Chapter 9: Lieutenant Aurora Peters Aurora sat in the spacecraft’s research bay, her fingers flying over the holographic controls as she monitored the ship’s environmental and biological systems. Every readout had to be checked and rechecked. It wasn’t just about keeping the crew comfortable—any shift in oxygen levels, CO2 buildup, or temperature fluctuations could mean disaster, especially with the Sol shot coming up. Her station was bathed in a soft blue glow from the displays, showing live data streams of atmospheric pressure, chemical balances, and the status of the biological cargo they were transporting. Everything looked normal—for now. "Aurora, status report on environmental stability," Adrienne’s voice came over the comms. "Life support is nominal, no deviations in O2 or CO2 levels. Temperature control is holding steady. But…" she hesitated, her eyes narrowing at a small fluctuation in the biocontainment module. "But what?" Adrienne’s tone ...