The Interstellar Operator

What's it like to take over a decommissioned starship?

It's a lot harder than the job posting makes it sound.

"Unclaimed star system" means no one's coming to save you.

"Abandoned spaceship" means the previous owner died before finishing the repairs.

"Life support system needs repair" means you'd better learn how to make oxygen before you run out.

So I gave up on repairs and made a run for it!

The good news: the ship is carrying a whole district's worth of cryopreserved ovum-bearing people. The bad news: I'm the only living person awake, and before the first batch of eggs hatches, I have to prepare a world where thousands of new lives can survive.

That's what pioneering is like: you think you're conquering the wilderness, but the wilderness is just waiting for you to walk in.