Strange Sci-fi Tales - Distress [#130]

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           The space station had gone dark, that’s all she could tell. The small flashlight she kept on her person did little to illuminate the bridge. The room, only minutes ago lit up by dozens of monitors, was now dark and foreboding.

           Everyone else had left, each insisting they knew how to fix the problem and that the bridge was useless now. She stayed behind in case the power came back on its own, although she was fairly certain now that it wouldn’t happen.

           Nothing had changed in half an hour, and an uncertain dread had crept up her spine. Something told her this problem wouldn’t be fixed anytime soon. With that in mind, she decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

           A hidden panel, along the back wall, revealed the only powered monitor in the room. Tied to its own backup generator, this computer would only fail in the worst of circumstances. It had no connection to the network or mainframe; it only had one purpose, sending distress signals.

           Some would call her paranoid for resorting to this machine so quickly. Most didn’t want the baggage that came with sending a distress signal. The reports, the investigations, the scrutiny from superiors. She didn’t care, she wanted to ensure the station would receive help sooner rather than later.

           A few keystrokes and administrator passwords later, the highest alert distress signal was activated. She could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She was almost dizzy from the stress and anxiety and quickly took a seat by a window.

           As she stared into the field of star outside, she assured herself she did the right thing. It was a preemptive measure, she’d catch flak for it, but was confident it would be worth it. Her breaths became heavy as the dizziness consumed her further. She decided to take a nap, maybe if she were lucky, rescue would arrive by the time she woke up.

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You're only paranoid if you're wrong.

Also be sure to read the previous stories in this loose series, Recovery and Shut Out.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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