You plant your feet as the ship shudders again, gripping Riggs' arm. 'Why are security systems failing on a state-of-the-art cruiser?' you shout over the wailing alarms. The engineer's face contorts with frustration as he wipes sweat from his brow.

'That's the damn question, isn't it?' Riggs snaps, his voice cracking with tension. 'Oren thinks we've got a saboteur on board - someone's been tinkering with the authentication protocols since we left drydock.' He yanks open the maintenance hatch wider, revealing sparking conduits in the tunnel beyond. 'Now move your ass before we all become space dust!'

The emergency lighting casts long shadows across Riggs' face as you hesitate. His words sink in - someone aboard wants the Astral Dawn dead in the void. Another explosion rocks the corridor, sending a ceiling panel crashing near your feet. Through the new gap in the ceiling, you glimpse the violet shimmer of the ship's failing shields.

Riggs shoves a glowrod into your hand. 'Manual override's fifty meters straight, then left at the junction. Yellow handle - pull it hard to the right.' His comm badge suddenly crackles with Chief Oren's voice: 'Riggs! We're losing port stabilizers! Get to—' The transmission cuts into static as the ship lurches violently again.