Stauch attempted to repeat the aliens name, but his mouth refused to form the title. He smiled self consciously and turned to Mr. Proteau.
"I still don't see how a tracker, even if he is a Melk", he amended, "could locate someone on a ship."
"That's the interesting thing, Sergeant", Proteau replied. "We had always assumed that the Melkinians utilized the same age-old tracking skills that you humans do, but now we realize they have a
particular sentience that may..."
"I ence say umthing say.", Eve-Stay interrupted, moving toward the door. He stepped into the corridor and turned his head from side to side. "Esyay", he continued, "it ay is ay isthay
ay way." He turned to the right and motioned for Stauch and Proteau to follow.
The security officer, seemingly unperturbed at having his dialogue cut short, hastened to catch up with the alien tracker.
"What the hell did he say?", Stauch asked incredulously, struggling to catch up.
Proteau was about to reply when the Melk raised a hand. "Ay stay air they.", he advised.
He moved forward, his head cocked to one side, sniffing the air. He bent down on hands and knees, studying the tiles on the floor intently. A long tongue jut out from between the aliens jagged teeth
and licked the floor. Nodding his oddly shaped head, it stood and pointed toward a vent in the wall.
"Ease hay in ay ee-thay ucts day."
Proteau clapped the Melk on the back. "Ood gay erk way", he said in the aliens own strange language.
Stauch stood off to the side, trying in vain to follow the conversation. Proteau looked over at him and noted the confused expression on his face.
"He says", Proteau explained, "that the suspect has gone into the ventilation system. It shouldn't be too difficult to pinpoint his location."
"Oh, uh...yeah, that's what I thought", Stauch lied, "but that still doesn't answer my other question."
"Which is?"
Stauch looked the security chief in the eye, refusing to be denied this information any longer. "Who is the suspect?"
Proteau looked uncomfortable. "I knew you'd ask eventually, Sergeant, but had hoped it would wait." He reached into the breast pocket of his stylish uniform and produced a thin strip of plastic.
He handed it to Stauch.
The sergeant looked at it casually, then noted a name printed on the other side. "Dana", he said skeptically. "You mean the android robbed the armory?"
"That is correct.", Proteau confirmed. "It seems that his recent separation from his alter-ego, Anda, has caused him some distress."
Stauch stood staring at the plastic strip that held the android's name. "So what does this mean?", the sergeant asked with concern. "Is he a danger to the crew?"
"Well, let me put it this way", Proteau replied, "aside from the androids' general programming, there were three directives, fail safes if you will, that were implanted in their memory banks."
"What were those directives, sir?"
"The third", Proteau explained, "was never to eat after 6 P.M. The second was to never harm a member of Space Fleet."
"And the first?", Stauch prodded.
Proteau sighed heavily. "The first was never to remove their plastic I.D. bracelet."
