Signs of life

As he makes his way towards the buildings, Mike considers his situation. Fortunately, he’s uninjured, but without food and water, the situation seems dire. However, buildings mean people, even if they’re not human. Hopefully, whatever they eat and drink is similar to what he needs. Everything they learned about this world came from orbital telescopes and deep space probes, all launched ages ago, but the info seemed valid.

A humanoid race of aliens, with seemingly advanced technology, that somehow hadn’t noticed humans first. It seemed implausible to Mike, but then, he was simply an engineer, working on the project. He wasn’t privy to all the details. And now, here he was.

He mulled over his thoughts long enough that he reached the buildings without realizing. At a glance, he could see they weren’t dwellings, looking more like outbuildings for some purpose. Slowly, he walks around, looking for signs that someone was there. Finding nothing but a door, he approaches, and it slides open smoothly, seemingly automatic. Dim lighting illuminates the interior, and he cautiously steps inside.

It appears to be a workspace of some kind. Though the layout and tools look a little odd, it’s still obvious. Though what purpose it’s for is unclear, it’s apparent that the place is used regularly, since everything is neat, clean, and organized. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any supplies Mike could use here, so he turns back towards the door.

And is blinded by a shining light.

A flashlight or a spotlight of some kind is shining through the door, leaving him half-blind. All he can see is an approaching silhouette. He feels something impact against his chest, and feels a flash of pain.