Still River

Personae

The following students, all candidates for the Respected Opinion degree at the institution called by the Human name of Golden Fleece University (apparently from a rather remote association, through Human mythology and the constellation name Argus, with its location near the Leinster site at Eta Carinae), formed the voluntary associate team assigned to examine the standard laboratory object Enigma 88. This had been left untouched long enough to be sure that any casual memory of it would no longer be circulating in the School, and of course earlier laboratory reports had been sealed.

The names of the nonhuman students are given as carried by Human interpreter equipment. All had met, both socially and in connection with course and laboratory work, and appeared to like and respect each other sufficiently to be able to form an effective work group. They are:

1) Joe, Nethneen. Home planet Dinar, orbiting an MO main sequence sun, normal temperature range 220-260K, gravity 0.18 Earth standard, atmosphere inert at about 50 millibars. Body fluid ammonia based, nonbreathing. Spheroidal body, four equally spaced limbs of which two are adapted for handling and two for locomotion. Immobile head on top of body, four pairs of eyes covering full circle.

2) Molly (Mary Warrender Chmenici), Human. Home planet technically Earth, circling a G2 main sequence sun, temperature range 260-310K, but, like most of her species, born, raised, and educated on other planets and on board spacecraft. Body fluid water based, oxygen breather. Age 27 Earth years, 165 centimeters tall, mass 57 kilograms. Married to another student, one six-year-old son.

3) Charley, Kantrick. Home planet Merrvar, circling an M5 main sequence sun, temperature range 200-250K, gravity 0.87 Earth normal, atmosphere inert at about 850 millibars. Body fluid ammonia based, nonbreathing type. Physical shape roughly similar to Joe’s but considerably larger. His body is covered by an exoskeleton and therefore does not show Joe’s rubbery texture; he has four single eyes, covering, like Joe’s, the full circle. His prehensile organs are four-digited nippers rather than Joe’s delicate tendrils.

4) Carol, Shervah. Home planet Krekka circles M2 main sequence flare star; temperature range 240-250K, gravity 0.83 Earth normal, normal atmospheric pressure 2700 millibars, partial pressure of NOC1 210-330 millibars. Body fluid ammonia based, NOC1 breather. Shape humanoid, but very small by human standards; height 137 centimeters, mass 32 kilograms. Face repulsive to human taste; no chin, mouth almost out of sight, large independently mobile eyes on opposite sides of head able to cover full circle. Covered with dense brown fur.

5) Jenny, Rimmore. Planet Hrimm, sun an M2 main sequence star, temperature range 220-260K, gravity 1.85 Earth normal, atmospheric pressure 4300 millibars, oxygen partial pressure about 320 millibars, rest mostly nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Body fluids ammonia based, oxygen breather. Physical shape, two-meter-long centipede, front three of eighteen limb pairs modified for handling. Two large eyes on sides of head.