A roar of sound came from it as the air was filled with its fetid odor. In panic I triggered a blast at the menacing figure, and it, too, flopped and laid still.
I ran my tongue over the roof of my dry mouth and called to Ven. "They're quiet now. Come in and see what we've got."
"Ugh!" Ven snorted as she entered the tent at my heels. "It stinks!"
"They're not the sweetest life form in the universe," I said as I prodded the huge mound beside me, looking for reflexes that would indicate returning consciousness.
"What are they?" Ven asked.
"Mammals," I said.
"No wonder I thought of a zoo," Ven said. "But they're so big!"
"Not on all planets," I said.
"Obviously," Ven commented. "Well—what's next? Let's get this done. I'm suffocating!"
"Hand me the probe kit," I said.