Stardust (nebula) 256x -

She fired. The harpoon pierced the cloud, but the moment it touched the grain, the entire nebula went silent. The swirling colors froze. Then, the 256x compression began to unwind. The dust expanded with the force of a supernova, pushing the Mote backward at impossible speeds.

She gripped the controls, the world turning into a blur of prismatic light. As she breached the edge of the nebula, the indigo clouds collapsed behind her into a single, silent point of light. In her cargo bay sat a vial of dust that felt warm to the touch. She hadn't just found data. She had salvaged a soul. ⚡ stardust (nebula) 256x

Data is physically manifest as heavy, shimmering dust. She fired

The 256x wasn’t a distance; it was the compression ratio. Everything inside was packed so tight that the light itself felt heavy. Then, the 256x compression began to unwind