Life 2.147

Life has an energy all its own. It thrives where no one would ever believe. It clings to the smallest toehold. It flourishes given any chance at all.

Jane Markett was an up-and-coming exo-archeologist when she first set foot on Zari-Kut-3 over a year ago. She was not about to let a bunch of stodgy, slow colleagues slow down her headlong search for Zat-Mat-Kut, an ancient alien religious site.

The best android on this planet, Zack was the key to it all for Jane. He was more than just a strong back, his sensors were second to none. He was the latest in artificial intelligence. He was the key to her fast-track career path to fame and glory. All she had to do was convince Chuck, the Head Researcher in charge of this dig.

What happened, though, was not what anybody expected.