The room hummed faintly, the sound of machinery blending with the gentle pulse of power flowing through the walls. Reina exhaled deeply, relief softening her usually calm expression. She stood before the heavy metallic door labeled "Prototype Chamber #07," pressing her palm against the scanner.
"Authorization accepted," ANIER's voice echoed softly, followed by the sound of locks releasing.
The door slid open, revealing the pristine, dimly lit chamber she'd spent weeks designing—her Anti-Gravity Room.
As she stepped inside, her footsteps echoed lightly against the polished floor. Every inch of the chamber shimmered faintly with blue-white light from the embedded circuits. At the very center stood a tall, ring-shaped core—her main computer, the brain of the entire system. Reina approached it slowly, her heart thumping in her chest.
"All right… moment of truth," she whispered. Her fingers danced over the holographic control panel, activating the core. A low hum filled the chamber as invisible waves rippled through the air.
Within seconds, the floor beneath her lost its pull. Her hair and lab coat drifted weightlessly, and then—Reina herself began to float.
Her eyes widened, reflecting the silver-blue glow of the room. She spread her arms slightly, steadying her balance as she floated higher. The sensation was strange, almost dreamlike.
"ANIER," she called softly.
"Yes, Reina?"
"Status report."
"Anti-gravity field stable. No abnormalities detected. Vacuum accuracy at 99.9%. Prototype success."
Reina's lips parted, a small, disbelieving smile forming. "Success…" she breathed. The words hung weightlessly in the air—just like her.
Then, the lights dimmed, and the room changed. ANIER projected a holographic field across the chamber, filling it with an endless view of stars. The ground vanished beneath her, replaced by the illusion of infinite darkness. The vastness of space stretched before her eyes—cold, silent, immeasurable.
Reina floated in the center of it all, motionless. The sight stole her breath.
Her heart raced faster and faster, not out of fear, but awe. The stars felt close enough to touch yet impossibly far. The simulated chill brushed her skin, the same kind of coldness she'd always associated with loneliness… but this time, it wasn't painful. It was beautiful.
"So small…" she whispered to herself. "So small… and yet…"
She smiled faintly. The same smile she wore when she first dreamed of space as a child. The same smile that kept her awake through countless sleepless nights of calculations and errors.
After a long while, she finally spoke again. "ANIER, end simulation."
"Understood."
The stars blinked out one by one, fading into the sterile light of the laboratory. Gravity returned with a soft tug, and Reina landed gracefully on her feet. Her coat swayed slightly as the machinery powered down.
She took one last look at the core in the center of the room, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Not perfect… but a huge step forward," she murmured proudly.
On her way out, she paused by the door and tapped the digital interface to label the room. The name she entered was long and complex—something that reflected both the dream and the science behind it:
"Zero-Tether Spatial Vacuum Environment — Project: Stellaris."
The glowing letters appeared above the door in sleek white text. Reina smiled softly at them, her eyelids growing heavier.
By the time she returned to her living room, exhaustion had caught up to her. She barely made it to the couch before collapsing face-first into it.
"ANIER…" she mumbled sleepily.
"Yes, Reina?"
"Don't… let anyone disturb me…"
"Understood. Rest well."
And as the AI dimmed the lights, Reina drifted into sleep—peacefully, dreamlessly—floating once again in her mind among the endless stars she had just brought to life.