7.

  The decontamination process was a long and involved one, and by the time it was finished Katherine doubted if she had ever been this clean before. It took an hour before the medical team announced that she was completely free of any kind of radiation, at which point she was able to leave the decontamination bay and start redressing.

  Halfway through pulling on her uniform, the door to her cubicle slid open to admit Seraphina, who was holding a data packet.

  “General,” Seraphina said.

  Katherine glared at her. “I’m half naked, can this wait?”

  Seraphina smiled. “You can wait longer to see what information we have from the passenger, if you’d like.”

  Katherine sighed. Seraphina knew her far too well. “Fine. But try not to look too directly at me, please.”

  “Of course. So, basics first. Our friend is nine feet eleven inches tall, and weighs almost exactly eight hundred pounds. That grey skin of his matches almost perfectly to samples of rock from the planet, so we assume that he’s a prey species.”

  Katherine looked up from the strap she had been fiddling with. “He?”

  “Yes,” said Seraphina. “We assume. He has sexual organs that most closely align with the males of several other species in my logs. Of course, we’re assuming a sexual dimorphism in his species, but perhaps we can learn more when he’s awake.”

  “He’s asleep?”

  “He is. I didn’t use any kind of sedative on him because I didn’t know if they were safe for him, but as soon as we were done decompressing he just laid down and started to sleep. I’m hoping that means that he feels safe.”

  “How are his wounds?” Katherine asked. She bent down and started to tie her bootlace.

  “They’re radiation burns,” Seraphina explained. “Relatively minor, considering the level of radiation that he came into contact with. If I had to guess, I’d say that his body is built to process certain levels of radiation, and that something happened to cause those natural defences to be overwhelmed.”

  Katherine looked at her. “Keep going.”

  “General, I haven’t been able to conduct a more thorough investigation. Without that, I won’t be able to tell you anything else.”

  “That’s not what I said,” said Katherine. “You have speculations.”

  “Speculations?” asked Seraphina. “I am the chief medical officer of this Ring; I assure you that I place my stock in things that are far more solid than speculations.”

  Katherine raised an eyebrow.

  Seraphina smiled. “You know me too well, General. I think that our friend must have been a subterranean species. Radiation levels are lower the further into the planet’s crust one goes, but mining expeditions have never encountered life before. However, since they say that the cave system on the planet is a maze, then I can only assume that there is a civilization of some kind there.”

  “That makes sense,” said Katherine. “A creature doesn’t come from nowhere, after all.”

  “There’s more evidence,” said Seraphina. “A burn pattern on his shoulder indicates that at one time he was wearing some kind of clothing. I can’t be sure without looking at it more closely, but his species is clearly advanced enough to cover itself.”

  Katherine nodded slowly. “So, when you said you assumed based on its sexual organs…”

  “Yes, General. I believe that it would have wanted them covered. One of my team is attempting to source some simple clothes in his size, and we’ve given him a blanket in the meantime. Regardless, this indicates a society at level three technology level, at least.”

  “Or more,” muttered Katherine.

  Seraphina smiled at her. “Exactly. This could be a real scientific find. I can’t wait to publish an article all about this new species, for medical purposes of course. I’ll label you as a contributor.”

  “Thank you,” said Katherine. “Have we contacted Archivist yet?”

  Seraphina’s smile faded. “Do we have to?”

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  “Yes,” Katherine said, trying to keep the same displeasure out of her voice. “An Archivist needs to be present for anything related to the discovery of a new species, planet, or anything else. And I’m afraid he’ll get to choose the name.”

  Seraphina groaned. “But he’s just so boring.”

  “I’m calling him,” said Katherine.

  Ten minutes, the medical bay doors opened to reveal a human male dressed in a simple grey jumpsuit, carrying a rectangular bag in one hand. His face was perfectly square, and his hair even more so. Katherine had never understood why he was so uniform with his appearance. If she was born as one of thousands of identical Archivists, grown specifically to ensure that all collection of data would be as unbiased as possible, then she would have wanted to chase after any form of individuality that she could find.

  Archivist made a beeline directly for Katherine and Seraphina. He nodded once to each of them in greeting. “General Graham. Chief Medical Officer Seraphina.”

  “Archivist,” said Katherine. It was only a title, but Archivist had never chosen a name to go with his designation. “You arrived here quickly.”

  “I was Already on my way here when I received your communique,” he said. “I had heard About the Acquisition of this creature and Assumed that I would be called for in due time. I must say, the time between when I understand that it was brought on board and my being summoned was far larger than I expected it to be. By A duration of more than An hour. Empiridum regulations require the summoning of an Archivist as soon as contact is made with an unknown element.”

  Katherine cleared her throat. “My apologies, Archivist, but the situation was a complicated one. You are here now.” She dropped her voice slightly. “I would thank you to not question the authority that I hold on this Ring.”

  Archivist hesitated, then nodded. “Of course, General. Your Authority is Absolute.” He said it with the slightest hint of sarcasm beneath his voice, which Katherine knew he expected her to pick up on. She had never gotten on well with Archivist.

  Seraphina quickly explained everything that she had told Katherine. As soon as she mentioned her speculations, Archivist brought up his hand to cut her off. “I will not listen to your baseless speculations,” he said flatly. “My role is to record the objective truths about Alien lifeforms. Until you have evidence of Any of the claims that you Are guessing About, do not Attempt to influence my report by filling my mind with them.”

  He turned. “Will you show me the creature?”

  Seraphina led them both to a viewing window that showed one of her operating rooms. The creature was sleeping inside, lying on the floor with most of its body hiding underneath a large brown blanket. Katherine could see its body rise and fall as it breathed deeply in its sleep, and felt suddenly maternal looking at it. She forced those feelings to the back of her mind – she was here as a general, not as a mother.

  “When will testing resume?” asked Archivist.

  Seraphina made a face. “It’s hard to say. We need to establish a method of communication in order to obtain its consent for tests, but usually we don’t encounter singular creatures from dead worlds. Usually there’s communication between members of the same species that we can observe, at the very least. Once we’re sure that it understands what we’re doing, it should only take half a day to get everything we need.” She pursed her lips in thought.

  “I will give you two days,” said Archivist. “After that Amount of time, I want to know everything about its species. It does not have to be Alive in order to obtain that information.”

  “Excuse me?” Seraphina asked. “Are you suggesting I kill it for use as a cadaver?”

  “Empiridum protocols Are well established and Absolute,” said Archivist. “If you cannot establish A full profile on this species, then the union of Archivists takes over Authority. That Authority will override yours, General.”

  “I am aware,” said Katherine.

  “Inform me if there is any change,” said Archivist. He turned and walked out of the med bay.

  Seraphina turned and leant against the wall, then slowly slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. “I might be ordered to kill a patient,” she said.

  “You won’t,” said Katherine. “If it comes to it, I’ll throw Archivist out of an airlock before he can take control.”

  “I don’t need jokes.”

  “I’m not telling any.”

  Seraphina looked up at her. “You’re not serious. You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” Katherine asked. “Of course, they would remove me from command, and probably court martial me, but it would take them some time. It would be enough for me to steal a ship, take my family, and fly off to some dark corner of the universe where they would never find me. Oh, and I’d bring our new friend with us too.”

  “Oh yes,” said Seraphina. “You’d give up your entire life so that I wouldn’t have to compromise my morals. That’s a completely logical decision.”

  “Of course it isn’t,” said Katherine. “That doesn’t change anything.”

  Seraphina frowned. “I won’t allow you to do something that stupid for me.”

  “Well then you’ll have to make sure it doesn’t come to that,” said Katherine. “I expect you to be working round the clock on this. I don’t want the best doctor in the universe to have to stain her hands while she’s under my command, you understand?”

  Seraphina smiled. “Did you just talk me into working even harder than I usually do?”

  “Actually, you convinced yourself,” said Katherine. “I just told you what the alternative was. I think it’s fair to say that you were soundly beaten.”

  “You know, sometimes I quite hate you,” said Seraphina.

  “Really,” said Katherine. “You shouldn’t be talking to your superior officer like that, but I’ll let you off one time if you can tell me everything there is to know about this creature. And list me as a collaborator in your eventual report.”

  Seraphina smiled. “Yes, General. I’ll call you if anything comes up.”

  “Good.” Katherine looked at her personal clock. It was almost time for her to wake up – she needed to get home to be there when the children woke up so that she could properly start her day.

  “Oh, and good luck catching your killer, General,” said Seraphina. “I pity whatever idiot has you hunting them down.”

  Katherine groaned. In all of the excitement of the morning, she had forgotten about everything that had happened the day before. Already this week was beginning to test her patience.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Though I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to hunt at all.”