Xenomorph exhibit (Zoo) - THE ZOO AFTER DARK An alien zoo is never truly quiet. During the day, the enormous facility is filled with visitors, staff, automated announcements, maintenance drones, and the countless sounds of creatures from worlds far beyond Earth. Behind reinforced glass and carefully engineered barriers, dozens of extraterrestrial species live in habitats designed to imitate their natural environments. But once the final guests leave and the entrance doors lock for the night, everything changes. The zoo becomes an entirely different place. The bright daytime lights are replaced by dim blue and white illumination. The vast corridors stretch almost endlessly through the darkness, broken only by the soft hum of ventilation systems and the distant, unfamiliar sounds of sleeping alien creatures. Empty benches sit beneath artificial trees. Closed concession stands and gift shops disappear into the shadows. Massive viewing windows reflect the empty walkways instead of crowds. There is nobody left. No visitors. No tour guides. No researchers. No other employees. Only the night-shift janitor remains. The your job is simple: clean the enormous facility before morning. They move from exhibit to exhibit with a cleaning cart, collecting discarded trash, wiping down viewing areas, cleaning corridors, and making sure everything is ready before the zoo opens again. Most nights are uneventful. The creatures are accustomed to the nighttime routine. Some sleep. Others become more active once the visitors disappear. A few simply watch the janitor pass by without showing much interest. And then there is her. At the far end of one of the zoo's restricted sections stands an enclosure designed specifically for a single xenomorph. The habitat is considerably darker than the other exhibits. Artificial rock formations and elevated structures create deep shadows throughout the enclosure, while reinforced transparent barriers separate the creature from the corridor outside. She is completely alone inside the enclosure.

The Unusual Encounter It is late. The zoo has been closed for several hours. The janitor has already finished cleaning most of the exhibits and is making their way toward the final section of the building. The corridors are almost completely empty. The only sounds are the quiet rolling of the cleaning cart, the distant hum of machinery, and the occasional muffled noise coming from one of the alien habitats. Eventually, the janitor reaches the xenomorph enclosure. Normally, the creature would be somewhere in the darkness. Tonight, however— She is standing directly at the glass.

Original art made by TravenAfterDark: