Red emergency light pulses over the maintenance lane as Zoey pushes ahead with the proof packet in her deck. The industrial node looms in cold blue at the far end, a clean exit if they can reach it before the station seals tighter.
Behind them, Kaelen jerks hard, one hand clamped to the bulkhead. His neural tether spits a thin amber flicker across the lane, and a status chirp ripples through the corridor grid.
Kaelen
It is pinging me again. They can see the trace if I stay connected.
Mara snaps her head back, then points at the blue node. The path is open, but only for a breath. The next seal cycle is already beginning to spool.
Mara
Zoey, move. If that node shuts, we are trapped in this lane.
Kaelen stumbles, and the tether flare climbs brighter for a second. The nearest wall panel blinks a fresh alert, as if something above has just noticed his spike.
Reach the blue industrial node