THE VOID BELOW

But the void is no longer empty.

Something stirs in the cold, a presence older than the stars, perhaps even older than the universe itself. An intelligence—immeasurable and implacable—moves through the darkness, unseen and silent. It has waited aeons for this moment, biding its time in the depths between worlds, its main eyes now opening, focusing, unblinking. They fix upon the distant glittering lights of our galaxy, the fragile beacon of human existence.
The great devourer awakens, and it is hungry.

It glides through the void with a deliberate, predatory grace, a shadow among shadows. Stars blink out in its wake, their light swallowed whole by its presence. It knows no mercy, no compassion, only an endless, insatiable hunger. A hunger for the flesh of all who lie before it. And as it draws nearer, it brings with it the promise of extinction, a dark tide which will sweep across the stars and drown all in its path.
 
 
 
Chapter One: Breach
 
Private Ramirez barely had time to register the snapping of bones before the dark tendrils ripped him into the air, his spine snapping in a sickening crack that echoed through the cramped corridors. Blood sprayed across the metal walls, a fresh coat of crimson on the already rusted steel.

‘Get the fuck back!’ Sergeant Vega bellowed, her voice barely cutting through the cacophony of gunfire, shrieks, and monstrous howls. The corridor was too narrow and too dark. Flashes of muzzle fire illuminated glimpses of the writhing, shifting shapes closing in on them. ‘Calhoun! Cover left flank!’

Corporal Calhoun swung his rifle around, unloading a full burst into the mass of limbs and writhing mouths, emerging from the left. The rifle’s kinetic rounds tore into the thing, but it only seemed to enrage it further. The creature reared back, its dozens of yellow eyes flickering with malignant intent. A mass of tendrils lashed out, forcing Calhoun to stumble back, barely keeping his footing on the slick, blood-smeared floor.

‘Keep moving!’ Vega ordered, gripping her only rifle tighter. ‘Watch for the damn vents! They’re coming from the—’

A vent above exploded outward, sending a twisted nightmare of flesh and teeth cascading onto Private Chen. She screamed as the thing’s jaws clamped around her helmet, crushing it like a tin can, blood seeping through the visor.

‘Shit, shit, shit!’ Calhoun swung his rifle upward. The pulsing blue rounds punched into the beast, sending it twitching and convulsing backwards. It dropped Chen’s lifeless body, and Calhoun finished it with a point-blank shot that splattered its head against the wall. The body convulsed, the tentacles still writhing even in death.

‘Clear a path to the airlock!’ Vega shouted; her voice was hoarse from exertion. ‘We need to—’

The wall to their right bulged outward. A low, guttural moan reverberated through the metal. The marines paused, exchanging looks of raw panic. The bulge split open, revealing an obscene, dripping maw. It was like a wound in the fabric of reality itself, as if something from beyond had punched its way into their world.

‘We can’t stay here, Sarge!’ Calhoun yelled.

‘Shut up and move!’ Vega roared.
 
Chapter Two: Fear
 
They barrelled down the corridor, barely dodging the snapping jaws and thrashing limbs erupting from the walls. Vega’s heart pounded in her chest. Every instinct screamed to run, to find a way out. But they were in the belly of the beast now, trapped in the depths of Station L-47, an orbital research facility turned house of horrors.

A shadow moved in her periphery. Vega swung her rifle to face it, finger on the trigger, only to see nothing but darkness. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she could hear her men doing the same. The things in the shadows were taunting them, playing with them.

‘We’re close to the airlock!’ Vega yelled, trying to keep the panic from creeping into her voice. ‘We get there, we shut it and then we vent the entire goddamn deck!’

Calhoun’s breathing was rapid, frantic. ‘And then what? This fucking thing is still spreading! It’s all over the damn station, man!’

‘Then we call in orbital bombardment,’ Vega snapped. ‘Wipe it out, every last—’

A screech tore through the air as the ceiling above buckled. Vega’s words died in her throat as something huge, multi-limbed and eyeless crashed down between them. It had the vague shape of a man, but its skin was stretched thin, pulsating veins visible beneath. Rows of teeth lined its chest, gnashing in mindless hunger.

Calhoun opened fire, but the thing was fast. Too fast. It lurched forward, its bladed limbs slicing into his shoulder, carving through armour like it was paper. Calhoun screamed, dropping his rifle. Vega took aim and fired, but the creature seemed to absorb the bullets. This one was different from the rest. She kept firing, backing away, as the monstrosity pulled Calhoun closer.

‘Get off him!’ Vega yelled, firing into its head. The thing let out a shrill cry, more of an animalistic screech than a scream, and finally dropped Calhoun. His body fell limp to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.

‘Move!’ Vega screamed. ‘Get to the airlock, now!’

The soldiers sprinted, rounding the final corner, where the airlock loomed ahead. Vega’s heart hammered as she slammed her palm against the controls. The doors hissed open, and she practically threw herself inside, dragging Calhoun’s body with her. Corporal Hayes staggered in next, face pale beneath his visor, blood dripping from a wound on his arm.

‘Seal it!’ Hayes wheezed, his eyes wide and wild.

Vega hit the control, and the door shut with a resounding thud. She immediately set the emergency lockdown protocol, red warning lights flashing as the bulkheads locked down. The airlock chamber fell into an eerie silence, the muffled sounds of horrors beyond barely penetrating.

Hayes slid down the wall, gripping his wound. ‘What the hell are those things, Sarge? What did they do here?’

‘Station went dark two days ago,’ Vega said, her voice low and strained. ‘Blacksite research. They were messing with something, trying to work out a way to open a way into another dimension or some shit. Guess they succeeded.’
 
Chapter 3: Darkness
 
Calhoun coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked around, disoriented. ‘Sarge... I’m not... I’m not feeling so good.’

‘Stay with me, Cal,’ Vega urged, pressing a hand against his chest. His flesh felt wrong. Too soft. His veins were dark, almost black, and his skin was turning a sickly shade of grey.

‘They got inside me,’ Calhoun gasped. ‘I can feel them... crawling...’

‘Hayes, give me a medkit,’ Vega ordered, but even as she said it, she knew it was too late. The infection was spreading fast. Calhoun’s breathing grew shallow, his eyes wide with terror.

And then he convulsed.

‘No! No, stay with me, Cal!’ Vega shouted, but it was already too late. His body spasmed violently, bones cracking and rearranging beneath his skin. His mouth opened, but it wasn’t a scream that came out. It was a deep, guttural growl.

‘Get back!’ Hayes yelled, grabbing his rifle.

Calhoun’s body snapped upright, his spine twisting at an unnatural angle. His eyes were gone, replaced by two burning pits of darkness. He lunged forward, and Vega fired, the kinetic rounds tearing into his body, but it didn’t stop him. His mouth opened wide, a grotesque, elongated maw filled with teeth.

Hayes screamed as Calhoun’s transformed body slammed him against the wall, tearing into his throat with one swift bite. Blood sprayed in all directions, and Vega didn’t hesitate. She pulled her sidearm and fired, unloading every round into what had once been Calhoun’s head.

The creature staggered, then collapsed, twitching violently. Hayes fell to the floor, clutching his ruined neck, blood spurting between his fingers. Vega watched him die, eyes wide and full of fear.

She was alone.
 
Chapter 4: Courage
 
Vega’s hands trembled as she ejected the spent magazine from her rifle, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She had to think. Had to stay calm. The airlock was secure for now, but she knew the things out there were smart. They’d find a way in.

She reached for the comm unit on her wrist, flipping it on. ‘Command, this is Sergeant Vega of Recon Team Echo. Station L-47 is compromised. I repeat, it’s compromised. We need immediate orbital bombardment.’
Static answered her call. She tried again. And again. Each time, the same empty response.

‘Come on, damn it!’ she muttered.

A sound echoed from beyond the bulkhead—an eerie, unnatural wailing. It was like nothing she’d ever heard before. A chorus of voices twisted into one, crying out from the depths of the Void.

Vega’s mind raced. The creatures—no, the entities—weren’t just hunting them. They were calling to something. Something deeper. Something worse.

‘Fine,’ she muttered to herself, slamming a fresh magazine into her rifle. ‘I’m coming to you, then.’

She moved to the internal controls, overriding the lockdown. The airlock door slid open, and the darkness beyond seemed to reach out, inviting her in. She stepped forward, pulse hammering in her chest.
 
Chapter 5: The Abyss
 
The station’s core was a hellscape of twisted metal and organic growths. The walls pulsed with a sickly green light, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance and writhe on their own. Vega’s boots squelched on the fleshy, mucus-coated floor. She kept her rifle raised, her finger tight on the trigger.

Every corner, every shadow, every flicker of movement could mean death. Or worse. She pushed on, her eyes scanning for any sign of the source—the heart of this twisted infection. She knew she was getting closer. The air was thicker here, heavy with a fetid, metallic stench that clung to her lungs with every breath.

Suddenly, she heard it—a low, rhythmic pounding. A deep, bass thrum that resonated through the station, like the beating of a colossal heart. She followed the sound, her steps slow and deliberate, her senses straining to catch any hint of movement. She rounded a corner and saw it.

The core chamber.

The massive central hub of the station’s power supply was now a grotesque cathedral of flesh and bone. Organic tendrils pulsed along the walls, intertwining with the station’s metal framework. The air was filled with an unnatural mist that seemed to warp and twist the light, casting everything in a nightmarish haze.
And in the centre of it all, suspended by a web of pulsing veins and sinew, was a massive, throbbing mass—a pulsating, fleshy orb that oozed a dark, viscous fluid. It was like an egg, but far more sinister. Vega could feel it—an oppressive weight pressing down on her mind, whispering promises of madness and death.

Her instincts screamed at her to turn back, to flee. But she knew there was no escaping this place. Not anymore. She had one chance. One shot to end this nightmare.

‘Alright, you ugly motherfucker,’ she muttered, taking a step forward. ‘Let’s see how you like this.’

She pulled a thermite grenade from her belt, thumbed the pin, and hurled it straight at the grotesque mass. It landed with a wet thud, and a split second later, it ignited, spewing a jet of molten fire across the chamber. The fleshy orb shrieked—a high, piercing wail that drilled into Vega’s skull.

The chamber exploded with movement. Tendrils snapped and thrashed, convulsing violently as the flames spread. Vega opened fire, her pulse rounds tearing through the organic growths. A deep, rumbling roar filled the air, and the entire station seemed to shudder in response.

‘Come on! Burn, you son of a—’

A sudden impact threw Vega off her feet, slamming her into the metal grating. Her vision blurred, her ears ringing from the force of the blast. She tried to push herself up, but a crushing weight bore down on her. She looked up and saw it—a massive, multi-limbed monstrosity descending from the shadows above.

It was enormous, its form a grotesque fusion of human and inhuman elements—half-bone, half-metal, its skin stretched thin over a nightmarish array of organs and veins. It had no eyes, but its face was a twisted mockery of a human skull, its maw lined with rows of jagged teeth.

Vega’s hand scrambled for her rifle, but a massive limb slammed down, pinning her arm to the ground. She screamed, the pain shooting up her shoulder. The creature loomed over her, its breath hot and rancid against her face.

‘Go to hell,’ she spat, her free hand fumbling for her sidearm.

The creature opened its maw, revealing a gaping void within. A cold, sucking wind began to pull at her, threatening to drag her into that endless, empty darkness. Vega struggled, her fingers finally closing around her sidearm. She pulled it free and fired into the creature’s gaping mouth.

The shot echoed through the chamber, and the thing reared back, a low growl rumbling from deep within its chest. Vega took her chance. She rolled out from under it, ignoring the pain in her arm, and grabbed her rifle. She turned, firing point-blank into its torso, rounds ripping through flesh and bone.

The monstrosity howled, stumbling back, and Vega kept firing, driving it toward the flames. She could see the orb at the centre beginning to split, its surface cracking, black ooze spilling from the ruptures.

‘Come on, you piece of shit!’ she yelled, throwing everything she had into the thing. ‘You’re not getting out of here!’

The creature lunged at her, but she was ready. She ducked low, grabbing another grenade, this time a plasma one. She slammed it against the monstrosity's chest, the adhesive clinging to its flesh. She kicked off, rolling away as the grenade detonated.

A blinding flash filled the chamber, and the creature’s scream was cut short. When Vega looked up, she saw it was gone, vaporised in the explosion. But the orb—it was still there, still pulsating, though now a massive crack ran down its centre.

‘Good,’ she muttered, rising to her feet. ‘Let’s finish this.’
 
Chapter 6: Madness Incarnate
 
Vega advanced toward the orb; her weapon aimed squarely at the crack. She could see something moving inside, something writhing and shifting in the darkness. She was close now, close enough to smell the stench of decay and rot emanating from it.

And then it spoke.

Not in words, but in a voice—a deep, resonant voice that seemed to bypass her ears and speak directly into her mind. It was a thousand voices all at once, ancient and malevolent, a symphony of insanity and despair.

‘You are insignificant. Prey. Your flesh is... ours.’

Vega gritted her teeth, pushing back against the pressure building in her skull. ‘You’re wrong,’ she growled, raising her rifle. ‘I’m the goddamn reaper.’

She pulled the trigger, unloading round after round into the crack. The orb shuddered, its surface rupturing further, and the thing inside screeched—a sound that could shatter minds. The darkness inside began to spill out, like a living shadow, reaching for her.

Vega felt her strength failing. She could feel the madness clawing at her mind, dragging her toward the brink. She had to end it. Now.

With a final, desperate effort, she reached for her last grenade—her last chance. She activated it, the small explosive whining with deadly intent. She shoved it into the widening crack and turned to run.

The explosion was deafening. A shockwave tore through the chamber, throwing her to the ground. She hit hard, her vision going black, her ears ringing. She lay there, dazed and battered, as the station groaned and creaked around her.

When she finally managed to look up, she saw the core chamber collapsing in on itself. The fleshy growths were withering, the tendrils retracting, the walls splitting as the very fabric of the station began to tear apart.
She’d done it. She’d killed it.

But she wasn’t safe yet. The station was falling apart. She needed to get out—now.
 
Chapter 7: Escape
 
Vega forced herself up, every muscle screaming in protest. She stumbled through the collapsing corridors, dodging falling debris and bursts of flame. The lights were flickering wildly, alarms blaring. She could feel the station tipping, breaking apart under the strain.

She reached the docking bay, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her vision was blurring, her head pounding. She could barely keep herself upright, but she kept moving, forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other.

The escape pods were ahead, their doors open, waiting. She staggered toward one, her body on the verge of collapse. She punched in the launch code, slamming her fist against the console, and the door hissed shut behind her.

She fell into the seat, strapping herself in as the pod’s engines roared to life. She could see the station outside through the small viewport—its massive structure breaking apart, debris spinning out into the void.

The pod shot away, a sudden jolt pressing Vega back into her seat. She watched as Station L-47, the tomb of horrors, was swallowed by a massive explosion. The shockwave rippled out, sending the pod tumbling through space.

Vega closed her eyes, her body trembling. It was over. She was alive.

But in the depths of her mind, she could still hear it—the voice from the Void, whispering, taunting.

‘You are ours... still.’

She opened her eyes, staring into the endless expanse of stars. She had survived. But she knew the horrors she faced today were just the beginning. The Void was out there, waiting. And it would be back.

She would be ready.