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The infirmary was compact and nearly empty. It abutted a much larger medical facility designed to handle dozens of patients a day. Those miners, prospectors, and facility support staff have either long gone, or are resting quietly in their cryotubes two levels below. Supplies and equipment were more than ample for the installation's needs; however the larger facility had been shutdown and its contents moth-balled while the majority of the facility slept through the solar disturbances. It was cheaper that way.
Skullet's body lay on an auto-exam table. Bright lights basked the subject on the table and resonated the light throughout the otherwise darkened room. Administrator DeFoe, Duff Bradford and Felix McIntyre stood looking at the table. Their hushed voices contriving plans, ideas, and most important of all, concerns about removing Skullet's environment suit. The thing that now covered his face made removing the helmet an almost impossibility - its added bulk not allowing much room for the neck piece to fit over it.
[Duff]
"Man, I wish the doctor hadn't gone under right now."
[McIntyre]
"Yeah, you and me both."
[Duff]
"I think we should have Dean take a look at this before we proceed. He may have some insight on what we should or could do next."
[DeFoe]
Possessing a deep yet resonant voice, DeFoe was a natural leader and a man namely of action. When his men were undecided or stalled over some matter, he could be called to make the call, and in many more times than not it was the correct decision. He kneeled to get a better look at the motionless body on the table. "We know he's alive with his pulse from the wrist. So this thing is keeping him that way for now. Let's not piss it off. He might have the answers we need. Find Dean and get him here right away."
Duff complied immediately. Stepping over to the intercom device, he paged Dean throught the slumbering facility. A small crowd had gathered outside of the medical bay. The wide plexi window allowed an unequalled view. Captain Glenkov, Lieutenant Cooper, Nate Beckette, and Private Johnson peered inside with great interest. Dean greated them each as he passed and entered the medical bay. He donned a medical gown before proceeding.
[Dean]
"Fascinating." Was his first reaction after entering the room and regarding the body for a few moments.
"Did he come in like this?" He asked.
[Duff]
"The angels and I found him near the Devil's Abyss. He was lying face down about four meters from a crashed and as yet unidentified EEV module. We have removed his environment suit but we were concerned about how to remove his helmet." He stepped up to the table seemingly unafraid of the horror he actually felt. "If you look here," he indicated under the neck line of the helmet, "you can see that the creature has some sort of prehensile tail and it is wrapped around his neck."
[Dean]
Regarding the details pointed out by Duff, Dean examined the situation a bit further. "The sonic scalpal should allow us to cut the helmet along the lattitude without disturbing the creature unduly." DeFoe concurred after only a moment of thought.
Checking Skullet's vitals and other diagnostic information was quick and efficient as the auto-exam table displayed the readings on a monitor just above the foot of the table. Dean pulled the necessary instrument down from the rack of equipment which hung above the table. A high pitched buzz could just barely be heard as the device and Dean's carefully placed hand made short work of the plastic and insulation of the helmet. Now Skullet in his undergarments and the creature lay exposed on the table.
With the creature now in full view the
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