It is with a great regret that I am discontinuing the automatic radio broadcasts. I presented the recordings of the CB transmissions to the rest of our group, it was put to a vote and the general concensus is that it would be too risky to attract the attention of the Spingfield community. Until we know for sure that they are not a threat we will discontinue long range radio transmission and will rotate the radio frequencies we use on a daily basis. Won't do much good it they have a scanning monitor like I do.
Katherine just delivered her autopsy report on the adult wraith she has been examining. She seemed shaken. It takes a lot to rattle Katherine so this can't be good. Below is the full text of her report. Most of it goes right over my head, but what I do understand I don't like and some of it scares the shit out of me.
AUTOPSY REPORT
NAME OF EXAMINER: Dr. Katherine Cooper
DATE: 11-23-27
TIME: 22:31
AUTOPSY #: 1
PATIENT'S NAME AND SSN: NA
GROSS EXAMINATION
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
The deceased is a specimen of unknown species or genus.
Body Weight: 136 kilos (302 lbs)
Length: 158 centimeters (62 inches)
Gender: both (see internal exam notes)
Age: unknown
The body is cold, rigor not present with the exception of the digits on the forefeet. Lividity is not visibly present (skin of subject is coal black). Hair is same shade of black as skin and very coarse, restricted to a heavy mane on top of head and extending down back to base of tail. Skin has a rubbery texture. The irides are black. Each pupil measures 1.75 cm. in diameter. The sclerae are black. There are no teeth, in their place are two pair of long flat appendages (2 cm wide 1 cm thick), very flexible and tough, covered with tiny but extremely sharp scales in arrayed down their entire length which measures 45 cm. At rest these appendages are curled tightly in the mouth. The tongue is broad and flat and can extend out about 45 cm. The esophagus is heavily muscled and very elastic like a snake's. Subject appears to have completely isolated nasal and esophageal passages. Head is roughly the shape of a flattened egg with broad flat nose and large lidless eyes protected by heavy scales. Ears are large and protruding like a bat's but musculature suggests these can rotate and fold flat at will. Mouth is a vertical slit. There are no bony mandibles and mouth is very elastic.
The thorax is symmetrical and barrel shaped like a horse. The abdomen is heavily muscled. Creature is essentially a quadruped but appears to be able to use forepaws as hands. Forepaws have six digits on right and five on left, although one looks to have been amputated in a nonsurgical manner on the left. Paws have large flat pads that seem to aid it in moving silently. Center two digits have radically over sized claws measuring 35 cm. Outer digits are flexible and capable of opposition. Hind paws have six digits, but without the opposition ability or exaggerated central claws. Tail is very thick and heavily muscled. There is both an anal opening at the tip of the tail and a hollow tipped stinger like appendage. There are no external genitalia.
I am having a hard time maintaining professional detachment. This creature is stirring up feeling of revulsion, anger and fear but mostly fear. Possible pheromonal involvement.
INTERNAL EXAMINATION.
The thoracic and abdominal organs are arranged very differently from human or anything else I have ever seen. Opening the chest cavity one sees that the most obvious differences are two pairs of lungs and the apparent absence of a heart. The peritoneal and pleural cavities are almost totally devoid of serosanguinous and what is present is a milky blue color. This absence is most likely due to three deep penetrating wounds to the chest and abdomen by .45 caliber armour piercing rounds. The stomach is large and very elastic with an approximate 8 liter capacity when fully distended. The intestines appear very similar to human, but on a slightly larger scale. There are ovaries about where you would expect them to be but no uterus or cervix. Fallopian tubes carry the eggs through to a chamber at the base of the tail. A pair of testes are located under the skin amidst a very complex network of blood vessels whose function seems to be to regulate temperature. The eggs are fertilized in this chamber. The eggs grow here for a few days and develope a tough leathery shell about half a centimeter across. The eggs then move to the stinger where a venom gland will drive the eggs through the stinger into their new host.
Cardiovascular system.
This creature has no true central heart but instead, numerous small simple single chamber hearts throughout its body. Pericardial surfaces are smooth with no signs of abnormalities. I cannot make judgement on condition of the hearts without a average reference. Each major heart weighs 80 +/- 5 grams, but they range in size down to 5 grams. Hearts are placed in pairs along all the major blood vessels. There are only two simple valves in each heart measuring 10 mm in diameter for the largest in the abdomen and chest down to 1 mm for the small ones serving the digits. The endocardium shows no subendocardial hemorrhage, discoloration, fibrosis, plaques, or vegetations. The coronary arteries are patent. The pulmonary arteries are patent but with evidence of emboli. There is no evidence of discoloration, hyalinization. The renal arteries are unremarkable. The portal and systemic veins are smooth and widely patent.
I am unaware of any creatures other than Cephalopods that have a similar circulatory system. This arrangement would make catastrophic blood loss nearly impossible, it could shut off blood flow to any area that registered a drastic drop in blood pressure.
Respiratory System.
There is no larynx or epiglottis. The lungs weigh 318 grams each. The pleural surfaces are smooth and glistening. On cut surface, the pulmonary parenchyma is red-purple, congested, exuding a slight amount of blood and frothy fluid. The lower right lung has severe trauma damage and was filled with blood.
Gastrointestinal System.
Adhesions are not present on the peritoneal surface. The esophagus is heavily ribbed with strong elastic muscle. Color is tan. The stomach is lining thick, without rugae or ulceration. Contents suggest that as well as humans these creatures consume small animals whole. There was a partially digested rat and a small dog, terrier I think. Stomach acids are very strong and foul smelling. Lack of teeth explain both the consumption of small animals whole the internal organs of animals too large to swallow. Their unique mouth structures allow them to quickly remove and swallow the internal organs and leave the rest of the carcass virtually undisturbed. The small intestine reveals that the mucosa is not remarkable, and the serosa is free from metastasis. The large intestine is unremarkable. The liver weighs 2312 grams and lies within the costal margin. The hepatic capsule is smooth and glistening, covering dark red-brown parenchyma with no focal lesions noted. The gallbladder measures 8 cm. and contains yellow-green-brown, mucoid bile; the mucosa is velvety and unremarkable. The extrahepatic biliary tree is patent, without evidence of calculi. The pancreas is apparently absent.
Genitourinary System.
As with the lungs there are four kidneys. They are placed in the customary location for a quadruped but there are two pairs. The multiple redundancies in this thing are astounding. Each weigh 130 grams. The cut surface is red purple, with normal pyramidal architecture. The pelves are not dilated. The ureters are probe patent and do not appear dilated. The ureter travels down the length of the tail to an opening just under the anus. The bladder contained 350 milliliters of urine. There is no hypertrophy of the bladder wall. The mucosa is tan-gray, smooth and unremarkable. The prostate, seminal vesicles and testicles appear healthy but again I do not have a base comparison.
Hematopoietic System.
There is no visible spleen. The lymphatic system is extensive but appears to be inflamed. One of the nodes was nicked and seeping a thick yellow fluid. A sample has been taken for analysis.
Endocrine System.
The thyroid weighs 35 grams and is unremarkable. The right and left adrenal gland weigh 5.5 and 5 grams, respectively, and they are unremarkable. These consist of both the cortex and the medulla plus an additional structured of undetermined purpose. There are only two adrenals located on the inside kidneys.
Musculoskeletal System.
I have tried to X-ray this monster, but the images are coming out blurred and useless. I have a limited supply of film so must rely on surface exams until I can strip the carcass for a better skeletal exam. I can say that the creature has unique skeletal system. The skull is broad and flat, but the cranial capacity is actually greater than a human's. As stated before, there are no mandibles or teeth although there is a cartilaginous structure to the mouth to support the tongue and eating apparatus. The spinal column is heavily built but very well articulated allowing for a 90 degree bend using only three vertebrae. Two of the cervical vertebrae (C2 and C3) are shattered and the meninges and spinal nerve are shredded. The ribs can fold flat compressing the chest cavity to less than 10 cm vertically or horizontally.
Central Nervous System.
The brain is 1607 grams. Structure is radically different from human and will require further study before I am ready to put anything down on paper.
This creature is not of terrestrial origin and has no place in the terrestrial ecosystem. Indications are it is highly adaptable, intelligent and extremely resilient. Extreme aggressive behavior suggest this is an apex predator.
Cause of death is traumatic injury to the C2 and C3 vertebrae and corresponding injury to the spinal nerve.
To any possible medical colleagues reading this I apologise for my lack of professionalism in this, but I am not an medical examiner and this thing is really creeping me out. I challenge any of you to do better. I am heading to the shower as soon as I finish this.
© 2009 R. Keith McBride
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