The Vanderlark

"The Vanderlark" by Margaret St. Clair is a science fiction story set in the chilling vacuum of space, where the characters McFeen and Alice undertake a mission to transport the Hyra organism in order to fight a blight. This mission quickly spirals into a terrifying ordeal as the Hyra begin to multiply rapidly, and the crew must face the unnerving presence of the Vanderlark, which is a mysterious entity that looms over all of them. As the ship and mission fall into disarray, McFeen and Alice are forced to confront the limits of their fears as they try to survive the horrors of deep space, leading finally to a frightening encounter, resulting in them being claimed by the Vanderlark.