The Room of Lost Souls — Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Boss remembers the Room. It haunts her. Her mother died there. Now, a client wants her to go back. She wants Boss to help her uncover the Room's mysteries. But the truths she discovers might destroy everything Boss holds sacred. The Room of Lost Souls novella also appears in a slightly different form in the novel Diving into the Wreck. “The Room of Lost Souls,” Special Mention, UPC Award, 2007. Winner, Asimov's Readers Choice Award for Best Novella, 2008. The room of the title lurks at the heart of a mysterious space station built by an unknown intelligence; those unfortunate enough to venture into it disappear, die, or both. The station and the Room become an object of obsession and an almost religious devotion for those who search for the key to its mysteries. The characters in the story describe their quest as a pilgrimage: "something religious." It's got a fascinating air of menace… -- SF Gospel