Peering into Infinity

The launch of Long Dart went off as planned, without a hitch. Arriving near the gaseous cloud, Kate maneuvered the ship into a gravity defying halt. While the ship is in stasis, a hatch opened on it's starboard side, allowing three figures in heavily insulated suits hover towards the cloud, each bound to the ship by a long cord.

"Amazing." Ben exclaims, studying the anomaly. "I can feel a pulse shaking through my suit!"

"I'm not quite sure this is safe, Andea." Kate warns as she warily looks about.

"Look, our mission is to study this thing, possibly get a sample and touch back down. Let's get it done."

As they get within an arms length of the strange cloud, a light emits from it's center, growing brighter and brighter.

Just then, there was a flash. All three astronauts have vanished, including the cloud.