There was one surprise, though.
"How come there are no birds?" Vinnie asked.
I blinked. I hadn't even noticed their lack, though now that Vinnie mentioned it, Alcor Five was quite a bit quieter than I expected. I'd gotten used to hearing the occasional bird call or the like back on earth. Here, there was almost nothing.
"No birds here," Kimberly replied. "The Reptuses would eat them all."
We stopped briefly for food at local noon. As we ate, Johan pulled out his navigation tablet and checked it. "We're getting close," he said.
"How much farther?" Vinnie asked. He looked nervous. For that matter, I was beginning to get pretty keyed up myself.
Johan shrugged. "Best estimate is another five kilometers or so. The nests are never exactly where the scouting reports put them thoug
