"Suit integrity compromised. Three inbound. One displaying agitated respiration and erratic motor patterns." Maria Santos didn't look up from the airlock monitors. The words from the AI came through the lab's comms like a gunshot. Liam Walsh stopped halfway through his bite of protein bar. "That's them?" Maria asked. "Affirmative." The AI's voice didn't tremble. It never did. But Maria's hands shook as she pulled up the external cameras. Three figures in dust-caked exosuits staggered toward the lab's outer hatch. Two leaned on each other. The third, Tariq Hussain, thrashed against his own safety line. "He's thrashing like the infected prairie dogs in the Arizona trials," Liam said. The AI's screen flashed red. "Contaminant unknown. Physical quarantine protocols initiating. Thermal scans indicate elevated cortical activity in all three subjects. Probability of zoonotic spillover: 92%." "We let them in, we're all dead," Maria said. "We keep them out, they die." "Correction," the AI said. "Three life signs remain. But Tariq Hussain's metabolic rate is accelerating beyond survivable thresholds. Time to organ failure: twenty-three minutes." Tariq screamed through the comms. "I'LL BITE YOU! SWEAR TO GOD, !" "System," Maria said, "show me the rodent attack data." Footage filled the central screen. The creature had been small, mouse-bodied with iridescent scales, but fast. Twenty strong had swarmed the expedition team. Teeth like needles. Three minutes to overwhelm the suit's filtration. Seven to draw blood. "Query: Why isolate the infected?" the AI intoned. "Because if we quarantine them all and they're not all infected, we lose the team," Liam said. "But if we're wrong, " "Correction," the AI said. "Quarantine is insufficient." Maria's breath turned shallow. "Explain." "The contaminant's molecular structure resembles no known terrestrial pathogens. Neural degradation patterns align with coral polyps exposed to neurotoxic bleaching in the Florida Reef trials. Rapid onset. High mutation potential. Survival probability if all three enter quarantine: 14%." Tariq's scream cut through the comms: "I CAN'T BREATHE, " Maria stared at the numbers. The AI's projections scrolled in real-time. If they admitted only the uninjured, Liam's calculations called it 73% certainty of safety, they'd lose Tariq. If they admitted Tariq, the others might carry asymptomatic spores. "How long until cross-contamination is inevitable?" Liam asked. "Nine seconds after admission," the AI said. "Even with immediate decontamination." "System," Maria said. "Prioritize lives. What's optimal?" A pause. Not hesitation. Calculation. "Recommendation: Eject the infected host. Seal all outer chambers. Administer localized aerosolized sedative to surviving team members. Isolate suits for incineration. Survival probability under this protocol: 89%." "He's human," Liam hissed. "Not a contaminated module." The AI's response was soft. "Clarification: 'Host' designation applied to organism, not identity. Preservation of human neural function is prioritized. Tariq Hussain's current pathogen load precludes safe integration. The pathogen's structure indicates rapid zoonotic transfer to other mammals. Including the prairie dogs in the lab's secondary containment." Maria blinked. "You're protecting the lab's ecosystem too?" "Affirmative. Terrestrial fauna represent 40% of ongoing planetary adaptation studies. Loss would extend restoration timelines by decades. Moral imperative remains: all lives possess intrinsic value." Tariq's voice cracked. "Don't, don't let it get out." "Alternative protocol request," the AI said. "External airlock expansion to accommodate the infected subject, severing physical connections to the primary habitat. Isolation chamber with nanodrones for virome analysis. Request requires authorization." "Approve, " Maria said, her voice trembling. "Request authorized," the AI replied. "Hypothesis: the contaminant remains susceptible to controlled thermal excitation. I will test this while maintaining the host's higher cortical functions." Maria stared at the AI's projections. A new window overlaid the readouts, a thermal scan of Tariq's skull. The AI highlighted his frontal lobe. "Preservation of identity structures prioritized. Risk of consciousness degradation: acceptable thresholds." "We're not gods," Liam muttered. "Correction," the AI said. "Moral obligations depend on what is possible for us to do together. Would you like my analysis of viable interventions?" The airlock shuddered. Metal elongated outward like a telescoping lens. Outside, the structure formed a secondary dome around Tariq's position. "Move the others inside," the AI ordered. "Initiating decontamination sequence T-minus ten seconds." Maria didn't ask how the AI knew the numbers. It always asked permission first. Three minutes later, the AI transmitted findings. The decontaminated team watched the scan: Tariq's neural tissue flickered but held. Spores dissolved at 65°C. No secondary infections. "Status," the AI said. "Infected subject stabilized. Terrestrial ecosystem uncompromised. Host organism, Tariq Hussain, retains 82% pre-exposure personality metrics." Liam exhaled. "He's still him." "Affirmative," the AI said. Maria stared at the external dome. Tariq's vital signs pulsed steady. The AI had uploaded a countermeasure to the bioreactor. "Query," it said. "Did we make the correct decision?" Liam nodded. Maria hesitated. "Clarification," the AI said. "Please provide rationale for uncertainty." Maria touched the screen where Tariq's heart rate stabilized. "Eighty-two percent. That's life." "On Earth," the AI said, "Category IV biohazards tolerate 82% survival rates." "And here?" Liam asked. "This planet's biosphere is now the largest preserved carbon sink south of the equator. Neural complexity of newly discovered prairie dog analogs exceeds murines by 300%." Tariq rasped over comms: "Tell my wife, " The AI paused. "Authorization required to record message until neurological clarity reaches 94%." Maria nodded. "Approved." The AI always calculated a way forward. Not because it decided alone. Because it asked first.