Espial Space Station, Mission Day 11, Continued
"Careful with it, Aiden," Silas scolded, hovering close to his crewmate as the specimen was transported to the lab.
"Yeah, yeah," Aiden rolled his eyes. "How about asking me how the surface of the planet was?" He swung the pressurized gurney out wide, turning left out of the hangar. He kept an eye on the air tank strapped to the gurney, filled with exact composition of the lower layer of the specimen's atmosphere.
"Right, right, of course." Silas shook his head, gathering his thoughts. "How was the vegetation up close? Did you encounter any fauna besides the specimen? How was the local climate?"
Aiden huffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention."
Silas stopped for a beat, his demeanor dropping. "Aiden, I didn't ask for much. Just for you to take notes on your trip down."
Aiden shrugged nonchalantly, continuing onto the lab.
Mila was already there, pacing the floor. She stopped, standing up straight when the lab door slid open. "That's it? That's the specimen?" She asked, walking with Aiden, ignoring Silas completely.
"Yup." Aiden slid the gurney into place inside the sealed observation room inside the lab. He stepped back and closed both the antechamber door and the outer door, creating a double lock.
"I thought it would be…" Mila trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Angrier?" Aiden offered.
"I guess." She shrugged.
"You didn't tranquilize it too much, did you?" Silas asked, already suiting up to go into the observation room.
"Just one dart," Aiden answered. "As you instructed," he added under his breath.
"Good, good." Silas kept his gaze on the specimen, depressurizing the antechamber. "I've got it from here."
"You're not going to get rid of us that easily," Mila snapped. "That thing can attack you as soon as it wakes up. We have no idea if those restraints are strong enough."
Silas moved through the antechamber, getting into the main observation room. He removed the pressurization from the gurney, checking on the specimen's vitals as it acclimated to its new environment.
"Are you gonna wake it up?" Aiden asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Silas looked to his audience. "In due time." He tilted his head. "Besides, the Senate was very specific on the types of interactions we were allowed to have with the specimen. Both of you need to put on exo-armor if you want to interact with it while it's awake."
Aiden huffed and Mila remained stoic. Mila nudged Aiden, tilting her head. Both of them left the lab to put exo-armor on. Leaving nothing to chance, they also armed themselves before returning to the lab.
Silas had removed the majority of the specimen's clothing, leaving only a small, white garment that covered the space in between his hips and upper portion of his legs. Both Mila and Aiden understood the similarities between their anatomy and that of the specimen.
"Preliminary checks show the specimen in good health with no obvious injuries or diseases." Silas spoke out loud, his reports being recorded.
"None of the other natives saw you, correct?" Mila looked to Aiden.
He shook his head. "'Course not."
She nodded, looking back to the observation room, satisfied for the moment.
Silas pulled the gurney up to the stationary observation table for easier analysis of the specimen. With the huff, he slid the gurney board onto the observation table. He undid the restraints so he could remove the board.
"Hold on, Silas. We don't know when it's going to wake up." Mila stepped up to the observation room, her hold on her gun tightening.
"Don't worry. Based on its physique and composition, this specimen has at least twelve more minutes of sedation left from the tranquilizer." Silas answered, sliding the board out from underneath the specimen.
Mila sighed, knowing she was in no position to negotiate while outside of the observation room.
Silas moved the gurney into the corner to make room for himself. Turning back to the table, he moved to setup the stronger restraints on the table. He tested the straps' hold on the table first before securing the specimen down.
Without warning, the specimen sat upright, gasping for air with a deep breath. Its eyes widened in fear and panic as it took in its new surroundings. Silas scrambled backwards, his hand clutching his chest to calm his heart rate. Mila and Aiden stepped forward, raising their guns, muttering swears.
The specimen practically fell off the table in its bid to get away from the crew, no doubt fearful of their forms masked by their exo-armors. It pressed its body against the back wall of the observation room, trying to be as far away from them as possible. Its chest heaved rapidly and his eyes darted around the room, taking in as much information as it could.
"It seems frightened, not aggressive." Silas said to Mila and Aiden through the comms in their exo-armors. He took a half-step forward.
"Silas! Step back, now!" Mila yelled. "That's an order!"
"No, no, it's alright. I think I can calm it down," Silas insisted. He took two more steps forward.
"Don't you dare take another step! Or I'll-"
"Shoot me?" Silas finished her empty threat.
Mila let out a noise of discontent, knowing if she broke the pressurized containment, she'd risk her life and Aiden's with any pathogens or bacteria that lurked within the specimen.
Silas kept on his approach, keeping his hands out in front of him in a defensive position.
The specimen looked quickly to his right, seeing Silas' workbench. The specimen snatched up one of Silas' tools, a scalpel, gripping it tightly and holding it out in front of him.
"Fuck, it's armed." Aiden switched the safety off on his gun.
"Don't you dare shoot it." Silas warned, slowly reaching for something on the opposite end of his workbench.
The specimen watched him closely, its eyes barely blinking. Silas kept on his approach towards the specimen. When he was within arms' reach, the specimen's expression changed from fear to determination, a will to survive. It swung the scalpel, but Silas easily blocked the attack with his arm, the blade harmlessly bouncing off his exo-armor with a metallic ting. Silas lunged forward, plunging the sedation needle he had grabbed into the specimen's upper arm.
The specimen looked to its arm and the needle before looking at Silas. Within its eyes was the look of a trapped animal, scared and panicked. The specimen was merely trying to survive and escape, not to attack and destroy.
It slumped down, the sedative taking effect. Silas moved forward to catch the specimen before it hit the floor. When the specimen was out cold, Silas dragged it back to the observation table, pushing it onto it fully with an exhausted grunt. He quickly secured the restraints across the specimen's shoulders, waist, wrists, and ankles.
Mila and Aiden finally exhaled with relief, lowering their weapons.
"Those restraints are never coming off, understand? And it stays sedated." She sternly warned the crew's scientist.
Silas nodded his head solemnly.
"Good." Mila flicked a hand at Aiden and the two left the lab.
Silas finally returned to his analysis of the specimen.
The scalpel slipped from the specimen's grasp, quietly clattering on the floor.