The Family Plan 123 (TRUSTED)

Mira’s hands shook. She was fifteen. Leo was seventeen. Their mother was frozen in a tube, dreaming of nothing.

She pulled up the override codex—her mother’s old bio-ethics files. There, buried in a footnote of a footnote, was a clause: “Family Plan 123 may be substituted by an alternative genetic sustainability strategy if proposed by three living family members and approved by a 2/3 crew vote.”

A second red dot appeared. Then a third.

“We can’t do this.”

The red light on turned yellow—pending review. Then blue—crew vote initiated. Then, after three agonizing heartbeats, green.

She opened the inter-ship channel. “Leo?”

Proposal accepted. Original plan suspended indefinitely.

Three family members.