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achieved their objective so long as they did, but in Chris’ mind, that still made them the bad guys.
    When Samda stopped m oving, the captain ordered, “Send in a bot to administer the pills and the translator.”
    Within a minute , a small hatch opened at the base of one of the cell walls and a boxy little robot wheeled inside. It placed three pills in Samda’s mouth and worked them down her throat. Then it placed the translator inside and left through the same hatch.
    The captain asked his first m ate, “Is her ship making any moves?”
    “It’s dead in the water , Captain.”
    “Maybe she was alone ?”
    “Should we scout it out?”
    “Why? We got what we came for. We only have a couple specimens left to get and I don’t need distractions like that to put us off of our mission.”
    Chris asked, “Aren’t you curious?”
    “About wha t? We’ve seen everything, Earth-man.”

Last of her Kind
     
    As Samda sta rted to come back to consciousness, Chris asked the captain, “Aren’t you worried that you won’t have the right mix of DNA to make this god-like creature? What if you need the DNA of a species that’s not even around yet? What about all the future apex species? What about apex species that died off long ago?” He wondered why the aliens hadn’t already thought about that. Could they be so careless?
    “We’ve considered all of the possibilities and we’re confident that what we’re doing is in and of itself overkill.”
    “Well then , if it’s overkill, then maybe your mission is done. Maybe you don’t need some of us.” He said it hopefully, but the captain dashed all of his hopes.
    “The mission will be carried out as it was planned. No deviation shall take place.”
    “Damn it.”
    “You ask too man y questions, Earth-man.” To his first mate he said, “As soon as we’re done with this specimen, I want you to have someone fix the Earth-man’s stasis pod.”
    “By someone, you mean me, right?” the first mate said defiantly.
    The captain ignored the f irst mate’s feeble attempt at an argument. “I don’t care. Have Number Three or Four do it for all I care. Just get it done. This guy is annoying the shit out of me.”
    “Yes, C aptain,” the first mate said sullenly.
    Chris ’ face flushed. He suddenly felt very small and insignificant.
    On the monitor, Samda got to her feet and yawned languidly.
    Something in the pills or in the translator had a calming effect, Chris knew, because he felt it too. An experience of this magnitude should have rendered him immobile, but he was mostly taking it in stride.
    Samda said lazily, “I was alone on my ship. I might be the last of my kind. You can’t do this to me. I have to keep looking for survivors or else my race is lost forever.”
    The captain took his translator helmet off and said, “I doubt there were any survivors. We were exceedingly lucky to find you. I’ll be damned if I let you go.”
    Just then Samda doubled over and vomited at her feet. The pills purged her that way, Chris guessed.
    She wiped her mouth and stood tall. Her torso filled the entire monitor. She looked bigger than the huge lizard that had been inside the cell earlier. “The Grays are still looking for me. I hope they succeed and wipe you bastards out along with me.”
    “Now that’s not nice , Samda. The Grays are advanced, but not like we are. They’d have to send an entire fleet to outmaneuver this ship.”
    “I’ve seen what the Grays can do. Look at what’s left of my planet. Imagine your own planet that way. The Grays are brutally efficient. They might have already inf iltrated your people. For once, I hope they succeed and kill you all.”
    “The Grays would stand little chance against us. They pose no danger worth worrying about. As a matter of fact, we have a Gray on board this very ship, and he’s no threat at all.”
    Samda’s jaw tightened. “I’d like to see this Gray of yours.”
    “I’m not stupid. You won’t be getting