To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Kira refuses to cooperate with Dr. Carr and realizes that the xeno has protected her and augmented her strength. Upon her refusal, Carr orders his robotic assistants to sedate her, but when one tries to give her a shot behind her ear, the xeno snaps the needle. Kira realizes that the xeno has continued to grow around her and where she had skin hours earlier is covered now with a thin layer of the xeno.

Carr sends two larger robots into the chamber and they converge on her along with the robotic assistants. Kira falls into the fetal position and the xeno tightens and hardens around her, forming a solid shell. The robots cannot release her from her protected position, and eventually Carr tries to use the lasers to cut the xeno from her. It is extremely painful, as it is cutting her as well, but he ignores her screams. Eventually, the lasers stop, and the robots leave the room.

Kira begins to relax, as does the xeno. She realizes that it has healed all but the worst of her wounds, and she decides to start experimenting with the xeno. She uses the memory of pain to cause the xeno to react, and as she works with it, it becomes more responsive.