#67 Scent Of Extinction

In the far reaches of deep space, the crew of the colony vessel Orion’s Wake discovers a derelict alien station orbiting a dying star.

What begins as a routine salvage mission quickly turns into a nightmare when they realize they are not alone.

A highly evolved extraterrestrial species, the Faex Stercus, hunts through scent—tracking prey by the faintest chemical traces their bodies emit. And humans, with their organic waste, sweat, and fear-induced pheromones, are the ultimate prey.

As the Faex infiltrate the ship, the crew is forced into a terrifying game of survival, using unthinkable methods to mask their presence.

Most crew members die. The only survivors being the science officer and a group of reserve crew who were rudely awoken from their cryogenic sleep.

With the ship’s systems compromised and no way to send a distress signal, their only hope lies in an uncharted planet below, it’s seas a murky brown in a repeated tide of crisscrossing Tsunamis.

The science officer stares at the screen “it’s not a planet as such - it’s a giant global organism, a sea of organic s**t”.

The crew, not in the mood for jokes in this life and death situation look at each other, knowing somehow deep down he is not joking.

In space, no one can smell you…except the Faex.

And fate.