The Bug Job

When a wave of electrical failures ripples through Taurus‑One, the Administration dispatches two of its most “expendably skilled” workers: Spot, a blue four‑armed bruiser with a monkey tail and a talent for improvised problem‑solving, and Ive, a semi‑transparent bioluminescent being whose gravity‑bending abilities usually make maintenance work slightly less hazardous.

Their assignment seems simple—track down the source of the outages and stop whatever’s chewing through the station’s wiring. But once they crawl into the Jefferies tubes, the truth becomes impossible to ignore. Huge yellow cockroach‑like pests have infested the under‑ring, leaving behind sticky residue, red waste, and a trail of half‑eaten conduits. Worse, the bugs shrug off bug spray, tasers, and even Ive’s gravity tricks.

As the infestation grows bolder, Spot and Ive push deeper into the tunnels, only to discover the real threat: a massive queen guarded by two hulking soldier ants. The fight is brutal. Spot wades in with swatters, spray, and sheer stubborn force, taking down the soldiers despite being slashed, bitten, and battered. But the queen overwhelms him, cocooning him in layers of adhesive secretion.

With Spot immobilized and the station’s systems failing by the minute, Ive makes a desperate gamble—rerouting a live power line and turning it into a makeshift weapon. The surge of energy finally brings the queen down, ending the infestation before it can spread to the inhabited levels.

Spot is freed, bruised but alive. Ive is glowing a little dimmer than usual. And Taurus‑One? It’s still standing… for now. On this station, there’s always another crisis waiting behind the next maintenance hatch.