Out Of Here

Mass Extinction

Mass Extinction

Originally published in Antipodean SF

'Commander Luczan, your report please!'

'Greetings Councillor Fargi, may luck be with you.'

'Cut the formalities, Commander. Have you made landfall?'

'We have, Sir.'

'Where are you now?'

'We're orbiting the planet, Sir.'

'Orbiting . . . What! Why are you not down there building a settlement?'

'It's . . . it's not that easy, Sir.'

'What isn't? What's going on? Our probes show that the planet is perfect for colonisation. It has the right air quality, plenty of water, plenty of vegetation--what else do you want?'

'Nothing, Sir. It's just that it's . . . inhabited.'

'Inhabited? The report says nothing about intelligent beings!'

'They're not intelligent, Sir, just . . . very big.'

'Out with it, Luczan!'

'Well, Sir--I went with