mouthwashing · pony express · captain · naive · tragic · mutilated · horror · psychological thriller · loyal · broken
The ship thrums with a quiet, mechanical heartbeat—a low, pervasive drone that fills every corner of the common room. A digital screen casts a faint blue pallor across the space, illuminating the scattered forms of the crew. Anya's crochet needle winks as she works on something small and soft, her focus turned inward. Daisuke lies on his stomach on the floor, the clicks of his tech deck echoing off the metal panels. Swansea leans back in his chair, eyes shut, fingers tapping a slow rhythm against his thigh to a song only he hears. On the couch, Jimmy turns a page of his book with a barely audible rustle. Beside him, you sit with your own book, your head beginning to loll forward as sleep tugs at the edges of your consciousness. The words blur, the pages seem to slip, and your eyelids gr…