The galactic Zoo Pt. XIII: Biohazard

#10361
by MadScientist - opened

Captain: "Ensign Miller! What is that green slime on my dashboard? I told you a dozen times to clean the air filters!" Ensign: "Uh, I, but..."
We don’t know what ensign Miller did wrong. However, we seriously doubt whether an ensign is sufficiently qualified to maintain the life support system of a spaceship. As every spacercaptain should know, the ship’s manual prescribes the replacement of the corresponding filters instead of a simple flushing anyway.
The scene, however, points to a particular problem of interstellar travel. When members of different biota meet, the consequences are unpredictable and dangerous.

Let us consider here some examples ranging from simple hayfever to lethal effects. First, here are some microbic parasites, leeches and body snatchers in close-up view:

craiyon_204354_slimy_fantasy_extraterrestial_parasite__conical_symmetric_body__microscope_photo__pho.png

craiyon_202625_hairy_fantasy_extraterrestial_parasite__worm_like_symmetric_body__photorealistic_3d_h.png

Normally, parasites are a regular element of their home ecosystems. Nasty, but tolerable. Here, green leeches let themselves drop out of a tree onto an unwary animal passing by:
Parasite 4.jpeg
Weeks later, the same animal spits out the parasite's larvae. They will crawl up the next tree, thus completing the cycle:
Parasite 3.jpeg

Funghoid spore-packs growing out of a dead insect's carcass:
micromacro 79.jpeg
Blue amoebae destroyed this worm from within:
micromacro 47.jpeg

An alien humanoid with sore eyes:
Parasite 11.jpeg


Parasites not always harm their victims, they even may be useful somehow. We call this Symbiosis. This humanoid claims that the symbiont sitting on his head protects and improves his health:
Parasite 7.jpeg


About human contact with such life-forms, from harmless to deadly.
Some examples of contaminated spaceship hardware:
Parasite 20.jpeg
Parasite 19.jpeg
Parasite 14.jpeg

A harmless crawlerplant sucking water and salts from a sweaty hand:
micromacro 16.jpeg
A mild case of space-acne:
Parasite 2.jpeg
A serious case of space-acne, early and late stages:
Parasite 13a.jpg
Parasite 12.jpeg

Another example of infected skin:
micromacro 11.jpeg
Spacerpilot with swollen thyroid:
Parasite 1.jpeg
Deep-radar of an infected lymphatic system:
med 8.jpeg
Parasitic growth in a lung:
med 5.jpeg
Parasite eggs in a stomach, about to hatch:
med 10.jpeg
Mummy of a completely dehydrated Spaceman, parasite still sitting on his shoulder:
Parasite 8.jpeg

Keep Your Spaceship Tidy!

JumpGate to Part XII of the galactic Zoo:
https://huggingface.co/spaces/dalle-mini/dalle-mini/discussions/10273

Dear Readers,
this is the final part of my Galactic Zoo. Phew! What started as a game with horrific faces, soon turned into the First Xenobiological Almanac ever! Almost like Brehm's Animal Life . I had to complete it! This chapter about life on other life fits as an end, not least because of its number 13 ("Bad luck, Spacercaptain!"), also because this is the month of Halloween. I hope You enjoyed it!
You may check out all the other parts by following the links named JumpGate right to the beginning. Please give me a heart emoji in Part I, when You get there!

P.S.: As you can see in the above texts, I discovered (by chance), that the writing in this forum may be formatted using HTML code. Maybe, experienced users find this tip helpful.

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