The gas giant loomed overhead, its massive form gradually eclipsing the sun. The shadows stretched and twisted across the rocky ground, making familiar terrain look alien. A screech pierced the silence , closer than the last one.

  Just another day on this hellhole of a moon.

  "And now, folks, the moment you've been waiting for!" JC's voice crackled through the radio. "Rising star Stella Nova's latest hit : 'Our Admiral, Our Hero' dedicated to the one and only Sebastian Voss!"

  I rolled my eyes. "If only people would know what kind of douchebag he truly is."

  My own voice echoed back at me. Talking to myself had become second nature after months alone out here. The mining laser cut through the rock with precision, revealing clusters of crystals beneath. I carefully extracted them, adding each one to the crawler's storage compartment. The crawler's industrial-grade breaker would've made quick work of this, but that'd just shatter the valuable formations into worthless pieces.

  A whir of machinery made me freeze. The crawler's laser battery spun and fired, the beam passing inches from my head. Behind me, a spider-like creature lay smoking on the ground.

  I sighed. "What a waste." The charred corpse meant no ichor to harvest; and that stuff was worth its weight in gold.

  Movement caught my eye. The rock face ahead seemed to ripple as dozens of chicken-sized horrors emerged from hidden crevices, skittering away from the dying sunlight.

  "Enough for today I guess."

  Inside the crawler's cabin, I checked the day's haul. Less than half my quota, but double yesterday's take. I'd call that progress.

  The creatures swarmed around the crawler, their claws scraping uselessly against the reinforced hull. Their screeches echoed through the cabin, an endless cacophony of rage and hunger.

  "Like nails on a chalkboard." I flicked the shield generator switch. A blue barrier flickered to life around the vehicle. A few of the bolder ones slammed into it, their bodies crackling with energy before falling away.

  The crawler's legs crushed anything in their path as I pushed forward. The swarm thinned out, unable to keep up with the machine's relentless pace.

  "And that was the lovely Stella Nova!" JC's voice cut through the noise. "What a tribute to our greatest hero, Admiral Sebastian Voss. Stay tuned folks; tonight we've got a very special guest joining us. But first, let's hear it one more time for Miss Stella!"

  I turned up the volume. JC had that effect on people; even after eight centuries, he hadn't lost his charm. The man was living history, one of the first successful perpetuals. He'd seen empires rise and fall, yet somehow kept his sanity and wit intact.

  The hulking wreck of my home appeared on the horizon. A few creatures bumped against the electric fence, testing for weaknesses they'd never find. I gunned the engine, the crawler's powerful legs launching us over the barrier in one smooth arc.

  The hangar doors opened with a groan. Inside, the airlock cycled, purging the toxic atmosphere and replacing it with breathable air. The all-clear light blinked green.

  "Home sweet home."

  I gathered the crystals and other supplies including a creature's inferior apendice from the crawler's storage and headed for the inner chambers. One hour until showtime; plenty of time to prepare for tonight's festivities. Credits were about to flow, even if my guests weren't exactly the kind you'd invite to a dinner party.

  I dragged myself through the inner corridors, the creature's limb leaving a trail of dark fluid on the metal floor. The nutrient extractor sat in what used to be the mess hall, its chrome surface reflecting the multicolored Christmas lights strung across the walls.

  Those damn lights. Elias had given them to me last year, claiming they'd "brighten up my dreary little surveyor." Now they cast shifting patterns across the walls, transforming my shelter into some twisted parody of holiday cheer.

  The limb made a wet slap as I tossed it into the processor. The machine whirred to life, grinding and liquefying the biomass. I watched the display tick up: protein content acceptable, toxins within safe parameters. Better than yesterday's batch at least.

  "Karen, any updates?"

  'March 27th, 307 New Age. Perimeter fence operating at ninety-seven percent efficiency. Minor fluctuation in sector four due to mineral buildup on conducting surfaces. No breaches detected in the last seventy-two hours. Internal temperature holding steady at twenty-two degrees Celsius. Minor pressure loss detected in hydroponics section B, likely due to worn seals. Maintenance advised within next forty-eight hours.'

  I massaged my temples. "Thanks, Karen. Mark the seals for replacement tomorrow."

  'Maintenance task logged. Warning: current inventory shows only two spare seals remaining. Recommend scheduling supply run within next two weeks.'

  "I would if I could, Karen!"

  Brown sludge oozed into the metal bowl, the consistency of old engine grease. The stench hit me, like someone had died in a gym locker and fermented there for a month. My stomach growled anyway. Amazing what six months of isolation does to your standards.

  A chill ran down my spine, that familiar sense of wrong that always preceded.

  The impact nearly knocked me off my feet. A solid mass slammed into my right shoulder, heavy and warm.

  "Mew."

  "Mylo, have you gained weight again?" I reached up to scratch behind his ears. The massive black cat purred, his weight settling more comfortably across my shoulders.

  The Union had banned pets in space centuries ago; too many horror stories of cosmic radiation turning hamsters into tentacled monstrosities. But Mylo wasn't exactly a normal cat.

  "You know, technically you're contraband." I scratched under his chin. "I should report myself."

  His purr vibrated through my bones, making the room feel slightly tilted. That happened sometimes when he got really content, reality would bend just a bit, like a heat mirage on hot pavement.

  'Blurp'

  The processor finished its cycle, filling my cup with tonight's dinner. The excess biomass got ejected outside through the waste chute. Better than letting it clog up the filters.

  "Dinner is ready," I announced, lifting the bowl to my face. The sludge rippled, chunks of something unidentifiable floating in the brown mess. Mylo's expression shifted from content to utterly disgusted. His ears flattened against his skull as he gracefully leaped off my shoulders, padding towards the command room.

  I followed him through the reinforced doors, the ultrasonic sweepers humming to life behind me. Their high-pitched whine cleaned every trace of contamination from my boots and clothes.

  The captain's chair dominated the command center, its leather surface cracked but still comfortable. One of the few things Elias had left behind that I actually appreciated. I sank into it, activating the massage function. The motors whirred to life, working out knots I didn't even know I had.

  The radio crackled to life, JC's voice filling the command center mid-sentence.

  "-and we're back with none other than Admiral Sebastian Voss! Now, you were saying something about a discovery?"

  "Indeed, Jace." The admiral's voice dripped with self-importance. "Our scientists have made a breakthrough that will change everything. The galaxy will never be the same after this."

  "Oh my." JC's tone carried that edge I'd grown to love. "Another galaxy-changing discovery? Like the revolutionary fuel source that turned out to be toxic waste? Or perhaps like that advanced weapons system that exploded in our faces?"

  Voss laughed, the sound as artificial as his promises. "Always the comedian, JC! But this time it's different. We've found something extraordinary in the Outer Rim. Something that will secure humanity's dominance for centuries to come."

  "Do tell, Admiral. I'm sure our listeners are dying to know what kind of catastrophe, I mean, miracle awaits us this time."

  Mylo's ears twitched at JC's words. The cat stretched across my lap, his claws extending just enough to prick through my suit.

  "Your cynicism is charming, my boy." Voss chuckled again. "But mark my words, when we unveil this discovery, even you will be speechless."

  "Wouldn't that be something?" JC's voice dripped sarcasm. "The day Sebastian Voss actually delivers on his promises might just make me retire from broadcasting. After eight hundred years, I'd say that's quite the achievement."

  "Such spirit! Such fire!" Voss boomed through the speakers. "Keep it up, son. It's what makes your show so entertaining."

  I could practically hear JC's teeth grinding through the radio waves. The admiral's ability to deflect criticism with patronizing charm was legendary and infuriating.

  "Well folks," JC's strained cheerfulness returned. "You heard it here first. Another world-changing discovery from our beloved admiral. I'm sure we're all holding our breath in anticipation."

  I clicked off the radio, unable to stomach any more of Voss's grandstanding. The silence felt heavy, broken only by Mylo's rhythmic purring.

  "You know what burns me up the most?" I scratched behind Mylo's ears. "They'll spend millions on PR campaigns, but won't spare a credit for basic communication infrastructure."

  The cat's eyes opened slightly, reflecting my tired face.

  I gestured at the broken communication array's status display, its red warning lights a constant reminder of my isolation. "Look at this mess. Three months of scavenging parts, and the best I can manage is this one-way radio feed. I can hear their propaganda, but can't tell them they're full of shit."

  The crash had torn through the array like tissue paper. Most of the critical components were fused beyond recognition. I'd tried everything: cannibalizing the entertainment systems, recycling parts from non-essential sub-routines, even attempting to boost the signal with crystals from the mines. Nothing worked.

  "Remember when I tried using the food processor's quantum matrix?" I laughed bitterly. "Three days of repairs just to get my dinner machine working again."

  Mylo stretched, his claws extending into points that seemed too sharp to be real.

  "But hey, at least we get to hear about Admiral Voss's latest publicity stunt." I mimicked his pompous tone. "'Something extraordinary in the Outer Rim.' Wonder if it'll blow up in his face like the last five discoveries."

  The cat's tail twitched, knocking over an empty ration container. The sound echoed through the command center, emphasizing just how alone we were out here.

  Mylo's form settled into the chair, his breathing already slowing. The sight always amazed me, one moment he'd be alert and watching, the next he'd transform into this immobile mountain of black fur.

  "Nap time?"

  I scooped him up, careful not to jostle him too much, and placed him back on the captain's chair. The self-heating function kicked in with a soft hum. Mylo's purr deepened, resonating through the metal floor beneath my feet.

  Every day, like clockwork - 21:00 to 23:00 UGT. You could calibrate atomic clocks to his schedule. I'd seen him fall asleep mid-stride when the time came. The universe could be ending, and he'd still curl up for his two-hour power nap.

  The timing couldn't be worse. The gas giant's shadow plunged the moon into total darkness for four hours, and those creatures loved the dark. They'd crawl out of their holes, scratching and shrieking against the ship's shields. The barriers held fine, but the noise, that endless chittering and scraping, it drove me insane.

  And if they woke Mylo? I shuddered, remembering my first month here. The night I learned why you never, ever disturb his beauty sleep. The memory still gave me nightmares.

  But I'd found a solution. A fun one, actually. Two birds, one stone; keep the noise down and entertain myself in the process.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I dimmed the lights to sleep mode, triple-checked that all alarms were off, and grabbed my gear. Mylo's breathing had settled into that deep, rhythmic pattern that meant he was out cold.

  "And to the roof!"

  I made my way to the maintenance shaft, the ladder's rungs cold against my palms. The escape pods waited above. Elias's pride and joy. For all his faults, my ex had one redeeming quality: he was pathologically paranoid about safety.

  "Standard Union pods?" I snorted at the memory of his rant. "Death traps! Might as well shoot yourself out an airlock!"

  He'd spent a fortune upgrading them. Nano-Lattice Framework wrapped in Layered Ablative Armor, topped with a Graviton Dispersion Mesh that could shrug off anything short of a direct hit from a capital ship. The Localized Deflector Barrier added another layer of protection, but the real genius was the Autonomous Tactical Evasion System.

  ATES, as Elias loved to call it, was cutting-edge AI navigation. It could detect and avoid high-risk zones and gravitational anomalies before human pilots even noticed them.

  The pod's hatch opened with a soft hiss. Inside, the modified controls glowed with a familiar blue light. I ran my fingers over the console, remembering Elias's endless safety briefings.

  "At least your obsession with survival came in handy," I muttered, powering up the systems. The pod hummed to life, ready for another night of crowd control.

  *************

  The escape pod's floodlights cut through the absolute darkness as I cruised over the surface. Below, the barren landscape stretched endlessly, usually invisible behind the gas giant's massive shadow. But tonight? Tonight it was alive with color.

  "Stayin' alive, stayin' alive!" I belted out the ancient tune as the pod's external speakers blasted the Bee Gees across the moonscape. Strobing lights painted the ground in alternating patterns of red, blue, and green.

  A mass of chittering forms chased after my light show, their claws leaving glowing trails in the crystalline soil. The smaller ones moved like a liquid shadow, flowing over rocks and around obstacles. Their larger cousins lumbered behind, too slow to keep up with my aerial dance.

  I spun the pod in a tight circle, watching the swarm follow like moths to a flame. The music thumped through the hull, vibrating against my feet as I guided the craft in swooping arcs.

  "Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive!" My voice echoed through the cabin as I yanked the controls hard right, leading the parade of horrors through a narrow canyon. "Come on, where are the big guys? I'm tired of these slow bugs!"

  The disco ball I'd jury-rigged to the pod's underside scattered light across the rocky walls, creating a dazzling display that kept the creatures entranced. They followed mindlessly, their primitive brains locked onto the moving patterns.

  Two hours of peace and quiet for Mylo's nap feels quite short when you're having fun. Who said pest control couldn't be entertaining?

  "Karen, start blasting anything below Tier 3."

  'Acknowledged.'

  The Pulsar Cannon sprang to life, its blue streaks painting deadly patterns across the moonscape. The tiny creatures didn't stand a chance, their bodies dropping like dark confetti in my wake.

  I swayed in my seat, watching the light show below.

  The cannon's whine mixed with the Bee Gees, creating a surreal symphony of disco and death. Perfect temperature on those plasma bursts, hot enough to kill, cool enough to leave harvestable biomass.

  The ground erupted beneath me. A massive serpentine form burst through the crystalline surface, six giant claws crowning its head like some twisted crown. Each appendage could have crushed my pod like a tin can.

  "Now it's a party!"

  My puny cannon might as well have been spitting paper clips at it. But that wasn't the point.

  "Karen, activate ATES for close proximity maneuvers."

  'Acknowledged.'

  The pod lurched, thrusters firing in precise bursts as we danced right up to the monster's face. Our lights hit its compound eyes, and it reeled back with a screech that shook the pod's frame.

  The Tier 5 went berserk. Its body twisted and stretched impossibly, claws slashing through the air where we'd been milliseconds before. ATES proved its worth, keeping us just out of reach while staying close enough to maintain the creature's rage.

  "Computer, start targeting its eyes!"

  'Acknowledged.'

  The cannon's shots did nothing but annoy it further. Perfect. The beast's rampage carved through swaths of smaller creatures, doing my job better than I ever could.

  "Oh! Good one coming up!" I cranked the volume higher as the next track kicked in. "You should be dancing, yeah!" My voice echoed through the cabin as the carnage continued below.

  I watched the alien life form tear through another cluster of smaller creatures, their biomass splattering across the crystalline ground. The light show continued, my makeshift disco ball throwing patterns across the carnage below. Everything was going according to plan.

  Until it wasn't.

  The familiar voice pierced through the music, making my blood run cold.

  "Hello folks, as promised I'm here with Admiral Sebastian Voss and our very special guest, Dr. Elias Crane."

  My hands jerked on the controls, sending the pod into a wild spin. The Tier 5 below snapped at empty air as I fought to stabilize.

  "Karen, cut the music!"

  'Acknowledged. Warning: erratic flight pattern detected.'

  "Thank you for having me, JC. And thank you Admiral for this opportunity." Elias's smug voice filled the cabin. That pretentious tone hadn't changed a bit.

  "Oh, don't be modest. Today's discovery is mainly your contribution," Voss replied.

  "Indeed, Admiral. After months of careful research, my team has isolated a remarkable substance." Elias paused for dramatic effect. "An organic compound with energy density far beyond anything we've seen before."

  "And the source of this miracle fuel?" JC asked.

  "A fascinating new species." The pride in Elias's voice made me want to vomit. "Completely harmless, practically brainless creatures. I've named them the Night Swarm. Because they only seem to come out at night, you know…"

  The pod lurched as I lost focus again, nearly clipping a rock formation.

  "The extraction process is completely humane," Elias continued "These creatures barely register pain. They're more like plants than animals, really."

  "Fascinating!" Voss boomed. "And you discovered these creatures yourself?"

  "Yes, during a routine survey mission. They're quite docile when approached correctly."

  I gripped the controls tighter, my knuckles white. The pod's sensors blinked warnings as I pushed it closer to the Tier 5, practically dancing in its face.

  "These creatures secrete a highly energetic substance," Elias droned on. "Completely stable until processed. The military applications alone-"

  "Karen, scan for Union signatures on this moon. Now."

  'Scanning. No Union vessels detected within range.'

  "That's impossible. They must be here somewhere. Expand the scan."

  'Full orbital scan complete. Only registered vessel is the mining station. Would you like me to-'

  "Then how the hell is he studying these things?" I yanked the pod left, barely avoiding a massive claw. "He has to be here!"

  JC's voice cut through my thoughts. "And where exactly did you make this groundbreaking discovery, Doctor?"

  "Ah, that's the fascinating part." Elias cleared his throat. "We've found them on Nexus-7, Carina-12, the Outer Rim colonies... They're everywhere, just... sleeping. Underground. Waiting."

  My blood ran cold. The pod drifted, forgotten, as JC's next words hammered home.

  "Everywhere? You mean-"

  "Yes! Isn't it remarkable?" Elias couldn't contain his excitement. "They appear to be some sort of livestock, left behind by an ancient civilization. Perfectly preserved, perfectly docile. We've found evidence of similar colonies on dozens of worlds."

  The Tier 5 below screamed, its massive form twisting as it tore through scores of smaller creatures. Docile. Right.

  "They're spread across multiple systems," Voss added. "A virtually unlimited energy source, just waiting to be tapped."

  I watched the carnage below, my mind racing. The creatures I'd been fighting for months weren't isolated. They weren't trapped here with me.

  They were everywhere.

  "Karen, how many worlds are we talking about?"

  'Based on current Union survey data, similar biological signatures have been detected on approximately three hundred and seventy-two colonized planets.'

  A second massive form erupted from the ground. Then a third. And a fourth.

  "Karen, status report!"

  'Multiple Tier 5 entities detected. Current count: six. Energy reserves at 22% and declining.'

  I'd never seen so many at once. The creatures circled my pod, their movements becoming more coordinated with each passing second. This wasn't their usual mindless aggression… They were hunting.

  "Warning: Energy levels below 20%"

  "I know Karen, stop annoying me."

  The pod jerked violently as a claw the size of a cargo container sliced through the air inches from our hull. ATES worked overtime, the thrusters screaming as we dodged between the massive limbs.

  Another strike connected, sending us into a wild spin. I yanked the controls hard, barely avoiding a cliff face that materialized out of the darkness.

  "Warning: Energy levels below 10%"

  "Give me something useful, Karen!" I snapped, sweat beading on my forehead.

  A holographic display materialized, showing a complex network of underground tunnels. The sonar mapping revealed hundreds of passages beneath the surface, some large enough to fit my pod.

  "Well, here goes nothing!"

  I pulled back hard on the controls, sending us rocketing straight up. One of the creatures unfurled massive wing-like appendages, launching itself after us with frightening speed.

  "Faster. Faster!" I urged the engines, knowing it was pointless but unable to stop myself.

  The monster's jaws gaped wide behind us, rows of crystalline teeth gleaming in our lights. I could practically feel its breath on the hull.

  "Full reverse, Karen!" I ordered.

  'Acknowledged.'

  The Nyx Drive hummed to life, its familiar whine filling the pod. My stomach lurched as inertia shifted, reality bending around us for a fraction of a second. The creature's jaws snapped shut on empty space where we'd been moments before.

  Then physics kicked back in. The pod shot backward like a railgun round, all our forward momentum reversed in an instant. The beast never stood a chance. We tore through its crystalline carapace, black ichor spraying across my viewport. The impact rattled my teeth, bone and chitin giving way to softer tissue as we carved through its insides.

  "Karen, I can't see!"

  The viewport was completely covered in thick, dark fluid. Warnings blared from every console as we continued our blind trajectory, the pod's momentum amplified by the moon's gravity.

  Something massive slammed into our right side. The pod spun wildly, my harness cutting into my shoulders. Another impact from above sent us tumbling in a new direction. Metal screamed against crystal, each hit feeling like a sledgehammer to my skull.

  My head cracked against the side panel. Pain exploded behind my eyes, bright spots dancing in my vision. The last thing I heard was Karen's voice, calm as ever, reporting critical system failures.

  Then everything went black.

  ***************************

  Consciousness returned slowly, pain throbbing through my skull. The pod's emergency lights cast an eerie red glow across the cramped interior. Warning messages flashed across every screen, most systems running on backup power.

  "Karen, status."

  'Multiple hull breaches detected. Life support stable. External sensors offline.'

  I wiped blood from my forehead, squinting at the static-filled radio display. Through the interference, familiar voices cut through:

  "Now, before we end, there is one last thing I would like to do-" Elias's voice faded into static before returning. "This is a message for Mellody."

  My hand froze over the controls.

  "Your ex wife? I heard that she went missing." JC's voice held genuine curiosity.

  "Most likely just lost, again." The exasperation in Elias's voice made my teeth grind. "I bet her subspace communicator still works."

  I wanted to punch the radio. Instead, I just sat there, trapped in my broken pod, forced to listen.

  "If you hear me, Meltz, be safe. The union has stopped searching and declared you MIA. While you are gone, I will take care of Mylo so please return fast!"

  A meow echoed through the speakers.

  "Oh my, what a beautiful cat you got there," JC added.

  "Well, at least Mylo is safe," I muttered, slumping back in my seat.

  A familiar meow echoed through the pod's cramped interior.

  "Oh, hey Mylo." I reached behind me, fingers sinking into thick black fur. The massive cat pushed against my hand, demanding attention. "We're 120 km away from the habitat, through infested territory and with no breathable atmosphere." I fixed him with my best stern look. "If you want to pass as a regular cat, you should be careful about this kind of details."

  The creature that wasn't quite Mylo ignored my lecture, purring contentedly as I scratched under his chin. His deep rumble filled the pod, vibrating through the metal in a way that made my teeth ache.

  I wasn't crazy… Well, not completely. My actual Mylo was safe back home. I'd never risk bringing him on these missions. But this thing? It showed up whenever it pleased, breaking physics and common sense with casual indifference.

  My new Mylo curled in my lap, its purring intensifying until the pod's remaining systems flickered. I had theories about what it was, of course. The way reality bent around it, how it appeared in sealed compartments, the impossible colors that sometimes reflected in its eyes. But honestly? I didn't care. When you're alone on a moon full of monsters, you don't question the friendly eldritch horror that decides to keep you company.

  "Righty, let's get home then."

  I shifted in my seat, ready to assess the damage and plan our escape route. That's when the pain hit… My vision blurred, edges darkening as I struggled to stay conscious.

  Looking down, I finally saw it. A jagged metal beam had punched through the floor of the pod, through my chair, and straight through my lower abdomen. The environmental suit's self-sealing function had activated, forming a tight seal around the entry and exit wounds. Blood pooled beneath me, but slowly, the beam itself acting as a plug.

  "Karen, personal status."

  'Multiple fractures detected. Large laceration. Bleeding is for the moment contained. Chances of survival: 0.092%'

  I laughed, a wet, gurgling sound that sent fresh waves of pain through my chest. "Oh great, so I'm basically as good as dead."

  'Meow.'

  Mylo, or whatever wore his shape, jumped onto my lap, careful to avoid the beam. Those large dark eyes stared into mine. My hands moved automatically, scratching behind his ears. His fur felt soft, vibrating slightly under my touch in a way that normal cat fur definitely shouldn't.

  "Hey there, big guy. It looks like I won't be able to keep accompanying you."

  'Warning: Vital functions declining,' Karen's voice echoed through the cabin.

  Yeah, I could feel it. The cold spreading through my limbs, the heaviness in my chest. My organs shutting down one by one.

  "Karen, set the habitat to self-preservation mode. Disable the salvation beacon." I paused, tasting copper on my tongue. "Blast on all channels our findings regarding the newly discovered species."

  This went against everything I believed in. I'd spent years hiding, keeping to myself, letting the universe sort itself out. But those things, those "harmless creatures" Elias was so proud of discovering, they weren't livestock. They were weapons. And they were everywhere.

  'Acknowledged.'

  My consciousness began to fade, thoughts becoming fragmented and distant.

  'Meow.'

  I smiled, fingers still buried in that impossible fur. "Thank you for keeping me company, Mylo."

  The entity looked at me with an expression no cat should be capable of, something between sorrow and understanding. It blinked slowly, deliberately, and I blinked back. The universal cat kiss. It began to purr, the sound vibrating through the metal around us, through my bones, through reality itself.

  I relaxed and let the darkness take me.

  ******************************************

  The alarm screeched through twisted guitar riffs, yanking me from oblivion. Metal walls reflected strips of blue neon that crept across stained ceiling panels. An ancient overhead fan spun lazily, casting strange shadows in the dim light.

  My eyes refused to open though my body screamed an impossible truth, I lived. The familiar scent of ozone and recycled air filled my lungs instead of the pod's sterile atmosphere. Reality crystallized slowly, bringing into focus a room I hadn't seen in years.

  I bolted upright, heart pounding. The soft bed beneath me felt wrong after months of sleeping in crash couches. This couldn't be real. Not just because I'd been dying in a cave on some forsaken moon, but because this place shouldn't exist anymore.

  San Marino. My old room. Clothes scattered across metal floors, half-finished repair projects littering every surface. But this city died in the Larpurgis Disaster. I'd been offworld when it happened, watching from orbit as the shockwave leveled everything. Everyone.

  "Karen, daily updates?" The words slipped out, muscle memory from a lifetime ago.

  'March 27th, 207 New Age. Local temperature 22 degrees. Air quality moderate. Morning traffic reported on levels 2 through 7. Construction continues on the new hydroponics facility.'

  I stumbled to the bathroom, nearly falling when my reflection waved back. A gaunt face stared out; pale skin stretched over sharp cheekbones, dark circles under tired eyes. Freckles stood out against skin that hadn't seen real sunlight in too long. My hands shook as I touched the mirror, watching my fifteen-year-old self mimic the motion.

  A familiar weight landed on my shoulder, impossibly soft fur brushing my neck.

  'Meow.'

  "Oh, Mylo, what have you done this time?"

  Because if this really was 207, my constant companion shouldn't exist yet. Not for another couple of decades.