Irene drifted through the bioluminescent kelp forests of Europa’s subsurface ocean, her exosuit groaning faintly under the crushing pressure. She wasn’t a scientist or a soldier—just a mechanic sent to repair the aging communication beacon. Alone, except for the distant hum of undersea currents, she found solace in her work. But as she reached the beacon’s corroded base, an anomaly stopped her wrench mid-turn.

A shimmer in the water. It wasn’t a reflection or debris. It moved deliberately.

Out from the shadows glided a translucent creature, vast and ethereal, its luminous veins pulsing like a distant aurora. It seemed curious, circling her slowly. Irene froze, heart pounding. Protocol dictated avoidance of unknown lifeforms, but as the alien's glow intensified, her helmet crackled. Words—fragile, fragmented—spoke through her comms.

"Why… harm? Why… take?"

She gripped the wrench tight. Harm? She realized it wasn’t referring to her but to the beacon itself, leeching energy from the environment. Her repairs would only worsen its parasitic drain.

Trembling, she shut the beacon down.

On her return trip, the currents felt warmer, and from the abyss behind her, a faint, harmonious song followed her home.

~

From Story is Infinite dot com.
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