interstellar-restrictions

Enoch confronts a ratlike alien that has illegally traveled to Earth, a planet barred to extraterrestrials. He pursues the creature through a forested slope, grappling with the moral dilemma of capturing without killing it, while also contending with the alien's aggressive defense and the unexpected involvement of Lucy Fisher. The chapter culminates in a tense standoff atop a rocky outcrop where Enoch must decide whether to shoot the alien despite the darkness and proximity.