"Hey! What are you two doing up there?" A brash shout cut through the control room's heavy stillness, jolting Syn from the fragile quiet of Vera's embrace.
Pako's voice boomed from below, sharp and irreverent, followed by the heavy thud of boots as she and Aster stormed in, their faces flushed from sleep and liquor.
The SOS signal Vera had triggered—a piercing wail that must've sliced through their drunken haze—had yanked them awake, propelling them here in a tangle of urgency and disarray.
"People died here—show some respect, woman!" Pako snapped, her tone biting as she planted her hands on her hips, her dark eyes sweeping the blood-streaked floor where two crewmates lay still, their bodies now shrouded in silence.
Aster loomed beside her, her blonde hair a wild cascade, her gaze narrowing as she took in the scene—shattered consoles, overturned chairs, the air thick with the metallic tang of death. "What the hell happened?"
