Test Tube Aliens

They travelled across the universe in search of a sympathetic lifeform to restore them to adulthood and their former strength.

The aliens wanted to be marketed in test tubes so that after they appear to be dead, they would be thrown into a bin, so that they could take over the rivers and seas.

By adding water the cocoon erodes, revealing an infant alien.

The alien must be fed for the first few days of its existence with 'Sloog', a white powder which is combined with water and poured into the test tube.

The "sloog" contains a weak acid that slows the expansion of the polymer so that the growth appears to occur over several days.

The alien can sense the presence of the acid by measuring the solution's conductivity via electrodes on the tip of its antenna and on the top of its head.