STF

Nibbles and Mushu

Posted May 2, 2021, 11:42 a.m. by Ensign George Anderson (Scientist) (Riley W)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (Science Chief, First Officer) in Nibbles and Mushu

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman) in Nibbles and Mushu

Posted by Ensign George Anderson (Scientist) in Nibbles and Mushu
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Rand had a rare moment of nothing to do. The captain was busy taking reports and meeting with departments around the ship. He’d dismissed her and now she had time to herself. Now normally that would mean she was in her quarters in the peace and quiet. She’d been going early in the mornings to work with Nibbles for Cmdr Alden, but he’d said she could come as much as she wanted. Randy was busy else where on the ship. There was no telling what her brother was up to. That just meant she could go see nibbles. She entered the lab and nodded to a couple of the other scientists that were there early in the mornings. She took the PaDD that Alden had her keep the log on and wrote down the date and time and then removed a new bag of berries from the sustenance cabinet. She walked over to the enclosure and gently popped the lid. A few days ago she’d started talking to him, more because she didn’t want her voice to startle him if she spoke to someone else. It was all nonsense of course, but at least he didn’t startle this time. She placed several pieces in the cage with a ‘pile’ in the palm of her hand. She started this way each time and it seemed to be working.
Yeoman Rand

There was a PaDD sat on one of the counters in Alden’s lab, still open and in use. Some papers and a pen also sat on the workstation, and a sample of… Well, something. It looked yellowish and liquidy or perhaps slimy. On each of the animal’s terrariums was a small tag listing the name Rand had come up with for them.

It was several moments before Roman headed back in, carrying a cup of tea and… Another stack of paperwork. Upon entry of the lab he briefly paused. “Ah, yeoman. I see you’re working with… Nibbles,” he said, moving to his previous seat and setting down his work and his drink.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand glanced at the work, but did not touch. In fact she didn’t get close to it at all. Cmdr Alden had told her she could feed and work with Nibbles, but to touch nothing else. She could take notes for him if he liked but she wasn’t touching samples. Rand turned her head with a smile. He liked the names or was humoring her. “Yes Sir. I had some extra time and thought I would try a new berry. He likes the darker colored ones, and I wanted to try something brighter. The darker ones he eats more of the acidic ones than the sweeter. But I’m not sure if that’s because they fill him up faster of if it’s because of the flavor or some other reason.” Nibbles seemed to be fine with the change. This were fresh instead of dried. He bit one and the juice shot out of it, into his face. The little rodent dropped the berry hissing and spiting at the offensive thing. Rand was concerned at how vocal he was about it afraid the juice might have hurt him, but after a moment he went back to eating, avoiding that particular berry type out of the selection.
Yeoman Rand

“We can group the berries by those characteristics, and see which he chooses from the separate groups,” Roman suggested, leaning over the paperwork. Then, he capped the sample, and pulled some of the work from the new pile. “That would help us tell why he chooses a specific type of berry.”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand nodded, she’d have to check the computer. This particular selection was a mix of Earth and alien berries. So she wasn’t familiar with their taste, but the containers were labelled so she should be able to look them up easily and then sort them. “I can work on that.” Nibbles was happily in her hand at the moment, eating the berries. “Or I can after he moves.” Rand a point to not move him at least for a few minutes after he got on her hand. She wanted him to get used her and didn’t want to risk that by making some strange animal social guffaw. She glanced over at the snake having seen it move and it was staring quite greedily at Nibbles. It just creeped her out, she felt like it was hunting her. She moved, turning her back to it and blocking its view of the rodent. She figured, Nibbles, was probably it’s natural food but she wasn’t going to feed Nibbles to the angry red thing.
Yeoman Rand

The “angry red thing” continued to watch her as she blocked the view of Nibbles. But its container was tightly sealed. That snake wasn’t going anywhere unless someone else wanted it to.

“I would be willing to help you out but I am quite busy today… with things that unfortunately do not involve the lab.” He could probably be doing the paperwork elsewhere, but he found it easy to focus in the lab, even if Mushu kept trying to get his attention, the little lizard tapping toes and a tongue against the wall of his container.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand heard the slight tapping and looked over at Mushu and pursed her lips in thought. “Would you like me to feed Mushu when I’m done here? He’s got that left foot on the glass again, though I’ve never seen him tap his tongue like that.” Nibbles was done eating but instead of going to sleep as usual he was trying to climb her sleeve. Though she was happy that he seemed comfortable with her, she wasn’t ready to have him run around the lab. His claws were a problem though. They curved inward and were now firmly latched to the fabric and she couldn’t get him off one handed without hurting him. “Well Cmdr I think it’s official, he likes me, but now I can’t get him off.”
Yeoman Rand

“Yes, that would be quite helpful,” Roman said without looking up. He hadn’t fed any of his animals yet that day, and had no problem letting Rand do the safe ones. He looked something up on the PaDD, and then wrote something on the papers. He looked up at last when Rand spoke again, seeming just a bit irritated. “Is he latched on somehow?” He asked, not sure why she couldn’t remove a tiny mouse herself.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand heard the irritation and berated herself internally. Alden didn’t like being bothered. She’d gotten used to in the mornings that he was not as ‘prickly’ and even slightly more than tolerated her comments. “He is, but I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She turned her attention back to Nibbles, he was now hunkered down like a cat that refused to be moved. She carefully worked on each claw, but they seemed to curve 360 degrees, almost back into the paw. “Fascinating, you are really determined aren’t you.” She was whispering to him. She would almost have twist the paw to get it out, she tried to just let the claws rip holes in her sleeve, but that was just a mess of half cut threads. She tried picking him up by the nape of the neck. Mother animals often did that and it was instinct for them to go limp. However that only seemed to distress Nibbles. She glanced around, “Bowen,” she called to the NE across from her, “Give me those scissors.” She held out her hand for them.

George stepped into the Science Lab, holding a small plastic container in one hand. A small snake, about six inches long and thinner than his pinkie finger, lay curled up atop a moist paper towel inside the container. “Good morning, Alden, Rand,” he said with a cheerful glance from one to the other. George then began to head for his regular workstation to start his duties for the day. Why had he brought Clark with him? He liked the company.

Ens Anderson, Sci/Sec

Rand glanced up from where she was about to go at something with a pair of scissors. “Good morning,” it was said quietly, she was expected to answer but she wasn’t comfortable with conversation, plus she’d already annoyed Alden. She still wasn’t comfortable with the whole first name thing and he preferred it over his last name after that horribly awkward situation in the gym. A moment later she placed the scissors down and slipped her arm out of the cut off part of her sleeve. “You can keep that, I didn’t really need it.” She glanced around again, finding a magnifying glass and lifted Nibbles up (but not out of the cage) to get a better look at how those sickle like claws worked.
Yeoman Rand

“Morning, Ensign,” Roman said, glancing briefly at Anderson. “I’d be careful with that. Several of the animals here wouldn’t mind snacking on him,” he said, meaning Anderson’s little snake. In his glance, he caught sight of what Rand was doing. “The hell happened?!” He asked, seeing her sleeve. It looked cleanly cut. “I’d have helped you, you know.”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand shook her head, “It’s okay, it’s just cotton. I can fix it later, or Randy will. I cut it off. I couldn’t get him loose without hurting him.” Now he sounded disappointed or upset or something with her. He’d been annoyed by her comments so she took care of it. Rand cringed internally she was SO bad at this.

George nodded. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep him away from the cages,” he said with a smile. His attention was taken away from his own animal when he noticed what Rand had done to her shirt sleeve. “What’s going on here?” He asked, leaving Clark in his container and coming over to see if he could help.

Ens. Anderson

Oh she hated attention and now she had it from both of them. “He is attached to my sleeve, and I needed my arm, so I let him keep the sleeve.” She passed the magnifying glass to Alden and then using both hands, she very gently held Nibbles and manipulated his paw with the other hand. Just enough so Alden could see, the claws, sickle shaped curved through the material and back out and almost into the paw. She could flex the paw and the claw extended and the retracted. “I couldn’t get him loose without hurting him. He could hang on for hours like that I guess. And most mammals have blood vessels running into the claws. If I cut too far he could bleed out.” Alden put her in charge of caring for him, she was just trying to be careful with him. He was the only specimen he had. Forgetting the fact Rand was a bit attached now despite trying not to be.
Yeoman Rand

Roman nodded. “You’re right,” he said, looking at the claws with the magnifying glass. “They curve nearly all the way around. I’d hate to have this little guy angry at me. I’m sure we can get you a new shirt.” As long as she didn’t mind a science department shirt, that was. He was getting a little worried about letting others handle his animals. Too many things could happen. At least this time, the only casualty was a sleeve.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“That’s fascinating,” George said with a tilted head, leaning down to examine the little claws. “Too bad we don’t have a companion for the little guy. Most animals do better with a buddy,” he commented, standing up straight again. “I’ll fetch that shirt for her, sir,” he left, coming back a little bit later with a shirt from the storage closet where they were stored just in case of incident.

Anderson, Sci


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