ONE OF THE FOUR ALIENS stood directly in front of Wilder as she hovered at the brink of the closed entrance in the pillar. Her feet were level with the spot where the alien’s four feet touched the floor, but the creature towered to four or five times her height. She guessed the alien opposite her had to be at least seven meters tall, and it was the shortest of the bunch. Its four limbs rose up half its height and met at a chunky body that narrowed to a dome at the top. Wilder had assumed this was the head, but she guessed she could be wrong.
Like the humans, the aliens were attired in EVA suits, but, unlike the humans’ suits, theirs had no visor. The entire surface of the suits was black and opaque.
“They’re standing on the floor,” said Kes. He was hovering next to Wilder.
The four alie
