"Impact on the outer hull!" Elara's voice came through the comms, strained and urgent. "Meteorite debris. Structural integrity compromised in multiple sectors."
Roy scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his ears. Through the window, he could see a small but rapidly growing crack spiderwebbing across the exterior.
"We need to seal this area now," Ivan said, his tone unyielding. "Mason, override the safety protocols. Roy, get back to the airlock!"
Roy hesitated, his mind racing. "What about you?"
"I'll follow once the sector is secure. Move!" Ivan's command left no room for argument.
As Roy turned to retreat, a third impact struck, this one more violent than the last. The lights flickered, and a deep groan echoed through the station as the gravitational pull of the black hole began to assert its dominance.
"Gravitational drift detected," Kat's voice came through the comms, laced with panic. "The station's trajectory is shifting. We're falling toward the event horizon."
"Damn it!" Ivan growled. "Elara, redirect all power to the thrusters. Keep us stable as long as you can!"
"I'm trying!" Elara shot back, her voice strained.
Roy stumbled into the corridor, his legs shaking as he fought to keep his balance. Alarms blared, red lights bathing the narrow passage in an ominous glow. Mason pushed past him roughly, his expression a mixture of fear and frustration.
"Move it!" Mason snapped.
Roy didn't have the energy to argue. He forced himself forward, each step feeling heavier as the pull of the black hole grew stronger.
Behind him, Ivan's voice came through the comms. "Sector 3 is sealed. I'm heading back now."
The corridor shook again, another impact sending shrapnel scattering across the floor. Roy barely managed to avoid a jagged piece of metal that flew past him, embedding itself in the wall.
As he neared the airlock leading back to the central hub, Roy saw the rest of the crew gathered just beyond the bulkhead. Kieran waved him forward, his face pale but resolute.
"Hurry! We need to leave in 10 seconds!" Kieran called.
Roy pushed himself harder, his lungs burning as he closed the distance. Mason reached the airlock first, slamming his fist against the controls to open it.
But just as Roy stepped through, Mason turned sharply, his eyes cold and calculating.
"One less problem to worry about," Mason said coldly.
Before Roy could react, Mason shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward into the corridor. The airlock hissed as it sealed shut, leaving Roy on the wrong side of the bulkhead.
"Mason! What the hell are you doing?" Kieran's voice roared over the comms.
"We don't have time," Mason replied flatly. "It's him or us."
Mason then slammed the steel door shut and sealed it.
Roy slammed his fists against the sealed door, his mind blank with shock, his voice raw with desperation. "Open it! Don't leave me here! You can't be serious!" he screamed, but Mason didn't even look back.
Mason ignored him. Turning his back as the rest of the crew argued.
The station groaned again, the force of the black hole pulling it inexorably closer. Roy turned away from the door, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he realised the hopelessness of his situation.
Through the cracked window, he could see the event horizon drawing nearer, its ominous glow swallowing the stars. The station's metal frame creaked and bent under the immense gravitational forces.
Roy sank to his knees, his mind racing. This is it, he thought. This is how it ends.
Kieran's fists slammed against the steel bulkhead, his voice a roar of fury. "Mason! Open the door! Now!"
Mason's eyes flicked toward him, cold and unyielding. He planted himself firmly, bracing against the bulkhead. "You're not getting through, Kieran. Step back."
Kieran gritted his teeth, shoving with all his strength. The metal creaked under the pressure of their struggle. Sparks flew as Mason countered, muscles straining to hold the door closed.
"Roy's out here!" Kieran shouted, desperation breaking through his controlled rage. "You're leaving him to die?"
"I don't have time for your moral lecture," Mason shot back, voice sharp and flat. "Survive first, or none of us make it."
The rest of the crew watched in stunned silence. Kat's hands hovered over a console, frozen. Elara's face was pale and tense, but she didn't intervene. Hiroshi's eyes darted between the men, silent.
Ivan's broad shoulders shifted as he regarded the scene. His expression was calm, almost mellow, masking the storm within. Slowly, he pressed the button on the panel beside him. The escape pod's release sequence began, hydraulic systems hissing as the pod detached from the station.
"What… what are you doing?" Kieran yelled, momentarily breaking from his struggle with Mason.
"I'm giving the rest of us a chance," Ivan said evenly, his voice low but firm. Shock laced his words, not from fear but from the necessity of the choice. "Roy's fate isn't mine to decide. The pod leaves—now."
Kieran's fists froze as Mason forced him back, the bulkhead rattling between them. His eyes darted to Ivan, disbelief warring with his loyalty.
"You… you're letting him go?" Kieran's voice was a mixture of anger and horror.
Ivan didn't look away. "I'm letting the station dictate the terms. Hold the line. Survive."
The escape pod shuddered free, drifting into the void of space, its thrusters igniting as it slowly pulled away from the collapsing station. Kieran's hands clenched the metal in frustration, but Mason held firm, unrelenting.
Kieran stared at the pod as it disappeared from view, his chest heaving. "Damn it… Roy!" he growled, rage and helplessness mingling.
Mason finally released the door, stepping back. "Sometimes you have to choose the side that lives."
Kieran's eyes swept over the rest of the crew, landing on each one in turn—Kat, Elara, Hiroshi, and Ivan. None spoke. The tension hung thick in the recycled air of the station.
Ivan's gaze met Kieran's, calm but unyielding, as if the weight of their choices and the station's impending destruction were a burden he alone carried. Then, without another word, he turned and moved to secure the remaining systems, leaving Kieran fuming at the sealed door and the knowledge that Roy was gone—alive, but beyond their reach.
The station shuddered again, a violent groan echoing through the corridors, and Kieran could only stare at the door, the void outside, and the reality of the choice that had just been forced upon them.