Chapter 15

Once the herd came into visual range, Jude’s theory was confirmed. The things bore more than a passing resemblance to yetis, down to the fur, long arms, and large feet which wasted no time in kicking the ship.

“That didn’t feel very welcoming,” said Cal.

Jude set the cameras to follow the yetis. Alston liked to send this kind of data to scientists or, when they wanted some positive publicity, the galaxy at large.

“Maybe they’re trying to see if the ship is alive,” Jude mused.

“They’re not causing any damage with the kicks, at least. I wonder if that’s as hard as they can kick.” On the heels of that musing, one of the yetis gave the hull a good whack. “I take it back,” said Cal. “I don’t need to know how much force they can manage.”

The herd stopped kicking, leading Jude to wonder if perhaps they learned the hull was solid and bound to hurt their feet. He had a camera zoom in for some detailed shots, and thus discovered the fangs.