Hive Hunter

Log Entry 3162.10.30 Situation Summary: The ISS Vigilant Dawn drifts in unstable orbit around Eretheon-6. Captain [REDACTED] is manually controlling the command deck with Vice Captain Aria Venn. Hive activity escalates throughout the ship. The Hunter has been deployed by Elara to locate and eliminate psionic threats, track hidden crew members, and find vulnerabilities to access the command deck. Lower decks show heavy Hive presence; survivors struggle to maintain defensive positions. --- Chapter XXXVI — Hive Hunter The Hunter moved silently through the corridors, its frame a grotesque blend of muscle, synthetic reinforcement, and assimilated organic tissue. Every step was calculated, deliberate, yet near-silent against the metal flooring. Its multiple sensory nodes flickered with data—sound, heat, psionic resonance—mapping the locations of crew members, hidden survivors, and any anomalous readings. It paused, detecting movement in a sealed maintenance hatch. A figure shifted behind the metal plating. The Hunter’s head rotated unnaturally, scanning for weak points. The psionic echo was faint, but enough. Another heartbeat passed. The hatch panel shuddered slightly under the Hunter’s probing claws. No response came. The Hunter adjusted, sending tendrils of assimilated biomass into the ventilation shafts. It could sense the humans’ fear—every heartbeat, every breath—but it did not pause. Fear was irrelevant; the Hive’s hunger was precise and consuming. Through dimly lit corridors, it moved closer to the command deck, analyzing every bulkhead and override. Manual locks slowed it, but did not deter. Each blocked path was logged, each security measure tested. The Captain’s presence was strong—a latent psionic signature, faint but familiar—but elusive. Lower decks thrived with Hive activity: grunts, drones, and partially assimilated crew converging into a living tide. The Hunter observed the flow, adapting its strategy.