One astronaut. One dying satellite. One last chance to save the world.

Jeremy Lock is a man who has spent his life chasing the stars—only to find himself stranded among them. When a classified U.S. defense satellite is crippled by a mysterious attack, Lock is sent on a desperate mission to repair it before global tensions boil over into nuclear war. But as he drifts through the void, his worst fears are confirmed: the war has already begun.

Cut off from his crew. Nowhere to run. Now, as missiles ignite the skies over Earth, Lock must fight against time, failing oxygen, and the merciless silence of space to bring the satellite back online before humanity wipes itself out for good.

Alone in the darkness, with only the distant voice of Mission Control to guide him, Lock faces an impossible question: if this is the end, will he be remembered as the man who saved the world, or just another forgotten piece of debris?

For fans of Andy Weir, Cixin Liu, and Alastair Reynolds, On the Fringes is a scientifically grounded short story that explores the thin line between survival and sacrifice.