The five of them moved back down the aisle. Gant retrieved his gun and holstered it. As they neared the second creature, it moved aside to allow them past. Once they were past, it turned to watch them. Its fellow joined it. Cormac gestured for them to follow. They immediately did so.

‘How dangerous are they?’ asked Gant.

‘They haven’t attacked, that’s all I can say. Whatever their reason for being here, they are survivors. We came here to rescue any survivors . . .’

They soon reached the open door to the facility, and began fighting their way through a worsening blizzard to the shuttle.

‘Quickly,’ said Jane. ‘Some fallout.’

Cormac glanced back and saw the two creatures hesitating at the door. Perhaps they were at their limit there. Perhaps it was too cold out here for them. He again gestured for them to follow, and pointed over at the shuttle. They followed again. The storm made no difference to their plodding gait. In a moment all five were beside the shuttle and Jane opened the door and helped them inside. Cormac waited with her at the door for the two creatures to arrive. They climbed inside also. The door closed. The creatures stood there waiting.

As the temperature rose, the shuttle filled with carbon-dioxide vapour that slowly cleared. Soon the floor around the creatures was peppered with water-ice splinters that had flaked from their plastimesh clothing. When the temperature reached 250 Kelvin, minus twenty-three Celsius, Cormac removed his mask and gloves. The creatures copied him, the plastic mesh that covered them breaking like wet blotting paper at this higher temperature.

‘No coldsuit underneath. Must have antifreeze for blood,’ observed Thorn.

Everyone else was silent as the creatures revealed themselves, and finally stood naked before them. Cormac nodded to himself, all his recent suspicions confirmed, and new ones taking their place. Had Blegg known? The old bastard had said Cormac was just right for this mission.

These creatures looked like men, only their skin was green, fading to yellow around their stomachs, inside their legs and under their chins, and it was tegulated with fingernail-sized scales. They were hairless, and their eyes were about three times the size of a man’s. They had no ears, only holes set in the requisite positions. The shape of their heads was toadlike, with muzzles rather than human noses and mouths. Their hands were three-fingered and bearing claws. Tentatively, Mika stepped closer and scanned them with her diagnosticer. After that she studied her readings for a long time before saying anything.

‘I can’t get a proper reading from them. We’ll need the lab on the Hubris.’

‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ said Cormac. ‘And it wouldn’t surprise me if you get some strange readings there, too. You see, I don’t think they are really alive.’

Mika looked at him and waited.