Arcturus Times Three

A veteran Space Zoologist travels to Arcturus Beta to perform Contact: the technique of transferring consciousness into native bodies so their biology and behavior can be learned from within while shipboard systems record the results. The landing and reconnaissance briefing recall past catastrophes that justify strict protocol and the zoologist's protected status aboard ship. As he dons the helmet and enters alien minds, the narrative follows the clinical procedures, field observations of unfamiliar furry humanoids, and the personal cost of repeatedly subsuming his identity. The account balances technical detail about extraterrestrial study with the psychological isolation and danger inherent in inhabiting many lives.