Progeny

Part 1 - What is it?

"Doctors, I would like this meeting to be brief, but as exhaustive as possible. I've only heard some of the details of the story. So I would like you to assume that I am unaware of everything and that you therefore do not leave out any particulars that you consider important.

Before starting I would like to dispel, what I know is everyone's doubt here. We do not intend, at least for now, to divulge this news to the public, which is why you will be obliged to keep the secret, all information is strictly confidential. This is without a doubt the greatest discovery of humankind, and if handled badly and without the necessary caution, it could lead to dire consequences. "

General Tallman had not wasted time and had begun to speak just after entering the room where the briefing took place, even before he sat down.

He pulled back the wide armchair slightly, he sank into it, but before he started talking again, he wanted to make sure that what he had said was clear to everyone: "does anyone have something to object?" He asked definitively to all the people in the room.

Dr. Sneider, the astrophysicist, nodded his head fearfully. Dr. Lee, the chemist, merely remained impassive. The biologist, Dr. Sokolova, usually liked to do the opposite, but she also said nothing.

Received the tacit assent from everyone Tallman resumed. "Well, Dr. Sneider, can you recap everything we know about the discovery of the unknown object?"

"With pleasure, general. The object in question was recovered about thirty thousand kilometers from the earth. In all likelihood, it entered the solar system on a very inclined trajectory compared to planetary orbits plane and came into the orbit of our planet after a gravitational assist with Jupiter."

"A deliberate maneuver?" ask the general, sensing the answer already

"It is highly unlikely that the object in question was accidentally on such trajectory, likely it was programmed to follow it."

"Programmed?"

"Exactly, something, or better somebody, sent him here." Said the Dr. Sokolova, joining the conversation. The general ignored her and returned to turn to Sneider.

"By who? Where?"

"We have no idea about it, sir. With all probability, given its trajectory, the object has not started from any stellar system within three thousand parsecs from ours, more than that we cannot say."

"Is there anything to fear in the object itself? Or for the future..."

"But please..." Sokolova commented sarcastically

Tallman pretended once again not to hear her: "Dr. Lee, what you could say about?"

The man, the older person in the room, wanted to clear his voice before starting to speak. "The object consisted of an ellipsoid with the axis longer than about One Hundred twenty centimeters. The exact composition of the material is still unknown to us; it appears to be an alloy of aluminum, barium, zinc and platinum. "

"Can you come to the most interesting part?"

"Forcing the object has been found within it a thing. A thing that seems to all effects a biological organism."