The life watch

A scientist named Norden struggles with intrusive, terrifying thoughts after surviving an alien attack and a desperate confinement in a wrecked, airless dome. Rescue arrives in the form of a military crew that evacuates him under extreme acceleration while he copes with guilt over a colleague's death and the lingering fear that the alien threat can still detect them. The narrative alternates between urgent, procedural action—decontamination, medical and psychiatric assessment, and a high-speed escape—and introspective moments that examine trauma, human endurance under stress, and the tension between scientific inquiry and military exigency.