The titanium bulkhead shudders under ten‑thousand‑atmospheres as you push past the crystalline‑black‑frost, the red emergency strobes painting the icy walls with a blood‑red glow while your helmet fogs with each breath. A low, metallic groan from the containment‑reactor reverberates through the vent, and a faint, rhythmic wet slithering echoes from the unseen depths beyond the lab door.