#30: Dust Scooper

The Dust Scooper’s job is simple — comb the deserts for treasure. When we visit planets, whether natural or terraformed, a research expedition analyses local biomes. Sandy landscapes — barren though they are — provide important insight, helping us to date the grains (and deeper beds of rock). The Scooper ploughs the banks and undulations they encounter, looking for loose skeletons or evidence of culture. Parched and torrid land is somewhat dull to scrutinise, however. Drivers entertain themselves whilst sifting through the grit and lint. In the waste, they etch gigantic figures (and their livestock). They use their scoop arm as a brush, upon a granular canvas; then they spew great puffs of...View all