The moon's surface was silent, devoid of wind or life. Yet, within the unnatural stillness, the shadows moved with purpose.
The entity closest to the base lingered just outside the airlock, its form shifting and rippling as if testing its boundaries. It pressed a limb—long and tendril-like—against the metallic surface of the airlock. The material groaned faintly, the sound resonating in the quiet vacuum of space.
The shadows did not communicate as humans did. Their thoughts were a network of fragmented impulses, shared among them in bursts of raw sensation. They did not speak, but they understood. They observed, analyzed, and adapted.
This base was an anomaly. The creatures had seen the light before—humans building, moving, destroying—but this intrusion was different. These humans were closer, more daring. The shadows had learned from past encounters, had evolved to counter light and sound, and now, they would test the strength of these new invaders.
The entity at the airlock paused, sensing something from within. Fear. It was palpable, an electric charge that coursed through the structure. It tilted its head, mimicking the gesture it had seen the human perform earlier. Its form shimmered as it replayed the sounds it had intercepted:
"You should not have come."
The words were meaningless to the shadows, but the reactions they elicited fascinated them. The humans feared the unknown, and the shadows were nothing if not unknowable.
Another shadow joined the first, its form more fluid, less defined. Together, they extended tendrils along the edges of the airlock, probing for weaknesses. Their goal was not to destroy but to enter, to understand.
---
Scene Transition: The Breach
Inside the base, the crew stood frozen in the control room, their makeshift weapons clutched tightly. The sound of the airlock groaning under pressure sent chills through them.
"They're… testing it," Eli said, his voice hushed.
"Testing what?" Rae asked, gripping the plasma cutter in her hands.
"The airlock. They're looking for a way in."
"Then we're already out of time," Alvarez said, his jaw tight. He moved to the console, trying to activate the lockdown protocol. The screen flickered, the system unresponsive. "Damn it, they've already compromised the power grid."
Another crash echoed through the base, this one louder, closer. The control room lights dimmed further, casting long shadows across the walls.
Rae glanced nervously at the observation window. "What do we do if they get in?"
"We don't let them take us," Alvarez said grimly.
Eli's eyes darted to the emergency storage locker in the corner of the room. "There's an auxiliary power source in there. If we can get it running, we might be able to override the lockdown and seal off the airlock."
"And if we can't?" Rae asked.
Eli didn't answer.
The base shuddered again. This time, the sound of metal twisting and groaning filled the air. The shadows had found their way in.