text: Siri's thoughts turned to fear as Sen studied the limp human on the floor between them. Sen reassured her promptly. I will take his place! I have scanned this Humans mind and believe I can become a substitute with a few adjustments. Siri took her mates thoughts into her own and believed him instantly. He was the strong one and the most capable partner the Biome could ever have matched her with. Things will work out and they will get home his resolve now hers just as his thoughts were. Sen gathered Albert up into his arms as Siri returned Mrs Erickson to her position in the wall of drawers. They returned to their vessel with Albert and the Endocrine samples they had collected under the watchful eyes of the curious feline mammal. Back in their ship they watched the form of the human dissolve into what had previously been their stasis pod. It was absorbing him molecule by molecule, Sen passed his hands over a crystal and entered Albert's Memory and mind into the Biome. None of there kind had ever entered the sentience of another species into the Biome before. It would be a revelation on their homeworld and it would also be evidence that they had done no ill. The sustenance unit had adapted the samples from Mrs Erickson and Albert and delivered a small orb of green nutrients for Sen and Siri to consume. The effect was almost immediate as unknown but adapted hormones flowed through their bodies, It made them both giddy. There was enough to sustain them in there new environment for 7 Terran Days. Sen vocalized rather than telegraphed his thoughts, Siri giggled at the sound of it. We'll need more! The testosterone in the nutrients he had consumed having an obvious effect on his voice. Adapting the Holographic emitters and increasing the output to avoid another repeat of the incident with Albert took some time. When it was done though Sen stood up looking exactly like the man they had just frightened to death. Sen had his memories and knew his routines and duties and exactly how to perform them. Siri clapped in approval. Not quite sure why but seeing her mate this way both amused her and encouraged her belief that things would be alright. Puddles wasn't surprised when Albert emerged through the floor of the sub-basement the same way he had left a few hours before. Yeowling loudly he was hungry. Albert bent down and scratched behind his ears. Alright old fellow! Alright! Sen smiled inwardly satisfied with his disguise as he made his way back to the Caretakers room to feed the complaining cat. Albert's mind had filled the gaps in the marooned Aliens knowledge about Human Beings. It was one thing to listen to Radio and Television broadcasts another entirely to fathom the context of that information. There was humour and politics as well as music, wondrous and so varied in emotion and mathematical complexity. There was War and conflict with it's motivations as Albert understood them. Humanity existed in this point of there evolution as Tribal and geographic rivals despite the fact that they were the same species descended from a narrow mix of one dominant genome. The economics system was an evolved form of Feudalism under the guise of Democracy which for the most-part kept the populace placated. Inequity was rife under this system so removed from what Sen and Siri had experienced in their long lives. That inequity apparent here in this workplace where Albert worked in exchange for the care of his mate upstairs in the Dementia ward. Sen understood the attachment Albert felt for Shirley as being no different to that which he felt for Siri. It didn't take Sen long to determine that looking through Albert's eyes as he was that there was a great deal of things wrong with this place. Nurses substituting medications for one thing. The stolen drugs then sold to an Orderly who proceeded to sell them on further. The bone harvesting from the deceased patients another. Unclaimed bodies were seen as resources and the replacement of large bones with plastic tubing done with little care or decorum. Siri had been collecting where and what she could during these disruptions. It was difficult to judge humans by there behaviour when they were surreptitiously doing a similar thing. Sen made time as Albert did to sit with Shirley and hold her hand. It was during one of these occasions that Shirley spoke with a hint of recognition in her voice. “You're not Albert!” Instinctively Sen held her hand just that little bit tighter, reassuringly as if to say It's alright Dear. Other residents had regained a degree of awareness as well but this was the first time it caused Sen any concern. Mr Perkins in particular had been watching him closely. It had been nearly three months since Sen had assumed Albert's identity. Three months of walking the halls and changing light bulbs, unclogging drains and emptying bins. The time had gone quickly for Sen and Siri as their vessel slowly regenerated beneath the nursing home. It had gone even more quickly for Carnac. Awaking from stasis just short of his Earthbound destination he entered the coordinates of a position just behind Terra's moon in order not to be seen. The disruption in space as it unfolded from around his ship would cause little more than a gravity wave and he was fairly certain the Humans were incapable of detecting it anyway. Inspecting his console he requested any further updates from the surveillance probe but nothing was forthcoming. They're either gone or they're in hiding he muttered to himself, after all it did take so long just to get to this backwater. Just in case and as an after thought he requested the probe to scan for Hybrid DNA in case the violators were in hiding. He'd give it 48 hours Terran time to complete its scan before moving onto his next assignment. Most Alien species could not survive for long in the hostile Terran environment without adapting in some way. Between the bacteria and diseases and the ever violent mammalians the place was a disaster waiting to happen. A DNA scan would suffice for the purpose and would catch anyone trying to deceive The Ministry for Planetary Affairs. Three months worth of genetically modified regenerative endocrine hormones modified by Iriscenes so that they could survive in this environment had found there way into the locals.