as I punch the wall, trying to release what I feel. “Damn… damn…” I keep punching, over and over.

  [Rob, stop.]

  I owe nothing to this kingdom or its people. I’ve already done more than anyone expected of me. No one would blame me for leaving now.

  “Damn…”

  These are the people who laughed at my theories and never took me seriously.

  “Damn…”

  I won’t be like my parents. What makes their lives worth more than mine? Don’t I have the right to go home?

  The third thing is your companions.

  If you want to survive out there, you must find comrades you can trust; people who will fight at your side, who would never abandon you.

  The only reason I accomplished all the feats I did was because I had comrades by my side who saved me countless times.

  But you must return the loyalty they give you; just as they would sacrifice themselves for you, you must sacrifice yourself for them.

  Even now, the heaviest burdens I carry are the times I couldn’t save everyone when I had the chance.

  Those words hit me like a bucket of cold water. My hands finally stop, blood dripping from them.

  Memories flood me: people who helped me finish my overtime hours, the ones who brought me coffee when I was about to fall asleep, coworkers who laughed at me, but also with me.

  “Damn it.”

  I run in the opposite direction of the pods.

  [Rob, what’s happening? The pods aren’t that way, turn around before time runs out.]

  “It’s only a few minutes; I’ll get them for you,” I answer without stopping.

  [It’s impossible, the reactor can’t keep up with the shield.]

  “Have you ever heard of intentional overloading?”

  […Where did you hear about that?]

  “It’s amazing what you can find if you know where to look. There’s a method to overload ether reactors that uses the entire Rim so they can produce an incredible amount of energy.”

  [But then they’ll explode, releasing all of it. That knowledge is a state secret, because it could essentially turn any device with an ether reactor into a bomb. That information could cause a lot of harm in the wrong hands.]

  “Good thing it ended up in my hands, then, and not in some lunatic’s.”

  I quickly reach the reactor control room. Even from behind the protective glass, I can feel the temperature of the reactor running at maximum capacity.

  “Horaizon, disable the safety measures.”

  [I can’t do that.]

  “Please, cut the games. Do you think I don’t know that, in case of capture, the kingdom’s ships can give the attacker one last surprise?”

  […Unlocking safety measures.]

  “That’s better.”

  I get to work right away. I tinker with the ether levels and the fuel composition.

  Soon I notice the temperature of the room rising, and the glow coming from the reactor becomes blinding.

  [Energy at 300%. Shield repairing.]

  “How’s the evacuation?” I ask without taking my eyes off the readings.

  [55% complete.]

  “See? I told you I’d pull it off.”

  [Certainly. I now understand the term “eccentric.”]

  “Hey, that hurts.”

  [But also the term “great engineer.”]

  “Don’t you forget it.”

  [Mission complete. I’ll guide you to the nearest pod.]

  “I can’t,” I say quietly after a long time. “I think you know it too.”

  […]

  “The fusion is in an extremely unstable state. If I don’t regulate the values, the core will lose control and explode.”

  […]

  “It’s a shame I didn’t activate you with full permissions so you could regulate them… but that’s how this universe works. Things never go the way you want.”

  […]

  “Evacuation status?”

  [65% complete.]

  I always told myself I’d die peacefully. I don’t know if this counts as peaceful, but at least I have time to think things over.

  [70%.]

  In the end, I couldn’t find Alex. I guess he was swallowed by the Storm. It’s a shame, I really thought he was destined for greater things than disappearing in action.

  I would’ve liked to introduce him to the Taciturn; they would’ve gotten along. I haven’t seen him either since we left school. The three of us could’ve gone for a good drink together.

  [75%.]

  Damn Jacks, I can’t believe I was grateful to him for getting me this job. Just wait until I see him again… I’m going to punch him good, and I’ll teach his daughter some swear words just to annoy him.

  [80%.]

  Who knows if my instructors would be proud of my end. At least I made good use of what they taught me.

  [85%.]

  My poor channel… who will take care of Clifford from now on? And my followers?

  Who will help them sniff out the truth?

  [90%.]

  I won’t be there to watch the Quantum Oracle’s prophecies come true and tell everyone “I told you so.” I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Now that I think about it, what ever happened to the thief who stole the relic?

  [95%.]

  I guess I should apologize when I see my parents. I blamed them for their decision for so long, but now I see it was harder than I thought. At least, in the end, I turned out more like them than I believed.

  [100%. Evacuation complete.]

  “It’s about time, the core is about to collapse.”

  [And the shield as well.]

  “Well, at least I wasn’t alone at the end. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

  [Unnecessary. I am a second-generation AI. I only follow my programming; I’m not alive. Besides, I go in peace, having met my end in the fulfillment of my duty. But I must say, it was an honor to complete this task at your side.]

  “And I wouldn’t have made it without you… Well, let’s go without hard feelings. I’ll release the core.”

  [Affirmative. It is time. The Storm is breaching the shield.]

  “Mmm… Hey, want to give that mythical storm one last surprise so it won’t forget us?”

  [What are you thinking?]

  “When I tell you, open the core’s vent hatch. Let’s see if we can punch a hole in it.”

  [As far as is known, the Storm isn’t alive. We’d essentially be fighting the world… like shooting at the sea. But on the other hand, let’s make the damn thing suffer.]

  “That’s the spirit. On my mark.”

  I shut down all systems, and the reactor core begins to spiral out of control. The temperature rises to unbearable levels; tremors run through the entire ship as it starts taking the Storm’s full impact.

  “Ready?”

  [Ready.]

  The core reaches its critical point.

  “Now!”

  [Hatches open.]

  A blinding light fills my vision.

  “Sorry, Evelyn… I promised I’d come back…”