Lt. Quipree: I’m turning my light. Maybe it fled.

The overhead illumination device slowly powers on and shines a direct light on the face of the missing terrestrial. It stands motionless in the center of the group, close enough to touch. Lt. Jinglee fumbles his self defense device, dropping it in the process. Srg. Aim111 screams uncontrollably, tightening his embrace of Lt. 8888888888888888888ah who is unaware of what is happening behind him. Ct. [redacted] vomits violently into his helmet.

Lt.8888888888888888888ah: What’s happening?! What’s happening?!

Ct. [redacted]: [retching] It’s sliding down my suit! I can’t see! It’s so warm!

Lt. Jinglee: I wish I never hatched! Life isn’t worth this!

Lt. Quipree: [breathing heavily] Umm...ok. Stay calm. Don’t move. Stop moving.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Oh [redacted] it’s right behind me isn’t it?!

Lt. Quipree: Stay still, and stop shouting. I know what I’m doing.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: But it’s all theoretical!

Lt. Quipree: Hypothetical

Lt. Jinglee: All I hear is lies! Lies!

Lt. Quipree: Shh! It’s moving!

Recording shows the terrestrial extending one of two tentacles to Ct. [redacted]. It holds its tentacle straight ahead of its torso.

Lt. Quipree: What does this mean? Is this a greeting? A warning?

Ct. [redacted]: Oh! What does it want, Quipree? [groaning detected]

Lt. Quipree: Wait, Cadet. You said it was mimicking you earlier, right? Maybe that’s how they present themselves in greeting to strangers.

Ct. [redacted]: You want me to imitate it?

Lt. Quipree: Try it.

Ct. [redacted] extends one of his robotic manipulators forward. Lt. Jinglee cowers behind him. The terrestrial extends the second tentacle parallel to the first. Ct. [redacted] mimics the terrestrials behavior. The terrestrial rotates both tentacles one by one, waiting for Ct. [redacted] to follow, before crossing them in a complex pattern until they both rest beside it’s head.

Srg. Aim111: What are you waiting for Cadet? Follow along.

Ct. [redacted]: I-I can’t; the robotic manipulators are too short for those actions.

The terrestrial crosses each tentacle one by one down its torso, then uncrossed them, rotated its hip joints several times then leaped straight up while violently rotating its entire body to face Srg. Aim111.

Srg. Aim111: Is it my turn now?!

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Don’t let me go Sargent! Please don’t let me go!

Srg. Aim111: Quipree, what’s it want?

Lt. Quipree: Let me try and make contact.

Srg. Aim111: We are not authorized to-

Lt. Quipree: It already made contact with us. Walking away would be rude.

Lt. Quipree performs a standard greeting. The terrestrial watches intently, silently.

Ct. [redacted]: I don’t think it liked that.

The terrestrial pauses, removes its glowing eyes revealing them to be a sort of visual shield and rubs them with its tentacle covering.

Lt. Quipree: Wait, I recognize it.

Lt. Jinglee: You what?!

Lt. Quipree: Yes, I’m sure I have seen this specific terrestrial before.

Rustling sounds are confirmed as Lt. Quipree sifts through his collection kit. He removes sample #013 and observes it closely. The terrestrial responds erratically to sample #013, using a single feeler on one of its tentacles to gesture to itself.

Lt. Quipree: It-it’s the terrestrials identification. The image looks-off, actually it somehow looks like a worse version, but it seems to belong to “it.”

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Give it back then!

Lt. Quipree: Is this what you came here for?

The terrestrial touches sample #013 then gestures to itself once more with gentle motions. It extends a tentacle in the same gesture as before. Lt. Quipree breaks the seal on the collection bag before removing the sample and placing it gingerly on the tentacle. It manipulates the sample with both sets of tentacle feelers before storing it in an unknown temporal space behind its back.

Audio confirmation of sounds emitted from the terrestrial. Exact language is unknown. Message: unknown. Tones of gratitude are detected. Requires further analysis.

Ct. [redacted]: Ok, ok, it’s coming back to me. Why is it coming back to me?

Lt. Quipree: Do not panic Cadet. It is calm and friendly right now. As long as we don’t overreact it won’t respond negatively.

Srg. Aim111: [releasing Lt. 8888888888888888888ah] It wants our samples. Perhaps we did not go through the proper channels to conduct a field study for this particular area. Our permits might not have full jurisdiction here.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Do you think it is an officer?

Lt. Quipree: It’s hard to tell really. But I must admit, this behavior is most fascinating.

Ct. [redacted]: What should I give it?

Srg Aim111: Anything!

Ct. [redacted] reluctantly breaks the seal on collection bag #025 and drops the unknown item into the waiting tentacle. The terrestrial stares down at the item, stores it in temporal space, and resumes the gesture again.

Lt. Jinglee: Make it go away Cadet!

Ct. [redacted]: Stop pressuring me! I don’t know what it wants.

Ct. [redacted] breaks seals #027 and #034, dropping the items into the waiting tentacle. Item #034 was observed being stored and item #027 being rejected.

Ct. [redacted]: It didn’t like it; what do I do Quipree?!

Lt. Quipree: It’s not hostile. Try more of the small round metal objects. It seemed to like them.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: I found a few of those objects as well. Should I give it to “It?”

Srg. Aim111: It doesn’t hurt to try.

Multiple officers begin to break seals on all the samples of the round, metal objects. The terrestrial seems surprised by the forwardness of the scientists. The terrestrial emotes something that emotional recognition software concludes is “confusion.”

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Was that all of the samples?

Srg. Aim111: No, but it doesn’t need to know that.

The terrestrial does not sort out the samples opting to place the full quantity of samples gifted in to temporal space. It performs a loud upwards-downwards action with its tentacles before approaching Ct. [redacted] once more. It does not outstretch a tentacle.

Ct. [redacted]: Quipree, what’s it doing now? Why is it...bobbing around like that?

Lt. Quipree: Not sure. Perhaps it is performing a ritual of thanks? Or it might be analyzing you? We have noticed there seems to be an infrequency of terrestrials at this hour, even less so in the least densely populated areas. Or this terrestrial could suffer from poor depth perception.

Slowly the terrestrial circles Ct. [redacted] who remains motionless. Lt. Jinglee exhibits physical signs of distress.

Lt. Jinglee: No no! You stay back you Alien! I am not fit for consumption!

Lt. Quipree: Lower your voice Jinglee. You are going to distress it. It might not be able to see you clearly. If you don’t startle it the terrestrial won’t attack you.

Audio interference occurs which all recording devices have concluded to have originated from the terrestrial. A high pitched alarm from a small flashing device was quickly silenced by the terrestrial. Multiple officers emitted high frequency screams; Lt. 8888888888888888888ah temporarily lost consciousness however his vitals remained Green.

Srg. Aim111: Jinglee! No! What are you doing?! [tones of anger and confusion detected]

Lt. Jinglee: I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!

Ct. [redacted]: Wai-[incoherent screaming]

Lt. Quipree: What?! DID YOU JUST THROW THE CADET?!

Srg. Aim111: Are you out of your mind Lieutenant?!

Lt. Jinglee: HE WAS AN INTERN!

Srg. Aim111: OH GOD! CADET! CADET! PLEASE RESPOND!

Ct. [redacted]’s signal status: offline

Lt. Quipree: Oh no. You killed him! [redacted] is gone!

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: [redacted] is dead?!

Lt. Jinglee: HE DIED A PATRIOT!

Lt. Jinglee drops all held equipment and runs screaming back to the designated safety zone, abandoning his duties as Safety Officer. [REDACTED]. The terrestrial, who remained unharmed during Lt. Jinglee’s outburst, returns to an upright position. It is observed ambling to Lt. 8888888888888888888ah’s position and taking hold of his body with both tentacles. Lt. 8888888888888888888ah is then assisted to a standing position.

Lt. Quipree: I cannot believe it; there seems to be signs that they are capable of complex emotions. Are you seeing this Sargent?

Visual is lost on the Terrestrial as it wanders off but returns quickly with Lt. Jinglee’s discarded equipment. It extends the offering to Srg. Aim111 who reluctantly accepts. The small alarm device is retrieved and converted in to a light emitting beam.

Lt. Quipree: What is this gesture? This wave motion? What do you want? Pointing...pointing where? To the empty space? What is over there?

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: I think it wants us to follow it.

Lt. Quipree: Follow? That way? Oh, I think it understood me! What are you doing now with your tentacle...feeler...just what are those things?

The small device is turned around and presented to Lt. Quipree. A crude image rendering of the officers is on the screen.

Lt. Quipree: Sargent! Sarg! Look! Look! It rendered us! On it’s communication device!

Srg. Aim111: Oh, will you look at that. It-it’s pretty good. Is this a form of gratitude? It’s doing the gesturing thing again.

Lt. Quipree: Us...wave-darkness, hello? You want us to leave? Sarg help me out here.

Srg. Aim111: I did not score well on interpretive dance.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Picking up...us...throwing...I don’t know what the last gesture is. Oh, it’s making a noise! Why is it making that noise. Make it stop Quipree.

Lt. Quipree: It sounds like it’s imitating our voices. This terrestrial is excellent at interpretive dance, don’t you think? Say “hello.” Oh! Wow that was pretty good. [gesturing to self] Quipree. Q-uuuUUUuiiii-pppRREEEEEEEE.

Terrestrial: [pointing with tentacle feeler to the Lieutenant] kkkkrpreee. Kiiiipreee. [gesturing to self] Huuumun.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Is that it’s name? That’s a weird name.

Terrestrial: [gesturing to rendering and then to Lt. Quipree] Kiipree...humun [gestures to dark empty space]

Lt. Quipree: It wants me to follow it.

Srg. Aim111: I do not approve of you going alone Lt. I don’t care if you are the Leading Behaviorist. It’s too risky. Tell it “No.”

Lt. Quipree: But-but...Sargent! I want to-

The terrestrial ignores the officers, wandering away into the uncharted area of the grey zone. Along the way it shouted Lt. Quipree’s name. It was getting better at pronunciation.

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: Do you think it’s gone?

Srg. Aim111: No, I can still see it’s light in deep frumption space.

Terrestrial: [distant screaming] Quipree! Quipree!

Lt. Quipree: It seems to like me. Wait, it’s coming back?

Lt. 8888888888888888888ah: What is that awful sound?

Lt. Quipree: It sounds like the alarm from before. It needs our assistance!

Srg. Aim111: No! Wait-!

Lt. Quipree: It’s [redacted]! It found [redacted]! [redacted] is alive!

Srg. Aim111: Cadet?!

Lt. Quipree is observed carrying Ct. [redacted]’s unconscious body back to the group with the terrestrial close behind. Ct. [redacted]’s communication antenna is recorded as damaged. Soft groans can be heard behind his vomit coated hemit.

Terrestrial: [gesturing to Cadet [redacted] Quipree!

Lt. Quipree: [r e d a c t e d]. AAAAAAaimmmmm1111. 8888888888888888888ah.

Terrestrial: [glances around at the officers in confusion] [redacted]. [gestures to self] Aaalien.

The group collectively gasps.

Lt. 88888888888888888ah: It-it’s self aware!

The terrestrial erases the rendering of the officers and conducts a new one.

Srg. Aim111: Hey, isn’t that the soft shelled sample the Cadet collected earlier?

Lt. Quipree: Yes. Maybe it belongs to this terrestrial specifically.

Srg. Aim111: There is only one way to find out.

Srg. Aim111 overrides authorization of Ct. [redacted]’s field collection kit and removes the last sample. Cadet [redacted] failed to seal the sample during the unauthorized terrestrial encounter. Srg. Aim111 presents the soft shelled item to a visibly excited terrestrial. It accepts the item and places it in temporal space. It makes a torso folding angle that resembles the ceremony of apology.

Terrestrial: Quipree.

Lt. Quipree: Oh, you are-what are you doing?

The terrestrial erases the rendering to generate a new final message. Visual log has replicated this image as so: <3

Contact was lost to the terrestrial self identified as “Alien.” All officers were safely extracted and the site was decontaminated within field commission guidelines. Ct. [redacted] was treated for injuries consistent with being aggressively throw a distance greater than 33 frumptions and nausea. Lt. Jinglee has been quarantined and detained for gross misconduct, misuse of an intern as a deadly weapon and rudeness.

Mission #3866 Ob-Co/192

Status: Inconclusive