One of my characters is a rat that was granted super rat strength and hyper intelligence via the magics of b-movie science.

There are 4 stories on this pic:
no none of them have been written

First encounter: Samuel's first encounter with an extraterrestrial race, and their first meeting of an alien creature (to them, samuel)
Though they have not discovered any faster than light travel, they prove to be extremely intelligent, and honest by nature.

The Great mind: Samuel's well meaning actions on another world, causes a great Leader on another to submit to a creature called a Greatmind. Without the backup that Samuel accidentally halted, he surrenders rather then lead his soldiers to slaughter. Samuel discovered this, and feels the need to right this wrong, even though he wishes to save those who would destroy him.

Out of Body: Samuel encounters a race that fancies themselves the most intelligent in the galaxy, upon learning that Sam has easily solved problems their greatest minds failed to even comprehend a solution to, they turn agressive. Feeling threatened by Samuel's superiority over them, their leader calls for his capture and dissection, to discover the source of Samuel's intelligence.

The maw: Once again returning to the first allies he made in the galaxy, Samuel discovers an enormous dwarf planet sized creature, and witnesses it consume the liquids off the surface, and the molten core, leaving, leaving the planet to crumple in on itself. The creature is slowly making it's way in the direction of his allies.