Eclipse Genesis

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A shrill alarm pierced the silence, echoing off the smooth, blue-stainless walls of the small room.

Pant! Pant! Pant!

Ryan jolted upright, his breath coming in short, rapid bursts as though he had just surfaced from drowning. His eyes darted around the familiar confines of his room, the cold artificial light washing over his damp skin.

His fingers gripped the sheets tightly. His chest rose and fell. His heart hammered in his ears.

"Was it all... a dream?" Ryan muttered, his voice hoarse.

His mind was still reeling. The memory—no, the experience—of his ship being torn apart, of floating helplessly into the endless void, of dying—it had felt too real. He swallowed hard, his throat dry.

Pant! Pant!

Then, almost instinctively, he let out a small, relieved chuckle. "That's great..." he exhaled, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "Just a dream..."

The vivid memories of his ship exploding, of drifting into that anomaly, felt too real to be just a dream. His fingers curled into the sheets.

He allowed himself a moment to sit there, basking in the comforting mundanity of his surroundings, before shaking his head. "Alright," he muttered, then added with a bit more energy, "Time for work."

With that, he pushed himself off the bed and trudged into the small bathroom. As he reached for his toothbrush, his gaze lifted to the mirror—

He froze.

A few white strands stood out against his otherwise dark hair.

Ryan's breath hitched. His fingers tentatively reached up, brushing through the strands, disbelief settling in. "What the?!" he exclaimed, his reflection mirroring his wide-eyed shock.

"I'm only in my twenties! How can I be getting grey hair this early?!" Ryan muttered, his mind racing for a reasonable explanation. Stress? Malnutrition? Some weird side effect of oversleeping?

He shook his head forcefully. "Forget it," he grumbled, turning away from the mirror. He couldn't afford to obsess over something so trivial. He had more important things to do.

Still, even as he brushed his teeth, a nagging unease gnawed at the back of his mind.

____________________________________________

Ryan walked the familiar streets of the colony, the metal and neon-lit structures towering over him. Even though this was a mid-low class colony, the city was always bustling with people, holographic advertisements flickering to life above shop entrances.

At an intersection, he paused. Around him, pedestrians busily checked their holographic Vision Watches, sleek devices strapped to their wrists that projected translucent screens filled with news updates, messages, and entertainment.

Ryan sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Haa... I'd love to get a Vision Watch, but that would just slow me down from saving for my dream boat.

The Mk52 Space Stride—his ultimate goal. The ship he had been dreaming of owning for years.

He pulled out his phone, an old, scratched-up model that had seen better days. He sighed again. This will have to do for now.

______________________________________

Upon arriving at work, Ryan was greeted by the usual faces, exchanging nods and half-hearted "mornings." He had barely settled in when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Ryan."

His body stiffened.

He turned to see Wilm, one of his coworkers, approaching him with a serious expression.

'Wait a minute…' Ryan thought. His heartbeat quickened. Something about this felt wrong.

Wilm stopped beside him. "Manager Plar would like to see you."

Ryan stared at him. A deep sense of familiarity flooded his mind.

This exact moment... it already happened. Didn't it? His mind reeled.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak. "What's going on?"

Wilm's expression remained unreadable. "He would like to speak to you now."

Ryan blinked, shaking his head slightly. No... this is the first time Manager Plar has called for me, right? Yet, that unsettling sense of déjà vu wouldn't leave him.

'I can't shake off the dream I had...'

Ryan took a steady breath. "Tell him I'll be there after a while."

Wilm didn't budge. "He wants to see you now."

Ryan frowned. This was getting weird. "Well, I need to use the restroom first," he countered. "Tell him I'll be there after."

Without waiting for a response, Ryan turned and walked away.