The Space Traveller and the Planet of Sheep
‘Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’ The chorus rang out across the hills as the black ink of the night bled into the evening sky. Hundreds of glinting eyes gazed up at the stars, a meteor like ball blazed by meters above their heads. A scorched trail of trees lit up the way to where the glowing ball lay. The sheep followed the path, trailing one behind another.
The space traveller pushed at the door of the spherical ship, the silver space ball glowed red from heat. The night’s air was breathable, he inhaled deeply and observed the landscape around him. Rocks and trees towered above him. Was everything on this planet so giant or had he shrunk? A lonely silhouette appeared on the hill, two red eyes bore down into his flesh. He turned to his ship, ‘Orb!’ he commanded. Then as he turned around the ship compacted into a small glowing ball of light and began to speed off ahead of him scanning the landscape as it went. He looked back up at the hill, the lone silhouette had been joined by hundreds of others. A strip of red eyes shone out into the darkness. The leader raised his head and called out ‘Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’. In unison the sheep all across the hills joined in, ‘Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’
The space traveller could sense that this was not a welcome; this was a call to war! He began to run, chasing the orb of light. The atmosphere felt heavier than he was used to, his arms and legs cut through the air as he ran, but he felt like he was running in slow motion. The orb was just ahead of him, he could almost reach it with his outstretched fingers.
A sound like thunder rumbled through the valley. As he glanced over his shoulder he could see sheep tumbling down the hillside, launching themselves like bowling balls off the top of the hill. He was being chased by an army of hostile sheep! He ran as fast as he could but the drag of the atmosphere became stronger and stronger until he could barely move. He felt like he was frozen in time.
‘Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’ the sheep calls were getting closer and closer, soon they would be snapping at his heels. With all his remaining energy he leapt towards the orb calling out ‘sanctuary!’ just as the leader of the sheep pounced forwards with his jaws aimed at the space traveller’s neck
In a blinding flash the sphere enveloped the space traveller and shot into the night’s sky, leaving the leader of the sheep looking upwards in wonder.
The space traveller continued his journey in search of a more hospitable planet. So far his journey had not been fruitful, but he was optimistic for the next planet on his list with a breathable atmosphere, Earth.
‘Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’ echoed across the land, followed by silence.
