The Red Sands Of Mars

The giant millipede reached the top of the crater wall and stared at the strange object in the distance. It was large and sat on streaks of light and dark sand that fanned out from its base. 
 
The object had generated a roar just before its landing and sent vibrations through the soil as it impacted the surface. The millipede was a guard assigned to inspect the cause of the disturbance.  Clouds of red dust still moved over the landscape as it watched unmoving. The guard’s duty was to protect its colony from predators.
 
* * *
 
Many sunrises had marked time since the last visitor appeared. When it arrived, the guard watched it too. It was much smaller than the new visitor and it moved about aimlessly. It repeatedly moved and dug holes into the sand.
 
The guard cautiously approached the object when it stopped. The scales on the millipede’s back tightened in an apparent defensive act as it crawled around the object inspecting it in detail.
 
The object did not respond to the guard’s inspection. The millipede struck the object with its forelegs but it kept digging and moving oblivious to the millipede.  The guard tried to bite the objects with its pinchers, but the surface was too hard to make any marks. It continued to move about digging holes. The millipede seemed to grow bored and left the object alone.  After many more sunrises, the object had stopped moving and digging.
 
* * *
 
This new visitor was much larger than the previous one. The guard continued to watch the large white object. After some time had passed, an opening appeared on its side and a creature came out. It descended down the side toward the surface. Repeatedly it moved a bit and stopped. Then it moved again until it reached the sand. It moved a wandering path across the sand as it came closer to the crater where the guard watched. It did not stop to dig holes.
 
The guard backed down the side of the crater just enough so that it could still watch it without exposing its body. The creature moved with a strange gait. It was walking on only two legs; yet it was able to remain upright without falling. 
 
As the creature approached, the guard tightened its scales in protective reflex. The object’s white skin reflected the sunlight. It had a shiny round top. It was very tall … twice the length of the millipede. It had two shorter legs near its top that waved in alternate coordination with its lower legs.
 
It was getting close. The guard burrowed into the side of the crater as the vibrations of creature moved closer. The millipede burrowed deeper into the sand. Suddenly a heavy shock very came from nearby. The guard pushed its head to the surface to see what happened.
 
The creature was very close. It had fallen into the crater. It moved awkwardly and the guard moved quickly away from it. The creature finally stood upright and appeared to notice the millipede. The creature stopped moving. It was few lengths away from the guard, which raised the front of its body to face the creature. The millipede was motionless and seemed to wait for a response from the creature.
 
The creature had a large object in one of its upper legs. Suddenly it swung the object at the millipede and hit the ground near it with a tremendous impact. Sand sprayed out as the object buried itself deeply.
 
The guard moved very fast and reached one of the creature’s legs in an instant. It opened its pincers wide and bit into the leg. The powerful pincers easily pierced deeply into the leg. A dark fluid started to leak around the pincers. The millipede released the leg and a low wind blew from the holes made in its skin. The creature fell to the sand and thrashed its legs. It tried to hit the millipede with the weapon again!
 
But the guard was too fast and it missed again. Quickly the millipede attacked and bit into the other leg. Then it rapidly moved several lengths away. The same dark fluid leaked out of its leg. The guard waited for many moments until the creature stopped thrashing and lay still. The dark fluid dripped from its pincers.
 
Then new vibrations signaled the approach of another creature.  It arrived near the crater and stopped at the edge. It was identical to the creature that had just attacked the guard. The millipede rapidly burrowed into the side of the crater. No vibrations indicated neither creature was moving. The millipede poked its head out to see the other creature.
 
The second creature was standing at the crater’s edge. Not moving. The creature the guard had attacked had not moved. Then the vibrations of a third creature were felt as it approached. It stood beside the other creature near the crater’s edge.
 
The creatures waved their top legs toward the guard’s hiding place. Suddenly objects came smashing down through the sand and struck the millipede. Repeated blows soon found the back of the millipede and it squirmed trying to get away, but it soon ceased moving and lay still in fluid soaked sand.
 
The creatures left the dead millipede and went to retrieve the body of their comrade.