Cold starlight shines in through every gap that the man peers out of, as he stands there all by himself, staring out through the observatory windows.

Rays of light dance around out there in the darkness, touching the reflective exterior of the station with their warm grace, setting it alight in a way that is entirely alien to the bleak ocean that surrounds it.

As he stands there, Gottlieb can’t help but feel that he is, like those distant stars, simply afloat. He’s just… particulate, drifting in the deep depths of a vast ocean, captured and made visible only by the faintest whispers of shining light.

“Kai,” says the man, not bothering to look over his shoulder at the completely empty observatory again a second time. “We’re alone, aren’t we?” he asks, his words floating through the dark room that he is immersed in. It’s lit up by the glow of the emergency lights that he had activated after opening the door.

Kai doesn’t respond.

From his new abilities, Gottlieb had chosen the one that allowed him clearance to open so-called ‘rank one’ doors on the station, as well as the high-precision strike.

Neither of these things make sense to him, of course.

There aren’t any such things as ‘rank one’ doors on the station. You have access to what you need for your job and that’s it. Every job has its own collection of doors that they can open. But, sure enough, the observatory door opened for him when he tried it. He isn’t sure what other doors count as what rank. There are probably one or two other doors that he can open now too.

As for the ‘high-precision strike’, he doesn’t get it either. That’s just not how the gun works at all. She’s a big girl, she doesn’t do ‘high precision’. The orbital-weapons-platform is what is classified as a heavy ‘conflict resolution’ weapon by any measure of military standards.

Times change, apparently.

Gottlieb shudders, realizing that it’s kind of cold in here, actually. He sighs, shaking his head, looking around the room.

Snacks and drinks are still set on the tables. He can still see them sitting there. ‘Snacks’ and ‘drinks’ are again, as always, generous terms. He’s pretty sure that the snacks are the same exact nutrient-paste as the rations, but the goo is pressed into tiny wafers instead of bricks like it is for the food. But that’s just what life is in space. The drinks are just re-filtered hydro ass-water. Likely they’ve added some electrolyte sachets, for the special occasion.

The man eyes the table for a moment and decides against it. He has food that’s just as assy as any of this. Though…

Gottlieb steps towards the table, looking at the reusable metal cups with sippy lids that have names written on them. “Johan… Friedrich…” he mutters, going through the collection on the table until he finds the one that he’s looking for. “…Richter.” His finger stops on the bottle, pressing against the metal surface for a moment.

Now what?

He’s starting to get a feel for the situation, but it really doesn’t look like there’s a way out of this.

Is he going to die too?

Gottlieb looks at the blue light, hanging above his head. Should he just… freeze himself in cryo again? Maybe he’ll wake up and then…

No… the cosmic-event… maybe…

“Kai,” says Gottlieb. “Run a scan for me. Is there going to be more stuff like two days ago?” he asks. Maybe if another ‘wave’ pulses through… maybe the station will get pushed back to where it belongs. Maybe…

Gottlieb sighs, letting his finger slide down the metal bottle. He leaves it there.

The man spares one last glance towards the stars, shining in through the windows, before he walks away to the large, sliding metal door, walking out of it with empty hands and a heavy weight in his chest.

“Seal the observatory, Kai,” says Gottlieb. “It’s a graveyard now.”

The man stares up towards the blue light above his head, wishing that just once, Kai would just say ‘okay’.

Kai says nothing and Gottlieb returns to his station.

[Request Accepted]

Confirmed.

- We are alone.

[Request Accepted]

Failure.

- No further cosmic activity related to the [REDACTED] event found.

[Request Accepted]

Success!

- The observatory door has been sealed.

- The observatory has been renamed as ‘The graveyard’

Gottlieb leans back against his chair, staring at the three messages that Kai has for him. They all hurt in different ways and honestly, Gottlieb doesn’t really know what to do with these feelings. He’s always been a bit of a jerk who likes to be alone, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like having people around too. That doesn’t mean that he wanted anyone to die, especially Richter.

That doesn’t mean that this isn’t frightening.

The man looks over his shoulder, towards the vast emptiness behind himself in his office. He turns back to the monitors. If nothing else, at least he has this to distract him from his troubles.

[Currently moving to continent {5}]

'Continent five', huh?

It looks like whatever magical weirdness has affected him has affected not only the entire station, the gun, but also Kai.

Gottlieb lifts a finger, spinning his hand around in a circle before letting his digit touch against a completely random spot on the map. “Light ‘em up for me, Kai.”

[Request Accepted]

Success!

Success!

Found: Unknown

[Processing imagery]

[Upscaling resolution]

[Activating smart-context audio]

Success!

A man stands there on a large, open field, looking out all around himself at the sight that he sees. He looks like a farmer of some kind, judging by the hoe that he has over his shoulder and the hat on his head. Gottlieb supposes that it makes sense. Everyone still has to eat, other world or not.

“What’s the matter, paw?” asks a girl, walking up next to him. Gottlieb assumes that she’s referring to him as ‘paw’ not as his name, but that she’s his daughter and that the girl is using a rural term.

The man shakes his head, looking at her. “The harvest isn’t looking good this year,” he says. “Listen, maybe you should go to the city like your mother wants after all,” relents the man, the drooping of his shoulder evidenced by the lowering of the tool hung over his back.

She shakes her head. “I wanna stay here!” she protests. “Teach me how to do it!” says the man’s daughter, pointing at the barren field. “I’ll help you, paw.”

Gottlieb leans back. Huh… It’s almost like watching a farm-life drama. The man kicks his feet up and spends a good fifteen minutes watching the lives of these simple people play out. He finds it oddly enticing in a distracting way.

Annelida, the daughter, wants to help her father run the farm, but her mother insists that she goes to the city to ‘live a real life’. Gottlieb meanwhile, sits back and watches the show. He finds it all oddly endearing. He wonders if he himself shouldn’t have become a farmer? He wouldn’t be in this mess then.

The screen fades away.

“Hey!” yells Gottlieb at Kai. They were just starting to get into the good part of their arguments.

[Reprimand issued]

Orbital Gunner Gottlieb - Inappropriate workplace behavior

Context: (Misuse of installation capacities, procrastinating during work hours)

- Notifying the captain

“Shove it up your ass, Kai!” barks Gottlieb, pointing at the screen. “I was watching that!”

Kai doesn’t respond.

The man rolls his eyes. “Fine. Dick…” he mutters, looking around himself for something else to do. “Okay, let’s see what’s going on over there then,” he insists, poking on a random spot again.

[Request Denied]

Failure.

- Orbital gunner Gottlieb is misusing the capacities of this installation. Locking controls until further reinstatement by the captain.

Gottlieb jumps up to his feet. “Kai!” he yells. “Fuck off! What the fuck else am I supposed to do?” he asks, glaring at the blue light in front of his face.

[Suggestion]

- According to space survival protocols, §4 p.37 meditation is suggested to be helpful during extended high-stress situations.

“Wow. Very fucking funny, Kai,” says Gottlieb, pressing his face in towards the camera. “I’m literally the ranking officer here! I’m the captain now!” he barks, pointing at himself. The room is quiet. Well… as quiet as it has been the entire time. But Gottlieb only notices it now.

He’s the captain by default, right?

[Request Denied]

Failure.

- Orbital gunner Gottlieb is the ranking officer, but not entitled to the designation of CAPTAIN.

[Suggestion]

As per navy wartime protocols §17 p.81, the determining choice of designated survivor aboard an ORBITAL OPERATIONS VESSEL is not held to be applicable to bestowing the title of temporary ranking officer. Instead, an immediate, mandatory vote must be held to ensure the safety of the vessel.

The chosen person shall remain in said role until the office of strategic coordination has designated a new permanent ranking officer after which the temporary officer shall return to their former duties.

Gottlieb stares angrily, his fingers gripping the edge of the console. He hates Kai so much. He can’t put it into words.

[Starting vote]

Please cast your ballot now for the new designated temporary CAPTAIN.

Gottlieb looks around himself, shrugging and shaking his head to the camera. “Kai… I’m the only one here. It’s just me.”

[Voting in progress]

- Orbital gunner Gottlieb, please cast your ballot now for the new designated temporary CAPTAIN.

The man raises his hand. “Me. I vote for me.”

[Vote Tallied]

- Thank you! Please wait until everyone has voted.

…

Everyone has voted!

Processing.

Counting votes.

Adding totals.

Separating candidates.

Discombobulating the thermosolar circumpolar regulators

Reprocessing variables.

The vote is over!

Candidates:

Orbital gunner Gottlieb: Votes: 1

Nobody: Votes: 1

NO CLEAR CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE.

Should another election be held? Please confirm. Y/N

“Always with the fucking jokes, isn’t it, Kai?” barks Gottlieb, glaring at the monitor. He lifts a finger, pointing at it. “I’m sick of your shit!” he yells at the light.

Kai doesn’t respond.

Gottlieb sits down, his legs feeling weak. The man rests his head on top of his folded hands down on the console. He sits there for a while, listening to its warm buzzing, reminding him that he is here, all by himself.

“Kai… please,” says Gottlieb. “This is all I have.”

The monitor beeps.

[Request Denied]

Failure.

- Orbital gunner Gottlieb’s lack of fulfilling life activities does not entitle him to the designation of temporary CAPTAIN.

Gottlieb says nothing else, simply letting his head fall back to his hands. It’s quiet and the man just sits there, listening to the humming, not sure what else he is supposed to do now.

Not just… here, with the gun, with Kai. But… what he himself is just supposed to do now…

Sure, he could live here for a while, probably. Hydro will keep going forever as long as the bots are running. Kai will keep running forever, as long as the panels are online. The same goes for the gun, if he can shoot it or not. But the others aren’t coming back. He’s stuck here, all by himself…

- Forever.

Something buzzes loudly. It’s the sound of a heavy duty monitor jumping back to life.

Gottlieb lifts his eyes, staring at the screen that has come aglow anew. Kai has no message for him there, but his view of the world has returned into focus once again. The camera zooms in, panning towards a location where there seems to be some kind of siege going on, by the looks of it.

There’s a tower on a hill by the ocean that is just as blue as the light of Kai’s eyes, a light-house, perhaps and all around it on the encroaching cliff-side are encampments and barricades.

Gottlieb straightens himself up, pulling his chair into his desk. He spares an unsure glance up towards Kai, before looking back down at the screen.

If he has anything to say, he doesn’t know how to say it because it feels oddly awkward. He and Kai have always been at odds, one way or another. This is the first time that Kai has done something ‘nice’ for him.

The man nods to the light, before zooming in on the scene of the battle that looks like it will commence soon.

“Kai,” is all that Gottlieb says.

[Request Accepted]

[Processing imagery]

[Upscaling resolution]

[Activating smart-context audio]

Success!

The screen zooms in further, focusing on a man standing on the top of the tower.