Echos of the void

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. What happens when a scream is captured in the echoes of a black hole? Does it resonate… forever in the void?

The void… that’s what they might as well call this place… the void. Vesta colony, mining the outline reaches of the Kuiper belt in the ass end of the sol system, not much here but convicts and ices.

Ices, the main trade, just about the entire universe revolves around some form of energy or another. Makes up just about every type of gas or liquid found in the rocks around here. They call us “Slaggers” we spend our time scouring every type of floating rock we can find and coordinating the ongoing excavations for the corporations.

Names Ethan, I run one of the biggest operations on this rock for InTEL. Interstellar gas comm, one of the major corporations that took over after Nationalism collapsed back on Earth over a hundred years ago. Now they operate the biggest Ices collection consortium of contractors and miners in this part of the Milky Way galaxy.

Sirens begin blaring as massive explosions rock and shake the entire facility. Ethan is hurled off his feet into a bulkhead. He scrambles to regain his balance and begins running towards the control center. Still fumbling to get a hold of the comms unit he shouts with a profound sense of concern, Nina are you out there?!? Come back!

The comm is silent, nothing but static as Ethan watches the remaining debris from the explosion, and bots are ejected past the control center. The debris showers against the control center station hull like a hail storm pummeling vehicles. Ethan's control board lights up red, breaches in the hull have been created by the ensuing debris and emergency bulkheads are falling into place all over the facility.

Ethan races to check the damage control utilities and then suddenly, he confirms the worst, the life support module for the entire station has been ripped to shreds by the debris impacting the hull. The atmosphere is venting into space in multiple compartments across the station, hemorrhaging the reserves.

Ethan again calls out on the comms, MADAY MADAY MADAY… This is Ethan Aeros to any ships in the Kuiper belt we have experienced a massive explosion of the refining facility, the station is venting atmosphere and we are losing life support systems, we require immediate assistance from all nearby vessels!!! I say again…

Just then the sealed doors behind Ethan open and someone in an EV suit comes tumbling into the control center landing squarely on their back. Ethan spins around and races to assist the fallen crewman. Ripping the helmet off the suit to reveal a blonde-haired blue-eyed male gasping for breath.

Ethan shouts in exhortation, Are you alright?!? coughing and choking the unidentified man in the suit nods his head yes. Just then the radio bursts to life with chatter from multiple voices…

This is Commander Nicholas Hess of the InTEL Cruiser Obsidian we are responding to your distress call and are dispatching emergency crews and rescue and support teams to the surface now.

Oh, my hero! come to the rescue says a snide voice from behind Ethan. Ethan turns to see his crewmate returned to his feet. Ethan retorts I don't care where the help comes from, we are in desperate need of it right now. The stranger continues, I suppose you are right, I mean after all this is the perfect crisis situation for him to take advantage of and elevate himself in the view of the public.

Are you always this cynical? Ethan asked in near disbelief. No, just whenever Hess is involved. Responds to the stranger. Ethan retorts, listen we are going to have to work together if we are going to get out of this, go check the status on the O2 tanks and see what's left in the reserves we need to know how much time we have left.

The stranger proceeds to check the O2 levels, we have roughly 5 mins of breathable atmosphere left before the O2 levels are depleted. Ethan checks the structural integrity displays and sees the hull was perforated with debris in multiple locations. He queues his Radio, this is Ethan Aeros to Cmdr. Hess, the station has only 5 mins of breathable air left…