The Black Signal

The distress beacon pulsed on the console, a looping transmission from a derelict ship drifting in deep space.

“This is the SS Helios. We require immediate assistance. Engines offline. Crew… missing. Please—help us. It’s still here.“

Captain Ren Carter of the Vanguard frowned at the message. The Helios had been missing for six years. It was declared lost with all hands. And yet, here it was—silent, intact, and sending desperate pleas for help.

“We’re docking,” Ren said.

Her pilot, Quinn, hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“No. But we’re doing it anyway.”

The Vanguard latched onto the Helios with a dull clunk. As Ren and her team stepped through the airlock, the ship’s interior loomed ahead—dark, cold, and too quiet. The walls were coated in frost.

“No bodies,” Reyes, her engineer, murmured.

“No signs of a struggle, either,” Ren replied.

They followed the source of the transmission to the bridge. The command console was active, a dim glow against the surrounding darkness. A single line of text flickered on the screen.

“DO NOT LISTEN TO THE SIGNAL.”

Quinn swallowed hard. “That’s… ominous.”

Reyes checked the logs. “Last entry was six years ago. Chief Engineer Patel.” He played the audio.

“We picked up a signal. Deep space. Unknown origin. Thought it was just background noise. But then the captain started hearing voices. Crew went missing. One by one. It’s the signal. It’s inside our heads. If anyone finds this—”

The recording cut out.

Then, in the silence, the ship’s speakers crackled to life.

“Do you hear it?”

Reyes shuddered. “Nope. We’re leaving.”

But the airlock sealed shut.

The lights flickered.

The console screen changed.

“YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE.”

A whisper brushed against Ren’s ear. She spun—nothing there. But Quinn’s eyes were wide, her face pale.

“Captain,” Quinn whispered. “I think… I think something just called my name.”

Ren’s stomach twisted. “Nobody listen. Don’t respond.”

But it was too late.

The whispers grew louder.

A shadow shifted in the corner of the room—tall, watching, waiting.

And then the lights went out.