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eyes emerged, surrounded by black, slimy skin. The animal stared at him, blinking. Terry met its gaze and watched as it slowly submerged.
    He was afraid of this. Mudsnakes were the worst kind of pests. They slept underwater during the day only to spend their nights scavenging on land. He’d chosen his last camp because it was next to a running stream too small for a mudsnake to swim through. Did he have to worry now about his new camp and his food supply? The pond was a good long walk from the dome, but was it far enough? He didn’t know if he should take the risk or try exterminating them while he still had some daylight.
    Not now, suggested Janice. We still have to explore. Come back later.
    Right. He could wait. Return with some proper tools.
    Let’s go! Time’s wasting, said Janice.
    Terry nodded his agreement. The day was fading, and he still had plenty of ground to cover. Who knew what he’d discover? He might get lucky and run into another orchard. Maybe this whole area had once been a massive farm. Wouldn’t that be something? He’d never have to worry about food again.
    A short walk later, he found the edge of the woods. As he entered yet another clearing, he came face to face with a ridge no larger than a dozen meters. He followed it around, and it only grew in size. In the far distance, he spotted several small domes resting adjacent to the rockface. They almost looked strategic. But why here?
    He ran to them, then stopped when he saw what they were guarding—a large artificial cave with flattened stone walls inside. As he approached, he could see a set of descending stairs.
    Looks dangerous, said Janice. We should leave.
    “I wanna check it out,” he said, peering into the cave.
    Fine, but be careful, she said.
    The air inside the cave was thick and full of dust. The deeper he went, the colder it grew. Like every other structure he’d found on this world, this one felt like a tomb. After a few minutes when the light had gone completely out, his hybrid eyes adjusted, allowing him to see clearly. To his surprise, the stairs went on and on, deep into the cavern. A hundred meters, perhaps, but he kept going.
    Where are we going? Asked Janice.
    He shrugged. “Nowhere.” The echo of his voice surprised him.
    Monsters live in caves, she said. Big monsters with shiny claws and scary faces. You remember. They’ll kill us both.
    An image of a razorback flashed in his mind. He froze instantly. The animal’s body had been covered in silver quills, which fluttered and moved depending on what it was doing. He imagined those empty eyes staring at him, seemingly devoid of thought. A creature bred on instinct. He remembered the fight in the tunnel, back when Roland was killed by one of the monsters. Terry had tried to stop it, but he was too late.
    What if there’s one down here? Asked Janice.
    “There won’t be,” he said, softly.
    You don’t know.
    He found the base of the stairs and discovered a vast opening. What he’d assumed was a cave appeared to be a tunnel, expertly carved, stretching far into the earth. From what he could tell, it went on for at least a kilometer before curving to the north. Dozens of other paths branched off to unknown areas.
    Scary, said Janice. What do you think this is?
    “I don’t know,” he muttered. “Could be anything.”
    We should go. It’s getting late.
    He nodded. He’d return later when he had more time to explore. Besides, his stomach was growling.
    Terry left the cave and entered the light of the two setting suns. He had about forty five minutes before nightfall. Plenty of time to get home, back to his shack in the glade.
    Marching briskly through the woods, he found the abandoned dome with several minutes to spare. Upstairs, he took out several pieces of the fruit he’d found at the orchard and ate them freely. Since his arrival on this planet, his belly had never been full, but today would be different. With so much food in the orchard, he could afford to live