Meeting of the Minds

A decayed, duty-bound alien called a Quedak regains a fragmentary memory when a spaceship approaches its desert world and drags itself aboard to complete an imperative mission. Hidden beneath a shelf and later under a crewman's boot, it survives a long spaceflight and the vessel's rigorous decontamination routine, enduring heat, cold, and gas sprays while watching human crew and inspectors. The story follows the Quedak's struggle for sustenance and rest after arrival on an inhabited planet, contrasting its persistent sense of obligation and fading recollection with human procedural caution and sterilization protocols.