Vensus Has People! — Russell James

Captain Austyn Parsons commands the Aphrodite 3, a methane extraction ship orbiting Venus. But this trip proves less than mundane as flying creatures are sucked through the collection hoses and clog up the vents leading to the ship. This leads Parsons and her crew to discover intelligent life on the planet. The silicon-based Astrations are a peaceful species that inhabits Venus. First contact is established and a new era begins for Earth-Venus relations.