Star Missions - Book One - Part I

Chapter 8 - Remarkable Find

"He wasn't wearing a spacesuit!" Marcus observed.

"Even if he didn't need food, water, or oxygen, how could he survive in space with the cold and radiation?"

Dr. Kabwika's brow furrowed as he listened to the question. Then his eyes danced with anticipation and excitement as he formulated his response.

"That is the most remarkable thing. Let's go inside." He waved the group toward the room where the strange creature was.

The alien was a big humanoid, bipedal, and clothed in what would resemble a pair of ragged brown shorts. He had a bare upper body that looked strong and muscular. His skin had a grey-blue tint, and there were strange ridges across the top of his head and cheeks that could have been bone, or simply scar tissue under the skin. The creature had two large eyes and a mouth similar to a human being, but larger. His nose was in the same position as Terran noses, but it was much smaller, without much protrusion. The top of his head was completely bare.

The alien's legs were the most unusual aspect of his visible anatomy, and they looked mighty. Above the knee, they resembled Terran legs. But below that point, each limb had a short shin that connected to what appeared to be enormous feet. These feet, however, weren't like Terran feet at all. To Marcus' untrained eye, they looked more like what you would see on a rabbit or a kangaroo. Of course, he had no real way of knowing how the creature would stand and move. If it weren't for Dr. Kabwika's word and the steady beeping of the machines monitoring the alien's vital signs, he would have no reason to believe it was even alive. Dr. Kabwika walked and stood on the opposite side of the alien's bed. From that vantage point, he could face the alien and the others at the foot of the bed.

"My current theory is that his body adapts to its environment," he began. "We found no signs of radiation damage to his body as would have been expected. Also, as you know, space is a vacuum. If humans were in space without a suit, their eardrums would immediately rupture. Then, their bodies and their brains would swell. Humans would experience extreme pain as they suffocated to death from lack of air."

Marcus felt an involuntary shudder pass up his spine as the Doctor described the final moments of agony. As a space pilot, he knew well the many ways one could die in space, and he didn't like to think about them, especially since his accident.

"But our friend here did not have any of those problems." The glimmer of excitement in Kabwika's eyes grew more intense. He glanced at the three visitors with a curious smile on his face. It was almost as if he was waiting for them to guess how the creature was able to survive.

"It's his skin," he then said with a smile.

Dr. Kabwika paused just long enough to allow for a potential question, and then quickly moved on when none was forthcoming. "The alien's skin seems to automatically and immediately respond to changes in its environment. I have been up since he arrived, running tests. They show that the alien's skin can endure intense pressure, dramatic temperature changes, and incredibly high levels of radiation exposure. It is truly remarkable. Either his species evolved in an environment unlike anything we have imagined was possible for organic life, or he's the product of advanced genetic engineering."

"Imagine being able to travel in space without spacesuits," Belter said in a quiet voice as he gazed upon the creature strapped to the examination table.

Marcus glanced over at the array of machines hooked up to the alien. "Will he live?"

Dr. Kabwika looked at him and shrugged with a sparkle still in his eye.

"I don't even know if there's anything wrong with him. As far as I can tell, he could just be taking a nap."

Marcus surveyed the motionless alien lying on the Lab's examination bed. He decided the creature looked more like he was in a coma.