Salvation

One day a ship crash lands on an bare planet.  Hicks is the "sole" survivor from an escape pod along with Captain Foss who is in bad condition. Hicks is a very religious man, praying in monologues for God to have mercy on his sole and safe him, even though he as done many sins and begins this tale that lead to the destruction. Hicks was a member of the Nova Maru with Foss, Stutz, Lee, Boyd, and Dean. There mission was to drop off some cargo in a backwater planet. But suddenly the ship goes in critical condition. Foss begins to freak out and runs the the only escape pod with Hicks because he knows a great evil was in the cargo. Unfortunately, the Nova Maru also fall upon the planet. And with it, the alien cargo. Foss went mad know death was certain and tried to kill Hicks, but Hicks got the upper hand and ended his life. After a long period of lamenting to the Lord, Hicks set out from the coast where the escape pod landed and into the forest to find the remains of the Nova Maru to signal for help. He took stops to honor the Sabbath  but ended up kill a native monkey for fear it was the alien.  One day in the jungle, Hicks appears to see an angel. The angel turned out to be Dean, a survivor from the crash. Dean promises to escort him to the Nova Maru, but on their way they see the alien. Problem was, it was not just one. They had to race through the forest until a waterfall secured their escape after jumping off. Dean know that the aliens were part of the cargo brought to this planet for "company purposes". Hicks began to fall in love with her, even lusting after her body but told himself that is must be a test of God. With one more push through the forest they got the the Nova Maru. Hicks tripped over Boyd's dead body and fall into the alien hive where the Queen slept where Hicks said he saw Hell itself. Up above he heard Dean continue to fight on the way to the control room. Mustering his strength, Hicks climbed out and followed. Upon entering the room he saw Dean's eye laying on the floor. Coming closer he noticed the unthinkable: Dean was an android. Dean begged Hicks to tie her tubes because she was leaking out and slowing dying. But Hicks did not trust the machine and demanding to know why the aliens were brought here. Dean says the aliens were brought her behind the military's back to make an alien reserve so further research and bio-weapons could be made. Dean then promised an increase in pay if he saved her and remained alive, for if he died the whole planet became "finders-keepers". Hicks got mad and killed her. He made his way through the hive on the Nova Maru ruins to the self-destruct sequence. He intended to kill all the aliens and himself. A few days later, in space above the ruins on the planet, the St. Peter vessel comes to see the distress signal. All life on the planet is destroyed and so St. Peter leaves to continue to spread the word of God to other parts of the galaxy.


Analysis: This is the story of a religious man trying to cope with the evils in the world and his own heart. In his fear he killed Foss and a native monkey. He saw how money lead the company to attempt to kill every native of the planet with the aliens. His faith was tested at every turn, and end the end he sacrificed himself to stop the evil of the company profiting from their crimes. This story shows all to clear how money is the root of all evil. First, Captain Foss underwent this dangerous venture for the money he would receive. But when things went sour he escaped to save his own life, and thus his money. The other people were just expendable food. Second, the company itself, in order to keep a supply of bio-weapons research, punished an innocent planet to die to all the alien.
This story also shows the evil of technology. Hicks becomes terrified and outraged at Dean when he finds out she is an android. First, he is upset because he was deceived. Secondly, he felt he was in love with the machine that could not express love. Dean was only in it because it was an order from the company to save property. She was not an angel  like he believed at first her to insure his well being. The author attempts to point out that technology can allow humans to get away with evil actions and program androids to fool and manipulate humans as expendable resources.  It is a crime against God since humans attempt to create life even though they can never feel love or other emotions. Yet at the same time, the author makes Dean say she is dying as if she does have feelings, but in her final words she turns to making it an order on behalf of the company instead of a moral right to save her.