Cora and the other crewmates stepped out into the barren world in front of them. The wind blew sultry air into their faces. Their monitors began to beep as they walked further into the desolate land. A shape was moving towards them at incredible speed, approaching ferociously. The team stopped as the shape descended on top of them. An ear shattering screech split the air as a horrid being broke through the fog. It landed in front of them, its maw gaping open, drips of saliva hitting the pasty ground. Its face was like nothing they had ever seen before. It had no eyes, just black, scaly patches of skin that opened to reveal sharp teeth. Its gums were red and swollen, the many fangs dried with blackened blood. It let out another ear splitting roar, lunging at them.
“GET DOWN!” Cora yelled at the crew.
They obeyed, dropping to the floor as the creature lurched forward. As it flew through the air, the team grabbed their stun guns. Sonya shrieked and shot at it. The laser hit, and it hit the floor, skidding to a stop.It did not back down. The beast kept running at them, giant claws ripping up terrain as they hit the ground. Arya furrowed her brows. She pulled out a knife from her back pocket, gripping it tightly. Her scream of rage echoed into the empty space as she slid across the dirt and under the monster, slashing its legs as she went. It collapsed almost immediately, groaning as it struggled to get back up. Arya grimaced, tazing it. The alien fell limp, dust settling around it. The team panted heavily as they struggled to comprehend what happened.
“Quick, let's get it on the ship!” Milo called out.
The team, too dazed to argue with him, grabbed the alien's legs, hauling it back on board.

Bastian watched the team throw the monster into the holding block, curiosity glowing in his eyes, staring at the creature in the cage as it thrashed about, trying to break the glass. Pity erupted from his heart, and he pouted, tears brimming in his eyes. He leaned down to wipe them away, and a shadow descended overhead. He startled, jerking upward. Cora stood before him, arms crossed, glaring.
“What are you doing here?! It’s not safe! The alien could hurt you!” She signed at him aggressively.
“Sorry, Cora.” He signed. “I was just curious. I won’t get hurt, I swear!”
She sighed. “Fine, but please, stay away from the cage. I don't want you getting injured.”
“Can I atleast observe from afar?” He asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
“Sure, but only from afar.”
He let out a squeal, rushing over to hug her. He wrapped his little arms around her waist, squeezing with joy. She hugged back, enveloping him into a bear hug. He looked up at her, a huge grin on his face. He abruptly let go and raced towards the cage. Cora smiled, leaving him to his observations and walked down the hall into the captain's room. Once she was gone, Bastian looked around, making sure that no other crewmate was around, a devious smirk appearing on his face. He pulled Cora’s ID out of his pocket, unlocking the side hatch to get into the holding block. He climbed in, being careful not to scratch himself on the sharp sides. The creature watched as he struggled to get in, patiently waiting for its prey to fall. Bastian hit the floor with a thud, rolling right onto the monster's legs. His eyes widened with fear, but it showed no signs of aggression. He slowly got up, holding his palms up in sign of innocence, backing away from it. The thing got up, spindly legs quivering as it struggled to hold the pose. Its jaws opened, and a shriek emerged from it, saliva flying into Bastians face. Bastian slammed his hands up to his ears, head pounding. Even though he couldn’t hear it, the scream seemed to echo throughout every pore of his body. It swung at him, giant claws tearing into his skin like soft butter. He screamed with pain, trying to stop the blood gushing out of the gashes. He fell down to the floor and the monster continued with its attack, ripping and slicing and rending.

Cora heard a blood curdling shriek echo from down the hall. She dropped her knitting, racing towards the noise. The other crew members came as well, terror glinting in their eyes. They entered the room containing the holding block, and the monster was nowhere to be found. The glass was smashed around the entry zone, and blood coated the walls. A small body laid on the ground, contorted into a grotesque shape. Cora raced over to it, a horrible feeling coating the inside of her. She could taste the bile rising in her throat. She dropped down to the ground, uttering a cry of grief so thick with sorrow it almost suffocated her filling the air. Bastian laid on the ground, mutilated almost unrecognizably. She flung herself over his body, her shrieks ripping through the hearts of the people standing around her.
“How could this have happened?” Milo asked.
Cora looked at him, guilt laden, tears streaking her face.
“He stole my ID.” She responded sorrowfully.
Surprised looks erupted from the group, and they began chatting with each other quietly until another shriek came from the next room.
“Its that WarpMouth.” Arya barked angrily.
Confused expressions met her when she looked back.
“What? I made it up. We don’t have a name for it yet, do we?”
Clicking noises on the hard ceramic floor of the ship overpowered all other noises. Weapons unsheathed. The alien peeked through the doorway, sniffing vigorously for prey. Arya snuck over to it, raising her rough wooden knife to slice it open. Milo grabbed her arm.
“Wait! This specimen is the ruler of apex predators! You can’t just kill it! We have to bring it back.” He whispered.
The monster turned around, finding no subjects. Arya ripped her hand out of his grasp, seething.
“You just ruined our only chance at killing that thing!” She yelled.
The monster whipped around, growling and the sudden noise. It roared, charging back down the hallway.
“RUN!” Arya screamed, desperately trying to get away.
The team began to scatter, Cora, Echo, and Sonya going towards the eating deck, while Erik and Milo made a break for the escape pods.
The monster tackled Arya, ripping her back to shreds. She screamed, rolling around on the floor and thrashing. She grabbed her knife, stabbing it in the stomach. It howled in pain, but kept attacking her, fueled by the rage.

The alien raced downwards to the eating deck, screeching and growling with agony. Blood dripped out of its stomach. Cora cowered behind a standing gasoline tank, the pungent smell hitting her nose like a punch, her breath hitching with tears as the monster drew closer. It threw aside other barrels, sniffing her out. God, I'm gonna die here! She thought, frantically sliding further into the darkness to get away. The monster went further into the kitchen, finding Echo and Sonya’s hiding place. They shrieked with terror as the monster hooked its bony claws around them, dragging them into the open. NO! Echo! Sonya! How could this have happened! She clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs and not alert the alien. The beast turned, ears perked at the quiet noises from her hiding place. Dammit. She crawled out of her hiding place, and she began running. The monster pursued, roaring with pleasure at the hunt. Her legs ached from years of rest, and they quivered under the force. Cora could see the next room in sight, and she reached out for it, crying out as the monster's claws punctured the skin on the back of her calf. Her hand hit the control panel and she lurched forward into the broom closet. The door closed behind her and the monster screamed with rage as it threw itself across the metal, attempting to get to her. CRASH! The monster slammed against the wall.