Era 3: Orbital Station
Future — Post-Human Era
Overview
The Station That Should Not Exist
The Orbital Station is the most alien of the four eras. It was built by humans — or what humans become — and abandoned for reasons the logs do not explain. The astronaut did not die in the conventional sense; they were removed from the timeline by contact with something that exists at the end of time. The station's instruments cannot measure what happened because the event has not occurred yet.
What to Look For
The viewport residue is not frost or condensation — analyze it carefully. The chronometer is frozen at a timestamp from the future; compare it to the station log entries. The astronaut's suit telemetry shows perfect life support until the exact moment of disappearance. Nothing failed; everything was taken.
A derelict space station in high orbit, abandoned by a civilization that evolved beyond the need for bodies. The corridors are dark except for the glow of CRT monitors displaying data in a language that has not been invented yet. Outside the viewports, the stars are wrong — they show a sky from a time when the universe is much older and much colder.
Environment
Zero-gravity corridors, emergency lighting in phosphor green, CRT terminals displaying future timestamps. The station rotates slowly, and through the viewports you can see stars that have not yet been born — or have already died. The silence here is different from the jungle's: it is the silence of a place that has been empty for longer than humanity has existed. The astronaut's diorama floats in the observation deck, suit perfect, visor clear, occupant gone.
Related Cases
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| The Void Drifter | An astronaut floats in the observation deck of a derelict space station, suit pressurized, oxygen ta... |
1 Related Cases