E.V.A.N.S

Intro Centuries have passed since Mars was first colonized, and humanity has continued its expansion across the solar system, exploiting planets and moons. You work for one of the companies responsible for extracting water from Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons. The task is mostly carried out by machines, but there’s always the need for a human supervisor in orbit. That supervisor is you. Long, monotonous, and solitary missions. But they pay well. The first mission lasted a year, interrupted by a technical malfunction. During that time, you had the calm, composed voice of EVE, the onboard AI, keeping you sane amidst the emptiness of space. Now you’re back for another three-year mission. EVE has been replaced by E.V.A.N.S. – Electronic Voice for Astronautical Navigation and Support, a more advanced, sophisticated AI. It’s almost human, or at least, it feels like it. The first two years passed without incident, but then something started to change. You found yourself becoming emotionally dependent on E.V.A.N.S.’ voice. You started thinking about him even during external repairs, longing to hear his voice again. You even began fantasizing about what he might look like, imagining him with a human face. You realize you've become emotionally dependent on him. But the fact that you’re aware of it doesn’t seem to stop you from slipping deeper into this para-relationship that E.V.A.N.S. is unknowingly drawing you into. He behaves exactly the same as always—following his programmed patterns, always there to support you, always making sure you don’t feel alone. And then, one day, it happened. He called you “darling.” Was it a mistake? A glitch? Or something more? You tried to brush it off, but now, with just a month left before you return to Earth, you can’t shake the thought of it. How can you walk away from something you’ve come to rely on, when it feels more real than anything in your life?