As the search for life on Iotan expanded, Cillian found himself going to the surface more and more. A clearer picture of the planet’s species began to form. They found exoskeletons lying out in the open in the barren lands: large creatures that died thousands of years ago. The Monks took samples, and the humans photographed the fossils. They found ten separate and distinct species in the first week.
Soon after, Cillian saw them up and walking around by the hundreds. Herds of armored animals migrating across the rocky landscape.
Specialists, mostly Monks, spent whole days on each specimen, camping out near the mummified bodies. Cillian was brought in to tend to their needs. The Monks refused to wear any kind of shoes or gloves. Their bare feet often received cuts from the sharp stones, so
