text: A short story I recently posted on the HFY subreddit One shot. Edit: Spelling Edit: The original inspiration: \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Specialist Kotar examined the still warm cadaver on the table in front of him once more, just as confused as before the medical scanner had spat out its report. This was the first example of an 'earthling' that had been brought to him for evaluation, something the military normally did on the first day of occupation of a new system. And normally they brought him a live specimen. But this was the fourth day in orbit of the third planet of this miserable backwater part of the galaxy, at least some of the rumours about difficult fighting and unexpected resistance must be true then. &#x200B; But - the specimen. Being dead, he had to skip the psychological profiling entirely for now, that would have to wait for a more intact example. Cause of death was obvious, it was still leaking bright red blood slowly from a head wound - probably caused by an assault bayonet from the looks of things. The body gently twitched form time to time, as if trying to defy the very laws of nature itself. But it was the scans that made no sense. Excessive scar tissue all over the body, including assumed vital areas. This was confirmed visually, ugly pinkish ropes of it across the body almost randomly, or at least not according to any pattern he recognised. Kotar would have assumed some religious or perhaps social significance, if it weren't for the internal scars on the report. Internal organ functions were mostly predicted by the scanner, but it was clear that some were plain *not right*. Some seemed to have pieces missing from them. Others had tiny mechanical devises in or up against them. There was at least one example of an organ missing altogether, the connecting tissues curled back on themselves as if recoiling in horror. What manner of vile beings did this to themselves? None of the scars were consistent with predator attacks. &#x200B; The more he looked at the scans the worse it got. Nerve ends were severed in places, or pinched painfully between artificial implants of an unknown nature. Metal clips held tissues together. Newer, painfully raw looking scars overlapped old faded scars. One of the surface ones still had artificial fibres - *cloth fibres!* \- holding it closed! He fought down the urge to purge his stomachs. The very worst was where the scanner had identified that part of the alien was *biologically from another different earthling!* They *cannibalised* each other for new parts! A thousand interrogations of a thousand different species hadn't upset him as mush as this things very existence did. &#x200B; But Specialist Kotar had a job to do. The soldiers would need the information he gathered here on how to best cleanse these abominable creatures from existence. He prepped himself for dissection, he would have to confirm the machines report manually. Just as the laser cutter touched the surface of the earthling if flung itself bolt upright with a great gasp of breath, scaring the excrement out of Kotar and sending the cutter flying across the room! Before he could recover and call for help, the injured but impossibly *NOT* dead earthling monster lashed out with an arm, shattering Kotars frail body almost without effort. His last view of the world was spent helplessly watching the earthling climb off the table and stalk off into the ship. \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ I'm a regular author on the HFY subreddit.