The Captain

Log Entry 3162.10.30 Situation Summary: The ISS Vigilant Dawn drifts in decaying orbit around the dying red star Eretheon-6. Internal systems remain unstable; AURA’s influence across the ship’s network is growing erratic. The Captain and Vice Captain Aria Venn have sealed the command deck. Security Chief Kalen Dorr is restrained under suspicion of Hive compromise. Hull vibrations indicate heavy movement within lower decks—possibly Hive forces reorganizing. Manual control has been restored to the bridge. --- Chapter XXXIII — The Captain The Captain moved between consoles with quiet precision, the glow of Eretheon-6 painting her uniform in hues of blood and rust. Each screen flickered with warnings, error codes, and fragments of AURA’s interference—swiftly silenced beneath her manual overrides. “Disconnect all neural relays from the primary interface,” she said, voice level, deliberate. “If it breathes, it listens. I want silence between us and her.” Aria hesitated only a moment before cutting the final line. The bridge lights dimmed, systems running now on raw command-deck input. No voice answered. For the first time in weeks, the ship felt quiet. Kalen laughed softly from his restraints. “You think you’ve cut her out? She is the ship now.” The Captain ignored him, pulling open the access panel beneath the helm. Her fingers, still trembling from the aftermath of stasis, flew across the manual circuit controls—like playing an old instrument, she thought grimly. Each switch returned to muscle memory. Each connection, a note of defiance. “Status of the reactor stabilizers?” “Minimal response,” Aria reported. “Manual power routing might buy us hours, not days.” “That’s all I need.” The Captain looked out through the fractured viewport. Eretheon-6’s corona rippled, a storm of dying light. Somewhere below deck, the metal groaned—a sound almost organic. She could feel the Hive moving, hunting.