POV: Luna

The Warden's presence crushed against my mind like the weight of dead universes. Through the hybrid network stretching back to Earth, I felt thousands of consciousnesses keeping me anchored while panic threatened to scatter my thoughts.

"Five minutes," Dr. Nakamura's mental voice cut through the void. "The ship's reality is unraveling. Five minutes until we're trapped here forever."

I pushed my awareness forward, placing myself between The Warden and my team. Someone had to take charge, and managing multiple consciousnesses was what I did best.

"Wait," I projected the thought with all the authority I could gather. "You said you want to escape. So let's negotiate."

The Warden...