Episode 8: Landing and Oblivion

Lost Cat and Chaotic Corridors

21 February 2301 — Phobos Mars Dock Transit Residential Sector

Night inside Phobos Dock is far more crowded than most passengers imagined. The entire transit sector resembles a temporary migration city built inside space. Crowds drag luggage everywhere. Some migrants rest beside cargo containers. Children sleep quietly on benches holding toys. Multilingual announcements echo through massive industrial corridors. Low metallic humming never truly stops. The glow of the red planet slowly illuminates the station interior.

Vera is crouching on the floor of a busy transit corridor, calling Mello’s name in an increasingly frantic voice. The cat has escaped from its carrier somewhere between the medical scanning zone and the residential sector. Firo helps search. Evie and Anaïs search a different corridor. Seb checks the maintenance channels on his data board. For almost two hours, the search continues through the crowded dock.

During the search, Firo passes the restricted cargo area again. The dark containers with European military logistics codes are still there. Now he notices something else: armored vehicles bearing an emblem he does not immediately recognize — ARES — moving through the lower tunnel sections, away from the public areas. He slows his pace, watching. A very bad feeling begins forming. Mars. The Big 4. Sagittarius. An unease he cannot shake.

Then a small sound interrupts his thoughts: “Meow.” Mello is hiding behind a maintenance pipe, entirely calm, no idea how much chaos she has caused. Vera rushes forward and grabs her. “Jesus Christ…” She nearly collapses with relief. “You almost killed me.” Mello stares back with complete innocence. Outside the windows, Mars continues rotating silently — like something enormous that has been waiting there all along.