Lanny floated in the dim confines of the Mars research station, the vast red expanse stretching beyond the reinforced window. The silence was overwhelming, broken only by the occasional hum of the equipment. It was his third week on the planet, a routine mission—or so it was supposed to be.

As he adjusted a panel on the rover outside, his helmet caught a faint reflection—a figure. Humanoid, but not entirely. It stood against the horizon, its silhouette sharp against the dusty, red-orange sky. Lanny froze, his gloved hands trembling.

“What the—” he whispered, his breath fogging the visor.

But before he could react, the figure darted out of sight, vanishing like a mirage. Heart pounding, Lanny spun around, scanning the barren terrain. There was nothing—just the endless stretch of sand and rock.

“Base, this is Lanny,” he stammered into his comms. “I… I think I saw something. Someone.”

Static answered him. No signal.

Lanny clenched his jaw, his eyes darting around. Had the isolation gotten to him? Was it just a trick of the light? He wanted to believe that. But deep down, something told him he wasn’t alone on Mars.