The creature had retreated to the exact center of the containment fields and was now watching them, its unblinking eyes following their every move. Something about its gaze made her skin crawl.
“It’s studying us,” she whispered
“All the more reason to be cautious.”
She approached the edge of the field, ignoring his muttered protest, and the creature tracked her movement, its head tilting slightly.
“I need to take readings,” she said, pulling out her scanner. “If we can understand its biology, maybe we can figure out a more permanent way to neutralize it without having to kill it.”
The scanner’s display filled with data as she pointed it at the creature, and her eyes widened.
“Its cellular structure is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s carbon-based, but the molecular arrangement is completely foreign.”
The creature suddenly reared back and slammed its full body weight against the containment field. The energy barrier flickered but held.
“I don’t think it likes being analyzed,” he said, pulling her back a step.
The creature attacked the field again, this time with even greater force. The generators whined in protest, their power indicators fluctuating.
“That shouldn’t be possible,” she muttered, checking the readings. “The field can withstand far more pressure than it could possibly exert.”
The creature drew back again, but instead of charging, it went completely still, then started emitting a low, vibrating hum that filled the air and raised the hair on her arms.
“What’s it doing?” he asked urgently.
Before she could answer, her scanner began to emit warning beeps. The energy readings from the creature were spiking dramatically.
“It’s—it’s generating some kind of energy field of its own,” she said, staring at the display in disbelief. “The molecular structure of its cells is changing, becoming more unstable.”
The humming grew louder, and the creature’s body began to glow with a faint, pulsing light. The containment field flickered more violently, the generators struggling to maintain integrity.
“Get back!” Zach grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the far wall.
The creature’s body was vibrating now, the glow intensifying. Her scanner blared a continuous warning, its display showing energy levels far beyond anything it was calibrated to measure.
“It’s going to?—”
A blinding flash cut off her words as the creature’s body seemed to implode, collapsing in on itself in a burst of energy that shattered the containment field. The force of the blast knocked them both off their feet, sending them sprawling across the hangar floor as all the power in the station died.
The lights flickered back on almost immediately, but for several seconds, she could only lie there, ears ringing, vision blurred. Zach recovered first, rolling to his feet and helping her up.
“Are you hurt?” he asked anxiously, checking her for injuries.
She shook her head, still dazed. “I’m okay. Roland and Phantom?”
“They’re fine. But the creature?—”
She followed his gaze to where the containment field had been. There was nothing there. No creature, no remains, not even scorch marks on the floor. The only evidence of what had happened was the three containment generators, now completely fried and smoking slightly.
“It’s gone,” she whispered, staring at the empty space. “Completely gone.”
He walked cautiously to the center of the triangle, his eyes silver as he surveyed the area. “No trace. No residue. Nothing.”
She followed with her scanner, but the device showed no unusual readings now, just the normal background radiation of the station.
“It’s like it never existed,” she said, her voice hollow with disbelief. “But that’s impossible. Matter can’t just disappear. It has to go somewhere.”
She knelt to examine the floor where the creature had been, running her fingers over the hard-packed dirt. Nothing. Not even dust.
