Crescent 19, seventh year of Algart Heseth, year of the Sun

Doctor Adisth was performing a new series of teleporation experiments when the creature appeared in the test chamber. At first we though it was a joke, then we thought it was dead. Adisth got the nerve to poke it and it made some grumbling noises, so we threw a blanket over it and carried it to one of the larger animal specimen cells until we could decide what to do next.

A basic examination showed the creature to be warm blooded, female, and at least marginally intelligent. It has the teeth and claws of a meat eater and if the measured reactions to test stimuli are in proper line then the subject has exceptional hearing and a highly developed sense of smell. Observing the creature shows behavior that might be trained or might be signs of intelligence. For example when we placed a bowl of water in the cell it lifted the bowl to its mouth and drank instead of lapping at it like most mammals are observed to do.

It came wearing simple clothing which we removed for our initial examination and then returned to see what would happen. When it awoke it quickly dressed itself once more. We are still trying to determine if this is also trained behavior or an intelligent desire to cover one's self. To experiment we added several other pieces of clothing to the creature's cage which it examined and then carefully discarded after making a series of loud sharp noises. Doctor Adisth insists the noise was laughter, but as I have never heard mammalian laughter before I have no baseline to compare it to.

Adisth has taken to calling it “chirit” after the white stalker beasts that hunt scurriers, birds and smaller mammals. There's a vague resemblance but I don't think we have an advanced species of one on our hands. We did place a live scurrier into the creature's cage which it managed to catch, examine, and then it chose to set it free instead of consuming as a wild chirit would do.

It also turned away most raw meats with the exception of fish, but then only consumed fresh fish. It will eat cooked meat and has also accepted bread and fruit. We are examining it closely while we feed it different types of foods to see if these are items natural to its diet or if it is simply responding like a pet eating table scraps. If it shows signs of distress or illness we will adjust the diet accordingly.

Despite the fact that the creature has obvious predator traits it has shown itself to be docile and allows itself to be examined and handled. It reacts to pain but seems to understand that we are doing things like drawing blood and taking skin and hair samples to help us understand it and not to maliciously cause it pain. There has been one incident but after reviewing surveillance we do not intend to take any action.

Vasht is a lab technician who seems to hold a particular dislike for mammals. We assigned him to take a blood sample and he held the creature's arm tight enough that it began making noises of pain and attempted to push his hand off. Vasht tried wrenching the beast's arm behind its back to get it to hold still. The creature retaliated by slamming its knee into his stomach and then landing another blow against his neck.

Security was in the room quickly but found that they did not need to separate the two. The creature had already disengaged Vasht and moved to the opposite side of the cell from him, as if it knew exactly how we were going to respond to the retaliation. Vasht was winded but relatively uninjured, he has submitted a request that the creature be kept further restrained to protect other people from similar attack. We have chosen to deny the request and have instead transferred Vasht to the aquatic labs for the time being.

Doctor Adisth spends more and more time with the creature every day. His reports indicate that it is attempting to learn our language, and in the end it will be communication that will determine if it is intelligent or just a particularly talented pet.

We are all still skeptical despite everything. I mean, a sentient mammal? They make wonderful companions and take to training very well, but the idea that one can have rational thought is just too farfetched to be truly believed.

(Copic marker and gelpen on 4x6 postcard paper. Original is for sale.)