Spacecraft Docking Bay

The docking bay is a cavernous metal chamber where the spacecraft’s broad entry ramp meets the exterior. Fluorescent strips hum overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow over the angular deck plating. The air carries the sharp tang of ozone and the metallic scent of recent plasma burns from the Doctor’s prepared explosive trap. Two narrow corridors branch from this central space—the main corridor leads to the ship’s bridge and living quarters, while a secondary passage exits to the exterior landing zone, now littered with smoldering debris from the trap. Wires and loose equipment clutter the corners where Ace has staged her final preparations, including the secure storage of the rucksack. The space reverberates with the distant whine of the ship’s engines cycling up, urgency pressing against every metallic surface.