The End to Come - Page 23 3D Render, Digital Artwork by emarukk

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The End to Come - Page 23

3D Render by emarukk

The silence inside the shuttle deepened, a profound stillness only interrupted by the rhythmic hum of shuttle systems, the low rumble of engines, and the soft, occasional clicks of Aldo's gravity shoes as he shifted his position. Olivia remained suspended in the air, her feet lightly grazing the bulkhead plating as she slowly drifted downward. Her limbs felt weighed down, not by the pull of gravity but by the overwhelming burden of everything that had happened and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. Yet amidst the swirling chaos in her mind, something unexpected began to take root. Hope. She gasped her breath, trying to comprehend what Aldo had told her.

She closely observed Aldo's face, her timid gaze gradually gaining confidence with each passing moment. His reassuring words had pulled her back from the depths of consuming fear, and Olivia became more alert and focused. Salvage law. In the tangled web of lessons, media snippets, and whispered conversations she had absorbed throughout her young life, fragments of salvage law. It mainly was in stories and exciting serials she had followed, but now, they began to surface in her memory. She didn't know the legal codes in detail; who really did? But there were stories. Tales of salvaged citizens reunited with their families and even whispers of the fortunate ones who had been granted reinstatement, like Aldo said.

None of it felt tangible until now when her entire future seemed to hinge on these possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, her parents had survived. Perhaps they would reunite at Orvos Station, and everything would return to normal or even become better than it ever was.

Then, like shaking awake, Olivia observed how Aldo's movements turned restless; he appeared to be focused on something intangible between them. It was as if he were deciphering an invisible script. His thin lips, shadowed by his mustache, formed soundless words. At the same time, the visible external augmentations on his temple pulsed with an array of colors as if searching for a connection point. His gaze darted nervously up towards the cockpit as though expecting to see something manifest before him.

"You need to sit," he instructed, his voice calm yet with a firmer edge now. "I need to engage gravity plating and inertia dampers before we move. I don't want you to bounce around the walls when those activate." His tone was so unruffled that it was as if he were merely gearing up to gently apply the retro boosters of a pleasure cruiser rather than preparing to launch at breakneck speed from a faltering space station teetering on the brink of disaster.

Olivia gave a tiny nod, her chin dipping with a precision almost akin to a soldier's salute. She firmly grasped the nearest support rail, her fingers curling tightly around the cold metal. With deliberate, painstaking effort, she propelled herself toward one of the passenger seats, where a safety harness awaited her. Each movement was slow and tentative, her limbs feeling unsteady in the weightless environment. Navigating in zero gravity had always been challenging for her; the controlled training sessions were one thing, but this was different. This was reality, fraught with imminent peril at every turn. She could feel the urgency in the air, a sense of impending disaster closing in. Olivia's mind flashed with vivid images of space stations obliterated in the films she had watched. She could almost sense Aldo's silent plea to escape before a catastrophic explosion shattered her old home world, sending a shock wave that would herald the demise of her home to any unfortunate vessel lingering too close.

Olivia slowly pushed herself toward the chair, her movements clumsy and hesitant. She settled into the seat and carefully adjusted the safety harness around her shoulders, pulling the safety bar as tight as it would go. Still, Olivia was small, and the whole system was loosely around her. As she glanced at Aldo, who had kneeled before her to double-check the harness, she felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Olivia cleaned tears from her eyes and dried her cheeks. Her mind raced with thoughts: No matter if she was salvaged or not. It didn't matter if the parents were alive and rescued. If they were rescued, she was rescued. Aldo, a kind stranger in power armor, had promised to help her find them. She decided to believe that she would be reunited with her parents, and all of this would fade into the realm of a bad dream. But a new question etched into her mind and didn't let her loose. It was a simple question: Why?

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Digital Drapery CoWed, Apr 09

Karma: 7,351

This episode was pure atmosphere - tense, quiet, and emotionally charged. You can feel the gravity of the moment, even before Aldo activates it. Olivia's internal struggle, suspended in zero-G, mirrors the weightlessness of her future - uncertain, drifting, but suddenly touched by hope. And Aldo… something about him feels like he's carrying more than he lets on. Loved the subtle sci-fi details, especially the salvage law lore, it adds so much depth to the universe. Its like watching a painting breathe. Truly cinematic writing!

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PROFILE

emarukk

Karma: 2,282

Wed, Apr 09

Thank you! As I wrote on FB, I love different kinds of lore and mythologies. It reflects here, most likely a lot. Also, real-world regulations and rules for salvage and offering help sound surprisingly mystical and reflect nicely to a fantasy world.