 Returning to Earth with the preserved humanoids, Carlsen discovers the true nature of the beings when one of them kills a young reporter (and the son of a friend of Carlsen) whom Carlsen illicitly allowed to view the body.The woman kills her victim by completely draining his life-force (a quantifiable energy measured by devices called "lambda-field scanners") and when Carlsen attempts to intervene, partially draining him of energy as well.Carlsen survives, but is unable to prevent the woman from escaping from the hospital.