Lieutenant Wright entered the hub, the vast chamber dimly lit by failing overhead lights and the flicker of damaged consoles. The Captain followed close, boots echoing on the metal floor where tools and scattered reports lay abandoned.
The Sergeant swept his rifle toward the mezzanine level, shadows shifting in the lattice of beams above. The Ensign checked the comms station, static hissing across every channel, drowning out any hope of contact. A low, animal growl rose from somewhere deep in the hub, carrying through the empty structure like a warning...