Challenge #01800-D339: Your Average Away Mission

In which the active camouflage used by one species may not work on another. -- TheDragonsFlame

"The heck is this?" said the ship's human, LtCmdr Abel Jain. It rustled as ze waved it around.

"Essential equipment," said M'koi. "This is hostile territory and a pre-travel civilisation. We can't allow ourselves to be detected." He demonstrated his next words. "Wrap it around you and hunker down and you're indistinguishable from a rock."

"Apart from being bright green and noticeably fake, shyeah," said Jain. "Do you know if they have eyes?"

M'koi flattened his ears and hissed. "I do not now nor will I ever acknowledge this mystical 'light' malarkey. This is one of your elaborate human ruses to make us look ridiculous."

"Bönz," sighed Jain. "I've been working on their transmissions. They have television. Believe in it or don't, they can probably see this. I'm printing a Gilly Suit. For everyone."

What neither of them anticipated was that these primitive beings could see in the ultra-violet spectrum, and some of the dyes in the Gilly Suits stood out like neon. Like a fly in the ointment. Like an explosion in the dark.

Jain drummed her fingers on the floor. Patiently listening as the ships' doctor rattled mockingly through all her previous metaphors involving how something could stand out. They may not be up to travel between the stars, but these folks knew how to build an oubliette. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she sighed. "I can't plan for everything."

"Like nuts on the trucks," crowed M'koi. Relishing it despite his captivity. "Like a dogs'--"

"All right! They caught you too, Einstein. You and your bright green rocklike cloak."

M'koi stopped preening. Got back to sulking. "Take the fun out of everything, you blunt-eared hulking giant."

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / garyperkin]

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