He watched as Cherxic moved between them and as the Padre, whose curiosity was greater or its cowardice less than Hewlitt’s, placed one uncovered medial hand on the Telfi’s head. Lioren’s body trembled for a moment although it did not seem to be in any distress. No words were spoken and he had still to learn how to read a Tarlan’s facial expression, so he had no idea what was going on. A few more minutes passed before the Padre lifted its hand away and it was his turn.
Unlike the body of the dead Telfi he had touched, the dense black skin of Cherxic felt cold, and there was a faint, warm tingling in his palm similar to the sensation he had felt when he had pressed his hand against Patient Morredeth’s damaged fur. But this time the tingling was moving up his arm, across his shoulder and into his head. For a moment his sensorium went wild as tiny, random sensations of warmth, cold, pressure, pleasure, and pain occurred all over his body, while bursts of color that were beyond his previous experience or imagination and odors familiar and utterly strange were flooding his senses.
For some odd reason the memory picture of his cat came into his mind, and the way it had circled and stamped gently with each paw in turn as it had tried to push his lap into a more comfortable shape before it curled up to sleep. Now something was pushing and probing at his mind, trying to make itself fit more comfortably, and it was both gentle and persistent.
Suddenly there was a great, soft explosion of knowledge.
Hewlitt was still running through his bright, newly acquired memories like an excited small child exploring a new playground when the virus creature retraced its path along his shoulder, arm, and palm to return to Cherxic. Without a word the Telfi left the lock chamber and the inner seal closed behind it.
There was nothing more to be said to it, they knew, and nothing left to ask.
They maintained their silence while Hewlitt followed the Padre as it guided the gravity litter containing the two Telfi cadavers through the boarding tube and into the hospital lock chamber. The seal had closed behind them and emitted a loud, double chime accompanied by a visual warning indicating that the Telfi vessel had broken the docking seals before Lioren spoke, and then it was into its communicator.
“Braithwaite? Lioren. I must speak to Major O’Mara. It’s urgent.”
“O’Mara,” said the voice of the chief psychologist. “Go on, Padre.”
“We are calling off the search,” said Lioren. “The last and only remaining host of the virus creature has been found. It is currently inhabiting a member of the Telfi gestalt whose ship is leaving as we speak. The vessel is to be given departure clearance without delay. And you can cancel the evacuation drills and disperse the waiting ships. The problem with the power-generation control systems is over and…”
“I don’t see the connection,” O’Mara broke in sharply. “Are you trying to tell me there is one?”
“Yes,” said Lioren. “When two unusual events occur at the same time, the chances are that they have a common cause. I had forgotten that particular unwritten natural law and it was Hewlitt, not me, who made the connection. There is no longer any danger to anyone inside the hospital, either from a nuclear detonation or a cross-species contagion, and we will give you a full report as soon as we reach the department.”
“Wait,” said O’Mara, “where you are.”
For what seemed a long time Hewlitt stared at Lioren, who was looking with all of its eyes at the two dead Telfi, before the chief psychologist’s voice returned.
“You’re right, Padre,” said O’Mara, “Engineering confirms that the instability in the nuclear power and distribution systems has rectified itself, why or how they don’t know, and the emergency is over. It happened within the past fifteen minutes. But that was the lesser of the two problems. There is still the matter of the multispecies virus loose in the hospital and, with respect, you two are so deeply and personally involved that your assurance that there is no danger could be, well, more an unconscious product of wishful thinking than clinical fact. Is Hewlitt fully aware of the situation?”
When it was clear that Lioren was not going to reply, he said, “Yes, I think so.”
“Then let there be no doubt in your mind, Hewlitt,” said O’Mara, “that you two are in serious trouble. I am personally very sorry about this, we all are, but your trouble started when you were infected by the virus creature as a child on Etla, and here it was passed to ex-Patient Morredeth, Padre Lioren, and, an idea which I find completely incredible, a Telfi whose physiology and environment is less suited to a microbiological form of life than one of our hottest autoclaves. There are probably other hosts that we don’t know about. That is why, when our power generation showed indications of increasing instability that would not respond to the failsafe systems, we kept calling emergency evacuation drills instead of moving everyone into the ships that had been assembled for that purpose. We could not afford to take the risk of turning a multispecies disease of unknown potentiality loose in the Federation.
“Padre, I have no wish to offend you,” the chief psychologist went on, “by doubting the words of a Wearer of the Blue Cloak of Tarla. But the will to survive in you two as individuals, and for the citizens of the Galactic Federation as a whole, is an evolutionary imperative that may be superseded by any ethical considerations. That is why Kelgia has been instructed to place ex-Patient Morredeth in orbital quarantine on arrival. Similar instructions will be sent to Telf regarding the ship that has just left, and to Etla regarding that cat. You two will be placed in isolation for intensive study by Pathology, and the decision is about to be taken to dismiss the evacuation vessels and replace them with a Monitor Corps sector subfleet with orders to interdict Sector General to all external contact. This could result in serious destabilization throughout the Federation, but it seems that we have no choice. Do you understand our position?”
“It sounds,” said Hewlitt, with a small, uncontrollable shiver that was partly of dread as well as a reaction to well-meaning stupidity, “that you would have preferred the hospital to blow up and save everybody a lot of trouble. But please believe us, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“I’m sorry, Hewlitt,” said O’Mara. “If the Padre has broken communicator contact with us, please ask it to speak. Diagnosticians Conway and Thornnastor as well as Murchison, Prilicla, and Colonel Skempton are with me. You may already know that Lioren was once a highly respected senior physician in Sector General. No offense, Hewlitt, but right now we need to hear the report from a medical professional.”
One of Lioren’s eyes moved up to regard Hewlitt for a moment; then the Padre returned all of its attention to the Telfi dead. He could almost feel the other’s present sorrow and its old, remembered pain. It did not speak.
“Lioren is unable or unwilling to speak to you right now,” he said, “nor will it speak to me. But we have become very close to the Telfi and each other during the past few minutes. I understand the situation as well as the Padre does, and I am willing to speak.”
“It isn’t like the Padre to behave this way,” said the chief psychologist, in a voice that mixed impatience with concern. “But I suppose we must settle for a bloody amateur. Talk, dammit.”
Hewlitt took a firmer grip on his temper and said, “The Padre may indeed have taken offense at your suggestion that we are lying; I certainly did. But it is also gravely troubled by the thought of two dead Telfi who, if it had only known what we now know, might not have died. But in the event it decided to comfort Patient Cherxic, whose case was also terminal although the condition was not as far advanced as that of the other two. The mistake, which was not deliberate and not a reason to punish itself, was on a much smaller scale than the results of the wrong decision it made a few years ago, but its distress over the Cromsag Incident is never far from the Padre’s ...”
“Lioren spoke to you about Cromsag?” O’Mara broke in. “It never speaks of that to anyone, not even me.”
“It did not speak to me,” said Hewlitt. “As of a few minutes ago, after the virus creature transferred temporarily from Cherxic to Lioren and then to me, I knew everything that was in the Padre’s mind.”
He had to break off, because it sounded as if six voices were trying to ask six different questions at once. He looked at the Padre for help, but Lioren’s eyes were still on the dead Telfi and he knew that its mind was on the terrible occurrence in its past when a planet had been all but depopulated because of a single wrong decision. Sympathy for the Tarlan made his voice sound harsher than he had intended.
“If you don’t stop asking questions,” he said, “I won’t be able to answer any of them. Please be quiet and listen to me.”
He was surprised at how quickly the voices died away until he realized that O’Mara had been giving them the same message, in much less polite language.
“Yes,” he said, “the virus creature briefly reentered my body, specifically my brain. And no, the process did not render me telepathic. The effect is closer to that of the Educator-tape experience remembered by the then Senior Physician Lioren, except that the process is gentler and without the psychological disorientation associated with the sudden transfer into one’s mind of the memories and personality of a completely alien donor. This was not a mindrecording, it was the transfer of memories by a thinking, sensitive entity who, because of the debt it felt it owed us, was anxious not to cause mental distress.”
“Wait,” O’Mara broke in, and there was a suspicious edge to his tone when he went on, “Are you saying that the memories were diluted, changed, or even edited?”
“Diluted with the passage of time,” Hewlitt replied, “but not distorted. You have experience with treating telepathic species and must know that it is impossible to lie with the mind. I know everything that was in the mind of the virus creature, who, because there seems to be only one of it, does not have a name. That includes its future intentions, which in a telepath cannot be concealed or edited in any way.”
“Go on,” said O’Mara.
“During the recent second visitation,” he continued, “I was made aware of the memories of all its previous hosts. Strongest were those of Lioren, Cherxic, and the other members of the Telfi gestalt among whom it was invited to transfer at will. When you think about it, an organized, self-aware, intelligent virus has much in common with a gestalt entity. But it was the Telfi contact telepathy that enabled it, for the very first time, to achieve perfect communication with other sapient beings. Without knowing how or why, this was the ability it had been searching for all of its life. But even more important were the Telfi radiation-based metabolism and experience in adapting their horrendous environment to their needs, together with their promise of long-term cooperation that will, hopefully, enable the virus creature to make another and most hazardous future change of hosts. That was the reason for the initial investigation and experimentation, unsettling for the hospital staff but never life-threatening, that caused the problem with the power-generation and control systems.
“I don’t have the technical vocabulary, but it seems that the structure of the virus is such that it is possible for it to interpenetrate and exert a measure of control on the subatomic level.”
Hewlitt paused for a moment, then moved onto more familiar ground. He said, “I was also given the Morredeth material and, strangely, the feelings of the creature from the time I first became its host as a child. That was a weird experience. Before that there was its time with Lonvellin, and before that a succession of non-sapient hosts stretching far beyond even its own recollection.
“The virus creature is old, very old ...”
There was no knowing what environmental influences had caused it to evolve intelligence or if there had ever been other sapient virus creatures; it could well have been a genetic accident and unique of its kind. In the beginning its hosts had been small, and rather than infecting and killing them through uncontrolled proliferation as did normal pathogens, it tried to insure its own longterm survival by maintaining the hosts in optimum physical condition for as long as possible. It transferred when, in spite of its efforts, a host grew too old or was killed by a larger predator, whereupon the predator became the new host.
A great many centuries must have elapsed before the highly intelligent and extremely long-lived explorer Lonvellin visited its home world and, believing that no off-world pathogen could affect it, took no precautions and acquired a most unusual and unique parasite.
Instinctively the virus realized that it had found an organism that could be made to survive for a very long time indeed, but the new host’s body was so massive and strange and complex that it had extreme difficulty adapting to the new surroundings. Lonvellin, however, who must have been subject to many irritating and uncomfortable illnesses during its long life, would have deduced the virus’s presence and capabilities from the fact that the incidence of its former maladies was dropping toward zero. But at that time the virus creature could not communicate with its host, nor was it aware of the reasons why certain obscure metabolic processes were taking place in that massive and confusing body. All it was able to do at the time, and then only with great difficulty, was to maintain its host in the same physiological condition as it had been in when found.
The virus made mistakes.
One of them, its stubborn retention of dying skin material which would normally have been discarded and replaced with new growth, brought Lonvellin to Sector General. Another was allowing the then Senior Physician Conway to trick it into leaving its host and revealing itself as a separate entity. At this stage in its continuing evolutionary development the virus creature was sapient but not very bright.
After it was reclaimed by Lonvellin, it traveled to Etla, where it had a narrow escape from the nuclear detonation that killed its host. That incident came close to killing the creature as well, but instead resulted in a structural mutation which later enabled it to enter and adapt to a radiation-eating Telfi host.
It saved the Hewlitt child’s life twice, after the poisoning and potentially lethal fall from a tree and following the flyer crash, but it was still making mistakes, such as halting the blood circulation by arresting the heart so as to give it more time to negate the effect of any fast-acting foreign medication introduced, which eventually resulted in the adult Hewlitt being sent to Sector General. It was learning, however, and becoming increasingly aware of the host’s mind and feelings as well as its own. The process began with Lonvellin, but the incident with the mutilated cat was more important than was realized because it was the first time that the virus had been influenced by psychological factors, specifically the emotional pressure of a child’s grief for a dying pet, into changing hosts.
“The transfer was temporary,” Hewlitt went on, “because it was not in the creature’s interests to move from a long-lived host to a small and shorter-lived one. By then it was being driven by curiosity and the urge to experiment as well as by its need to survive into the indefinite future, but for a long time there were only Earthhumans like myself available and it had not yet fully understood the workings of my body. By the time I arrived here it was becoming intensely curious, more aware of its surroundings and hungry for the new experiences that were available in a place that is filled with very interesting and long-lived potential hosts. When it felt my sorrow and sympathy for Patient Morredeth and I accidentally touched, or perhaps was subtly influenced by it to place a bare hand on, the wound where the fur had been destroyed, it transferred to its first Kelgian. Later it moved to the Padre and then to Cherxic and, in turn, to each of the surviving members of the Telfi ship gestalt, where the latest and most significant but not, it believes, the final adaptation occurred. From the telepathic and technically highly specialized members of the ship gestalt it learned how to communicate mind-to-mind with its subsequent hosts, and to understand and control at the particle level the radiation on which the Telfi live. The covert and Telfi-guided experiments with the hospital’s power system were part of its learning process.
“Now it has everything it needs to survive into the indefinite future,” Hewlitt went on. “Individual Telfi will die, many with less frequency now that it is moving among them, but the gestalts replace or increase their membership and will continue to amass information and experience. It has found the perfect host species. With the willing cooperation and the radiation-absorption mechanism of the Telfi as its launching point, it will grow in size and intelligence and power, and it will continue to evolve until it is able to populate the stars or, a risk which it fully accepts, kill itself in the attempt.
“The hospital will not be troubled with the virus creature again.”
In his earpiece there was a long, hissing silence that was broken by a voice that was so quiet and distorted with emotion that it could have belonged to anyone.
“So it intends to infect and populate the stars,” it said. “I don’t doubt that it means what it says, because we already know that it is impossible to lie with the mind. That could lead to the breakdown of the Federation, perhaps the end of free and unprotected otherspecies contact, perhaps of all intelligent life because of an uncontrollable, interspecies contagion sweeping the member worlds, if we don’t act at once. We’re sorry, Hewlitt, but that action must include isolating Lioren, Morredeth, the Telfi ship’s crew, yourself, and even your childhood pet from all future contact for the rest of your lives.”
“No!” said Hewlitt angrily. “Why don’t you people listen to me, or believe me when you do listen? Padre, will you explain it to them, please?”
While the voice from O’Mara’s office had been speaking, the Padre had closed the Telfi caskets and returned its attention to Hewlitt. He had the feeling that Lioren’s emotional distress had eased or was at least under control again.
“I couldn’t explain it any better myself,” said the Padre. “Carry on, but be quick. Our covered litters and, dear me, an armed escort are arriving.”
Hewlitt took a deep breath and chose words that were short and simple. He said, “O’Mara, all of you are wrong, twice. None of the virus creature’s hosts are infected, or contagious, nor have we been implanted with its seed or embryo. It doesn’t work like that. The creature is an intelligent, organized collection of viruses, a single and very selfish individual who will not willingly allow parts of itself to be detached and thereby reduce the capability and intelligence of the whole. My problems during and after puberty were caused by the fact that, while it could understand the need of a host to eliminate body wastes, the expulsion of healthy living material like seminal fluid was totally foreign to it because, at that time, it could not conceive of the possibility of any entity wanting to propagate its kind rather than surviving for itself alone. It still has difficulty accepting the idea of countless billions of us sacrificing ourselves so that our various species will survive.
“On Etla, on Earth, and in the hospital,” he went on, “there was absolutely no risk of secondary infection. Perhaps in the future, if its plans work out, it may be able to divide itself, but that time is a very long way off and even then we would be in no danger from it. For now the virus can occupy only one entity at a time, and it does not leave its host with a disease but with a level of physical, lifelong health that is immediately obvious as a kind of organic artist’s signature to all of its former hosts.
“It does this out of gratitude,” Hewlitt went on, “for the knowledge and experience provided by the host. It considers itself a tenant who is obliged to pay rent.”
The litters, their canopies open and ready, were accompanied by two massive Hudlar medics and eight armed Monitor Corpsmen who were large by Earth-human standards. The men’s expressions showed a mixture of embarrassment and determination. Hewlitt spoke quickly.
“Believe me,” he said, “neither the Federation nor its citizens have anything to fear from the virus creature. It is no longer interested in the extremely short-lived natives of any planet. Even though the project will take many of our lifetimes to complete, its ambition is to populate the stars one at a time and beginning with the Telfi’s parent sun, which, in astronomical terms, is growing old and sick. While there is always the chance that it will obliterate itself in the attempt, it considers the risk well worth taking. To inhabit a sun that can be inhabited and given intelligence, stability, and control of all its internal processes is the virus creature’s ultimate goal.
“An intelligent star,” he ended, “would be the most long-lived entity there could ever be.”
This time it was Diagnostician Conway, Prilicla, and Thornnastor who were doing most of the talking while the litter personnel and escort waited for them to decide what they were going to do. For several minutes it seemed that the Padre and himself had been forgotten as they debated the possibility of retracing Lonvelun’s travels before its arrival in Sector General with a view to finding the virus creature’s planet of origin and other, perhaps nonsapient members of its species who could be studied and, hopefully, helped to proliferate. If it was offered, the assistance of former virus-creature hosts would be invaluable. All necessary precautions would be taken and there would be many problems to overcome, but if they were successful they could foresee a distant future when the citizens of the Galactic Federation would carry only one virus and be otherwise completely disease-free. All that would be left for the medical profession would be the treatment of accident and surgical emergencies. It was the chief psychologist who had the last, impatient words.
O’Mara said, “Doctors, enough. Your future hypothetical problems will not be solved in the next few minutes. Padre Lioren, Hewlitt, relax. We have decided that it is safe to allow Morredeth to land on Kelgia and the Telfi crew to return home with their new friend. The armed escort is dismissed but you two will board the litters and proceed with minimum delay, not to the isolation chamber in Pathology but to this office for an immediate and detailed debriefing…”
Hewlitt made a small, untranslatable sound which only the Padre heard. In a loud, reassuring whisper Lioren said, “Don’t distress yourself, friend. The major’s office has its own food dispenser, and if we aren’t allowed to eat then we won’t talk.”
“...and a Hudlar-guided litter will get you here sooner than traveling on foot,” O’Mara went on. “Is there anything else you need to tell me before then?”
Hewlitt was not sure whether the words were the result of fatigue, malnutrition, or sheer relief. He laughed and said, “Only that I have a psychological problem. I seem to have become an exhypochondriac with absolutely nothing wrong with me who wants to stay in hospital. I don’t want to go back to minding Earth sheep.”
The Classification System
by Gary Louie
James White's Sector General stories used a unique four letter
classification system that helped describe the species quickly and
effectivly, as one would require when the hospitol is a multi species
enviroment.
Gary Louie was working on a James White concordance. As part of that he
completed a classification system, for the sector general series which
covers all characters up to Final Diagnosis.
This article appeared in the White Papers. Unfortunatly Gary Louie passed
away, before the concordance was completed.
Classification:AACL
Planet:Unknown
Species:Crepellian Pet No Individual Names Known
A non-intelligent pet kept by AMSOs. It has six python-like
tentacles which poke though seals in the cloudy plastic of its
suit. The tentacles are each at least twenty feet long and tipped
with a horny substance which must be steel-hard.
Classification:AACP
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown No Individual Names Known
A race whose remote ancestors were a species of mobile vegetable.
They are slow moving, but the carbon dioxide tanks which they wear
seem to be the only protection they need. AACPs do not eat in the
normal manner but plant themselves in specially prepared soil during
their sleep period, and absorb nutriment in that way.
Classification:AMSL
Planet:Unknown
Species:Creppelian, Crepellian
Individuals:Nurse Towan, Diagnostician Vosan
A species of water breathing octopoids.
Classification:AMSO
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
A larger life-form, in the habit of keeping non-intelligent
AACL-type creatures as pets.
Classification:AUGL
Planet:Chalderescol IT
Species:Chaldor, Chalder
Individuals:Patient AUGL-1 13, Patient AUGL-1 16, Patient AUGL-122,
Patient AUGL-126, Patient AUGL-187, Patient AUGL-193, Patient
AUGL-211, Patient AUGL-218, Patient AUGL-22 1, Patient AUGL-233,
Muromeshomon
The denizens of Chalderescol, an armored fish-like species are
water-breathers who can not live in any other medium for more than a
few seconds. A heavily plated and scaled being, slightly re-sembling
a forty-foot long armour-plated crocodile, except that instead of
legs there is an apparently haphazard arrangement of stubby fins,
and a heavy knife-edged tail. A fringe of ribbon-like tentacles
encircles its middle, projecting through some of the only openings
visible in its organic armor. Chaldors have six rows of teeth in an
over-large mouth. The Chalders are one of the frw in-telligent
species whose personal names are used only between mates, members of
the immediate family, or very special friends.
Classification:BLSU
Planet:Groalter
Species:Groalterri
Individual:Hellishomar the Cutter
The Groalterri overall body configuration is that of a squat
octopoid with short, thick tentacular limbs. Its central torso and
head seem disproportionately large. The eight limbs terminate
alternately in four sets of claws (that will with maturity evolve
into manipula-tory digits) and four flat, sharp-edged, osseous
blades. The organ of speech and hearing is centered above the four
heavily lidded eye that are equally spaced around the cranium. A
macrospecies, there is an element of risk involved to any life-form
of more or less nor-mal body mass which approaches it too closely.
Classification:BRLH
Planet:Tarla
Species:Tarlan
Individuals:Surgeon-Captain/Trainee/Padre Lioren, Sedith and
Wrethrin the Healers
Tarlans are an erect quadrupedal life-form with its for short-legs
supporting a tapering, cone-shaped body. Four long, multi-jointed,
medial arms for heavy lifting and handling sprout from waist-level.
Another four that are suited for more delicate work encircle the
base of the neck. Equally spaced around the head are four eyes whose
stalks are capable of independent motion. Tarlans have very large
teeth. An adult Tarlan stands eight feet tall.
Classification:CLCH
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
Apparent typographical error for Classification CLHG.
Classification:CLHG
Planet:Drambo
Species:Roller
Individuals:Camsaug, Surreshun
The Rollers resemble animated donuts rolling on their outer edge,
with manipulatory appendages in the form of a fringe ofshort
ten-tacles sprouting from the inner circumference between the series
of gill mouths and eyes. Its visual equipment must operate like a
coeleostat since the contents of its field of vision are constantly
rotating. The Rollers must roll to stay alive-there is an ingenious
method of shifting its center of gravity while keeping itself
upright by partially inflating the section of its body which is on
top at any given moment. The continual rolling causes blood to
circulate-it uses a form of gravity feed system instead of a
muscular pump. The species reproduce hermaphroditically. Each parent
after mating grows twin offspring, one on each side of its bodies
like continu-ous blisters encircling the side walls of a tire.
Injury, disease or the mental confusion immediately following birth
could cause the parent to lose balance, roll on to its side, stop
and die. The points where the children eventually detach themselves
from their par-ents remain very sensitive areas to both generations
and their posi-tions are governed by hereditary factors. The result
is that any close blood relation trying to make mating contact
causes itself and the other being considerable pain. The rollers
really do hate their fa-thers and every other relative. The species
is water-breathing with a warm-blooded oxygen-based metabolism. The
life-support mechanism for the species is physically complicated, to
allow the occupant to roll naturally within it. The concept of
modesty is com-pletely alien to this race. This species does not
know the meaning of sleep. There is no such thing as sleeping,
pretending to be dead or unconsciousness. A Roller is either moving
and alive or still and dead.
Classification:CLSR
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
Apparent typographical error for Classification CPSD.
Classification:CPSD
Planet:Unknown
Species:The Blind Ones
No Individual Names Known
These beings are roughly circular, just over a meter in diameter
and, in cross section, a slim oval flattened slightly on the
under-side. In shape they very much resemble their ship, except that
the ship does not have a long, thin horn or sting projecting aft or
a wide, narrow slit on the opposite side which is obviously a mouth.
The upper lip of the mouth is wider and thicker than the lower, and
can be curled over the lower lip, apparently sealing the mout shut.
The beings are covered, on their upper and lower surfaces and around
the rim, by some kind of organic stubble which varies in thickness
from pin-size to the width of a small finger. The stubble on the
underside is much coarser than that on the upper surface, and it is
plain that parts of it are designed for ambulation. The Blind Ones
evolved underground, and have no organs for sight. They formed an
alliance with the Protectors of the Unborn, each species providing
something that other lacked.
Classification:CRLT
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
Senior Physician Conway was unable to classi~ this life-form with
complete certainty. The initial analysis was performed on a cadaver,
an independent portion of a larger composite being. The compos-ite
is a warm-blooded oxygen breather with the type of basic me-tabolism
associated with the physiological grouping CRLT. Even a segment is
massive, measuring approximately twenty meters in length and three
meters in diameter, excluding projecting append-ages. Physically it
resembles the DBLF Kelgian life-form, but it is many times larger
and possesses a leathery tegument rather than the silver fur of the
Kelgians. Like the DBLF's it is multipedal, but the manipulatory
appendages are positioned in a single row along the back. There are
twenty-one of these dorsal limbs, all showing evidence of early
evolutionary specialization. Six of them are long, heavy, and
claw-tipped and are obviously evolved for defense since the being is
a herbivore. The other fifteen are in five groups of three, spaced
between the six heavier tentacles, which terminate in four digits,
two of which are opposable. These thinner limbs are ma-nipulatory
appendages originally evolved for gathering and trans-ferring food
to the mouths-three on each flank opening into three stomachs. Two
additional orifices on each side open into a very large and complex
lung. The structure inside these breathing ori-fices suggests that
expelled air could be interrupted and modulated to produce
intelligence-bearing sounds. On the underside are three openings
used for the elimination of wastes. The mechanism of reproduction is
unclear and the specimen shows evidence of p05-sessing both male and
female genitalia on the forward and rear extremities respectively
The brain, if it is a brain, takes the form of a cable of nerve
ganglia with localized swellings in three places, running
longitudinally through the cadaver like a central core. There is
another and much thinner nerve cable running parallel to the thicker
core, but below it and about twenty-five centimeters from the
underside. Positioned close to each extremity are two sets of three
eyes. Two are mounted dorsally and two on each of the forward and
rear flanks. They are recessed but capable of limited extension;
together they give the being complete and continuous vision
vertically and horizontally. The type and positioning of the visual
equipment and appendages suggest that it evolved on a very
unfriendly world. The tentative Classification is an incomplete CRLT
Classification:DBDG
Planets:Earth, Gregory (Colony)
Species:Earth-human, Gregorian
Individuals:Theologian Augustine, Lieutenant Braithwaite,
Sur-geon-Lieutenant Brenner, Corpsman Briggs, Lieutenant Briggs,
Captain Chaplain Bryson, Lieutenant Carrington, Lieutenant Chen,
Major Chiang, Clarke, Lieutenant Clifton, Junior Intern/Senior
PhysicianlDiagnostician-in-Charge of Surgery Peter Conway, Sergeant
Davis, Major/Colonel Jonathan Dermod, Fleet Commander Dermod,
Lieutenant Dodds, Lieutenant Dowling, Major-Captain Fletcher, Fox,
Trainee Hadley, Harmon, Lieuten-ant Haslam, Patient Hewlitt, Tailor
George L Hewlitt, Mrs. George L Hewlitt, Captain Hokasuri, Major
Holyrod, OR Nurse Hudson, Lieutenant-General Lister, MacEwan, Major
Madden, Captain Mallon, Senior Physician/Diagnostician/Patient
Mannen/Man non, Nurse/Pathologist Murchison, Major Nelson,
Mister/Major/Chief Psychologist O'Mara, Captain Sigvard Nyberg,
Doctor Pelling, General Prentiss, Reviora, Lieutenant-Colonel
Simmons, Colonel Skempton, Surgeon-Lieutenant/Major Stillman,
Lieutenant-Sur-geon Sutherland, Corpsman Timmins, Lieutenant
Wainright, Waring, Corpsman/Colonel-Captain Williamson
Probable Individuals:Lieutenant Carmody, Lieutenant Carson, Section
Chief Caxton, Major Colinson, Major Craythorne, Major Edwards,
Doctor Hamilton, Dietician-in-ChiefKW Hardin, Lieu-tenant Harrison,
Lieutenant Hendricks, Kellerman, Colonel Okaussie, Captain Stillson,
Captain Summerfield, TrooperTeirnan, Surgeon-Captain Telford
This species shows their teeth in a silent snarl when displaying
amusement or friendship and make an unpleasant barking sound that
denotes amusement. The sound, called laughing, in most cases a
psychophysical mechanism for the release of minor degrees of
tension. An Earth-human laughs because of sudden relief from worry
or fear, or to express scorn or disbelief or sarcasm, or in
re-sponse to words or a situation that is ridiculous, illogical or
funny, or out of politeness when the situation or words are not
funny but the person responsible is of high rank. The Earth-human
voice is reputed to be one of the most versatile instruments in the
Galaxy. The Earth-human DBDGs are the only race in the Galactic
Fed-eration with a nudity taboo, and one of the very few member
spe-cies with an aversion to making love in public. The Earth-human
DBDGs make up the majority of the Monitor Corps forces.
Classification:DBDG
Planets:Etlan Empire, Central World (Capital), Imperial Etla
(Capital), Etla, Etla the Sick (Colony)
Species:Etlan, Imperial
Individuals:Heraltnor, Imperial Representative Teltrenn
The physiology of the citizens of the Empire is the same as the
population of their colony Etla. The physiological resemblance is so
close to Earth-human DBDGs that no other disguise other than native
language and dress is needed. There are theories about a prehistoric
colonization program by common, star-travelling an-cestors. Attempts
at procreation between Earth-human DBDGs and Etlans have been
unsuccessful.
Classification:DBDG
Planet:Nidia
Species:Nidian
Individuals:Chief of Procurement Creon-Emesh, Senior Physi-cian and
Tutor Cresk-Sar, Surgeon-Lieutenant Dracht-Yur, Lieu-tenant-Colonel
Dragh-Nin, Senior Physician Lesk-Murog, Senior Food Technician
Sarnyagh-Sa, Yoragh-Kar
Probable Individual:Surgeon-Lieutenant Krack-Yar
The Nidians have seven-fingered hands, stand only four feet tall.
They have a thick red fur coat, and look like a very cuddly
teddy-bear.
Classification:DBDG
Planet:Orligia
Species:Orlig, Orligian
Individuals:Grawlya-Ki/Grulyaw~Ki, Surgeon-Lieutenant Krach-Yul,
Major Sachan-Li, Colonel Shech-Rar, Surgeon-Lieutenant Turragh-Mar
Like the neighboring Nidians, Orligians resemble an Earth-hu-man
child's first non-adult friend's teddy bear.
Classification:DBLF
Planet:Ia
Species:Ian (pre-adolescent)
No Individual Narnes Known
The being appears ring-shaped, rather like a large balloon tire.
Overall diameter of the ring is about nine feet, with the thickness
between two and three feet. The tegument is smooth, shiny and grey
in color where it is not covered with a thick, brownish
incrus-tation. The brown stuff, which covers more than half of the
total skin area, looks cancerous, but may be some type of natural
cam-ouflage. There are five pairs of limbs, and no evidence
ofspecial-ization. No visual organs or means of ingestion can be
seen. The being isn't a doughnut, but possesses a fairly normal
anatomy of the DBLF type~a cylindrical, lightly-boned body with
heavy musculature. The being is not ring-shaped, but gives that
impres-sion because for some reason, known best to itself, it has
been try-ing to swallow its tail. Senior Physician Conway, convinced
all along that the patient is undergoing a natural metamorphosis,
observes that the new patient, after the process is complete, is of
classifica-tion GKNM.
Classification:DBLF
Planet:Kelgia
Species:Kelgian
Individuals:Patient Henredth, Senior Physician Karthad, Charge Nurse
Kursedd, Diagnostician Kursedth, Patient Morredeth, Charge Nurse
Naydrad, Fleet Commander Roonardth, Charge Nurse Segroth,
Diagnostician Suggrod, Student Nurse Tarsedth, Diagnostician Towan,
Senior Physician Yarrence
Probable Individual:Charge Nurse Kursenneth
Kelgians are warm-blooded, oxygen-breathing, multipedal, and with a
long, flexible cylindrical body covered overall by highly mobile,
silvery fur. The Kelgian forelimbs have three digits. There are
twenty sets of short, thin, and not heavily muscled walking limbs.
The feet, which have no toe-nails or other terminations, are like
small, hard sponges.The fur moves continually in slow ripples from
the conical head right down to the tail. These are completely
involuntary movements triggered by its emotional reactions to
outside stimuli. The evolutionary reasons for this mechanism are not
clearly understood, not even by the Kelgians themselves, but it is
generally believed that the emotionally expressive fur comple-ments
the Kelgian vocal equipment, which lacks emotional flex-ibility of
tone.The movements of the fur make it absolutely clear to another
Kelgian-what a Kelgian feels about the subject under discussion. As
a result they always say exactly what they mean be-cause what they
think is plainly obvious-at least to another Kelgian.They can not do
otherwise. Kelgians have an intense aver-sion towards any surgical
procedure which would damage or dis-figure its most treasured
possession, its furs. To a Kelgian the re moval of a strip or patch
of fur, which in their species represents ~ means of communication
equal to the spoken word, is a personal tragedy which all too often
results in permanent psychological damage. A Kelgian's fur does not
grow again and one whose pelt is damaged can rarely find a mate
because it is unable to fully display its feelings. Kelgians are
very close to Earth-humans in both basic metabolism and temperament.
Except for the thin-walled, narrow casing which houses the brain,
the DBLF species has no boney structure. Their bodies are composed
of an outer cylinder of mus-culature which, in addition to be being
its primary means of loco-motion, serves to protect the vital organs
within it. To the mind of a being more generously reinforced with
bones, this protection is far from adequate. Another severe
disadvantage in the event of in-jury is its complex and extremely
vulnerable circulation system; the blood-supply network which has to
feed the tremendous bands of muscle encircling its body runs close
under the skin, as does the nerve network that controls the mobile
fur. The thick fur of the pelt gives some protection here, but not
against chunks ofjagged-edged, flying metal. An injury which many
other species would consider superficial could cause a DBLF to bleed
to death in min-utes. Kelgians are herbivorous.
Classification:DBPK
Planet:Dwerla
Species:Dwerlan
No Individual Names Known
A warm-blooded oxygen-breathing herbivore that does not walk
upright. Judging by the shape of the spacesuits, the beings are
flat-tened cylinders about six feet long with four sets of
manipulatory appendages behind a conical section which is probably
the head, and another four locomotor appendages. Apart from the
smaller size and number of appendages, the beings physically
resemble the Kelgian race. The pointed, fox-like head and the thick,
broad-striped coat make it look like a furry, short-legged zebra
with an enormous tail. These beings seem not to possess natural
weapons of offrnce or defense, or any signs of having had any in the
past. Even their limbs are not built for speed, so they can not run
from danger. The set used for walking are too short and are padded,
while the fotward set are more slender, less well-muscled and end in
four highly flexible digits which don't possess so much as a
fingernail among them. There are the fur markings, of course, but it
is rare that a life-form rises to the top of its evolutionary tree
by camou-flage alone, or by being nice and cuddly. The species has
two sexes, male and female, and the reproductive system seems
relatively nor-mal. Both sexes use a water soluble dye to enhance
artificially the bands of color on their body fur~clearly the dyes
are for cosmetic reasons. The immature do not use dyes, but use a
brownish pig-ment on a bare patch above the tail.
Classification:DCNF
Planet:Sommaradva
Species:Sommaradvan
Individual:Trainee Cha Th rat
Four Ambulatory limbs; Four waist-level heavy manipulators; and a
set of manipulators for food provisions and fine work encircling the
neck. This being has two stomachs. Sommaradvan society is stratified
into three levels~serviles, warriors, and rulers~which strictly
govern how an individual acts within the society.
Classification:DCSL
Planet:Cromsag
Species:Cromsaggar
No Individual Names Known
This species has three sets of limbs: two ambulators, two medial
heavy manipulators, and two more at neck level for eating and to
perform more delicate work. It has a cranium covered by thick, blue
fur that continues in a narrow strip along the spine to the
vestigial tail.
Classification:DHCG
Planet:Wemar
Species:Wem
Individuals:First Hunter Creethar, Hunter Druuth, Youth Evemth,
First Cook Remrath, First Teacher Tawsar
The Wem life-form is a warm-blooded, oxygen-breathing species with
an adult body mass just under three times that of an Earth-human
and, since Wermar's surface gravity is one point three eight
standard Gs, a healthy specimen is proportionately well-muscled. It
resembles the rare Earth beast called a kangaroo. The differences
are that the head is larger and fitted with a really ferocious set
of teeth; each of the two short forelimbs terminate in six-fingered
hands possessing two opposable thumbs, and the tail is more massive
and tapered to a wide, flat triangular tip composed of immobile
osseous material enclosed by a thick, muscular sheath. The
flattening at the end of tail serves a threefold purpose: as its
principal natural weapon, as an emergency method of fast locomotion
while hunting or being hunted, and as a means of transporting infant
Wem who are too small to walk. The Wem hunt by adopting an awkward,
almost ri-diculous stance with their forelimbs tightly folded, their
chins touch-ing the ground, and their long legs spread so as to
allow the tail to curve sharply downwards and forwards between the
limbs so that the flat tip is at their center of balance. When the
tail is straight-ened suddenly to full extension, it acts as a
powerful third leg ca-pable of hurling the Wem forward for a
distance of five or six body lengths. If the hunter does not land on
top of its prey, kicking the creature senseless with the feet before
disabling it with a deep bite through the cervical vertebrae and
underlying nerve trunks, it piv-ots rapidly on one leg so that the
flattened edge of the tail strikes its victim like a blunt, organic
axe. While the tail is highly flexible where downward and forward
movement is concerned, it cannot be el-evated above the horizontal
line of the spinal column.The back and upper flanks are, therefore,
the Wem's only body areas that are vul-nerable to attack by natural
enemies, who must also possess the el-ement of surprise if they are
not to become the victim.
Classification:DRVJ
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Doctor Yeppha
Planet:Unknown
A small, tripedal, fragile being. From the furry dome of its head
there sprout singly and in small clusters, at least twenry eyes.
Classification:DTRC
Species:Rhum
Planet:Unknown
Individual:Crelyarrel
Flat, roughly circular beings, dark gray and wrinkled on one
sur-face, and with a paler, mottled appearance on the other, smooth,
surface. The beings attach to their FGHJ hosts with thick tendrils
growing from the edge of the disk. The tendrils penetrate into their
FGHJ hosts' spinal columns and rear craniums. The DTRCs have their
own special needs that in no way resemble those of their hosts,
whose animal habits and undirected behavior are highly repugnant to
them. It is vital to the DTRCs continued mental well-being that the
masters escape periodically from their hosts to lead their own
lives~usually during the hours of darkness when the tools are no
longer in use and can be quartered where they can not harm
them-selves.
Classification:DTSB
Planet:Traltha
Species:Tralthan
No Individual Names Known
Apparent typographical error for Classification OTSB.
Classification:EGCL
Planet:Duwetz
Species:Dewatti
No Individual Names Known
A warm-blooded, oyxgen-breathing life-form of approximately twice
the body weight of an adult Earth-human. Visually it re-sembles an
outsize snail with a high, conical shell which is pierced around the
tip where its four extensible eyes are located. Equally spaced
around the base of the shell are eight triangular slots from which
project the manipulatory appendages. The carapace rests on a thick,
circular pad of muscle which is the locomotor system. Around the
circumference of the pad are a number of fleshy pro-jections,
hollows and slits associated with its systems of ingestion,
respiration, elimination, reproduction, and nonvisual sensors. The
EGCLs are organic empaths. They are organic transmitters,
reflec-tors and focusers and magnifiers of their own feelings and
those of the beings around them. The faculty has evolved to the
stage where they have no conscious control over the process.
Classification:ELNT
Planet:Melf Four
Species:Melfan
Individuals:Maintenance Technician Dremon, Senior Physician Edanelt,
Diagnostician Ergandhir, Patient Kennonalt, Patient KIetilt,
Maintenance Technician Kiedath, Nurse Lontallet, Senior Physician
Medalont, Senreth
Melfans are large, low slung crab-like crustaceans. The six thin,
bony, tubular, multi-jointed legs project from slits where the bony
carapace and underside join. The legs and all of the body are
ex-oskeletal. The head has large, protruding, vertically-lidded
eyes, enormous mandibles, and pincers projecting forward from the
place where ears should be. Two long, thin and fragile feelers grow
from the sides of the mouth. The species is amphibious.
Classification:EPLA
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Lonvellin
Apparent typographical error for Classification EPLH.
Classification:EPLH
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Lonvellin
The being is large, about one thousand pounds mass, and resembles a
giant, upright pear. Five thick, tentacular appendages grow from the
narrow head section and a heavy apron of muscle at its base gives
evidence of a snail-like, although not necessarily slow, method of
locomotion. The being is warm-blooded and has fairly normal gravity
requirements. Five large mouths are situated below the root of each
tentacle, four being plentifully supplied with teeth and the fifth
housing the vocal apparatus. The tentacles themselves show a high
degree of specialization at their extremities: three of them are
plainly manipulatory, one bears the patient's visual equipment, and
the remaining member terminates in a horn-tipped, boney mace. The
head is featureless, being simply an osseous dome housing the brain.
The cranium is pierced at regular intervals for visual, aural and
olfactory sensors. Their life-span, lengthy to begin with, is
ar-tificially extended. Because they have tremendous minds, they
have plenty of time, but they constantly have to fight against
boredom. Because part of the price of such longevity is an
ever-growing fear of death, they need to have their own personal
physicians~no doubt the most efficient practitioners of medicine
known to them-constantly in attendance.
Classification:FGHJ
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
The being has six limbs, four legs and two arms, all very heavily
muscled, and is hairless except for a narrow band of stiff bristles
running from the top of the head along the spine to the tail, which
seems to have been surgically shortened at an early age. The body
configuration is a thick cylinder of uniform girth between the fore
and rear legs, but the forward torso narrows towards the shoulders
and is carried erect. The neck is very thick and the head small.
There are two eyes, recessed and looking forward, a mouth with very
large teeth, and other openings that are probably aural or olfactory
sense organs. The legs terminate in large, reddish-brown hooves.
Each hoof has four digits and does not appear particularly
dexterous. This creature serves as a host to beings of
Classification DTRC.
Classification:FGLI
Planet:Traltha
Species:Tralthan
Individuals:Patient Cossunallen, Crajarron, Chief Dietitian
Gurronsevas, Patient Horrantor, Senior Physician Hossantir,
Surriltor, Senior Diagnostician-in-Charge of Pathology Thorn-nastor
A massive entity with an osseous dome housing its brain, six
el-ephantine feet connected to its triple massive shoulders, and
four extensible eyes on an immobile head. Its six stubby legs
normally give the Tralthan species such a stable base they
frequently go to sleep standing up. Even healthy Tralthans have
great difficulty get-ting up again if they fall onto their sides.
Tralthans must not be rolled onto their backs under normal gravity
conditions since this causes organic displacement which would
increase their respira-tory difficulties. Standard gravity at Sector
General is just over half Tralthan normal. Tralthans are
vegetarians.
Classification:FOKT
Planet:Goglesk
Species:Gogleskan
Individuals:Healer '(hone and child
The Gogleskan FOKT resembles a large, dumpy cactuslike plant whose
spikes and hair are richly colored in a pattern which seems less
random the more you look at it. A faint smell comes from the entity,
a combination of musk and peppermint. The mass of un-ruly hair and
spikes covering its erect, ovoid body are less irregular in their
size and placing than is at first apparent. The body hair has
mobility, though not the high degree of flexibility and rapid
mo-bility of the Kelgian fur, and the spikes, some of which are
extremely flexible and grouped together to form a digital cluster,
give evi-dence of specialization. The other spikes are longer and
stiffer, and some of them seem to be partially atrophied, as if they
were evolved for natural defense, but the reason for their presence
has long since gone. There are also a number of long, pale tendrils
lying amid the multicolored hair covering the cranial area, used for
contact telepa-thy. Its voice seems to come from a number of small,
vertical breath-ing orifices which encircles its waist. The being
sits on a flat, mus-cular pad, and it has legs as well. These
members are stubby and concertina-like, and when the four of them
are in use they increase the height of the being by several inches.
The being al50 has two additional eyes at the back of its
head~obviously this species has had to be very watchful in
prehistoric times.
Classification:FROB
Planet:Hudlar
Species:Hudlar, Hudlarian
Individuals:Patient FROB-3, Patient FROB-lO, Patient FROB-18,
Patient FROB-43, Patient FROB-1 132, Trainee FROB-61, Trainee
FROB-73, Senior Physician Garoth, Infant Patient Metiglesh
Hudlars are blocky, pear-shaped beings whose home planet pulls four
Earth gravities and has a high-density atmosphere so rich in
suspended animal and vegetable nutrients that it resembles thick
soup. Although the FROB life-form is warm-blooded and techni-cally
an oxygen-breather, it can go for long periods without air if its
food supply, which it absorbs directly through its thick but highly
porous tegument, is adequate. Hudlars are massive six legged
be-ings. Each leg is an immensely strong tapering tentacle, which
ter-minates in a cluster of flexible digits, curled inward so that
the weight is born on heavy knuckles and the fingers remain clear of
the floor. The two lidless, recessed eyes are protected by hard,
trans-parent and featureless casings. Hudlars communicate using a
speak-mg membrane, which grows like a cock's comb from the top of
the head. The speaking membrane also serves as a sound sensor. The
skin resembles a seamless covering of flexible armor in appearance
and texture. Food is ingested through organs of absorption that
cover both flanks and the wastes are eliminated by a similar
mecha-nism on the underside. Both systems are under voluntary
control. Because of the physiological necessity for avoiding further
sexual contact with its life-mate, a gravid Hudlar female changes
gradu-ally into male mode and, concurrently, its life-mate slowly
becomes female. A Hudlar year after partuition the changes to both
are com-plete.The Hudlar FROBs are acknowledged to be, physically,
stron-gest life-forms of the Galactic Federation and to have the
least-pervious body tegument. Contact with chlorine is instantly
lethal to them. Hudlar blood is yellow and circulates under great
pres-sure and pulse rate. Hudlars consider their names to be their
most private and personal possession, and do not give or use their
names in the presence of anyone who is not a member of the family or
a close friend.
Classification:FSOJ
Planet:Unknown
Species:Protectors of the Unborn
No Individual Names Known
The Protector of the Unborn is a large, immensely strong life-form
that resembles aTralthan, but is less massive with stubbier legs
pro-jecting from a hemispherical carapace flared out slightly around
the lower edges. The deployment of the legs and tentacles is
simi-lar to the Hudlar FROB life-form, but the carapace is a thicker
ELNT Melfan shell without markings, and the FSOJ is plainly not
herbivorous. From openings high on the carapace sprout four
ten-tacles. Two different types of tentacles have been observed on
dif-ferent beings: long and particularly thin tentacles which
terminate in flat, spear-like tips with serrated boney edges, and
thick tentacles terminating in a cluster ofsharp, bony projections
which make them resemble spiked clubs. The four stubby legs also
have osseous pro-jections which enable them to be used as weapons as
well. Midway between two of the tentacle openings there is a larger
gap in the carapace from which protrudes a head, all mouth and
teeth. The large upper and lower mandibles are capable of deforming
all but the strongest metal alloys. A little space is reserved for
two well-protected eyes at the bottom of deep, boney craters. A
serrated tail also protrudes from the heavily slitted carapace.
While the under-side is not armored, as is the carapace, this area
is rarely open to attack, and it is covered by a thick tegument
which apparently gives sufficient protection. In the center of this
area is a thin, longitudi-nal fissure which opens into the birth
canal. It will not open, how-ever, until a few minutes before giving
birth. The FSOJ brain is not in its skull, but deep inside the torso
with the rest of the other vital organs. It is positioned just under
the womb and surrounding the beginning of the birth canal. As a
result, the brain is compressed as the embryo grows. If it is a
difficult birth, the parent's brain is destroyed and junior comes
out fighting, with a convenient food supply available until it can
kill something for itself Senior Physi-cians Conway's first
impression was that the entity was little more than an organic
killing machine. Considering the fact that it is warm-blooded and
oxygen-breathing, and its appendages show no evidence of the ability
to manipulate tools or materials, Patholo-gist Murchison tentatively
classified it as FSOJ and probably non-intelligent. The Unborn young
of the bisexual FSOJ is retained in the womb until it is well-grown
and fully equipped to survive. The Unborn is an intelligent and
telepathic being, but loses these fac-ulties at birth.
Classification:GKNM
Planet:Ia
Species:Ian (adult)
Individual:Patient Makolli
The metamorphosed form of the adolescent DBLF life-form. The species
created a colony in this galaxy, coming from an adjoining one. The
race is oxygen-breathing and oviparous, having a long, rod-like but
flexible body, and possessing four insectile legs, ma-nipulators,
the usual sense organs, and three tremendous sets of wings. The
life-form looks something like a large dragonfly.
Classification:GLNO
Planet:Cinruss
Species:Cinrusskin
Individual:Senior Physician Prilicla
Cinrusskins are enormous, incredibly fragile flying insects, with a
tubular exoskeletal body. Six sucker-tipped pencil-thin legs, four
even more delicately fashioned, tiny, precise manipulators, and four
sets ofwide, iridescent, and almost transparent wings project form
the body. The head is a convoluted eggshell, so finely structured
that the sensory and manipulatory organs that it supports seem ready
to fall off at the first sudden movement. The eyes are large and
triple-lidded. The Cinrusskin are the Federation's only empathic
race. Cinruss has a dense atmosphere and one-eighth gravity.
Cinrusskins are sexless.
Classification:LSVO
Planet:Nallaji
Species:Nallajim
Individuals:Kytili, Senior Physician Seldal
The species has a birdlike, fragile, low-gravity physiology, with
three legs, two not-quite-atrophied wings, and no hands at all. When
LSVOs eat, they are sickened by anything which doesn't look like
bird seed.
Classification:MSVK
Planet:Euril
Species:Eurils
No Individual Names Known
Fragile, tn-pedal, stork-like beings from a low gravity world. The
MSVK environment has dim lighting and a opaque fog for an
at-mosphere. The race is driven by an intense curiosity and hampered
by extreme caution. They are the galaxy's prime observers, and are
content to look and learn and record through their long-probes and
sensors without making their presence known. MSVKs have a low
tolerance to radiation.
Classification:OTSB
Planet:Traltha
Species:Tralthan
No Individual Names Known
Tralthan Surgeons are really two beings instead of one, a
combina-tion of FGLI and OTSB.The OTSB is a nearly mindless symbiont
which lives with its FGLI host. At first glance the OTSB looks like
a furry ball sprouting a long ponytail, but a closer look shows that
the ponytail is composed of scores of fine manipulators, most of
which incorporate sensitive visual organs. A cluster of wire-thin,
eye- and sucker-tipped tentacles sends infinitely detailed visual
in-formation to its giant host and receives instructions from the
host. The Tralthan combinations are the best surgeons the Galaxy has
ever known. Not all Tralthans choose to link up with a symbiote, but
FGLI medics wear them like a badge of office.
Classification:PVGJ
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Doctor Fremvessith
Apparent typographical error for Classification PVSJ.
Classification:PVSJ
Planet:Illensa
Species:Illensan
Individuals:Senior Physician Gilvesh, Charge Nurse Hredlichi,
Diagnostician Lachlichi, Charge Nurse Leethveeschi
Probable Individual:Charge Nurse Lentilatsar
Illensans are chlorine breathers with shapeless spiny bodies and
dry, rustling membranes joining the upper and lower appendages. The
body resembles a haphazard collection of oily, yellow-green,
un-healthy vegetation. The two stubby legs are covered by what look
like oily blisters. Their loose protective suits are transparent
except for the faint yellow fog of chlorine contained within. The
Illensans are generally held to be the most visually repulsive
beings in the Federation, as well as the most vain regarding their
own physical appearance. Illensans suffer digestive upsets if they
exercise after meals. Contact with water is instantly lethal to
chlorine-breathers. PVSJs are not physiologically suited to the use
of stairs and have very sensitive hearing.
Classification:QCQL
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
Apparent typographical error for Classification QLCL. Senior
Phy-sician Mannen did not know there was any such beastie, but
Ma-jor O'Mara had a tape. There were two casualties of this
classifica-tion at Sector General. The operations were suit jobs,
since the gunk that the QCQLs breath would kill anything that walks,
crawls or flies, excluding them.
Classification:QLCL
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
Recent, and very enthusiastic, members of the Federation, this
species had never been to Sector General until the war with the
Empire. Then a small ward was prepared to receive possible QLCL
casualties. The ward was filled with the horribly corrosive fog the
QLCLs used for an atmosphere, and the lighting was stepped up to the
harsh, actinic blue which the they consider restful.
Classification:SNLU
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name: Vosan
Individual:Diagnostician Semlic
The SNLU life form requires a refrigerated life-support system for
its ultra-low-temperature environment while on the Chlorine and
Oxygen levels. A frigid-blooded methane-breather, it is most
com-fortable in an environment only a few degrees above absolute
zero. The SNLUs have a complex mineral and liquid crystalline
struc-ture. The species evolved on the perpetually dark worlds which
detached from their original solar systems and now drift through the
interstellar spaces. Physically they are quite small, averaging
one-third the body mass of a being like a Kelgian. In order to allow
contact with other, warmer, species, the SN LUs are required to wear
a large, complex, highly refrigerated life-support and sensor
trans-lation system, which requires frequent power recharge. The
scales covering the SNLU's eight-limbed, starfish-shaped body shine
coldly through the methane mist like multihued diamonds, mak-ing it
resemble some wondrous, heraldic beast. The SNLUs live and work in
the almost total silence of beings with a hypersensitiv-ity to
audible vibrations. These fragile, crystalline, methane-based
life-forms would decompose at temperatures in excess of eighteen
degrees above absolute zero and be instantly cremated if the
tem-perature rose above minus one-twenty on the temperature scale in
use in the Federation.
Classification:SRJH
Planet:Drambo
Species:Healers or Physicians or Protectors
No Individual Names Known
The Drambon Physicians are glorified leucocytes to the Drambon
Strata Creatures, treating the many independent organisms living in
and around those immense living carpets. The stupid, slow moving
Drambon Physicians stay close to the most active and dan-gerous
stretches of the Drambon shoreline. They resemble jelly-fish, so
transparent that only their internal organs are visible. A
leech-like form of life, the SRJHs seem comfortable in either air or
water. Their reactions in the presence of severe illness or injury
are instinctive. Using their spines or stings, they practice their
profes-sion by withdrawing the blood of their patients and pun fying
it of any infection or toxic substances before returning it to the
patients' bodies. (The process repairs simple physical damage as
well.) How-ever, not all the withdrawn blood is returned. It has not
been es-tablished whether it is physiologically impossible for the
SRJH to return it all or whether the Physician retains a few ounces
as pay-ment for services rendered. A Physicians can kill as well as
cure. It can barely touch a beast, causing a predator to go into a
muscular spasm so violent that parts of its skeleton pop through the
skin. There is no evidence that they communicate verbally, visually,
tac-tually, telepathically, by smell or by any other system known to
Sector General. The quality of their emotional radiation suggests
that they do not communicate at all in the accepted sense. The
Physicians are simply aware ofother beings and objects around them
and, by using their eyes and a mechanism similar to the empathic
faculty, they are able to identi~ friend and foe.
Classification:SRTT
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
This physiological type is amoebic, possessing the ability to
extrude any limbs, sensory organs or protective tegument necessary
to the environment in which it finds itself. It is so fantastically
adaptable that it is difficult to imagine how one of these beings
could ever fall sick in the first place.
Classification:TLTU
Planet:Threcald 5
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:TLTU Diagnostician
A TLTU doctor breathes superheated steam and has pressure and
gravity requirements three times greater than the environment of the
oxygen levels. The local protection needed by a TLTU doctor is a
great, clanking juggernaut which hisses continually as if it is
about to spring a leak. The large protective suit resembles a
spheri-cal pressure boiler bristling with remote handling devices
and mounted on caterpillar treads, and has to be avoided at all
costs. The large size is needed to allow for heaters to render the
occupant comfortable, and surface insulation and refrigerators to
keep the vicinity habitable by other life-forms. The small TLTU
life-form inhabits a heavy-gravity, watery planet with edible
minerals, which circles very close to its parent sun. The TLTU's
blood consists of superheated liquid metal. TLTU patients are
transported in their protective spheres anchored to stretcher
carriers. These spheres emit a high-pitched, shuddering whine as
their generators labor to main-tain the internal temperature at a
comfortable, for their occupants, five hundred degrees.
Classification:TOBS
Planet:Fotawn
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Trainee/Doctor Danalta
This being can extrude any limbs, sense organs, or protective
tegu-ment necessary to the environment or situation in which it
finds it-self. It evolved on a planet with a highly eccentric orbit,
and with climatic changes so severe that an incredible degree of
physical adapt-ability was necessary for survival. It became
dominant on its world, and developed intelligence and a
civilization, not by competing in the matter of natural weapons but
by refining and perfecting its adap-tive capability. When it is
faced by natural enemies, the options are flight, protective
mimicry, or the assumption of a shape frightening to the attacker.
The speed and accuracy of the mimicry, particularly in the almost
perfect reproduction ofbehavior patterns, suggests that the entity
may be a receptive empath. The empathic faculty is under voluntary
control, so that the level of emotional radiation reaching its
receptors can be reduced, or even cut off at will, should it become
too distressing. With such effective means of self-protection
avail-able, the species is impervious to physical damage other than
by com-plete annihilation or application of ultrahigh
temperatures.The con-cept of curative surgery would be a strange one
indeed to members of that race. They do not require mechanisms for
self-protection, so they are likely to be advanced in the
philosophical sciences but back-ward in developing technology. When
not trying to look like some-thing else, TOBSs take the
configuration of a large, dark-green, uneven ball.
Classification:TRLH
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
No Individual Names Known
The TRLH casualty was an ally of the Empire during that war.
Classification was aided by the fact that the patient's spacesuit
was transparent as well as flexible. The atmosphere the being
breathes is as exotic as that of the QCQLs, but can be reproduced.
The TRLH has a thin carapace which covers its back and curves down
and inwards to protect the central area of its underside. Four
thick, single-jointed legs project from the uncovered sections. It
has a large but lightly boned head, four manipulatory appendages,
two recessed but extensible eyes, and two mouths.
Classification:VTXM
Planet:Telf
Species:Telfi, Telphi
Individual:Astrogator-part Cheixic
A group-mind species whose small beetle-like bodies live by the
direct conversion of various combinations and intensities of hard
radiation. Mthough individually the beings are quite stupid, the
gestalt entities are highly intelligent. The Telfi operate in groups
as contact telepaths to pool their mental and physical abilities.
The Telfi have a spoken language as well as the telepathic faculty
used between individuals, especially members of a family gestalt.
An-other variant of the species resembles a large, terrestrial
lizard, just under five feet long from the bulbous head to vestigial
tail, with an extra set of fore-limbs growing from the base of the
neck. The only visible features are two tiny, lidless eyes and the
mouth. The four stubby walking limbs can be bent double to lie flat
against the body while the two, longer forward manipulators can
stretch forward and cross so as to allow the chin to rest on the
crossover point. The skin of a dead Telfi is pale gray with a
mottled and veined effect that resembles unpolished marble. The
color is a symptom of ad-vanced radiation starvation and a lethal
failure of the absorption mechanism. A healthy Telfi reflects no
light at all, looking like liz-ard-shaped black holes. A
healthyTelfi's temperature is below room temperature. Investigating
their ultra-hot metabolism closely is to risk radiation poisoning.
There is a fallacy among non-medics that the Telfi cannot be closely
approached or touched without the use of remotely controlled
manipulators. To live they must absorb the radiation normally
provided by their natural environment but when, for clinical
reasons, the radiation is withdrawn for several days and they are
week from their equivalent of hunger, their ra-dioactive emissions
drop to a harmless level.
Classification:VUXG
Planet:Unknown
Species:Name Unknown
Individual:Dr. Arretapec
The VUXG resembles nothing so much as a withered prune float-mg in a
spherical gob of syrup. The species has telepathic, teleportive,
and~sort of~precognitive abilities. The precognitive ability does
not appear to be of much use because it does not work with
individuals but only with populations, and so far in the fu-ture and
in such a haphazard manner that it is practically useless.
Classification:Unknown
Planet:Drambo
Species:Farmer Fish
No Individual Names Known
The large-headed Farmer Fish are responsible for cultivating and
protecting benign growth and destroying all other growth in the
Drambon Strata Creature. Farmer Fish have stubby arms sprout-ing
from the base of their enlarged heads.
Classification:Unknown
Planet:Drambo
Species:Strata Creatures
No Individual Names Known
The largest creature on the planet Drambo~so large that at a
scoutship's suborbital velocity of six thousand plus miles per hour
it takes just over nine minutes to travel from one side of the
pa-tient to the other. The creature is so vast that it has many
indepen-dent parts performing specialized functions, such as the eye
plants, air renewal plants, Farmer Fish, Thought Controlled Tools,
and vegetable teeth. The parts can communicate via a mineral-rich
sap. The creature uses water instead of blood as its working fluid.
It is not clear if the entire creature is an animal or a plant,
there being components of both in its immense expanse. There is only
one intelligent Strata Creature on Drambo, and it is being treated
for radiation poisoning.
Classification:Unknown
Planet:Drambo
Species:Thought Controlled Tools
No Individual Names Known
Under the mental control of its user, a “tool” can assume any
use-ful shape imagined. At Sector General, one appeared as a Hudlar
type six scalpel, a medium-sized box spanner, a metallic sphere, a
miniature bust of Beethoven, a set of Tralthan dentures, and a
Hudlar food sprayer, among other things. The tools belong to the
only sentient Strata Creature on Drambo, and were used to attack the
medical and military forces attempting to treat the Strata Crea-ture
for radiation poisoning.
Classification:Unknown
Planet:Dutha
Species:Duthan
Individuals:Patient Bowab, His Excellency the Lord Scrennagle of
Dutha
Duthans have a centaur-like body. The torso from the waist up
resembles that of an Earth-human, but the musculature of the arms,
shoulders and chest are subtly different. The hands are five-digi
ted, each comprised of three fingers and two opposable thumbs. The
head is carried erect above a very thick neck, which seems
dispro-portionately small.The face is dominated by two large, soft,
brown eyes that somehow make the slits, pro tuberan ces, and fleshy
petals which comprise the other features visually acceptable.
Classification:Unknowm
Planet:Keran
Species:Keranni
No Individual Names Known
No description given.
Classification:Unknown
Planet:Unknown
Species:Kreglinni
No Individual Names Known
No description given.
Classification:Various
Planet:Meatball
Species:CLCH/CLHG Drambon Rollers, Drambon Farmer Fish, Drambon
Strata Creatures, Drambon Thought Controlled Tools, SRJH Drambon
Healers or Physicians or Protectors
The planet was originally named by the crew of Descartes, but the
name was considered derogatory by one of the native intelligent
species. The planet is now referred to as Drambo.
Reproduced with kind permission of Bruce Pelz and Bruce Louie .