First Contact

First Contact

The first intelligent life forms Humanity encountered among the stars were the ice-cave dwelling primitive natives of Beta Coma Berenices IV. At Dr. Girard’s prompting, they soon became known as the “Comans”, though Czorza insisted a more accurate name would be “Four-Eyed Pasty Yodeling Pig-Slugs from the Berenician Ice Caves”.
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“Crap. Now what’s she doing?”
“She’s going right up to it.”
“Yeah, I told her to stay back. Figures; she has a PhD, so why should she listen to me?”
“‘Pay No Heed.’ That’s what it stands for.”
“What? ‘Pay’... No it doesn’t, you moron. How did you get on my crew anyway?
“I know people.”
“Not things. Looks like she’s trying to talk to it.”
“Yeah. Hey! What are you doing with that laser gun?”
“It’s a mobile optical signaling device. Just in case. Move your shoulder over a bit.”
“Is that a – the damn thing has an earring!”
“Three, in the ear I can see through the scope. I’ll be damned...”