Last Light

5055 words

Episode 12: Last Light The access panel flickered under Mira’s trembling fingers, the red error message pulsing like a heartbeat in the dim corridor of Station Eleven-B. Her breath fogged the cracked screen, each exhale a ragged burst of panic. The air here was thin, stale with the metallic tang of rust and recycled oxygen, and the distant groan of the station’s failing systems vibrated through the floor beneath her boots. She punched the override code again, her knuckles stinging from the force, willing the ancient circuitry to comply. Behind her, Lira slumped against the wall, the rescued survivor’s face pale as bone, her shallow gasps barely audible over the hum of flickering lights. “C’mon, c’mon,” Mira muttered, her voice a tight whisper, fraying at the edges. Sweat trickled down her temple, cold against her skin despite the suffocating warmth of the lower decks. The panel beeped—a sharp, grating sound—and the red error blinked out. A green light flared, weak but steady, and the hatch beside it hissed as ancient seals released. Mira’s chest loosened, just for a second, before the weight of everything crashed back down. This was no victory. Not yet. She turned to Lira, crouching to grip the woman’s arm. “Hey, stay with me. We’re moving.” Her voice was firm, but her hands shook as she hauled...