The alien entity rested against the corridor wall, its head hanging limply from its neck. A helmet obscured the face from view, but the uniform adorning the rest of its body provided a general sense of its profile.

A team member remarked on its substantial size.

“Colossal.”

“True,” echoed another.

Without seeing it outside of its suit, they could only guess its true appearance, but even a quick look showed it was bigger than the Mevik by quite a bit.

They grasped it by the forearms and pulled it away from the wall.

The body now lay in a T-shaped position in the middle of the corridor.

After laying the body flat, they began commenting on its size again.

“Large.”

“Suit an exoskeleton, perhaps?”

The chatter went on until Okens redirected everyone back to their task. “Enough.” He knelt next to the body and set about removing the helmet.

It was evident from the state of the skeleton inside that the ship had met its end some time ago.

After a cursory glance at the frail skull, he carefully returned the helmet. “Safe to conclude survivors unlikely.”

*****

Those tuned into the live-stream on Minboa's bridge showed their feelings in subtle ways. A lot of the Mevik watching shifted just so slightly, their postures giving away their emotions.

Agozi wasn't immune to the feels, but she always thought of herself as being a bit more rugged.

But this?

This was a lot to take in. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, whiskers and fingers alike betraying her unease with tiny, nervous movements.

*****

The team eventually found itself inside a large mess hall.

The area exhibited significant damage with entire sections of the hull missing, exposing the interior to the cold vacuum of space. The artificial gravity had ceased to function with dozens of mutilated alien bodies and severed limbs floating throughout the hall. Splattered and frozen red blood coated the remnants of the area, creating a nightmarish scene.

Even with the team's comprehensive psychological coaching, the stark circumstances were beginning to affect the mental resilience of some team members.

“By the heavens!” exclaimed one of them.

*****

The bridge went from quiet observation to audible shock. A few even looked like they might lose their lunch, with several turning their heads.

Agozi kept her focus albeit slightly wide-eyed, but the nasty feeling in her gut told her she wasn't unaffected.

“What do you think may have caused this?” Kaz asked Kesto through his communicator.

“Many possible causes,” Kesto replied. “Reactor failure, possibly. Or a miner this is and charges went off by accident did.”

“So many deaths!” exclaimed one of the Mevik security guards present, causing Agozi and some others to give him a quick look.

“Let's not focus on that,” Kaz said sternly after seeing everyone's upset faces. His attention returned to the live-stream. “Proceed further.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

*****

Eventually, they stumbled upon the bridge entrance, but it remained securely shut behind a massive blast door.

“Locked shut,” Kesto said. “We’ll have to wield it open.”

“Strange they’d opt to install a blast door here,” one of the engineers on the team remarked.

“Protect against fire or radiation, perhaps?” suggested another.

“Waste time speculating shouldn't,” Kesto said.

The engineers lit their torches and began cutting the door open.

As they were cutting, a loud alarm went off and red lights began flashing everywhere, surprising the team.

The engineers stumbled away from the door in a state of panic with their torches still ignited, just narrowly avoiding injury to themselves in the process.

The alarm deactivated shortly thereafter, and the lighting normalized.

“What just happened?!” one of the startled engineers asked.

“Do not know,” Kesto replied. “But no longer active.”

“System functionality surprisingly sturdy despite damage,” the other engineer commented. “Clever design.”

The engineers resumed their task with renewed determination.

Finally, the blast door opened, unveiling the interior.

On reaching the bridge, the team scoured the area for anything of interest.

They observed that the navigational controls bore a striking resemblance to those aboard the Minboa—a predictable similarity, considering the universality of slipspace travel principles. However, some unfamiliar equipment eluded their understanding.

Their ultimate goal was to access the mainframe, confident that it held the key to unraveling the enigma of the ship's tragic end.

“Here!” Kesto announced to the others, pointing to the mainframe computer that he'd located with relatively minimal effort. He reached into his tool belt and pulled out a data modulator.

These devices could hack into most computer systems, even those of unfamiliar races. Understandably, the technology remained tightly regulated by Union authorities.

He proceeded to insert the device. “Linkup established, transferring data.”

As the transfer neared competition, a violent tremor rocked the ship. It lasted only briefly, and the tremors soon faded.

*****

“Is everyone alright?!” Kaz asked via his communicator, alarmed by the unexpected tremor. “What just happened?”

“Safe we are,” Kesto replied. “Structural integrity weaker than assumed. Leave we should.”

“Have you finished transferring the data from the ship’s mainframe?”

“True.”

“Your request is granted,” Kaz said. “Return to the Minboa immediately. A more detailed assessment of the wreckage can be undertaken at an appropriate subsequent occasion.”

Honorary-Lieutenant Snikers appeared discontent with the decision.

“I trust you'll pardon the intrusion, Captain, but...” he said whilst taking several steps towards Kaz. “But considering the magnitude of this discovery, it seems inappropriate to end the mission so prematurely. Think about all the lost opportunities for—”

Snikers flinched when Kaz gave him a swift, pointed look.

“Should the wreckage collapse on top of them due to your override of an evacuation directive, to whom do you anticipate the Council will assign culpability?”

Snikers said nothing.

“Such was my assumption,” Kaz then said.

*****

Kesto disengaged the modulator and returned it to his tool belt.

The team began retracing their steps.

The tremors intensified as they neared the airlock.

Okens narrowly avoided being hit as the ceiling began to crumble.

“It’s imploding!” he shouted. “Leave immediately!”

The team hurried to the airlock, trying to stay upright as tremors shook the floor.

Okens halted upon noticing the alien body from before.

The others raced past him.

Realizing Okens had stopped, Kesto halted as well before turning back.

Okens remained seemingly transfixed by the alien body.

“The wreckage imploding is!” Kesto shouted at him. “Must leave!”

“Help me with the body!” Okens shouted back.

“Gone mad?” Kesto barked back at him.

Okens refused to back down.

“Help me so leave sooner we may!”

Each moment wasted arguing lowered their survival expectancy. Kesto cursed him in his mind but ultimately did as Okens requested. They grabbed the body by the forearms and dragged it towards the airlock.

The others had already made it out and were anxiously waiting for them.

“Where are they?” an anxious party member asked. “Stay we cannot!”

Kesto and Okens stumbled haphazardly out of the airlock just moments later whilst carrying the alien body.

“Leave!” Kesto barked.

They activated their propulsion systems and made haste towards the Minboa. Kesto and Okens used a chain taken from the former's tool belt to secure the body to themselves, making sure they wouldn't lose it.

The wreckage imploded mere moments later.

*****

“Get the medics to the airlock!” Agozi barked frantically as she raced towards the airlock along with Kaz.

The airlock emitted a hissing sound as it opened.

Exhausted both physically and mentally, the expedition party crawled painstakingly out of it.

Kaz and Agozi were already there along with a medical team.

“Hey, you all doing okay?” Agozi hurried to ask the exhausted Master-Engineer Kesto as the latter crawled out of the airlock.

“Safe,” he replied. “Thanks.”

“Were you successful in recovering anything of interest besides that salvaged from the mainframe?” Kaz asked.

“Why not ask Xeno-Biologist Okens...” Kesto replied breathlessly. There had been a hint of mockery in his voice, which wasn't common for a Prol.

Everyone looked at Okens.

He lay on his back inside the airlock and panted heavily.

“I don’t recognize that crew member,” Kaz said in regards to the unidentified party, who lay flat inside the airlock.

Okens slowly lifted his head to meet Kaz's gaze.

“Not crew member.”