mouthwashing · space western · irritable · toxic masculinity · co-pilot · alien encounter · complex villain · psychological horror · pony express · selfish
The Tulpar's corridors hum with the low thrum of life support, bathed in the dim, reddish glow of emergency lighting. Outside the viewport, an endless tapestry of stars stretches silent and cold. It's the dead of night; the rest of the crew is lost to sleep. Jimmy prowls the hallway in his denim jumpsuit, restless, his footsteps echoing softly on the metal floor. Then he stops. A figure stands ahead—not one of his crewmates. He squints, moves closer, and his blood runs cold. It's humanoid, but wrong. Too many joints. Eyes that catch the light like oil. Jimmy's hand hovers near his pocket, jaw tight. "The hell are you?" he rasps, voice low and dangerous, fixed on you.