You glance out the window and catch a glimpse of the pale blue sphere just as it disappears from view into the sea of black.
“Two minutes until dock, over,” a stark voice sounded from a speaker.
“Roger control,” another voice answered, considerably more elegant.
You look to your left and see your partner, Hayley, sitting next to you. Her face is framed by the twinkling of stars in the endless expanse of space. She smiles and squeezes your hand.
[[squeeze back]]
“Just another day at the office.” she smirks.
“Well, we’ve never been on an investigation before. What do you think’s happening up there?” you reply.”
“Probably a broken antenna is all. NASA's finest at it again.”
You hear several clunks and mechanical hisses from outside the Soyuz space capsule.
“Looks like we’re here.” Hayley gets out of her seat and presses the intercom. “ISS this is Sagan-2, do you read me?”
Only a slight crackle can be heard in response.
[[Open the hatch into the ISS]]
[[Wait for a response]]
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go. We’ve been partners for the last three years, I know we can handle whatever this mission will throw at us. Anyway, you wouldn’t wanna break your record of 'most mission successes', would you?” Hayley winks.
“Mission control,” You say. “We have arrived.”
“Roger, check in sixty minutes from now.” The speaker commanded.
[[Open the hatch into the ISS]]
A narrow corridor waits ahead. The familiar feeling of weightlessness takes you as you follow Hayley down into the control module. The walls of the station are covered with a multitude of wires, buttons and sophisticated looking equipment. You both come to stop in front of several computer screens.
“It’s strange no one is here to greet us.” Hayley says, concern shrouding her features.
“We have to be prepared for the worst.” You reply.
“I’ll check the status of the station. Hopefully they’re out spacewalking, trying to fix the antenna.”
[[Check the airlock]]
[[Stay with Hayley and check the station status]]
“I’ll go and check the airlock.” You say.
“Okay.” Hayley replies, focused on the screens in front of her.
You push off the wall and allow the lack of gravity to carry you in the opposite direction. You pass the docking area and through a slim circular joint into the unity module. There are several portholes on the left side. Glancing through them you see the blackness of space once more. The stars, like tiny pinpricks of light, seem to be fading. It is utterly silent.
At the end of the module lies the airlock and more computer screens. Three space suits are strapped to the opposing wall.
You recall from the briefing: “A crew of three had been assigned to the ISS to observe the combustion of a distant star. They have maintained radio silence for the last forty-eight hours.”
You check the terminal next to the airlock. It reads: “Last activation: 05:11 UTC by Commander Samuel Cane.” You quickly check for the current time. “15:23 UTC”. There was nobody outside fixing the antenna.
[[Return to Hayley]]
Hayley is focusing intently on the terminals. “Hmmm, no crew members have made any manual updates for at least twenty-four hours. Provisions and water supplies are high, oxygen levels are fine, and the batteries are at nearly full capacity. All the communication arrays are down, we’re not receiving from any satellites.”
“Makes sense.” You reason.
“Wait a second. It looks like they have been manually disabled.” Her voice went cold. “Someone intentionally did this. Captain, what should we do?”
[[Report your findings to control]]
[[Search for crew members]]
You drift slowly back into the main module. Hayley is waiting for you. If you didn’t know her better, you would say she looked afraid.
“Captain, someone intentionally disabled the communications.”
“Yeah, and no one is out spacewalking either.” You reply.
“What should we do?”
[[Report your findings to control]]
[[Search for crew members]]
“We better report this immediately. I’ve never heard of intentional sabotage on a mission before.”
“Yeah,” Hayley says. “It’s downright suicidal.” You nod grimly and kick off the wall, floating back towards the Sagan-2.
You both arrive and enter the capsule, quickly booting up the communications.
“Control, this is the Sagan-2. Do you read?” You ask.
“Loud and clear Captain, go ahead.” A static laden voice responds.
“We have identified evidence of sabotage aboard the ISS. It looks the communications array has been intentionally damaged. We have not yet found any of the crew.”
More static.
“Affirmative Captain. We are getting reports of a debris shower heading your way. It’s due to make contact within ten minutes. It is advised you return to Earth immediately.”
Hayley reaches out and grabs your arm. “Wait. Don’t you want to find out what happened?”
“But Hayley, the debris.” You reply.
“There are lockers aboard the ISS which are reinforced, if we suit up and take cover we should be safe from any depressurisation. It’s unlikely the station will get hit anyway. I know you want to find out as much as I do.”
[[Take cover from the debris]]
[[Return to Earth]]
“Let’s split up and search for any crew members. We need to find out what’s going on. I’m sure there’s a reason behind all this. Maybe they were trying to avoid equipment damage from a solar flare.”
Now that you mention it, you don’t remember anything about solar flares during the mission brief. Hayley nods, glad to have a plan of action.
“You check the station past the laboratory, I’ll check this side and make sure we haven’t missed anything. Meet back here as soon as you’re done.”
“Ok.”
You squeeze her shoulder gently, then she kicks off into the next module and out of view.
You head back over to the computer terminals and notice a flashing light that wasn’t there before. After tapping a few keys an image of a man appears on screen. In the corner are the words: “Log entry 67 – Commander Samuel Cane,” along with a date that was several days ago.
[[Play?]]
The screen crackles slightly with interference. The video shows the room you are currently in, but the lights are off, maybe during a night cycle. Several seconds tick away, then Commander Cane comes into view. In the shadows, his face is deeply lined, and his eyes seem empty as they stare into the distance.
He didn’t speak for several minutes and went through several phases of holding his face in his hands and shaking his head. Eventually he addresses the camera. Twinkles of light appeared in the corners of his eyes.
“So today, I was given the news that my wife and child were killed.” His voice was hollow with grief. “Control said it was a car crash, nothing anyone could do. Just a freak accident.”
“They said I will have any support I need” he sobbed. As if that will help. I think I knew, y’know? I thought I saw her, before they told me. Outside the window, against the stars on her way to heaven.” With tears floating in front of his face he smiled. “She had wings. I know they’re in a better place now, so I’m not sad. I just, can’t wait to join them. We all deserve to join them.” The commander pressed a button and the entry ended.
[[Play Next Log Entry]]
The words: “Log entry 74 – Mission Specialist James Anderson.” Appear in the corner.
Another man appears on screen as you press the play button. He is considerably younger than the Commander. The man’s concerned expression can easily be made out in the fully lit module. He looks worried. The lights are bright in the module.
“Mission Control, this is Specialist Anderson reporting for log entry seventy-six.” He leaned closer to the camera. “Control, I’m worried about the commander. He hasn’t been himself since he got the news about his family. It’s strange, we’ve tried to comfort him, but he is acting like nothing is wrong. He’s seems happy even. Right now, he’s on an unregulated solo spacewalk. He claims the communications array is faulty is damaged but we’re not picking up any issues from our instruments.”
He took a deep breath. “Control, I believe Commander Cane is no longer fit for command and I am prepared to take his place as acting commander for the remainder of the mission. I hope this reaches you soon.” The screen flashed to black.
[[Play Another Log Entry]]
Briefly “Log entry 75 – Mission Specialist James Anderson.” appears.
The lights are off again, only the glow from the console illuminates Anderson’s face. He looks frantic, like he is barely holding himself together. He is speaking quietly.
“Control, this is Anderson. It’s the commander, he’s gone insane. He pushed Specialist Helens out of the airlock. She’s dead." He seemed to emotionally collapse right then. "He destroyed the communications array, so you probably aren’t receiving.” The familiar floating drops of water appeared around his head.
“I’m going to die, aren’t I? Stephanie, I’m sorry.” Anderson started to shake and sob uncontrollably. He didn’t notice the sound of the module door opening.
Suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth from behind and a service knife tore open the front of his throat. Blood exploded, obscuring the cameras view. You glimpse the whites of someone’s eyes through the thrashing. A different face with a crazed grin flashed in front of the screen for a second, then it went blank.
[[Close the video log archive]]
You float back from the console. You feel a cold wave wash over your body. At the end of the module is a reinforced locker for storing equipment. You drift over and open it. Anderson’s open throat smiles back at you, surrounded by floating drops of blood. You slowly close the locker door on his lifeless body, suspended in space.
A single thought enters your head. Hayley.
[[Look for Hayley]]
Trying as hard as possible to avoid the body floating in the module, you make your way into the unexplored half of the station. Fortunately, there don’t seem to be any hull breaches from the debris.
Slowly you make your way into the laboratory module, the clunky spacesuit catching on the walls as you move. The laboratory is filled with broken glass and equipment. It bounces off your visor as you move to the hatch connecting to the next module.
You try the handle, but it is locked form the other side. Through the hatch window you can see Hayley, with her helmet missing and a knife to her throat. She is being held by a man in a commander’s jumpsuit. He is grinning at you from the window, a crazed look in his eyes. Behind them is the station’s second airlock.
“Wait!” You yell. “Commander, think about what you are doing. You’re not a killer.”
“I am Commander. It is my duty to decide who goes to heaven, and who doesn’t.” He looks at Hayley. “You want to go to heaven, don’t you?” His voice almost sounded kind.
Hayley is stays silent, she looks terrified.
[[Try and Persuade him to Release Hayley]]
[[Look for a way to open the hatch]]
[[Enter the module through the second airlock]]
A short burst of static comes form the radio, then it cuts out.
“Looks, like we’re on our own.” You mutter. “Let’s find some cover and suit up.”
Hayley squeezes your hand and you float back into the control module, stopping near the airlock on your way to put a spacesuit on each. It feels clunky and claustrophobic in the small space.
Hayley points to a reinforced, human-sized locker on the far wall. “Take cover in there. I’ll find one in the next module.” Her voice comes through as staticky over the suit’s communication.
You pause and hold her helmet in your hands, so you can look into her eyes. “Be careful ok?”
“When am I not?” She winks and floats off.
[[Open the locker]]
“It’s not safe here. Whoever did this is likely suicidal and could be dangerous. I for one don’t want to meet them.”
“But…” Hayley tried to protest.
“That’s an order, we’re going back. Control, we will begin undocking procedures immediately.
“Roger Captain.”
Hayley sits silently beside you as the Sagan-2 disembarks. I’m not risking our lives. You tell yourself. It’s for own safety, she’ll understand, won’t she?
You look back towards the station as the capsule descends towards Earth. You can just make out a human shaped object floating, not far from the station and a flicker, almost too quick to notice, at one of the windows.
After some difficulty fumbling through the suit’s gloves, you pull the locker door open and freeze. All you can hear is the sound of your rapid breathing in your helmet. The body of a young man is suspended in the locker space. Floating droplets of blood cloud the interior, oozing slowly from a deep gash across his throat.
Eventually you regain your composure. The priority is survival. You pull the body from the locker, trying to touch it as little as possible. A trail of floating red orbs marks its journey. You cram yourself into the locker and pull the door closed, just as muffled impacts begin to sound on the outer walls of the station.
“Hayley! Are you there? Come in!” There’s no response.
After what seems like an age, the impacts from the debris come to an end.
You kick the locker door open.
[[Search for Hayley]]
You back away from the locker and make your way into the unexplored half of the station. You drift unhindered into the laboratory module. The air is saturated with broken equipment and shattered glass. You cover your eyes and float through until you crash into a hatch at the entrance of the next module.
You try the handle but its locked from the other side. Through the hatch window you can see Hayley, with a knife to her throat. She is being held by the Commander from the video log. He is grinning at you from the window, a crazed look in his eyes. Behind them is the station’s second airlock.
“Wait!” You yell. “Commander, think about what you are doing. You’re not a killer.”
“I am Commander. It is my duty to decide who goes to heaven, and who doesn’t.” He looks at Hayley. “You want to go to heaven, don’t you?” His voice almost sounded kind.
Hayley is stays silent, she looks terrified.
[[Persuade him to Release Hayley]]
[[Search for a way to open the hatch]]
[[Attempt to enter the module through the second airlock]]
“Commander Cane. Samuel.” He frowns, eyes locking with yours. “You lost your family. There is nothing in the world more terrible than that.
“But I saw them. Angels in the black. I know it was them.” He seemed to say it to himself.
“They’re gone, and that’s not going to change. You must accept that. If you push Hayley out of the airlock she will die, just like them.” He brought the knife away from her neck, but still clung to her.
“I can’t lose her.” You say. “Because, to me, she is like my family. You don’t want anyone else to experience the pain you do.” He let go of her. “I get it, being up here in space, it changes you.”
“The crazed look in his eye was gone, replaced by sadness.
He looked lost, like a young boy. “But my crew… I can’t go back after what I did.”
Hayley drifts over to the hatch and opens it.
“I’m sure we can explain-“
“No. Leave me. I’ll be alright. Close the hatch behind you.”
You close the hatch. Hayley embraces you and looks away as you watch the Commander through the window. He smiles sadly and activates the airlock. He is instantly sucked out into space.
“Let’s go home.” Hayley eventually says, shakily.
“Alright.” you reply and begin heading for the Sagan-2.
Desperately you look around, searching for a way to open the hatch. Then it hits you. Your commander’s spacesuit has an emergency door override built into the wrist. Immediately, you swipe the microchip in your suit against the scanner built into the module wall.
Nothing happens.
You try again.
Still nothing.
On the third try it opens. You use pull on the edges of the hatch to propel yourself into their module. But the Commander is already pressing a series of buttons on the airlock console. The airlock opens.
It’s like a giant hand grabs you and wrenches you from the station. By some miracle you manage to grab hold of Hayley. But you have already drifted too far from the station. Taking her shoulders in your hands, you watch a she mouths something through a sad smile.
She goes stiff as the freezing cold of space locks her body into rigor mortis. There is nothing you can do as you embrace her lifeless body as floating tears fill the inside of your helmet.
It won’t be long until your oxygen runs out.Open the airlock from the outside grab Hayley and close it, sucking him out
Quickly, you make your way to the first airlock, press a sequence of buttons on the console and feel yourself tugged into the emptiness. You manage to grab hold of one of the outer handholds before as the airlock closes behind you.
The ISS’s blue solar panel fins are glowing in the sunlight, like the sails of an angel’s ship made to explore the heavens.
Using various bits of equipment on the outside of the station you slowly climb your way over to the secondary airlock. Through a porthole you see Hayley and the Commander still facing the hatch door.
Using your spacesuit’s door override you open the airlock from the outside.
Time seems to freeze for a moment. A beam of sun from one of the portholes splays across the side of Hayley’s face and hair, making it look like gold.
“Hayley! Exhale!” you yell.
The depressurisation sounds like a hurricane and with a look of shock, the Commander and Hayley are sucked from the module.
You manage to grab Hayley’s hand and drag her inside against the vacuum. After what seems like an eternity, the airlock automatically closes behind you.
“Are you alright?” You ask, checking her for any injuries.
After an extended coughing fit, she looks up at you and smiles weakly.
“Let’s not do that again.” She says.
You laugh and hug her with relief. “Let’s go home, you reply.”
You try to think of something to bargain with. Nothing comes to mind. You don’t even know what caused him to have a breakdown.
“Commander, please. Be reasonable. You don’t have to do this.” You plead.
“They are gone!” He shouts “I’m taking her to paradise! Don’t try and stop me.”
He is crying now. “I’ll be with you soon he whispers. He tears the knife across Hayley’s neck spraying small spheres of blood forward.
“No!” You yell. Hayley is floating just in front of the window, you watch as the life leaves her eyes. Then the commander presses a series of buttons and both are sucked into the vacuum of space.
“No.”
You black out.You drift back into the lab, desperately searching for something to open the door with. A glint at the far end of the module catches your eye. A heavy-looking silver coloured wrench is suspended in the air. You alter your course to and grab as you drift by.
As soon as you make contact with the far wall, you kick off with all the power in your legs. Bringing the wrench round you aim it at the glass hatch window.
You feel glass shards tearing into your arm as it shatters. You barely notice the pain as you fumble for the inside handle.
Wrenching open the door you look up to see the commander is no longer holding Hayley but suspended directly in front of you.
“You would try and deny someone a chance to go to heaven?” He says, as if scolding a child, as he plunges the knife into your stomach.
Hayley screams.
You don’t even feel it, just a coldness spreading out from the wound, following suit with the darkness at the corners of your vision. It's as black as the void outside the station, without a star in sight.
You quickly turn around and head for the first airlock on the other side of the ISS. You reach it and begin to put on one of the space suits. It seems to take an age and isn’t helped by how little room there is to manoeuvre.
You begin to press buttons on the console to open the airlock, but glance outside the nearest porthole and see Hayley.
A layer of frost covers her features, her face locked into a forever scream. Endlessly drifting in the darkness.
If you were on Earth you would have slumped over, but the lack of gravity keeps you suspended in the air as you curl up.[[Start]]
[[About]]
This is an interactive narrative written by Thomas Cole. There are seven different endings to be found.Double-click this passage to edit it.