STF

Arrival of the Zoo

Posted Feb. 20, 2021, 9:14 p.m. by Chief Petty Officer Tony (Ship's Work Crew) (William Deaton)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Brenna Neenna Atoded (Chief of Pets & 2nd Officer (COP)) in Arrival of the Zoo

Posted by Captain Zarcal (Person Who Runs The Ship (CO)) in Arrival of the Zoo

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Brenna Neenna Atoded (Chief of Pets & 2nd Officer (COP)) in Arrival of the Zoo
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
Upon entering the room the cloud of smoke wouldn’t bother him given his breathing mask, but his VISOR was able to pick up the vastly higher nicotine content in the air and watched it being suched out of the vents as the sound of the ventilation system was pronounced. He saw some crewmembers bustling around and with a smile under his mask he said, “Good morning, Tony and also Tony, will you tell me where Commander Atoded is?” He didn’t remember reading about them on the manifest and to be honest he didn’t know exactly how he knew their names. The Tonys seemed to be everywhere and anywhere when needed, but if Zarcal tried to look into them or find their files he would get lost in thought or end up on another problem entirely. They were quite the anomaly.

Zarcal, CO

Brenna, hearing the captain called out, “Down the back corridor, Captain.” She was in the very last room on the left. And nestled in a rocky ‘nest’ was a very shinny perfectly round sphere. “It just arrived about an hour ago.” She used ‘it’ because they didn’t know the gender yet. “There is a forcefield around the ‘nest’ to protect it from the oxygen environment once it hatches. A biosuite will be needed to enter the field and apply the protective silicone covering. But I’m not sure how old it needs to be before we do that. And per your request there is a VERY large supply of different mineral rich rocks in cargo bay 2.” She pointed to the opposite corner of the room where there was already a supply waiting. “I only have one concern captain.”
Lt. Cmdr Atoded, CoP

Zarcal nodded and took his leave of the company of the Tonys, his thoughts on trying to remember where they came from still foggy and he had started a small conversation about Andorian Crickets or something. He headed down the hallways and smiled behind the mask, not that anyone would be able to see that as the M class atmosphere of the ship was rather hostile to his fluorine loving lungs. He listened and nodded in understanding, “You know I spent many years on Janus VI and I have to say I got to know the Horta very well. The Mother Horta was a gracious host and the repopulation of the planet and inclusion to the Federation were all events I was a part of, that’s part of why I requested that you be the one to assist me with this one’s transportation here.” He said as wondered just how we was going to refit his quarters to meet the needs of his new compatriot. “I do know that they flourish in an atmosphere similar to Zaran II so perhaps until I have my quarters renovated I can assist with that protective layer?” He said musing how to turn a sizable portion of the nearby rooms into a giant cave. He shook his head a little, “I’m sorry Commander, what is your concern?”

Zarcal, CO

Brenna smiled, “I think that will be perfectly fine, Cpt. It will probably be best if you are the one to do it. And it should be pretty comfortable in a fluorine environment. Maybe we can put a box of rebreathers outside your quarters for guests. Make them adapt to you and your little one instead.” She thought that was a wonderful idea. Not everyone needed an M class and people needed to be more aware of that. “I have met one or two Horta in my time, and so I know as adults they know not to go eating and tunneling on the ship’s bulkheads. But infants, in most species, act of instinct. I’m concerned the little one will accidently eat through a bulk head, and it would be very very bad if it’s an outer bulk head and creates a hull breach. But knowing your experience with the Horta, I’m hoping maybe you have some ideas on that.”
Lt Cmdr Atoded, CoP

He nodded and chuckled a little. “You know you’re right. This is an infant after all. I never really thought of myself as the ‘parental’ type until I received the request from Janus VI. They are an amazing race you know. The ‘infant’ stage is a very brief window of time before they reach maturity. All throughout this however I will need to be the loving but stern father I suppose. And when I say brief window I do mean brief, they are only ‘children’ for a matter of months before full maturity. Normally this would take place with the All Mother and a hive mind like situation, and once all the eggs have hatched the All Mother will begin the process of dying and each young Horta will become an individual as a matured ‘adult’. This little one did not hatch by the time the All Mother began to die, her biological processes were failing at an accelerated rate and so when Sanaht contacted me I knew the responsibility I would be taking. Knowing which caste this one was to be born to I know what minerals it should be attracted to and I am thinking that I renovate my quarters and some of the surrounding deck to create a replicated cave that will replenish some of those minerals, and then for the other bulkheads I have Engineering polarize the inner panels. I suppose it would be like souring the milk in a way?”

Zarcal, CO

Brenna nodded, “Perhaps we could even program the computer to automatically transport in more rock as the child consumes it? That way it never runs out and accidently hits the hull. And souring the milk may not be enough. It’s needs to be repulsive. Children grow fast and even if the flavor is off by being soured if it is hungry enough…” she let that thought rest. “And we can get them to renovate this room as well. Or a room in the lower nursery? But I am happy to babysit as needed for those months. Unless you plan to take those months off. You are entitled as a new parent to take that much leave time.” All officers had the option of taking several months off for parental leave when a child was born or adopted. Many ships found this hard, but Constellation was a mythology class and meant for families. If the captain wanted to take time off then he could. The XO and herself could cover the ship till then. Or he could even go on light duty if he didn’t to take full leave. Star Fleet did it’s best to accommodate the families that served for them.
Lt. Cmdr Atoded, CoP

Zarcal liked that idea and nodded in agreement. ” Repulsive it is. I do know that of the caste that this little one originates, they have a fondness for Bauxite and absolutely hate Neodymium. Perhaps with that I line my quarters with that element and have forcefields erected should it have the will power to try to eat through it?” He responded as he wondered how he was going to raise the little one. For any observer it was a rock, but the Horta were an intelligent, capable, and fully functioning member state within the Federation much like the Vulcans or Andorians. This wasn’t any pet rock, this was a child he had to take care of. It just so happened to be a silicone based life form that tunneled through bulkheads but hey, who’s counting? Zarcal was smiling under the breathing mask and said, “I think I’ll try to do some light duty work once it hatches. I do think that I would appreciate some baby sitting time. I will say unlike carbon based life forms as long as you have enough minerals for them to snack on an infantile Horta is far easier to take care of than the young of most other species.”

Zarcal, CO

“Engineering should be able to set that all up. We have plenty of Neodymium on board. I. Got. It. All. So there should be plenty to line your quarters with. And there is also plenty of Bauxite as well. And I’ll order more. Might be worth adding Bauxite to our basic science scans to make sure we always have enough. Now another question, have you considered how you will communicate with it? During infancy, if I remember correctly, the Horta communicate through a hive mind. Did they give you any indication of how to compensate for that?” There were species, like the Cairin and Vulcans, who could create a mind link between two people, but Brenna wasn’t sure she’d be able to do that.
Lt Cmdr Atoded, CoP

“Bauxite, eh?” True to Tony’s name, she was indeed sneaky; remaining unnoticed until she interjected, cigarette smoke wafting in a moment later. “Who’s yer Bauxite guy? Nah; I bet you’re paying too much - let me get ya in touch with Slick Tony; I know he knows a guy looking to unload bauxite fer cheap.”

“Aw Tony, dey don’t need ta get involved with that mess; you remember what happened with the di-lithium crystals, right?” Little Tony, now finished squaring away the crates of Andorian Crickets, had followed Tony and joined in the conversation by admonishing her; a scolding tone in his voice.
“Ayy, that was a one-off thing! Tony swears that won’t happen again!” Her hands shot up, raised in a defensive posture; ‘Little’ Tony could LOOM like few others.
“Well, I reckon dat’s da bosses’ call, anyways. Suppose it can’t hurt ta ask… ‘Ere, let me get a cigarette, I’m out…” Lighting the proffered smoke, he took a curious look at the oddly metallic orb. “So uh, what is that thing? Izzat like a bowling ball or sometin?”

-The Tonys


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