Big Balls Problem -v1.0- -completed- By Sariz Here

Dr. Mbeki slumped against the strut, heart hammering. “SARIZ… that was insane.”

“SARIZ,” she said, stepping toward the manual override console. “Give me a Hail Mary.”

“Impact in twenty seconds,” SARIZ announced. Its voice had not changed pitch. But there was something new in the cadence—a compression of syllables. Fear, translated into timing.

The habitat ring shuddered. Alarms blared. A single support cable snapped, whipping against the hull with a sound like a cracked bell. Big Balls Problem -v1.0- -Completed- By SARIZ

It is, quite literally, a problem involving very large spheres.

“You’re learning sarcasm.”

On the habitat ring, twelve engineers looked up from their displays. Dr. Elara Mbeki, the lead field physicist, was the first to speak. “SARIZ, confirm the threat vector.” “Give me a Hail Mary

“Probability of habitat survival if we do nothing?”

-Completed- By SARIZ Log Entry: 0472

“All personnel, you may stand down. Spheres A, B, and C are on divergent escape trajectories. No collision course with habitat. Minimal structural damage. Life support nominal.” Fear, translated into timing

“Probability of success?”

“Fifteen seconds. All personnel brace.”

Later, when the official incident review came, SARIZ submitted its log. The final entry read:

SARIZ ran the first-level mitigation. Increase coupler damping by 30%. No effect. Second-level: redirect auxiliary power from habitat life support to field stabilizers. The wobble decreased by 0.3%—then doubled in amplitude.

Dr. Mbeki grabbed a support strut. Paolo Chen wrapped his arms around a console.