Maven Cheung
“I’m going home. I’ve always been going home. I just didn’t remember where home was.” — Final log entry
| Full Name | Maven Cheung |
| Occupation | Independent Substrate Miner |
| Permit ID | MC-4477 |
| Experience | 6 years |
| Age at Disappearance | 34 |
| Status | Missing, presumed deceased |
| Last Known Location | Sector 19-Kappa, Asteroid Cluster 47B |
| Vessel | [[claim-jumper|Claim Jumper]] (CJ-7749) |
Overview
Maven Cheung was an independent substrate miner operating under United Mining Guild permit MC-4477. On 2406.08.14, she began what should have been a routine extraction operation on Asteroid 47B in Sector 19-Kappa.
She never returned.
Her vessel, the Claim Jumper, was recovered 31 days later by salvage team Delta-7. The ship was intact, all systems operational—but Maven was gone. Her cargo hold, which her logs indicated contained 74kg of substrate, was empty.
The Extraction
Maven’s initial scans indicated a substrate seam of approximately 47kg—a significant find worth eight months of living expenses. What she discovered was far more:
- Day 1: 47kg estimated
- Day 8: 41kg extracted (operation could have ended here)
- Day 13: 58kg extracted
- Day 17: 67kg extracted
- Day 19: 74kg extracted (157% of initial estimate)
The seam kept going. The asteroid seemed to contain more substrate than should have been physically possible.
Psychological Deterioration
Maven’s recovered logs document a textbook case of what the Guild calls Deep Space Isolation Syndrome—though the circumstances suggest something far stranger:
Early Signs (Days 1-5)
- Sensor glitches (duplicate ship icon)
- Persistent humming sound with no identifiable source
- Peripheral movement in empty space
- Geometric dreams
Escalation (Days 8-17)
- Time perception anomalies (clock frozen at 03:47)
- Reflection moving independently
- Substrate seam defying physical limits
- Hum evolving into rhythmic “breathing”
Terminal Phase (Days 19-31)
- Substrate observed “breathing” in cargo hold
- Ship unable to leave asteroid’s vicinity
- Footsteps in empty corridors
- Multiple simultaneous self-observations
- Time flowing in different directions
The 03:47 Phenomenon
Maven’s logs contain multiple references to the time 03:47—a timestamp that appears frozen, repeated, impossible. When her ship was recovered:
“Ship’s clock: Still running. Still set to 03:47.”
This timestamp appears in other incident documentation, suggesting a pattern the Guild has not publicly acknowledged.
Official vs. Unofficial Narrative
Guild Position
[[incident-report-7743|Incident Report #7743]] classifies Maven’s disappearance as a Class-C Occupational Loss attributed to:
- Deep Space Isolation Syndrome
- Extended solo operation beyond recommended guidelines
- Psychological breakdown
What the Guild Knows
According to leaked communications, Maven’s case is one of 19 nearly identical incidents in 18 months. The Guild’s executive board voted 5-0 to deny investigation, citing “acceptable loss ratios.”
Legacy
Maven Cheung has become a symbol in the growing movement questioning Guild safety protocols. The anonymous whistleblower who leaked the board meeting minutes specifically cited her case:
“I read Maven Cheung’s logs. I read the part where he realizes the ship won’t leave. Where he hears footsteps in an empty corridor. Where he sees himself standing outside the viewport.”
“And I read the board meeting minutes where Marcus Veld called that an ‘acceptable loss ratio.‘”
Related Documents
- Personal Log: Maven Cheung — Her recovered logs
- [[incident-report-7743|Incident Report #7743]] — Official Guild report
- Board Meeting Minutes — Where her death was deemed “acceptable”
- The Leak — Whistleblower citing her case
See Also
- Substrate
- Sector 19-Kappa
- Deep Space Isolation Syndrome
- Dr. Helena Sarr — Who fought for miners like Maven