Special Agent Miranda Tyler looked over the crash site with a practiced eye. While an outsider might consider her just a well built brunette in a pair of government overalls, she was in fact the leader of the Response Team and directed the activities of the other agents at the site.
She and her team members were excited to find a crashed vehicle in such good shape, and though the aliens were quite clearly dead, the initial impression was that these were the most intact specimens ever recovered.
Little was known about the alien creatures, though they were believed linked to the disappearance of numerous humans, usually young women, who had never "returned". Personally, Miranda believed the aliens were interstellar slavers or something similar, as most of the women involved were young and attractive. To her, this could not be coincidence, though opinion at the Agency was divided.
For now though, the important thing was to recover the artifacts at the site, sanitize the area, and prepare a cover story for the locals. Miranda did not have to give too many orders, her team was one of the best in the Agency, sharing her dedication and, for most, her belief in the aliens' motives.
As she oversaw the operation, a sense of warmth spread around her and everyone else seemed to pause as her vision was tinted red. Words appeared directly in her mind "You have been tagged for future retrieval. Do nothing to harm yourself or decrease your value."
As suddenly as it had happened the moment passed, with nobody seeming to notice that anything had happened. Miranda herself continued directing the operation, but took special care to keep away from the craft when it was lifted off the ground, and was sure to stay clear of any sharp objects. "After all," she thought, "I've been tagged for future retrieval. I must not harm myself or decrease my value." |