The console pinged again.  “Got something else, sir,” Henderson said.  “This one’s a bit bigger.”

Charles nodded.  “Send the drones after it,” he ordered.  “Then run the live feed through the screens here.”

He looked over at the console as the drones closed in on their target, reporting a steady increase in the density of biological material as they made their way through space.  Slowly, something humanoid came into view, illuminated by the lights mounted on the drones.  It was damaged, perhaps badly, but it was definitely far from human.  Charles felt a chill running down his spine as he gazed into the face of an alien.

There had been no shortage of speculation, he knew, about what the aliens might actually be like.  The general assumption had been that the aliens were too alien to realise that war was unnecessary; after all, everyone in academia knew that cooperation was the way forward, not wasteful war.  Charles had read speculation that ranged from giant spiders, complete with insect mentalities, to robots that had killed their creators and gone on a rampage across the universe, but the academics had been wrong.  The proof was drifting right in front of him.

The alien was humanoid, as far as he could tell, although it – he, perhaps – had clearly lost a leg.  His skin was thick and leathery, almost like a humanoid elephant; his eyes were dark and shadowy.  There were no clothes, although with skin like that, he realised, the alien wouldn't really need protection from the elements.  The remainder of the alien body was damaged, broken and bleeding in a dozen places.  It was very clearly dead.

Charles swallowed, then spoke.  “Contact the ship,” he ordered.  “We’ve found a body.”

He watched as the drones pulled back, waiting for the EVA specialists to arrive.  The body would be bagged up, then transported back to the carrier and placed on ice.  No one would be allowed to see it, let alone touch it, until they’d taken it safely back to Earth, where it would be examined in a sealed facility.  He was fairly sure that alien bugs wouldn't be lethal to humanity, but there was no point in taking chances.  Besides, everyone and his aunt would want to see the body.

“It doesn't look friendly,” Henderson commented.  The normally bouncy young man – there were a handful of sharp remarks about the need for discipline in his file – sounded subdued, almost terrified.  “Do you think they’re all helplessly evil?”

Charles looked down at the screen.  The alien did look unfriendly, he had to admit; his jaws were filled with sharp teeth, set in a permanent grimace.  But that meant nothing, he knew; the alien might easily be smiling instead, or merely screaming in agony as his body froze to death.  Besides, he’d seen plenty of humans who had looked dangerous – or merely unpleasant – only to discover that looks could be deceiving.