The Scene: The Command Bridge of the Greys Exploration Vessel # 7769, an interstellar light cruiser whose purpose is to explore the 13th quadrant, observe new lifeforms, make sure things aren't coming apart at the seams galactically speaking, and send reports back to Grey Central Council in Andromeda.

Commander Artixes is on the bridge going over some recent reports, when science officer K'tanhk enters through the airlock. He looks worried.

"What is it, K'tanhk? Have you finished the northern Earth scans? Is something amiss?"

"I'm afraid something is," replies K'tanhk. "The Shane appears to have suffered a fatal accident. His life signs have terminated."

"What?" gasps Artixes, dropping his light scribe. "Are you sure?"

"I'm afraid so," says K'tanhk. We were just doing a standard check on his whereabouts, and he was in the metropolitan area they call "Sudbury", moving rapidly down one of their inner city pathways, when suddenly his life signs experienced a sharp spike followed by a sudden termination. In short, he appears to have "bitten the big one"."

"Good heavens," says Artixes. "This simply won't do. We must take immediate action."

"I have already prepared an away team to go to the site and determine if a recovery is possible."

"Excellent. Move on it immediately. As you know, time is of the essence. Try to do the recovery without arousing their police and civil defence organizations."

"I'll get right on it. We'll use standard cloaking procedures, but we cannot disguise the removal of bodily materials."

"That can't be helped," snaps Artixes. "They'll be puzzled, of course, but they still won't know it is us and that's the main thing. Use all dispatch, K'tankh, we cannot lose the Shane at this crucial juncture!"