Man overboard is a nightmare scenario for any sailor, but Lieutenant Susan Guidry is also running out of air—and the nearest help is light years away.

—“Nonzero” by Tom Vandermolen

“Nonzero” was inspired in part by the author’s experiences working the night shift on an aircraft carrier—specifically times spent standing at the stern of the blacked-out ship, staring out into the apparently endless darkness of a moonless, cloudy night in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.