[ WP ] It has been 789,000 days since the last workplace accident .

*Clunk* 
 
 When Sabir opened his eyes, there was only blackness. Deep, impenetrable blackness, as cloying as a heavy blanket pressed over his face. For a moment, he felt unable to breath, as if he had somehow awoken to find himself hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface. Then, with an incandescent brilliance, the fluorescent lights over his bed flickered to life and brought him fully into the world of the waking. 
 
 Good morning, Sabir. You are certainly up early today. 
 Will you be initiating an extra sleep cycle, or shall I prepare you a meal? 
 
 `` Mornin' Computer. Nah, that's fine, go ahead and make breakfast.'' 
 
 
 Sabir rolled onto his side, eyes still blurry from sleep. His little cabin was a brilliant white, from his sheets to the walls to the floor. It would have been dazzling, if it were not for the layers and layers of fading posters, pictures, and other curio that coated the wall behind his bed like wallpaper. It was the only place on the entire ship that he had been authorized to make his own, and he had filled it with every scrap of his life that he could possibly make fit. It was n't as if there was someone else on board who could enforce the rule, but Sabir had always followed protocol to the letter. 
 
 It was his adherence to the rules that had first made Sabir stand out as a candidate for his current mission. He was n't sure what it was that the cargo ship was carrying, but whatever it was they were taking no chances with it's disposal. He had strict instructions not to tamper with, interact with, or even LOOK at the thick steel boxes kept in the deep cryostasis compartments at the back of the ship's hold. He was to simply fly into the black hole's gravity well, jettison the entire rear of the ship, and make his way home again. It was a simple task that would allow him to live a life of luxury for the rest of his days, which was all the more impressive considering that it accounted for the medical immortality that had also been part of the deal. 
 
 
 It was unusual, but Sabir was used to taking unusual orders from the higher ups. The hard part of the task came from one of the other conditions he had been made to agree to: He was absolutely, under no circumstances, allowed to activate the onboard FTL drive until his cargo had been delivered. What was more, he was only permitted to go into cryosleep for one week at a time, making his journey almost unbearably tedious. 
 
 As Sabir rolled out of bed, panels on one of the walls began to recede, revealing a mirror, sink, and compact shower. At the top right of the mirror, a glowing blue display read: 
 
 `` 5:45 am, August 19, 8299. It has been 789,000 days since the last workplace accident.'' 
 
 He shook his head at the time, wondering why he was so wide awake. With a start, he remembered the noise that had roused him, cursing his sleep-addled brain for not remembering sooner. 
 
 `` Computer! Run a full diagnostic on all ship systems. I think I heard something strange, possibly from the engines.'' 
 
 Yes, Sabir. Diagnostic underway. 
 
 Sabir dressed quickly, wanting to patrol the the ship's habitable zones manually. It was n't that he did n't trust the ship's computer - it practically ran the ship all by itself - but even a small anomaly like the noise could be fatal this far from home. Just as he was pulling on his shirt, he heard it again - this time much closer. 
 
 *Clunk. * 
 
 
 `` Computer! Did you get a read on that?'' 
 
 
 Confirmed. Noise originated from quadrant V, right above the mess hall. 
 Sending scout drones to investigate 
 
 
 *Clunk* 
 
 
 With a curse, Sabir stood, staring at his doorway. The noise had originated just outside. 
 
 
 Black tendrils, like corporeal shadows, slid through the gaps around the door. Sabir stared, rooted to the spot, as they poured into his tiny room until it seemed as if it would burst. Then, all at once, they stopped. For a moment, it seemed as if the mass was staring at him, and then it suddenly contracted. Tendrils twisted around tendrils, tightening, shifting in color, until a woman stood in front of him. She was completely nude, with long red hair and pale skin that was nearly as white as the walls of his room. After a moment of realization, Sabir recognized her as belonging in one of his posters, the one beside his head. She was an exact copy, human in every way except for her eyes, which shone coal-black. 
 
 *'' Greetings, Sabir. `` * The woman spoke, her voice echoing in Sabir's head in a way that made his blood feel like ice. *We have been watching you for quite some time. If you do n't mind, we have a few requests we would like to ask of you. * 
 
 As Sabir watched, the counter on his mirror started to decrease rapidly. 
 
 `` 6:04 am, August 19, 8299. It has been 0 days since the last workplace accident.'' 
 
 Sabir gulped. 
 
 *** 
 
 *CC appreciated, if you enjoyed you can find more of my work over at /r/TimeSyncs! *
