It was that kind of silence where you knew it was directed at you, if that made any sense. People specifically weren't talking to me. And of all those people, I noticed one more than anyone else – the good old Commander. Everything had obviously just caught up to him – the monster, me, this general creepy dig site. He may routinely see a hell of a lot of bizarre in the big wide galaxy – but would this rock the boat? ‘Are there any more of those . . . things?’ His helmet was still on, so I couldn't quite see who he was asking. But he turned to Doctor Cole, who was standing with her hands on her hips, staring off down the tunnel that led to the caved-in chamber. ‘No.’ She dusted a patch of dirt off the shoulder of her vest. ‘Then let’s get the hell out of here.’ Right. Seriously? That was it? They weren't going to poke around this dig and discover the secrets of this ancient site? Presumably none of the GAMs, not even the Commander, had ever seen anything like that creature before – so why throw away the opportunity to learn more?
