Date: April 29th, 2132

  Day 146 - Third Rotation

  Time: 1930 hours

  No update from Operation Eicere.

  Scheduled transmission was 0900 yesterday, April 28th. It's been over 34 hours. Nothing.

  The station is uneasy. People are talking. Speculation spreading through crew quarters, the dining bay, the corridors. Everyone knows something's wrong.

  Sergeant Major Stratoskha held an emergency briefing at 1600 hours. Ordered all personnel to remain calm. Prohibited speculation about mission status. Reminded everyone that communication delays can occur during deep space operations due to interference, equipment malfunction, standard procedural issues.

  No one believes that.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Minister Brune has been in closed meetings with Dr. Chen and Lieutenant Voss since this morning. I wasn't invited. Don't know what they're discussing but the door's been locked for hours.

  I keep thinking about Patel.

  Last update had Dan Sable unconscious with 50-degree fever. Three unknown signals tracking the freighter. Thumping from the cargo every 47 seconds.

  And now silence.

  What happened out there? Did Dan get worse? Did the signals approach? Did something go wrong with the cargo?

  Is Patel okay?

  I tried to sleep. Couldn't. The red door keeps appearing behind my eyelids. The corridor stretching impossibly long. I can hear thumping in my dreams now. Same rhythm. 47 seconds.

  I don't know if I'm remembering the report or if I'm hearing something else.

  Patient G-0217 is still murmuring in Aramaic. "Awakening." Over and over.

  Everything feels connected and I still don't understand why.

  We're waiting. That's all we can do.

  Wait for the next transmission.

  Wait for answers.

  Wait for something to make sense.

  [Entry ends]