Ted nodded.  Mass drivers had been the most effective weapon humanity had found, so far, and he could see the value in producing hundreds of mass driver-armed starships.  If Ark Royal’s limited system had been able to wreck havoc, an entire fleet of such starships would be unstoppable.  Hell, they could just start by rigging mass drivers onto the hulls of escort ships, then produce a more formal design later.

“It takes upwards of a year to produce a modern carrier – longer, of course, to produce something like the Old Lady,” Anderson reminded him, stroking the desk absently with one hand.  “New carriers will be required, eventually, but it will be quicker to modify the ones we have.”

“The Admiralty can decide that,” Ted said.  He keyed a switch, accessing a secure data store and displaying the images of the alien bodies.  “The face of the enemy, gentlemen.”

He smiled at their reactions to the alien face.  In proper lighting, he couldn't help thinking of a amphibious creature.  The alien might be equally at home in and out of the water, he decided; their leathery skin and the absence of any protective garment suggested that they were actually tougher than humans.  It seemed odd to consider a starship crew that were completely naked – even if they had no nudity taboo, surely they would need protection against accidents – but maybe it worked for them.  There was nothing that suggested the alien’s sex, at least as far as he could tell.

“Ugly bastards,” Farley said, finally.  “And tough too.”

“Very tough,” Doctor Jeanette Hastings agreed.  She leaned forward.  “As per regulations, I transferred the bodies into storage tubes rather than attempting to study them myself.  However, I can tell you, just from a visual inspection, that the aliens are definitely tough – and probably faster than they look.  Judging from the shape of their eyes, they’re used to a darker environment than humanity; they’re probably far more capable of seeing in the dark without technological aid.”

Fitzwilliam smiled.  “What gender are they?”

“Impossible to tell without an autopsy,” Jeanette said.  “I was unable to locate anything resembling either a penis or a vagina through visual inspection.  They look humanoid, but they don't have to breed like humans.  They could lay eggs, for example, or they might have a biological caste system and the bodies we’ve recovered belong to a caste that doesn't breed.”

She shrugged.  “I did take a look at some of the recovered blood,” she added.  “They’re biologically incompatible with us, so any dreams of cross-racial hybrids will remain just that – dreams.”