Echoes Between the Stars Shadows of the Dark Knight 14 June 2300 — Pioneer-12, Anaïs’s Cabin and Outer Service Walkway The retro disco rhythm is still bouncing lightly in Anaïs’s cabin when a nineteenth-century constellation clasp — an heirloom piece used in the gown design — slips through a maintenance grate near the door. In…

Echoes Between the Stars Bridge of Souls 14 June 2300 — Pioneer-12, Anaïs’s Cabin and Design Studio One week since Evie first tried on the gravity-stabilizing shoes Anaïs designed. She has steadied. Her steps under 0.7 gravity have become surer. The new weight of the world no longer feels like somewhere that might simply refuse…

Echoes Between the Stars Elegance on Mars 7 June 2300 — Pioneer-12, Residential Ring and Anaïs’s Cabin Four days since Pioneer-12 left the dock. Gravity in the Residential Ring has settled at 0.7 Earth gravity, and most passengers have adapted. But for Evie, the change is not only physical. Without the familiar noise of Underground…

Echoes Between the Stars Loneliness in Artificial Gravity 4 June 2300 — Pioneer-12, Residential Ring Pioneer-12 has finally left the Earth-Moon L1 Gateway Dock. At exactly twelve noon the previous day, Captain Koen’s voice moved through every speaker on the ship — announcing final safety confirmation and the start of the journey to Mars. Passengers…