Explore "A Matter of Protocol" by Jack Sharkey on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
First Contact was always dangerous -- but / usually only to the man involved!
From space, the planet Viridian resembled a great green moss-covered tennis ball. When the spaceship had arrowed even closer to the lush jungle that was the surface of the 7000-mile sphere, there was still no visible break in the green cloak of the planet. Even when they dipped almost below their margin of safety -- spaceships were poorly built for extended flight within the atmosphere -- it took nearly a complete circuit of the planet before a triangle of emptiness was spotted. It was in the midst of the tangled canopy of treetops, themselves interwoven inextricably with coarse-leaved ropy vines that sprawled and coiled about the upthrust branches like underfed anacondas.