Built up terror quite nicely, and the structure allowed us to get to know both sides of the story - I especially loved how, when the story was focusing on the alien, the narration only ever called her a "soldier", whilst the humans kept referring to her as a "creature". That kind of dehumanisation and othering contrasted with personal truth? Chef's kiss! And the ending was such a sucker-punch. The theme of fear of the other was explored really well, too.

4/5

Another story focusing more on the side-cast of the PROBE team, and I love it.

This take on PROBE sort of starts to show some more signs of what Arcbeetle would do later with SIGNET (at least what I've heard of it). The alien here very much being a threat, we see as much in the story's opening, giving us its PoV really helps you understand the danger it poses, but it's also out of place, not misunderstood, but misunderstanding. PROBE here want to protect people, yes, but they also want to figure out a way to help the alien as best they can.

The previous few stories have show monsters that can't be reasoned with, or forces from beyond this world that we can't begin to understand, but here, it genuinely feels like given time, and were what ends up happening not to have happened, they could have forged a connection with this alien.