"What are we going to do?"asked Moira.
"Get to the bottom of this."
Veronica grabbed a shovel, and went to the area where the water collected among the giant bamboo.
"What are you doing!"asked Moira, clearly scandalized, as Veronica began digging the place where supposedly, the Keeper had been buried.
She watched in horror, as Veronica came across the body.
"I suppose there should only be bone left."she said. "It doesn't look like any kind of human bone I've ever seen. It's much…sturdier. And…different."she took a small instrument and pointed it at the ground.
After a while, an image showed up on the small monitor.
"It's got an extended ribcage. And the phalanges are more like…a cat's. Well, it's certainly like no skeletal anatomy of any of those in my menagerie."
She scraped off a piece of the bone, and took it back to the flyer. After a while, a picture came up.
"What a disgusting creature!"exclaimed Moira.
"I knew there was something fishy about this."
"Fishy! Don't you mean reptilian?"Moira asked.
"Well, I guess, yes, reptilian, Moira. You see, that's how the Keeper survived on Isis during all those long years, without even knowing what a UVO suit was, and probably going to the top of the mesa, even, without anything on her back."
"But…but…that's impossible. I mean, wouldn't Isis have had to have been terraformed first? And that would have taken generations, probably."
"Exactly. I don't think Isis was terraformed, rather that the Keeper was…Isisformed."
"I thought you said the Keeper was a person."said David.
"She was. Or at least, at one point of her life she must have been."
"But…she couldn't have adapted so fast, could she?"
"No, I don't think it was adaptation. That would have taken generations. I think this Guardian of hers messed with genetics."
"But Guardian wouldn't have done that. We met Guardian, didn't we, David?"
"Yes, we did."
"But let me see. The skin…thick and scaly, that would be to protect her from the UV, of course. In between the scales, moisture gathers, and she is able to survive in the extreme heat, and, of course, you have the fact that she was…a mammal, I guess in a certain way, I must say, mammals are warm-blooded. Back in prehistoric times, on Earth, that was how the first land animals would survive. First, of course the amphibians, but they couldn't stay away from the water too long. They lost moisture too quickly. Then their skin became scaly, and they were able to retain more, and therefore, move away from the water."
"How would that protect against the rays?"
"The thickness. Wow, just look at that. Must be twice as thick as rhinoceros hide! And that's something. All these dead cells on top of one another, must have stopped the rays from entering and damaging the live cells under them."
"Well, that's the UV, but the atmosphere in the mountains, well, there isn't enough oxygen."
"Just because there is a lack of oxygen, doesn't mean that there is none. You see, that's why we have such small insects today. At least on Earth. See, when there was a lack of oxygen in the atmosphere, they had to decrease in size, because they weren't as…efficient as the reptiles at storing it. Insect breathe through their skin. See, how the vascular system has been changed. The lungs are much stronger, and the heart more efficient at pumping blood. The vessels, too. They are much more extended. Therefore, more oxygen can be stored at each breath. And the nose, I guess, must also have something to do with it. Wider nostrils allow more air in."
"What a deformed face."
"Reformed, Moira. Reformed, you mean. Let me see. The eyes, of course, would also have needed protection from the rays. A third eyelid, just like a cat's. A nictating membrane, some people will call it. Only transparent, unlike a feline's. The bones of the forehead, also stop as much light as possible from entering the eye, without causing no light to enter it, if you know what I mean. The eyes, are of course, the most vulnerable part, though some people fail to notice it. That's why when taking an X ray, you should also close your eyes, though some people won't. See, they don't cover their eyes, as the only thing that can stop the rays from hitting them would be lead, and well, just imagine lead shades, but you should still cover your eyes."
"What does this all have to do with the fact that her skin is green?"
"The change of metabolism. Sometimes, when there's something wrong with your liver, your skin changes color. Same here. There was nothing wrong, of course, but, well, it made the plants more edible, and as for insects, they're venom doesn't affect her."
"Wow. But why?"
"We'd have to read a little more for that."