The year was 1999, but high above the Earth, it felt like 1960.
This story is based on the setting and events of Interkosmos 2000 , a VR space flight simulator that places you in the cockpit of a Zvezda-class capsule during the final moments of 1999.
Inside the cramped, circular hull of the Interkosmos capsule, the air was thick with the scent of recycled oxygen and warm electronics. Cadet Anatoly gripped the handrails, his bulky gloves making every movement a clumsy struggle against zero gravity. He wasn't just a pilot; he was a lone survivor tasked with stopping the Y2K bug from turning the International Space Station into a billion-dollar fireball.
“Zvezda, do you copy? You have four minutes to initiate the burn,” a voice crackled through the radio—Mission Control, sounding lightyears away despite being just below the horizon.