You press your face against the cold viewport, squinting into the swirling hyperspace currents. At first you see nothing but the usual blue energy streams, but then—a flicker. Something massive moves just beyond the visible spectrum, its outline shimmering like heat distortion over desert sands. The shape resolves into something jagged and unnatural, all sharp angles amidst the fluid hyperspace tides.

Suddenly the viewport vibrates violently as the entire ship shudders. A junior ensign stumbles into you, her dark curls bouncing as she regains balance. 'What in the void is that?' she gasps, her brown eyes wide with fear. Through the glass, the thing pulses with crimson energy, tendrils lashing out toward your ship.

Alarms escalate to a deafening wail. The intercom crackles: 'All non-essential personnel to emergency pods! Engineering teams hold position!' You feel the ensign grab your sleeve. 'We should—' she starts, but her words are cut off as the overhead lights flicker and die. Only the eerie glow from the viewport remains, casting everyone in ghostly blue light. The mysterious object outside now glows brighter, its edges becoming more defined—a jagged obsidian structure covered in pulsing red veins.