The gray, desolate surface of the moon stretched endlessly beneath the stark blackness of space. The Apollo-27 Lunar Base hummed softly, its white domes reflecting the dim sunlight that never wavered here. Inside, Dr. Eli Grant adjusted the visor of his helmet, his fingers trembling slightly, though he'd never admit it.
The routine inspection was anything but routine today.
"We've got movement outside," the comms crackled. It was Rae, the base's rookie technician. "Quadrant 3, just beyond the sensor grid."
"Movement?" Eli frowned. "Could be a false signal. Or maybe debris from that recent meteor shower."
"Negative. It's… deliberate," Rae replied, her voice tight.
Curiosity piqued, Eli exchanged a glance with Commander Alvarez, who stood by the airlock. The older man's brow furrowed. "Grant, take a rover out there. Rae, stay on the cameras. If it's debris, it's nothing to worry about. But if it's something else—"
"I'll confirm," Eli interrupted, his skeptical mind already racing. Debris didn't move deliberately.
The airlock hissed open, and Eli stepped onto the surface, the lunar dust crunching faintly under his boots. His rover was parked just beyond the base. As he drove toward Quadrant 3, the landscape seemed oddly still.
And then he saw it.
A figure stood on the horizon. Humanoid but unnervingly still, its outline blurred as if distorted by heatwaves.
"Base, I've got eyes on the figure," Eli said. His voice cracked, betraying his nerves.
"Approach with caution," Alvarez ordered.
Eli parked the rover and climbed down, his boots sinking slightly into the dust. As he took a step closer, the figure tilted its head, mimicking his movement. A chill ran down his spine.
"Grant, report!" Alvarez demanded.
Before Eli could answer, the figure's shape shifted. It stretched unnaturally, limbs elongating, torso warping, until it no longer resembled anything human.
"Pull back!" Alvarez shouted, but Eli was frozen in place. The thing moved toward him, its silhouette shimmering like liquid shadow.
"Eli, get out of there!" Rae screamed over the comms.
Eli turned and ran, the creature's unnatural form gliding silently after him.