Earth transit

A small spaceship crew confronts a sudden death in the control room when the astrogator discovers the captain shot and wearing gloves, initiating a tight forensic and procedural inquiry. With only three crew members aboard, suspicion falls on each as they secure the corpse, review logs, and contact mission control for orders. Incoming instructions require preservation of the body, booking of all personnel on arrival, and separate transmitted statements, intensifying mistrust while technical details—missing fingerprints, a heat-beam wound, and a puzzling chronometer discrepancy—drive the investigation. The story focuses on isolation, chain-of-command constraints, and the methods of solving a confined-space mystery.