The Nathan Daniels Saga: Part 1 by Sam Lippert Read Free Book Online Page A

the spaceport.  While this was generally true on newly colonized worlds, as the world grows, the city tends to grow in one direction, away from the 'port, until eventually the city and 'port are two distinctly different entities.  Two hundred years of regular visits from off world had led to the 'port on Rhadasia essentially being encapsulated by the city, giving the spaceport/city combination the look of a giant eye from above.
    Since the 'port was built by off-worlders for the use of off-worlders, there was enough technology available on site to see to it that ships could be re-fueled and re-supplied.  Nathan tasked Omany with the resupply operations, and asked Remi to accompany him as he headed to the cargo hold.
    “As you mentioned a week ago, the 'people' of Rhadasia have very large litters.  The females create a nest, and will lay literally hundreds of eggs, which will be fertilized by the male.  After fertilization, the male then buries the nest, and both mom and dad move on.  Some months later, the eggs hatch, and the young work to dig themselves out of the nest, killing and eating each other on the way out.  This reduces the number of young by fifty percent, but there are still at least one hundred young Rhadasians that survive this stage.  As you can imagine, this leads to a total disregard for the young, and a culture that can be very brutal.”  Nathan turned to Remi.  “This is about the most I can tell you to prepare you for what you are about to see, and it certainly isn't enough.”
    Nathan pressed the button that started the cargo ramp lowering, and stopped it when it was about half-way to the ground.
    “Change your mind?” Remi asked.
    “ No.  If we were to lower the ramp all the way to the ground, in the time it took us to walk down the ramp and close up the ship behind us, the hold would be so full of young Rhadasians that the only way we could be rid of them would be to open the hold to space after we lift.  Not something I really care to do, if I can avoid it.”  The pair walked to the end of the ramp and jumped off, tiny lizards scurried out of the way in an effort to avoid being crushed as they hit the ground.
    The little Rhadasians were everywhere .  They covered the ground like a living carpet, and you could see them scurrying up the sides of buildings and up lampposts.  The young lizards start life tiny and non-sentient.  The ones that survive grow larger and smarter over time.  Just before puberty Rhadasian young have roughly the intelligence of an Earth dog, but by the time they finish puberty they are as intelligent and cognizant as any other adult Rhadasian. 
    Although they are not sentient, the young lizards are fully capable of survival, and are left to their own devices.  The ones that make it to puberty are then educated and fully integrated into society, those that don't, end up dead.  With every generation the number of Rhadasians who make it to adulthood increases dramatically, both because of the increase in the safety and technology of the society, and the decrease in the natural predators of the Rhadasian young. 
    Nathan began to stride casually in the direction of the Spaceport Tavern, but quickly noticed that Remi was not keeping up.  He looked behind and saw her struggling to move without stepping on any of the tiny lizards.
    “ Problem?” he called back.
    “ How do you move without stepping on anybody?” Remi responded.
    “ Just walk.” Nathan replied.  “Ninety-five percent of the time, they will move to avoid being stepped on.”
    “ And the other five percent?” Was her response.
    “ Natural selection.”  Nathan waited another beat, and watched as a look of seriousness spread across Remi's face, then she just started to walk forward, and quickly caught up to the Captain.
    It was only a short walk to the Tavern, and both Nathan and Remi managed the walk without flattening any Rhadasians.  This particular establishment was (as were the best