The Beast of Space

Nat Starrett is a hard‑bitten prospector drifting through the silent corridors of a distant asteroid. While probing a dim, circular cavern, his searchlight reveals a thick, acidic pool that emits a sweet, intoxicating odor and an eerie, hypnotic hum. The alien lake seems alive, its viscous “tongues” reaching out like serpents, pulling at the edges of his helmet and threatening to swallow him whole.

In the gloom Nat’s only companion is Digger, a small, telepathic spacehound whose claws can rend metal but whose loyalty is unmistakable. Together they scramble up the slick slopes, chasing a faint distress signal from a captive woman trapped on the asteroid’s honey‑comb tunnels. As Nat pushes deeper, the cavern opens onto a graveyard of long‑lost Earth ships, hinting at forgotten tragedies and the promise of danger that lies ahead.