Project Gutenberg 2016-04-01 Public domain in the USA. 115 Sharkey, Jack 1931 1992 Sharkey, John Michael Schelling, George 1938 Schelling, George Luther Schelling, George L. Schelling A Matter of Protocol Produced from Galaxy Magazine August 1962 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "A Matter of Protocol" by Jack Sharkey is a science fiction novella published in the early 1960s. Set on the lush, alien planet of Viridian, the story explores the complexities of life forms on this newly encountered celestial body. The narrative centers around the theme of first contact with extraterrestrial species and examines how interdependent life forms interact in their ecosystems. The plot follows Space Zoologist Lieutenant Jerry Norcriss, who embarks on a mission to study the alien life on Viridian. During his exploration, Jerry experiences a remarkable Connection with different species, uncovering a complex symbiotic relationship between the planet's insects, bear-like mammals, and native plants. The creatures rely on each other for reproduction and survival, establishing a unique ecological protocol. However, as his research reveals the delicate balance of life, a disaster occurs due to the destruction caused by Jerry's team during their landing. This ecological disruption leads to the eventual demise of the planet's vibrant ecosystem, leaving Jerry to grapple with the unintended consequences of their actions. Through this story, Sharkey conveys themes of interconnectedness, the fragility of ecosystems, and the potential ramifications of human interference in alien environments. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 72.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Life on other planets -- Fiction Norcriss, Jerry (Fictitious character) -- Fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 56162 2025-07-20T14:31:15.706539 text/html 32219 2024-10-23T00:16:18 text/html 246170 2025-07-20T14:31:17.442552 application/epub+zip 245002 2025-07-20T14:31:16.072560 application/epub+zip 81992 2025-07-20T14:31:15.870546 application/epub+zip 282429 2025-07-20T14:31:18.648553 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 275762 2025-07-20T14:31:17.227574 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 112917 2022-09-23T13:47:02.737867 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 49175 2025-07-20T14:31:15.594534 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 29408 2024-10-23T00:16:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18675 2025-07-20T14:31:18.784535 application/rdf+xml 34163 2025-07-20T14:31:15.941558 image/jpeg 5084 2025-07-20T14:31:15.905547 image/jpeg 220165 2025-07-20T14:31:15.716559 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia