Dr. Aris Thorne was alone on *The Odyssey* when the knocking began.
Three months into her deep-space mission, Earth’s signals vanished. Only cosmic silence remained. Until *it* started.
***Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.***
Rhythmic. Human-like.
Aris checked the external cameras: void. Scanners: empty.
But the knocking grew louder. *Closer.*
Her breath fogged the helmet visor as she floated toward Airlock 7. The manual override hissed.
Outside, etched into the frost-coated hull, she found words:
**“YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE.”**
And behind her—
***Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.***