The Colonists

The story opens on Serrengia, a harsh alien world where Earth’s chosen colonists have spent eight years battling relentless wet seasons and bone‑dry interludes. Their equipment has corroded, calendars have merged with the soil, and the once‑proud scientific mission now clings to the rhythm of the planet’s twin‑year cycle. Amid crumbling huts and makeshift moats, the survivors cling to routine, waiting for the distant Earth fleet that promised a return.

Captain Louis Carnahan, the de facto leader, is a man worn thin by isolation. He marks the passing days on a post, sips a harsh home‑brewed liquor for false clarity, and confronts his own reflection in a cracked steel mirror, questioning the honor he was meant to embody. Around him, the earnest biologist Bolinger clings to his research, while the rest of the crew drifts toward despair. As the final rain season begins, Carnahan must decide whether to hold fast to duty or surrender to the encroaching hopelessness.