He did.
"Halt."
He did.
Finally he was very close to it, and he waited for a spell to hit him.
"Name, rank, and serial number," it demanded. Then, as he was silent "Speak or I'll shoot."
"I—I'm Alyarsmit! I don't think I'm rank, and I don't know what a serial number is."
"Friend or foe?"
"F-friend. I haven't stolen anything. Just some girls."
The thing made a buzzing sound. "You speak, and you have the requisite number of limbs, and one head. Are you human?"
"Y-yes, I'm human."