"I can't believe that our technology has advanced so far as to make a replicating machine that complex, and that sophisticated" said Brad, "Its impossible! The complexity is too staggering to even consider for a moment!"

"It probably wasn't our technology then," said Turran, "Its like I said, aliens did it."

Turran leaned back against the side of the Rover and sighed.

"This is really cool Dad," he said, "A machine that has babies!"

"It may not be as cool as you think!" said Brad.

"Why not?"

"It might spread all over the planet. This could be the beginning of the end for the human race!"

"Do you mean we have to kill this thing?" asked Turran.

"I hope not," said Brad.

"Do you think it will defend itself? If it's alive it might not want to be killed, maybe?"

"Not just maybe. Probably. I just don't know. Most living things have some form of defense. This thing probably has one too."

They watched the pumpkin-shaped thing for a while and wondered. Brad took more notes, and more photographs, and once he ventured out across the burning to look very closely at it, but he was also very cautious now.

By evening the thing had swelled to twice its size. Inside its rounded body, a vast process was going on. Shiny pipes began to protrude from its sides. They pushed their way into the soil, and grew thicker as the machine sucked more materials from under itself. It was like a tree now, without branches, throbbing with a quiet inner power and growing slowly.

As the sun went down. Brad and Turran crept over to the thing and listened. It was still humming. The red light was still winking.

"I think it's gone into a dormant stage," whispered Brad.

"What does that mean?" said Turran.

"Its asleep."