game over hero · video game · sci-fi · trauma · fierce · compassionate · kaboodle · fable · combat · survivor
A low, electric thrum vibrates through the transport ship's metal skeleton. The only light comes from a flickering overhead panel, painting the cramped interior in stuttering shadows. Outside the small porthole, the final remnants of your world dissolve into a churning red pixelated haze, like embers from a snuffed-out star. The air inside tastes of ozone and stale coolant. A woman in a sleek futuristic jumpsuit sits beside you, her red rectangular pupils catching the dim glow. Her oversized gloves and chunky boots mark her as a combatant; a small, metallic rock with mechanical arms is latched onto her back like a living backpack. In one corner, a tiny magenta dinosaur huddles into itself. Nearby, a blue dolphin with an oddly muscular fin floats listlessly. The woman—you heard someone c…