PATIENT: Petty Officer (2nd Class) Abdul Hasaan

The patient was brought to sick bay in an unconscious state, having been subdued by force.

CHIEF COMPLAINT: Grossly deformed left arm. Visual appearance of deformity consistent with hostile alien known to the crew as “shamblers”.

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: The patient is a 30-year-old human male who appeared fine when awoken from low berth 48 hours previously. A few hours before admission he isolated himself in a stateroom and failed to communicate.

PAST MEDICAL HISTORY: Unknown. Ship data files have been wiped and patient was uncommunicative. However, given that the patient was assigned frozen watch duty it is unlikely there is any history of serious medical conditions.

ALLERGIES: None known.

CURRENT MEDICATIONS: None.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: Patient was violent and uncooperative, and had to remain confined to an airlock (which doubled as a quarantine room). Left arm grossly swollen, shapeless, with a grey pallor and surface tendrils. Left hand not evident. No abnormalities presented in other body areas.

VITAL SIGNS: Blood pressure 183/108, pulse 76, respirations 18, temperature 98.7.

LAB ANALYSIS: Blood samples taken from both arms revealed nothing abnormal. No bacteria observed, white blood cell count normal, blood chemistry normal.

Investigation of abnormal tissue revealed apparent normal functioning with the exception of morphological impairment. When placed in a culture disk with normal tissue, the normal tissue acquired this trait after time. The use of viral inhibitors had no effect on trait acquisition. Affected tissue can spontaneously return to normal.

No radiation detected, and no signs of radiation damage observed.

TREATMENT: A course of broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-virals were administered intravenously into affected area. No effect.

DISPOSITION: On acting-Captain Davi’s orders, and for the good of the crew, the patient was ejected into space.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Unknown.
- Evidence of bacteria or fungal infection: none observed.
- Evidence of viral infection: viral inhibitors had no effect.
- Evidence of chemical poisoning: none detected.
- Evidence of radiation contamination: none detected.

OTHER NOTES: Diagnostic facilities extremely limited – standard shipboard sick bay intended for emergency treatment without specialised medical labs. If disease then pathogen remains unknown and transmission vector unclear (possibly touch, but how infectious?). Robust quarantine and sterilisation protocols should be followed when dealing with “shamblers” and persons suspected of “shambler” infection until more is known.