A chime. Soft, almost gentle.
And the Odyssey kept flying.
Mira’s fingers hovered over the glass. Her mother, Dr. Elara Vasquez, was in cryo-sleep after a radiation leak two months ago. Her father, Commander Vasquez, had been lost on a deep-space repair EVA—no body, just a torn tether and static. Her older brother, Leo, was on the other side of the ship, running the algae vats. the family plan 123
Leo’s voice came through again, softer. “You know Dad would’ve just punched the override.”
She hit submit .
The incubator drum slid back into the wall. The golden vials dimmed to standby.
She looked at the golden vials. Each one a half-sibling she had never asked for. Each one a future. A chime
“Dad’s not here.”