An extraterrestrial, perhaps extrasolar, life form, evolved to colonize what may be one of the most common habitats in nature, cold icy rocks orbiting ancient suns; perhaps propagating as spores from star to star, driven by the stellar winds.

We will find things like that "out there", and even stranger things, unimaginable ecosystems. Perhaps its a symbiotic organism, coexisting with other spacefaring species, like algae, barnacles and and shipworms attached to the hulls of old sailing vessels, or larvae carried from one ocean to another in the ballast water of supertankers and container ships.

But your critter will have enormous economic value. It would be our first look at an alternate biochemistry. Much of our industry today is based on organic chemistry; imagine how valuable it would be to have an alternative biochemistry's complex molecules to study. In fact, it would be absolutely imperative to protect the organism from commercial exploitation, to ensure that private enterprise wouldn't rush to commercialize the creature and commodify its juices. Think of the carrier pigeon, or the buffalo, sharkfin soup and rhinocerous horn.

There are wonderful new creations in the cold and dark, and, no doubt, unspeakable horrors too. I'm ready to go now. Where do I sign up?