485137i -

At 3:14 AM, the terminal at Station 485 blinked. A new string had bypassed the filters, originating from a sector of the sky that should have been empty: .

Elias didn't turn around. He just watched the screen as the numbers began to count down. 485137i

Suddenly, the "i" began to blink. Elias realized it wasn't a variable at all. He leaned closer and saw the pixelated letter warp. It wasn't an 'i'. It was an eye. At 3:14 AM, the terminal at Station 485 blinked

The graveyard shift at the Eklund Observatory was usually a silent affair, punctuated only by the hum of cooling fans and the occasional drip of a coffee machine. Elias, the lead data tech, liked it that way. He didn't like surprises. He just watched the screen as the numbers

The screen didn't just show the code anymore; it reflected a version of the room that was perfectly dark, except for a figure standing directly behind his chair.

"485," Elias muttered, glancing at his station number. "Cute."

He pulled the ethernet cable. The screen stayed live. He killed the main power. The monitors glowed a haunting, pale blue, still displaying that singular string: .