[s1e8] Housekeeping -

"Captain, the previous seven scans yielded nothing but skin cells and hair follicles consistent with the occupant. He is officially designated as 'Spaced.'"

"Elara, scan the room for biological traces one more time," Aris commanded.

Aris stepped inside. The room was sparse—standard issue—except for a small, hand-carved wooden bird on the nightstand. Real wood. A relic from Earth. He picked it up, feeling the grain beneath his thumb. [S1E8] Housekeeping

The sterile white corridors of the orbital station didn't usually feel like a tomb, but tonight, the hum of the life-support systems sounded like a final breath.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. The door to Unit 402 hissed shut and the mag-lock engaged with a heavy thud . "Captain, the previous seven scans yielded nothing but

Captain Aris stood in the doorway of Unit 402, the room of a man who had vanished three cycles ago. The manifest called this "Housekeeping." In reality, it was an erasure.

The "Housekeeping" wasn't about the dead man. It was about the witnesses. The room was sparse—standard issue—except for a small,

The air recyclers began to whine, pulling air out of the room instead of pushing it in. Aris looked at the tally marks, then at the wooden bird. He realized then that the bird wasn't a memento. He twisted the head of the carving, and a small data-drive slid out into his palm.