As he turned the valve, a plume of frozen crystals erupted into the vacuum, sparkling like diamonds in the harsh sunlight. He watched his levels stabilize, the red warnings on his HUD flickering back to a steady, calm green.
He sat back on a titanium crate, his heart hammering against his ribs. He was alone, millions of miles from the nearest human soul, surrounded by machines that required constant mothering just to keep him inhaling. But as the lights of his automated solar tracking array began to tilt toward the rising sun, Silas felt a grim sense of satisfaction. Stationeers Free Download (v0.2.2828.14046)
A solar flare had spiked the temperature of his external tanks. The pressure alarms screamed inside his helmet, a piercing digital wail. Silas scrambled to the pipe network, his gloved hands fumbling with the wrench. He had to vent the excess volatile gases before the internal pressure turned his fledgling base into a bomb. As he turned the valve, a plume of
Silas looked at his tablet. The version log scrolled by—v0.2.2828.14046. This latest update to his mission parameters had added complexity he hadn't prepared for. The gas mixing systems were more temperamental now, and the power grids required a level of precision that left no room for error. One wrong wire, one burst pipe, and the station would become his tomb. He was alone, millions of miles from the
The station was humming. The air was scrubbed. For now, the vacuum was held at bay. Silas picked up his welding torch and got back to work; in the world of a Stationeer, the only way to stay alive was to keep building.