Failure To Communicate — 10.

Elias keyed the internal comms. "Sarah, your suit radio is down. Use the hand signals we practiced. Are the stabilizers holding?"

The floor groaned. The last bolt gave way. As the module tilted toward the abyss, Elias realized her frantic gestures hadn't been technical reports at all. She had been waving goodbye. 10. Failure to Communicate

He checked the external monitors. Sarah was out there. She was supposed to be securing the perimeter sensors, but her tether was frayed, whipped by winds that could strip paint off a hull. She was gesturing wildly, her gloved hands slicing through the orange haze. Elias keyed the internal comms

Elias reached for the override anyway, his mind racing. If he pulled it, they might stabilize. If he didn't, they were definitely dead. Are the stabilizers holding

Sarah stopped moving. She looked at him, her posture sagging with a sudden, heavy exhaustion. She held up a small, jagged piece of metal—the locking pin. It had snapped.

The intercom gave one final, clear chirp—a system error—and then the world went quiet.