third, large pool.
‘Body temperature of leading form now 25 degrees and blueness has decreased by 20 per cent.’
Several ‘adult’ forms appeared each carrying a small bundle which they proceeded to unwrap.
‘They’re infants.’ cried Olivia and the small fuzzy-topped blue shapes were helped into the first pool.
The procession continued. An amazing tableau of life on another planet was unfolding before the unbelieving gaze of the astronauts.
‘Look now,’ Olivia pointed, ‘Those blue females at the end of this group must have had tiny parcels under their leaves and between their mammary glands – they’re unwrapping them – they’re babies, oooh! Look how tiny they are.’
The blue ‘mothers’ cradled the little forms and entered the first pool.
Nearly 100 inhabitants had emerged so far and these were dispersed through the three pools and were at various stages of warming up. The leading blue females started to climb out of the large pool and sat on ledges to dry off in the beautiful mid-morning sunshine.
‘Body temperature of leading forms now 37 degrees and blueness has decreased to around 40 per cent of emerging colour.’
‘Scott! Don’t you find it strange – they haven’t cast a glance in our direction – why don’t they notice this huge lander in front of them?
‘Maybe they’re blind or we just don’t register in their consciousness,’ mused Scott, ‘but it is strange.’
‘Their eyes are moving and their pupils have been dilating. I would assume that they can see but I cannot predict what they see.’
All around them the sun was shining brilliantly, casting shadows and the huge cone of shimmering light stretched into the clouds punching its continuous hole and bathing the blue forms in its life giving warmth.
And now the first 20 to emerge from underground were seated to the left of the lander, 5-10 metres away at most.
Life was about to get very interesting for our astronauts.
Chapter 22
Life and Death for the Blue People
‘These life forms are cold-blooded reptiles which have evolved into an upright humanoid stance. This is somewhat similar to the evolution of monkeys on Earth. The square shape of the nipples is, in fact, created by a black tattoo. Further, the adults have triangular tattoos, mostly black but occasionally red, arranged around the black square. Also, between the mammary glands, are octagon shapes comprised of different sequences of black and red lines.’
Olivia was watching a further group surface, very slowly and stiffly, and though she could not be sure, she sensed that these were older blue figures. Then she noticed that the very first females to emerge were gathering together and, to begin with, she couldn’t understand what they were doing.
‘They’re feeding from one another,’ said a surprised Scott, ‘look, there’s white liquid coming from the mammary glands.’
‘My analysis of the white liquid shows it to be very similar to milk,’ Zec-1 informed them, ‘and it is very high in protein and fat.’
When each of the blue females had fed they returned to their original seated positions. Now, the younger ones who had vacated the large pool started to take nourishment from the adults. The process was like a conveyor belt with each taking their turn. Interestingly, some of the more mature young ones also took part as providers after they had fed.
‘Well, I suppose that’s breakfast underway,’ Olivia joked, ‘I wonder what’s in store next?’
They both looked back to the ramp at the figures that came from underground carrying leaf-clad bodies towards the first pool. Five new forms had emerged and they were of a different stature, shorter, stockier and with very severe facial features. They placed the wrapped forms on the red clay floor in front of the hot pool. They discarded their leaves to reveal powerful scaly bodies
James Kakalios
Tara Fox Hall
K. Sterling
Jonathan Maberry
Mary Balogh
Elizabeth Moynihan
Jane Hunt
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Jacquie Rogers
Shiloh Walker