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Orbital Mechanic’s Report
Day 1: Welcome Back to the Grind
It’s the start of my six-month rotation aboard Delta Horizon, and the station hasn’t changed much since my last tour—still massive, still cold, and still one good systems failure away from chaos. My bunk is smaller than I remembered, and the food printer in the galley is already acting up. Great start.
First shift was a systems check on the oxygen recycling arrays. Nothing major—just recalibrating flow rates and running diagnostics. But the supply manifolds in Section B3 are starting to show their age. I flagged them for replacement, though with our supply shortages, I doubt it’ll happen anytime soon.
Pace looked stunning through the observation port today—cloud formations shifting across its vast blue-green oceans. It’s easy to forget how fragile life is down there when you’re surrounded by the hum of station machinery.
Day 3: A Wrench in the Works
Mid-shift, we got an alert about a pressure drop in one of the fuel transfer lines for Docking Bay 6. Turns out a micrometeorite strike had punctured an external pipe. Thankfully, the automated systems sealed it before the station lost too much helium-3.
Repairs meant suiting up and heading outside. EVA work is never fun, especially when you’re dangling 400 kilometers above Pace with only a tether keeping you alive. But it’s also why I signed up for this job.
The damage wasn’t too bad—a quick weld and some new shielding panels fixed it up. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how vulnerable this station really is. One bigger hit, and we’d be toast.
Day 5: The Supply Problem
We’re running low on critical components—power couplings, coolant filters, even basic circuit boards. The last supply shuttle from Pace’s surface was delayed due to storms in the upper atmosphere. Command says it’ll arrive in two days, but until then, we’re patching things together with duct tape and prayers.
The coolant system for the reactor core is my biggest concern. It’s holding steady, but the backup pumps are dangerously close to failing. If those go offline, we’d have a serious overheating problem on our hands.
Dinner tonight was rehydrated vegetable stew. Again. Someone needs to recalibrate the galley printer’s flavor settings before I lose my mind.
Day 6: Crisis Averted (Barely)
A minor coolant leak in the reactor core escalated fast this morning. The temperature started climbing before anyone could pinpoint the source. Alarms were blaring, and I swear I felt the deck vibrating beneath my boots.
It took three of us scrambling in the guts of the reactor room to isolate the leak. Turns out one of the backup pumps gave out entirely, spilling coolant all over the maintenance hatch. We managed to patch it with a spare valve and reroute the system, but the core is operating at reduced efficiency until the new parts arrive.
The adrenaline rush wore off quickly, leaving only exhaustion and a faint chemical stink in my hair. Reactor malfunctions are no joke, and I don’t want to see another one anytime soon.
Day 8: Life Between the Bolts
Not every day is a crisis, though it feels like it sometimes. Today was quiet, giving me a chance to catch up on routine maintenance. I spent most of the shift in the hydroponics bay, fixing the water filtration system. The plants—mostly algae and hardy Earth crops—are the closest thing to life we have up here, and their oxygen output is vital for the station.
The crew’s morale is holding steady, but you can feel the tension whenever supplies run low or systems act up. A game of zero-g soccer in the rec module helped lighten the mood tonight. I managed to score, though my landing into the bulkhead wasn’t exactly graceful.
Day 10: The Shuttle Arrives
Finally, the supply shuttle docked this morning. The entire station seemed to exhale at once. Unloading went smoothly, and the new coolant pumps were installed by mid-afternoon. It’s a relief knowing the reactor is back at full capacity.
Other supplies included fresh food packs, replacement tools, and a shipment of personal care items. There was even a crate of coffee—a rare luxury this far out. I snagged a bag before it disappeared.
Day 12: The Quiet Moments
Not every day feels monumental, but the small moments matter. Tonight, after the shift ended, I found myself staring out at Pace from one of the observation decks. It’s easy to get lost in the monotony of bolts, circuits, and repairs, but then you see that planet—alive, spinning, utterly indifferent to us—and it puts everything in perspective.
Life on Delta Horizon is tough, but it’s also meaningful. Every repair, every adjustment, keeps 200 souls alive out here. That’s why I do this job.
End Log.
Orbital Mechanic’s Report
Location: Delta Horizon Station, Orbiting Planet Pace
Position: Senior Mechanic, Deck 12 Maintenance Division
Technician ID: Vance Ortega
Log Period: Week 1 of Rotation