The next few days' work left things little clearer. The planet was seismically more stable than any they had encountered, despite the enormous tides from the bright companion. The ground beneath them, so solid-looking from above, was riddled with cavities a few metres down, forming a tantalising suggestion of a regular pattern. The atmosphere, while basically breathable, was so filled with hydrocarbon vapours and carbon monoxide that anything exposed to it would have died within minutes. But they saw no more of the mysterious machines, and no more crew members disappeared in their occasional, very nervous, trips on to the surface. As the stress took more effect on the crew, McFee became quiet and secretive, spending all his spare time in the workshop and refusing to allow either of the others in; Peniakov became more and more nervous, almost panicky; and Captain Sorensen seemed lost in thought.
On the fourth day, Peniakov sounded the alarm. As the others ran into the observation turret, red-eyed from lack of sleep, they saw a huge slab of the surface, less than a mile away, hinge upwards, leaving a gaping hole into the caverns below. At the same moment, the asteroid collision warning system pinged, and the radar screen showed a ship bearing down towards them from the bright companion. Heading at first for the massive trapdoor, it turned at the last moment, and, gliding down on its delta wings, alighted next to them. From a port in its side, a strange, nightmarish creature emerged and walked towards them.
"Amazing", whispered Peniakov. "Bipedal, only four limbs overall. How does it keep its balance?"
"Not very easily, from the way it's staggering", commented Sorensen drily. "It looks almost like it's drunk!"
"It's made radio contact", called McFee from the communications console. "The translator can't cope yet, all I'm getting is gibberish. Hang on, it's managed a partial translation. Strange, it can only translate it into Southern Polar Continental, not Standard."
"Put it on the speaker", said Sorensen, "and give me a channel. Attention, whoever you are! We come in peace. Take me to your leader."