2599

Hive Planet of Chrysalia, Ransei System

The Wimpodian Microbiologist saw the meteorite. She was with her niece at the time, playing hide and seek. The Microbiologist had a mate, and was nearing the end of her 4 - year gestation period. Soon the eggs inside her would hatch, and she would give birth to triplets, and appallingly high litter size for her species. Her niece, who had yet to undergo metamorphosis, peeked out from behind a stone, chittering in the wimpodian way of laughter. Then little Nexle's eyes widened.

"Look, aunt Therx! A shooting Star!"

Therx spun, seeing a burning shape plummet towards the ground only a few decawailords' distance away. What an opportunity! There could be new microbial species from faraway systems, or perhaps a new periodic element! She sprinted to grab her microscope, niece, and other vital scientific equipment. Her niece (and microscope) attached to the plates on her back, she ran on 8 of 10 limbs towards the crash site.

Sgt. Davidson hiked onward, constantly talking to his radio correspondent on the Gardiner. Suddenly his bioscanner lit up.

"Talk to me, Daniel," Came the voice of the correspondent through his earpiece.

"Negative on visual, Karen," Davidson replied.

And then he saw it. A demonic shrimplike thing running on 8 legs toward his position.

"Oh shi- what in God's great universe is that?" Said Karen, the correspondent. Davidson was frozen. He had no reply.

Therx stopped dead when she saw the strange creature as she came over the hill. It looked as if the creature had done likewise. It was very odd. It had four visible limbs, and seemed to be wearing some kind of external body armor, similarly to an adult Escavalerian. This armor covered its entire body, as her bioscanner, which she had brought with her, detected. It was similar in build to a juvenile Machokese. However, this animal was a mammal as opposed to a reptile like the Machokese. In addition, It had very little fur, and no tail, with most of the concentration at the cranial area, which was not unusual for a bipedal mammal in the Ransei system. However, the bioscanner revealed, this was most definitely not from the system. A new, extraterrestrial discovery? This could spring her scientific career forward by years. The scanner showed incredible brain density, hinting at intelligence, maybe even sentience! She would have to subdue the specimen before she could attempt to communicate, but that would be a simple task. She weighed at least four times as much, and wimpodians could use hydrokinesis.

"Hang on tight, Nexle."

As soon as the abomination stepped forward, clacking with its mouth, Davidson's carbine was up and ready.

"Don't you take another step." Davidson said, his voice shaking.

The demon shrimp chittered. It stepped forward.

"Do not engage, Do not engage!" Karen shouted in his ear. "We cannot become on hostile terms with the local fauna!"

He pulled the trigger, and the carbine chattered, just like the demon shrimp.

The strange weapon barked, and the impact of the projectiles made Therx stagger. At least two of her torso plates shattered, and one of her four hearts may have been grazed. She started bleeding, but her backup plates slid into place, closing the wound. So this species had some technology. Primitive ballistic weapons, but deadly nonetheless. That really hurt.

"Nexle, run!" Therx Clacked.

Charging forward, she slammed into the puny mammal, and its breathing, heartrate, and brain function slowed. It was unconscious. Time to take it to the institute. She had a friend there who would know what to do.

Heya folks! Thanks for reading. Sorry if my names are a little strange, I'm trying to capture the clacking language of the Wimpodians (Golisopod line JSYN). Looking forward to Chapter 3!