Xolaris

This is Captain Marla Chapman of CS Yucatan, mining vessel set out for its third expedition. We seek gold and other conductive metals in the area of known black hole Phoenix A. My crew of 36 are well equipped to space walk and mine asteroids that are in orbit of the supermassive black hole. All engines and drills have undergone thorough checks are are in good working order.

We hope for this excavation to take just over two years to complete, including the journey there and back. In order to avoid potential threats of piracy we intend to pass through a large nearby void. We understand that comms may not work as expected during this time and have fitted back up satellites and generators in the event of a system failure.

It has been agreed that all mined material be returned to [REDACTED] for processing and sale. All employees will be paid in full upon the safe return of the ship and all goods.

Six months have passed since departure, and all is well so far. The ship is structurally sound and we have not run into any major issues. Our path is clear and debris are at a minimum. We should reach our destination on schedule, within the next 6-8 months.

There is one cause for concern, however. There is growing worry among the crew about something following us. A rising number of staff have claimed to have seen something moving out there through the vessel windows. I have not seen it myself, and believe they might be unwittingly spooking each other. We do travel through a void, they are known to be eerily...empty. My team do not seem to think it is so empty, but I must reassure them that all is fine and we will see celestial bodies again soon. I just hope they do not create hysteria among themselves.

I must admit, sometimes...I do hear things. A noise, or maybe a deafening silence, I'm not too sure. It is not unusual for pipes to creak, or metal shifting throughout the ship...but this is different. It's almost like a rumble, sometimes like a howl, coming from out there. I know I mustn't let the paranoia get to me, for the sake of my crew. We have larger tasks at hand than some noises emitted from the void. It does feel as though there is something watching though, sometimes. Enough for the hairs on my arms and neck to stand on end.

Something is out there. I did not want to admit it, admittedly fearful of seeming like I am giving in to the mass hysteria of my crew, but I have seen it. A number of us have. A shadow shifts in the blackness, it's so easy to put it off as your imagination, but it's real. Slick like oil but translucent against the pitch black of the void we are now stuck in. My head mining operative reported sightings of a creature, with six eyes and a long, contorting form that creeps around the emptiness. Two are missing from a space walk, a suspected asteroid cave collapse, but I'm not so sure I believe it. I'm still hearing those noises, although they seem to become louder, closer perhaps. I fear we have walked into a trap, or maybe the hunting grounds of something sinister.

I have made an expedited request to the station for a redirection of our projected route with immediate effect, but I have yet to receive a response. If they do not provide assistance in the coming days, I will override the flight path and get us out of here as swiftly as possible.

Mayday. We are under attack.

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Hull is compromised. We are losing pressure.

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O̸x̴y̵g̶e̴n̵ ̷s̴y̵s̶t̸e̵m̸s̶ ̸f̶a̷i̵l̴i̸n̴g̸.̵ ̴E̵m̸e̶r̷g̸e̴n̵c̵y̶ ̵g̷e̴n̴e̴r̴a̶t̴o̴r̴ ̸i̸n̶ ̶o̶p̸e̴r̵a̸t̷i̶o̸n̶.̶

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I̵̠̻͊̊̽̉ţ̸͕͚̯́ ̸̛̹͕̠͝ẁ̸͎̯̯ͅͅa̴͔̓̽̚̕n̸̥̽̀͋̃͆t̶̛̲͎͖̂͜s̴͕̾ ̴̜̦͎͒̈́̂̈́̒ͅo̶̧͔͈̮̾̅̈́̇ŭ̶̘̥̆̾r̶̠̩͎̬̹̂͒̑̆̚ ̷̩̻̓̈́̕g̸̗̖̜͐̈́͜ͅo̷̬͔͒̃̓̑͒l̴͔̈́d̴̛̟̠͕̟͑̃̾͝.̷͍̤̒͑̄̾.̶͍̄

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