Still River

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The following students, all candidates for the Respected Opinion degree at the institution called by the Human name of Golden Fleece University (apparently from a rather remote association, through Human mythology and the constellation name Argus, with its location near the Leinster site at Eta Carinae), formed the voluntary associate team assigned to examine the standard laboratory object Enigma 88. This had been left untouched long enough to be sure that any casual memory of it would no longer be circulating in the School, and of course earlier laboratory reports had been sealed.

The names of the nonhuman students are given as carried by Human interpreter equipment. All had met, both socially and in connection with course and laboratory work, and appeared to like and respect each other sufficiently to be able to form an effective work group. They are:

1) Joe, Nethneen. Home planet Dinar, orbiting an MO main sequence sun, normal temperature range 220-260K, gravity 0.18 Earth standard, atmosphere inert at about 50 millibars. Body fluid ammonia based, nonbreathing. Spheroidal body, four equally spaced limbs of which two are adapted for handling and two for locomotion. Immobile head on top of body, four pairs of eyes covering full circle.

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