"The result of your ignorance," Choi said as she looked over the thorny object. Peterson didn't offer a defense. Choi continued, "My best guess is it's a stinger."

Harris was behind Choi now, his expression stern. "Like a bee?"

Choi nodded.

Peterson looked down at his hand, which was covered in ruddy foam, blood and clear liquid. "Then I've been poisoned?"

"We don't know what, if anything, you've been injected with," Choi said. "But it is certain that your body had a reaction to some kind of foreign substance. I would say you're lucky."

"How's that?" Peterson said.

"You are the first human being with which these Europhids have experienced physical contact. I highly doubt that whatever is in your system will accomplish what ever it was designed to do."

"So I'll live?"

Choi placed the stinger in a metal bowl and began removing her rubber gloves. "Fifty-fifty."

"That's not funny," Peterson said as he began to free his injured hand from the straps that held him to the table.

Choi stopped removing her second glove and stared Peterson down. "It wasn't meant to be. We have no idea what kind of toxin is in your system and how it will react. The only information that might relate is the incident involving your deceased crew member."

Connelly's memory kicked in. After Peterson had been stung in the Bio-lab he mentioned not wanting to end up like someone. What was his name? But before Peterson could tell her who the man was, Peterson gasped in pain, surged forward and passed out. Twenty minutes later he awoke in the Med-lab and had been strapped down. What was his name? Benjamin? Bernard? She knew it began with a "B." "Benson." Connelly hadn't meant to say the name aloud, but everyone heard her.

Harris squinted at Connelly and then shifted an angry stare to Peterson. "That was classified information, mister."

Connelly sensed the water was rising up over her neck and would soon drown her and Peterson. "All he said was the name."

Harris and Choi stared at her, obviously weighing their options, the result of which, Connelly could only imagine. Not wanting to wait to find out, Connelly decided to put the pieces together herself. Benson must have been the crew member Choi mentioned. He had died from similar circumstances to Peterson's situation. Meaning what? Benson had come in contact with Europhids previous to the onset of this mission…on Earth.

Connelly's eyes grew wide. "Why didn't you tell us?" Her question was directed at Harris.

The sudden reversal of questioning unbalanced Harris's demeanor. "I, ah, I think you better—"

"I think you better tell me the truth. Withholding information that could have got me or my crew injured or killed is not something I will tolerate."

Harris stood silently. Choi watched him, apparently waiting to follow his lead.