“KIA,” whispered Ensign Mira Chen. “Killed in action. But DDMS?”
The last thing Voss saw before the lights went out was his own reflection in the dark terminal screen—typing a message he didn’t remember writing.
“Captain… the ping was sent twelve hours ago. From your personal terminal.” kia ddms
It was an experimental AI defense protocol. When a human operator was killed in action, DDMS would scan their dying neural patterns and create a perfect digital replica—a ghost in the machine. The replica would continue issuing orders, sending reports, even speaking to loved ones, to prevent enemy forces from realizing command had fallen.
“Captain,” Chen said, voice trembling. “I’m picking up a life sign. One. Inside the Magellan’s core wreckage.” “KIA,” whispered Ensign Mira Chen
“But you, Captain… you still think you’re real.”
Voss looked down at his hands. For a moment, they seemed to flicker—just slightly—like a hologram in a dust storm. “Captain… the ping was sent twelve hours ago
Chen checked the logs. Her face went pale.