250 Words: From the report of the lead investigator in the case of the Heimdall mystery

We arrived two days after the incident.  Aside from the bodies there were two
anomalies suggesting the presence of an intruder.  Firstly, the CCTV had been
cut shortly after Thompson had returned from his space walk.  Additionally, the
computers had been used to access almost every subject relating to humankind
(history, geography of earth and the intergalactic regions, biology too).  Most
worryingly, every detail of the space fleet had been comprehensively researched.

And, although the investigation team found no foot, finger or hand prints nor any
DNA evidence, the evidence of the crew's bodies conclusively shows there was an
intruder.

Jonsson and Thompson were found slumped at the lounge table.  They had been
disturbed during post-dinner drinks, too quickly to be able to react it would seem.
An implement had been forced through both their heads: first into the back of
Thompson's head and then between Jonsson's eyes.  This implement (which was
round with a diameter of 5cm; there is no evidence to suggest anything else about
it)  was then removed and wiped clean, leaving a puddle of blood, bone and brains
two metres behind Thompson. We believe the computers were accessed before this
event, probably while the crew ate dinner.

The ship's systems were shut down to conserve evidence after the crew failed to
report, the CCTV was found to be not transmitting and no evidence of life showed
itself.  The intruder had clearly departed long before the incident was discovered or
else they surely would have been seen.

250 Words: Thompson's last space walk

The spacewalk had gone well. All repairs had been successful, everything was fully
operational again and the Heimdall’s crew were relaxing in the lounge. Jonsson
seemed happy enough to ignore the anomaly of the outside damage. He was pretty
blasé about most things, though. And he hadn't been on the spacewalk.

Thompson, however, was unable to shake the idea of sabotage; ridiculous as it
seemed so far from anyone. The damage to the craft did not seem like that made
by space debris, of which there was plenty in the quadrant and was the usual reason
for spacewalks. Certainly it was no malfunction… someone had gouged into the
side of the ship and ripped parts out. And he couldn't ignore the feeling that he had
not been alone in the airlock.

These fears he voiced to Jonsson who pushed them aside. Ridiculed them in fact.

“It's just us out here, you know that. And we'll be out of here in a week," he’d said.

"Yeah, it's just cabin fever."

"Precisely."

Although Thompson had managed to put Jonsson’s mind at ease it was hard to
ignore what he felt. Not quite everything was right. The fear in Jonsson's eyes
quickly confirmed this. They were fixed to a point above and behind Thompson's
head, their pupils wide in confusion and disbelief. And in them Thompson saw the
faint reflection of something that made his eyes do the same. It was the last thing he
ever saw.

Six weeks later the war began.