A short story in the world of Slither by Melody Steiner
One day in the not-too-distant future...
One day in the not-too-distant future, a wormhole opens up on the outskirts of the Terran solar system. For the next twenty-five years, it comes and goes at regular intervals, spilling mysterious transmissions into local space. The Terran Security Council rushes to establish a foothold on the far side of the wormhole—ostensibly to explore this new part of space, but in reality to forge a first line of defense against a possible alien invasion....a wormhole opens up on the outskirts of the Terran solar system.
A planet suitable for ice-mining is found. A manufacturing seed is launched, but the seed fails to germinate. TSC taps Chief Awinita ‘AJ’ Johnson for the unenviable job of getting the seed back on track even though she is burnt-out and long overdue for long term leave. Soon after she and a small team of volunteers are deposited on Farside for a three-month stint, they discover that the planet is inhabited.