V1x 7z 005 -

"V1X 7z 005, identify," Elias whispered into his headset, his heart hammering against his ribs. The breathing stopped.

At the Blackwood Sub-Antarctic Observatory, the terminal blinked with a single line of pulsing amber text: SIGNAL SOURCE: V1X 7z 005 V1X 7z 005

He patched the audio through. Expecting the rhythmic pulse of a pulsar or the hiss of background radiation, Elias leaned back. Instead, he heard the sharp, unmistakable sound of a heavy door creaking open, followed by the wet, rhythmic breathing of something very large and very tired. "V1X 7z 005, identify," Elias whispered into his