The Unprotected Species

A survey team has landed on a cold, unsettling world where the native gnomes keep to the shadows and an unseen force seems to drive people to violent frenzy. The first morning’s routine is shattered when a respected crew member is found bruised, bloodied and maddened, brandishing a stick as if possessed. The senior biologist and the base medic scramble to understand the bizarre injuries and the sudden, homicidal rage, but even their expertise offers no clear explanation.

As the base grapples with fear and confusion, the members must decide whether to press on with their pre‑colonization mapping or retreat from a planet that may be defending itself in a way they cannot yet comprehend. The story weaves tension and curiosity, inviting listeners to wonder what hidden threat lurks beneath the alien brambles and how far human reason can stretch when confronted with the incomprehensible.