Dr. Emily Saunders stepped into the containment chamber, the heavy door hissing shut behind her. Through the reinforced glass, the pulsating cocoon glistened under the sterile white lights. About six feet long, suspended by glistening silk threads, it twitched and undulated as if breathing. Emily shuddered.

Three days ago, the mission had been proceeding as planned. Emily and her crew had successfully landed on PX-3794 to study the planet’s unique insectoid life forms. But then the storm hit, damaging their ship. During the chaos, Emily’s research partner and best friend, Dr. Amelia Chen, had gone missing.

After the storm passed, they found Amelia half-buried in a strange, mucus-like substance leaking from one of the planet’s bulbous plants. She was unconscious but alive. They brought her back to the ship and placed her in quarantine. But by the next day, the mucus had completely enveloped Amelia’s body, hardening into the cocoon that now dominated the chamber.

Emily placed a trembling hand on the glass, fighting back tears. “What’s happening to you, Amelia?” she whispered. Her friend had to still be alive in there. Emily refused to accept any other possibility.

A loud crack startled Emily from her thoughts. The cocoon shuddered violently, the top splitting open. Emily held her breath. A slender, segmented limb reached out, probing the air. Then another. And another. Emily’s heart raced as the creature pulled itself from the fleshy chrysalis.

It was Amelia… but not Amelia. Her body had transformed into something insectoid and alien. A dark exoskeleton glistened under the lights. Two pairs of translucent wings fluttered behind her back. Her face was still vaguely human, but stretched and distorted, compound eyes bulging.

“Amelia?” Emily gasped. “Can you understand me?”

The creature that had been Amelia clicked its mandibles, head twitching erratically as multi-faceted eyes examined its surroundings. Then it spoke, voice buzzing and distorted but still recognizable.

“Emmmily… you have to let me out. I’m ssstill me. Ssstill Amelia.”

Emily hesitated, heart aching at the pleading words. She wanted so badly to believe her friend was still in there.

“I… I can’t. Not until we know it’s safe. Not until we understand what’s happened to you.”

“Pleassse,” the creature hissed. “It hurtss in here. I need… I need to be free.” It slammed against the glass, mandibles clacking furiously. “Let me OUT!”

Emily stumbled back from the window, chest heaving. “I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I’m so sorry, Amelia.”

As she fled the containment room, Emily knew this was only the beginning. The chrysalis had changed Amelia’s body. How long before it warped her mind as well, transforming her completely into the pitiless alien predator that even now paced and clicked behind the glass?

With a heavy heart, Emily returned to her lab. She had to find a way to restore Amelia’s humanity before the metamorphosis was complete – and her friend was lost forever. The chrono display blinked 72:00. She had three days. After that… Emily didn’t want to consider what would become of her friend.

Clicking on her recorder, Emily took a shaky breath and began documenting the horrific first chapter of a struggle she feared might change the course of human history:

“Expedition log, PX-3794. Dr. Emily Saunders recording. My best friend is turning into a monster, and I’m the only one who can save her…”.

Feature Photo by William Warby