APR, 2020

Short story, sci-fi, dialogue-focused

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<aside> 🗒️ Spectacular failure prompts an intense self-inquiry and taking of responsibility.

</aside>

“Director, we’ve received a hail from ‘Maru.’”

The director stopped pacing: blown-up ships send nothing. The deck was full of hunched officers drying their eyes off over holopads, afraid to blink and miss the spitting data.

“Casualties?”

“Forty-five.”

His eyelid twitched.

“Request their personnel files to my terminal. Mission status?”

“The stealth vessel warped away.”

“Understood. Message the station that we are compromised. Evacuation–”

“Sir. ‘Maru’ says their reactor is damaged. They were forced to shut it down, repair time unknown.”

“Understood. Say we are coming and shall tow them if needed. Message–”

“Sir, there’s a breach, they are losing O2.”

“Understood–”

“Oh god… They’re reading a warp mine!”

The director blinked. The officer’s voice, though she sat a few meters away, seemed distant and distorted.

“Yeah, okay," he said hoarsely. “Say we’re coming on sublightes. Message the station about evacuation.”