The sound of chisels knocking hard against something metallic made the dig commander look up, his eyes wide as his subservients pulled back a massive chunk of rubble to reveal a crumbling and corroded statue, its pillar-like base cracked in two, the nose of the familiar yet strange face missing amongst the shattered remains of what once must have been a thriving city.

Waving hurriedly to his second-in-command, the commander brushed the face off, his mouth opening to babble excitedly as the sound of a hovercraft touching down next to him make him look up.

He saluted smartly as the sallow orange, purple striped face of his commanding officer stepped out of the vehicle, his mouth turned down into a frown.

“Dr. Malek” he nodded, his face indefatigable against the barren landscape. “The distress call we decoded is being sent out by an aged satellite of this planet “Earth”, but I’m afraid that it is many centuries old. Your experiments may have to wait.”

“Are there any survivors sir?”

“None.”