How do the aliens maintain their transformations, even after they die?

So, in my story there is a species of aliens, called the Ko'dor. The Ko'dor are a species of shape-shifters, who can change their forms at will. Naturally, they are four-eyed, green octopus like creatures. But, they have the ability to morph and change to human, or any other species's, shape. But, to the Ko'dor, shape-shifting takes a lot of muscle bending and skin folding.

A Ko'dor spy has just entered your spaceship. The Ko'dor is unnoticed at first, but once he accidentally spills over a salt tin in his quarters, he dies. I can't let my main characters know the spy is there yet, so the Ko'dor has to stay in his human form, even while dead.

Since muscles normally relax after death, why might Ko'dor biology allow them to stay in shapeshifted form, even while dead?

posted about 6 years ago

DT Cooper‭

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