Nice … very nice … finally something different frome space battles and huge spaceships. It all depends on the judges character. If they apreciate at the true value an original ideea, you have a huge advantage… if they are more impressed by huge fleets and alot of destruction, you don’t stand a chance…
As i see it: you should do the view from a cave or some sort … and as it would be through the eyes of a inhabitant of the planet… not necesarily humanoid … nor a green/gray alien
… the base ideea: “columb” discovers this new land, but that is not a “nobody’s land”.
Good Luck !! … i like your ideea.