the robotic transport ship
entered the atmosphere of planet 396
instead of gently touching down
on the rough landing pad
it slide down like
an out of control
atmospheric aircraft
digging furrows with
its landing skids
shearing off two of them
until it came to a halt
against the pile of karst
from when the landing pad
was bladed out of the plain
when the cargo hatch sprang open
a flatbed ground transporter
rolled out into the karst
it was loaded with
what appeared to be
bales of cotton
except the bales
started to move
they tended to grow
infesting every nook and cranny
of anything nearby
when exposed to
ultraviolet light
they melt into a
mass of black goo
the transporter has
a comatose man
sitting in the cab
END
Fantasy/Sci-Fi FILM & WRITING FESTIVAL 