Day 23: Night terrors

On a farflung planet, hordes of flesh-eating monsters scour the landscape every night; colonists, seeking to research ancient alien technology and cities, establish flying cities and underground, glass-ceilined outposts.

Early research on Tiamat IV was promising. For the first time since branching out into space, humans found evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life -- towering ruins of an obviously advanced society were easily observed from orbital satellites. Xenobiologists wondered about the planet's unusual characteristics; reconaissance teams found no sign of the aliens' bodies, just their imposing cities. In fact, the only living things on the planet seemed to be its plants -- wondrous, vibrant things. Flowers of all kinds, vines, creepers, trees -- striplings and massive giants alike -- a boggling, diverse selection of flora covered every inch of the planet. There was absolutely no evidence of any animal life.

Colonies were established and flourished. Research continued apace; archaeologists pieced together facets of the aliens' culture; herbologists cultivated new edible crops; physicians uncovered new medicines.

However, five years after the first colonies were established, humans discovered why there were no animals. In one terrifying night, hordes of small, reptilian beasts overran every settlement. There were no defenses -- there had never been a need for them. The only witnesses to the onslaught were those orbital satellites that had drawn humans there to begin with. There were no bodies left, and no trace of the creatures come daylight; however, the human cities were left just as bereft and as quiet as the ruins they'd been established to explore.

Every subsequent night, the creature re-emerged and washed across the planet's vast forests and jungles; they never harm the plants, but catch any other living thing and devour it before burrowing deep into the earth as morning comes.

The draw of the extraterrestrial ruins proved too strong for humanity. Several settlements have been developed -- massive, flying ships were deployed to orbit the planet, while smaller, temporary "family ships" flit across its surface. The family ships, which hold 50 or more explorers, settle during the day, allowing researchers to decamp and explore the region. At night, they hover hundreds of feet in the air, returning to the motherships when they run low on supplies or fuel. Other settlements were dug into the earth; reinforced glass plating can keep the beasts at bay during the evening, while allowing for extensive crops to grow. These types of settlements often serve as emergency shelters for disabled family ships; they store several fast-response skimmers that can quickly respond to distress calls.