"Nope. Smells a little funky, but it ain't toxic," says Shephard. "Sort of yellow-gray colored, too. It ain't iron based but fuck me if I know what it is based on."

The smallest one butts its front end against Shephard's leg and blinks up at him. He bends over to scritch it along the foremost blue stripe a moment.

"They ain't from Earth, they're from the first dimension that gave us shit. Born on Earth, though, same as their momma here."