Heat

The Captain, Doctor, and two crewmen of the Dauntless answer a distress call from a remote Earth base. Upon arriving, they find no survivors and a multi-tentacled alien creature which severely injures one of them.

The Earthmen are able to kill the creature and get their injured mate to the Infirmary – where another creature is waiting for them. This one, however, allows them to treat the man’s injuries after taking their weapons, scanners, and comm boxes away.

The injured man was injected with something that is liquefying his organs – basically melting his insides. The Doctor can stabilize him, but it will require waiting four hours for the meds to take effect. . . under the watchful eye of the creature.

The Doctor learns that the alien is female. . . and that she is in heat. Many male creatures are fighting for supremacy on the planet’s surface. The female doesn’t seem to think the Earthmen worth wasting any energy on and is content to let them leave the Infirmary. They must, however, wait for the crewman’s medications to take effect. If he is moved too early, he will surely die.

The victorious male creature bursts into the Infirmary as the Earthmen are getting their injured mate onto a stretcher. After some howling between the aliens, the Captain realizes they are arguing – probably about what to do with the humans.

After the howling ends, one creature repeatedly pushes a tentacle against the Captain, telling the Earthmen to leave the Infirmary so the aliens can have privacy for whatever comes next.

The crewmen leave the planet on their shuttlecraft.