As the transport pod rocked gently after docking, Nicodemus unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced through the porthole. Before him, against the starry void, the Proxima-3 research station, long since abandoned by its creators, loomed. There was a silence all around that could hardly be explained even by the omnipresent vacuum of space. - Are you sure this is a good idea? - Lena asked, adjusting the visor of her spacesuit. Her voice, although distorted by the radio, betrayed excitement and anxiety. - 'We need to see what they left here,' replied Nicodemus. - 'Since no one's come back for that data, maybe it's not just a malfunction. They were joined by Sajra, the oldest of the three, with pockets stuffed with spare batteries and a small reconnaissance drone. She was the most composed, though a shadow of uncertainty was reflected in her eyes. The station looked deserted - the lights were not working and the main corridor was lit only by torches. Sheets of paper with notes and broken computer panels were evidence of the sudden, chaotic abandonment of the facility. The three teenagers moved silently, feeling the tension thickening. - Can you hear it? - Lena paused, staring into the darkness. Something scraped softly under the floor. Nicodemus held his breath. Sajra pulled out the drone and let it go ahead. The camera image appeared on their display. At first the usual: dusty cupboards, overturned chairs, leftover meals. Then - a dark, slowly pulsing fog, gliding just off the floor. The mist moved as if it were... alive. - Proxima-3 was not just a laboratory,' Sajra whispered. - Something was being experimented on here. It's not natural. Suddenly, the fog shifted rapidly towards the drone. A loud crack sounded on the communicator and the camera image went out. For a moment there was only silence. - What now? - Lena asked in a trembling voice. Nicodemus looked into the darkness, aware that they were not alone here. When a protracted, unnatural sound came from behind one of the doors, all three held their breath....