The second day of Ash's absence began with rain.
It wasn't a storm. Just a steady, grey drizzle that tapped against the windows of the control room. The sound was rhythmic. Consistent. It matched the hum of the servers.
I arrived at 0700. Yuki was already there. She had a tablet in one hand and a stylus in the other. She was chewing on the cap of the stylus. A sign of stress.
"Report," I said. I didn't sit. I stood behind her chair.
"Ship is at Waypoint Two," she said. "Speed is consistent. Grid sync is holding at ninety-seven percent."
"Drop of one percent."
"Within margin."
"Any anomalies?"
She hesitated. She tapped the screen. "Sector 7 showed a fluctuation at 0400. Frequency spike. Lasted twelve seconds."
"Did it trigger the breakers?"
"No. The automated dampeners absorbed it
