The rains of Eridan

the long version

On a strangely beautiful planet of vast grazing lands and gentle valleys, a small expedition of scientists is exploring, testing, searching. Theo, a biologist, is alone in her camp in the hills when she finds Karen, a young girl recently orphaned, the victim of political unrest resulting from the unexplained terror that grips most of the human population like a dread disease. Nearby in a cave the discover a strange desiccated, mummy-like mounds—huge, caterpillar-like creatures that appear to be dead, surrounded by magnificent crystals of incalculable value. Like true scientists, Theo and Karen take their sample for further laboratory study and return to the base. And then it starts to rain...