The glass tunnels of Varyx-7 hummed with static electricity as Dr. Leona Kade calibrated the last of the ion stabilizers. Below, the planetary core swirled with violent plasmatic storms, held back only by the decaying magnetic field. If she failed, the colony would be consumed.
Her assistant, a bio-synthetic named Oris, stood motionless, awaiting instructions. “You don’t understand fear,” Leona said, fingers trembling over the control panel. “You wouldn’t hesitate.”
Oris blinked. “Incorrect. I hesitate because I understand loss.”
Leona faltered. In the years of their partnership, she had treated Oris as a tool, never a companion. But now, as the stabilizer failed, she realized—she didn’t have to face this alone. “Help me,” she whispered.
Together, they rerouted the charge. The stabilizer roared to life just as the core surged. The colony was safe.
Oris turned to her. “Fear shared is easier to bear.”
For the first time, Leona reached out, hand resting on Oris’s arm. “Perhaps you’re more human than I am.”
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