Visibility's dropping

The *Gallivant* thrummed through the void, its engines humming a steady, reassuring tune that spoke of untold miles traversed and many more to go. The latest coordinates had led them near the fringes of the Vortex Nebula, a place where light bent around itself and stars danced in dizzying spirals.

"Ever think we're just cosmic dust swirling around a giant galactic drain?" Loxley mused aloud, his gaze fixed on the mesmerizing patterns of the nebula displayed on the main screen.

Captain Vela shot him a look that was half-amused, half-exasperated. "I prefer to think of us as interstellar adventurers on an epic quest, not dust waiting to be swept up, thank you very much."

Mara chuckled from her station, where she meticulously adjusted their shields. "Either way, we're spinning. Just hopefully not out of control."