The atmospheric engine of the Vanguard-7 hummed a low, soothing bassline through the deckplates, a constant reminder of the vacuum waiting just beyond the titanium-reinforced hull.
It was a sound the crew heard even in their sleep—a mechanical heartbeat that signified survival in the deep, unforgiving expanse of Sector 9. But inside Crew Quarters 4-B, the ambient noise of the starship was completely drowned out by a sound that was entirely human, frantically breathless, and utterly helpless