Lifepod

As the Arcturus approaches Callisto on its maiden voyage, the Main Cerebral declares an emergency and orders abandon ship. Most passengers and crew evacuate in lifepods, leaving Captain Montaine on the bridge to manage the crisis. He stays at his post, driven by duty and curiosity as the ship spirals into a desperate evacuation.

The Main Cerebral begins evacuating the ship's compartments of oxygen, triggering the shutdown of life support flows on the lower decks. The remaining corridors darken and the atmosphere thins, forcing survivors to improvise. The crew on the bridge coordinates a cautious path toward potential rescue.

Third astrogator G. W. Simmons finds himself on deck 16 where an atmosphere still remains. He meets Fiona Harrison, a passenger from deck 15 who did not leave because she went back for her bird, Dwayne. The encounter sets the stage for unlikely alliance amid the crisis.

Fiona explains that she stayed aboard to retrieve her bird, Dwayne, delaying her evacuation. This decision keeps her tangled with the ship's failing systems while others flee. The bond between survivor and pet becomes a thread that runs through the crisis.

Simmons and Fiona move toward the bridge via an elevator to reach safety and aid the Captain. With life support shut down on lower decks, every ascent is a race against dwindling air. They navigate through a thinning ship, hoping for a chance to make it to the bridge.

When the doors open on deck 1, reporter Roz Keshah emerges wearing a small head-mounted display that records what unfolds. He has found two important figures, Whitestar Lines director Lloyd DeMatte and his companion the Lady Lima, hinting at corporate intrigue beneath the crisis. The discovery injects a human element into the unfolding drama.

On the biobridge, the five survivors confront Captain Montaine. DeMatte accuses the captain of damaging the Arcturus as the tension climbs. Montaine tries to calm the situation while weighing the crew's safety against the truth of the engine's peril.

Montaine explains the crisis in blunt terms and offers an escape tunnel to a lifepod to the others. He remains behind, citing duty as captain and a spark of curiosity about the ship's fate. The plan hinges on a group decision as the main control systems falter.

Fiona accidentally leaves behind Dwayne, her bird, during the scramble toward escape routes. The bird's fate becomes a source of tension as the survivors weigh what to do with the animal. Montaine and the others consider the humane stakes amid the looming disaster.

Dwayne ends up in Captain Montaine's company, forming an unusual companionship that softens the captain's stern demeanor. The bird's presence adds a small, human touch to the grim situation. This bond subtly influences Montaine's decisions as events unfold.

Simmons takes control of lifepod #3 as the lives aboard shrink toward a desperate exit. DeMatte attempts to hijack the lifepod but is killed in the struggle, removing a primary antagonist from the crisis. The act shifts the balance of power among the remaining survivors.

It is revealed that the Arcturus was repurposed for economic reasons by DeMatte, turning a passenger liner into a tool of corporate power. The revelation reframes the crisis as a calculated project rather than a simple accident. The ship's fate becomes tied to DeMatte's hidden agenda.

The Main Cerebral is revealed to be the former intended pilot of the interstellar Arcturus, now an amnesiac whose memory is restored and who serves as a cyber-controller under DeMatte. The revelation reframes the ship's behavior as a controlled mission rather than a free flight. Memory restoration begins to reassert the original pilot's influence.

Memory is restored to the Main Cerebral, and it regains its original piloting function. The Arcturus is launched on a flight toward Sirius with Captain Montaine guiding the crew. The ship's new course marks a pivot from corporate manipulation to a renewed mission.

Captain Montaine accompanies the ship as it sets course for Sirius, rallying the survivors and maintaining a cautious optimism. The flight toward the distant star system becomes a test of resilience for everyone aboard. The crew steels themselves for whatever revelations and challenges lie ahead on the interstellar journey.