Anomalous Readings

The sterile white of Dr. Aris Thorne’s laboratory was a stark contrast to the grime and grit that clung to Bodyguard’s worn gear. The air, scrubbed clean of any interstellar dust or the faint, metallic tang of recycled oxygen, felt alien to him. He stood, a mountain of grizzled experience in the pristine space, his gaze fixed on the holographic projection that shimmered between them. It displayed a chaotic swirl of colors, pulsing with an unnatural rhythm.

“These are not random fluctuations, Bodyguard,” Aris said, her voice tight with a mixture of scientific curiosity and a growing unease that mirrored his own. Her slender fingers, usually nimble on a console, now traced the edges of the display with a tremor he almost missed. “The energy signatures are too coherent, too… directed. And the biological readings are what truly baffle me.”

Bodyguard grunted, his eyes narrowing. He’d seen his share of strange things in the void, nebulae that looked like weeping gods, worlds where gravity played cruel tricks. But this… this was different. “Biological?” he rumbled, the word rough in his throat. “You mean the victims?”