The silence in the turbolift was deafening. Teebo stood stock still, his button eyes fixed on the door, trying pointedly to ignore the two crewmen behind him. He could feel their curious eyes on him; his ears practically rang with the barrage of unasked questions, vibrated with curiosity. The PaDD in his paws kept him from flexing his claws in consternation, though occasionally he’d had to stop himself from tapping them on the device’s surface. It was a habit he’d picked up from Wattly—the tapping of his talons—but the noise soothed him in a peculiar way. Instead he followed the lights ascending the wall with his eyes, trying his best not to sizzle with annoyance.

“Whose a cute kitty?” Pit cooed mechanically from his shoulder. “Such a good kitty!”

Another oddity of the ship was that everyone he’d met had some form of animal nearby. Some Starfleet morale experiment, he wagered. What confused him, however, was that such a thing was mandatory!. Why in the cool mud would crewmen need to have snacks on-paw all the time when there was a perfectly good replicator within a dozen meters? Pit had been fascinated with the idea, eagerly taking every opportunity to engage with animal and crew member alike while a mortified Teebo stood idly by. And that wasn’t the worst indignity he’d suffered today!

The turbolift slowed, stopped, and the door hushed open. The woman who’d been waiting moved to enter, then balked at the sight of Teebo. She blinked; he blinked back, cocking his head inquisitively. She stared, and he took a half step to one side invitingly. Then a light dawned in her eyes, rose in her face until she was grinning from ear to ear.

“Uh oh,” Pit rasped. He then queued up his volume a bit higher. “M-Ma’am, it’s not—”

A piercing squeal shattered the silence. “Oh my good gosh! It’s—”

“—what you—”

“—so—“

“—think!”

“—cute!“

Teebo and Pit sighed almost in unison, and the keb tucked his head into his shoulders to brace himself. “And he-e-ere we go,” Pit lamented.

“I’ve never seen one like this!” the woman giggled, stepping into the turbolift and looking at the crewmen behind him. “How did you ever get him to wear a uniform? Does he do any tricks? What’s his name?”

Slowly, almost balefully, Teebo turned to stare at the abashed pair who both managed horrified and apologetic looks. The reaction drew the other woman up short and she peeked down over her frozen grin at him. Glancing sidelong up at her, Teebo gave a bristling growl before bubbling his displeasure in her direction. Embarrassment melted to confusion before she realized what had happened.

“Ma’am, I tried to warn you,” Pit murmured. “The chief don’t take too kindly to—”

“Chief?” she stammered. “You mean—”

“—folk treating him—”

“—he’s an—“

“—like a plaything.”

“—officer?!“

After a heavy moment, Pit grumbled again. Teebo could only nod in agreement. “It’s gonna be one’a tho-o-ose days, ain’t it?”

Thankfully there was only one similar encounter before Teebo arrived at his destination, and nothing he couldn’t handle. The keb had considered muting Pit temporarily until the AI stopped inquiring after the dog’s mental state, but he’d read the room and quieted down on his own. Sweet jupa nectar, one would have thought the animal had never been snarled at before! Taking a brief moment to straighten the rumples from his uniform, Teebo stepped into the oddly-named “Pet Emporium.”

Containing units of all sizes and strengths lined the walls, a few smaller displays marched the interior of the room with enough space to allow the crew to meander aimlessly without colliding. Some few snacks had been let loose to roam, perch, or dangle from the various ledges and protrusions anchored about the available surfaces. Teebo was pleased to see that the vast majority were docile, downright domesticated. While a part of him enjoyed the tracking and inevitable grappling of one’s meal, the keb recognized the efficiency of a snack being placid.

Teebo crackled thoughtfully and began to wander about, curious to see what manner of things that were penned here. As he did so, Pit made what could be considered a throat clearing noise likely designed to gain someone’s attention. Teebo ignored him.

“Hello?” Pit finally called out. “My partner was told to mosey on down here, get someone to rustle us up a critter?”
—Teebo, Chief Engineer—