Farmer | Predator | Alien Environment | Science Fiction
Two Holes in the Air
Hunting an invisible threat
Rex and I were tracking the beast despite the cold air, the darkness of the clouds, and the razor-like night snow that fell. I was protected by my sub-zero armor and Rex by his shaggy fur.
Rex was following the creature’s scent. I was following its tracks in last night’s snow. If not for the snow, we’d have had to rely on Rex’s nose alone.
The creature had hit our farmstead three nights out of the last seven, evading our detection equipment every time. Our cameras and sensors weren’t designed for beasts that evolved in this environment. Had it not been for Rex’s howling, I wouldn’t have known the predator was among the herd until I found the stripped carcass the next day.
As it was, the scent dissipated so quickly after the first two attacks that even Rex could not track it for long. The air in this accursed place had been too dry.
Then came the clouds. With them, the humidity rose. And snow fell. For two nights, as the snow fell, there were no attacks. The beast must have grown hungry by the third night, for it braved the sharp flakes of the night snow and hunted my herd once again.
