Commander Alex Martinez drifted silently through the cold corridors of the abandoned space station, each breath echoing loudly in his helmet.
He and his team had been sent to investigate the station after all communication ceased abruptly a month ago. There had been no distress signals, no signs of a struggle. It was as if the entire crew had simply vanished.
As Alex floated through the main lab, he felt a subtle tug, an odd fluctuation in the station’s artificial gravity. He activated his boots, magnetizing them to the floor to stabilize himself.
The gravity system was malfunctioning, and he knew he had to be cautious. The dim emergency lights flickered, casting long shadows that seemed to move on their own.
“Control, this is Commander Martinez. I’ve reached the main lab. No signs of the crew yet. Gravity anomalies detected,” he reported, his voice steady despite the growing sense of unease.
Static hissed in his earpiece. “Copy that, Commander. Proceed with caution.”
Alex moved deeper into the lab, where the shadows grew thicker. He glanced at the gravity control panel and saw it was fluctuating wildly, the readings far beyond normal parameters.
Suddenly, a heavy pressure settled over him, pulling him to the floor. He struggled to breathe, the weight pressing down on his chest.
“Control, the gravity is increasing! I need immediate assistance!” he gasped, but only static answered.
As the pressure intensified, he saw a figure emerging from the darkness. It was a crew member, or at least, it had been. Its eyes were hollow, its face twisted in silent agony.
The figure floated towards him, unaffected by the crushing gravity. More figures appeared, all with the same vacant eyes and tortured expressions.
Alex realized with a cold dread that these were the missing crew members. Something had taken them, twisted them, and now it was coming for him.
The gravity continued to increase, dragging him to the floor, pinning him in place. The figures surrounded him, their hollow eyes boring into his soul.
Just as he felt he would be crushed under the weight, the gravity abruptly ceased. He floated upwards, gasping for breath, but the figures remained, closing in on him. Alex’s vision blurred as he fumbled for his communicator.
“Control… it’s not the gravity… it’s something else… something inside the station…”
His voice faded into the static as the darkness swallowed him whole, the haunted faces of the crew his last sight. The space station drifted silently through the void, its secret hidden among the stars.
Gareth Ellis - Author 