Question

Writing a science fiction story: Do you think life exists on other planets?

If there is life on other planets, what would these aliens look like? Draw your idea of an alien in the box.

Write a story about the alien (s) you drew.

Before you write your story, you must think about

• The setting
• The characters
• The plot

Answer 1

1. Do Aliens Exist?
   • Statistically, yes. With billions of galaxies and planets in the universe, the mathematical odds of life existing elsewhere are extraordinarily high.
2. The Alien Concept
   • Name/Type: A heavy-gravity surface dweller.
   • Appearance: Low to the ground with six short, sturdy legs to handle crushing gravity.
   • Skin: Translucent and bioluminescent, changing colours to communicate.
   • Sensory: No eyes; it ‘sees’ using heat-sensing pits and acoustic frills that detect sonar vibrations.

The Story: First Contact

The violet fog of Gliese was thick and heavy. Vael crouched low on six wide legs, feeling the planet’s deep hum through acoustic frills. Suddenly, a cold, metallic object crashed onto the spore-beds near a human exploration pod, its hull buckling under the planet’s brutal gravity.

Inside, Dr. Maya Lin watched her thrusters fail. The pressure seal was cracking. Through the window, she saw a low-slung, six-legged creature glide toward her. Its skin burst into brilliant, pulsing patterns of sapphire and emerald light. It wasn’t attacking; it was communicating.

Maya flashed her lander’s floodlights in response. Recognising the signal, Vael used its massive strength to shove the lander onto a floating spore-mat, which gently drifted upward into the safer, lower-pressure atmosphere. As Maya floated to safety, she looked down at the alien below, its skin glowing a warm, golden farewell.