"Laser fire and a lot of shock and slicing damage," Ellen says. She starts reeling in the thick whiskerlike appendage, wrapping it loosely around one armored hand. "Cross was carrying a tri-beam laser rifle and kept firing on it, but I think that just started boiling its body fat or something. They were both too close for my Gauss to be much help so I drew on them instead."

The coiled-up barbel is tucked onto the refrigerator shelf, and Ellen pauses to indicate the straight scabbard at her side.

"Turns out creatures that have their feet in stagnant water don't really deal very well with being hit with high voltage electrical shocks."