The Price of Paradise by Colin Brake

Author:Colin Brake [Brake, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 9780563486527
Publisher: BBC NE PUBN
Published: 2006-11-13T08:00:00+00:00

‘Is there any possibility of getting these off?’ he asked, gesturing at the heavy metal chains that were wrapped around the creature, which lay sprawled on its back in the middle of the floor.

Hespell looked at the chains, which were fixed to points on the walls that had originally been intended to support shelving units. They were stretched tight, pinning the creature securely to the floor. It looked, and probably was, painful.

‘I’m sorry Doctor, but the professor says this thing has to be re-strained.’ He could see the sadness in the Doctor’s eyes and felt guilty, but he dared not disobey a direct order.

‘I don’t think he’s dangerous,’ explained the Doctor, ‘I really don’t.’

‘Tell that to Baker,’ muttered Hespell.

‘Baker went out there and started shooting at them. You all did.

They only wanted to stop you from poisoning the planet. Once this –

’ the Doctor waved an arm in the general direction of the wrecked generator – ‘this obscenity was destroyed they just left, didn’t they?’

Hespell had to admit that the Doctor had a point.

‘What are they?’ he wondered.

The Doctor shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But there’s more to them than meets the eye, I’m sure of that.’

Hespell came closer, intrigued. Even asleep, the creature looked fearsome. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked, bending and reaching out a curious hand to touch the alien fur.

‘Well, they attacked as a group. There wasn’t much sign of individuality, was there?’ The Doctor looked to Hespell for confirmation.

‘I – er, I suppose you’re right,’ he replied, not having thought about it much.

The Doctor continued with his theory. ‘So that would suggest some kind of an animal that wasn’t highly developed.’

Hespell nodded again.

‘And yet,’ said the Doctor, ‘they knew exactly what they needed to do, which demonstrates a certain degree of intelligence.’

Hespell began to see what the Doctor was driving at. ‘You mean they displayed characteristics of simple animals and more complex life forms at the same time?’ he said.

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