Redshirts

Ensign Andrew Dahl arrives aboard the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, a prestigious posting that quickly turns sinister. He and his fellow junior crew members soon observe a disturbing pattern: every 'Away Mission' inevitably leads to a deadly confrontation with alien forces, where senior officers miraculously survive, but at least one low-ranking crew member invariably perishes. This grim reality earns them the moniker 'redshirts' and instills a pervasive sense of dread among the lower decks. As Andrew and his colleagues delve deeper, they uncover a terrifying, meta-fictional truth about their existence and the nature of the Intrepid itself. This revelation transforms their understanding of their expendable roles and spurs them to devise a desperate, high-stakes plan to alter their fate and prevent their seemingly pre-ordained demises, challenging the very fabric of their reality.