LtCmdr Jovenan – Let’s remain scientific about the cute worms, shall we?

[Gnai]

@Jovenan's latest sim has everything: jokes, minor acts of insubordination (GASP), a cute worm, skants (the best uniform variant), the absolute most devastating emotional consequence in this entire mission so far (no cute worm pet)...

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((Deep in the jungle, Ura Neteos III))

 

The Tritorian crew? Likely dead, most of them, and the rest would soon follow should the away team fail to find them.

The other teams, their colleagues, friends and loved ones? Possibly killed, and would likely be should things not turn for the better soon.

Themselves? Fighting for their survival in the harsh conditions of the jungle-like environment among the predators and the angered natives, with the lack of water and shelter for the coming night pressing on.

And Jovenan?

She was trying to befriend a worm.

Jovenan: ::gently, to the worm:: Hey, hey, it’s okay, don’t go.

The worm jiggled away from her, sensing her presence somehow and reacting to it by fleeing. She had been careful to approach it, so its alarm disappointed her. The others had made a ring around the large annelid, so they could each have captured it easily – assuming it didn’t have a method of defence they hadn’t yet noticed – but Jovenan would have wanted to reach it without having to resort to violence.

She lowered herself to the ground, kneeling so that her both knees were touching the soil and the small plants covering it, and resting herself over her heels. She considered her options. The annelid had large sacs of water on its back, so it seemingly needed to store water for some reason. That indicated that free, liquid-form surface water was in a (periodic?) shortage in the forest. Maybe it would be driven towards water? Jovenan removed her backpack and picked the water bottle she had opened before.

Jovenan: Hey, look at this. ::shakes the bottle:: Wanna have some?

Kel: So we all have a plan if this goes south right?

Well, uh… That was a reasonable question. Jovenan had her phaser with her, not to mention the fact that she was surrounded by a security officer and two highly experienced doctors, so she wasn’t worried. Besides, the worm seemed friendly and didn’t have any defences they had yet found. Maybe it defended by making itself appear too cute to all the potential predators, if it had any?

Sadar: My scans indicate no poison, no exterior defense mechanism, no acids... How does it protect itself?

Adea: Who knows - maybe they’re exceedingly bitter?

Something – sight, smell, sound, some other method of remote locating? – of the water bottle made the worm stop and turn around. Jovenan continued to shake, and the worm started to approach her. It first lifted its anterior segments over Jovenan’s legs and started climbing up. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though she could see why some others saw it differently, nor was it slimy, though it was muddy and clammy, and it probably left a mark on her uniform as it moved over her skant hem and to her lap. As it tried to reach the bottle, Jovenan had to straighten her arm above her head to remove it from the worm’s reach.

At that moment, despite her attempts to keep this a serious and scientific experiment, she laughed. She hadn’t had much reason to laugh in the last half a year, maybe the entire year, but now she laughed. She had made a new friend.

Jovenan: Who’s a good wormie? ::to the others:: Do you think we can, uh, milk it? Without harming it?

Many ancient civilizations had learnt to milk – or “milk”, like in this case – various animals, and even some less intelligent creatures like ants would do something similar to the aphids. How hard could it be?

She turned her gaze from the worm to the others. She couldn’t quite tell by their faces if they were entirely comfortable with the idea. Doctor Sadar seemed excited, though, almost happy, which warmed Jovenan’s heart. The worm was trying to reach for the bottle from her lap. She turned back to it, almost feeling like she should be petting it.

Kel: So. What do you guys think? Think it’s safe to er. Milk the worm.

Sadar: It should be. My scans indicate no nerve endings on the water sacs, so it shouldn’t hurt if we drain one. The question is how to safely puncture one without it bursting on us... Maybe…

Adea: You could use a hypospray, but in reverse? That would pull out the water without even rupturing the sac?

Kel: Listen I know it’s not our favorite idea but let’s be practical. We haven’t seen any water yet in the whole jungle. Odds are we might not find any on our way to the cave.

That was true. They didn’t know for long would they need to search for water if they didn’t extract it from these protostomes. Every hour wasted in search for water was an hour not spent in improving their chances in the other aspects of survival, such as preparing the cave, heating the rocks, resting or planning.

Jovenan: We have been walking for a long time. If we extract the water now, we don’t have to keep looking for it and carrying it to the cave later when we may be too tired.

Ensign Kel held his tricorder again and scanned their surroundings.

Kel: Well we’re getting closer at any rate. So even if she doesn’t try to….. milk it ::shivers:: I still think we could use a break. Whatever we decide though, I’ll take the first watch for enemies.

Genkos nodded to the Ensign. Although Jovenan wasn’t feeling exhausted yet, she appreciated the chance of sitting down for a moment. She’ll probably thank for herself later for that decision when her feet weren’t all blistered and pained.

Doctor Sadar had procured the necessary equipment from the medical kits and was now standing up.

Sadar: All right, I’m ready. Lt. Commander, please keep, uhh... Wormie? Still.

Jovenan nodded. She tried to move the bottle behind her head so that Wormie leaned closer to her upper body, and she placed her free hand gently around it, like she was hugging it. She wasn’t really keeping it still, considering her loose grip of it and being unable to actually prevent it from moving upwards or downwards her lap.

Adea: Let’s not name it - we can’t keep them.

Jovenan would never openly, consciously and willingly express her dissatisfaction of an order by a senior officer. That would have been too close to insurrection and contempt of one’s superior, which was illegal, and she took laws seriously. However, at that moment, she didn’t manage to control her expression and for a few seconds, she pouted, visibly. She wouldn’t have kept Wormie as a pet, of course, but it could have proven a fascinating sample for scientific experiments, such as genetic sequencing, anatomical mapping or biocommunicational (did it purr if she petted it?), behavioural (could she teach it to do tricks?) and psychosocial studies (did it adjust well if she took it to her quarters?).

Jovenan: Okay, Doctor, I have it. Let’s try not to alarm it.

Kel: Response

Doctor Sadar stepped over her and closer to Wormie.

Sadar: Okay, now, just a careful prick.

Adea: ::muttering:: I dated one of those at the Academy.

Huh? The Universal Translator really did miss something in there, and her knowledge of Federation Standard and Betazoid language didn’t help her locate what she assumed was a linguistic mishap. Either way, she had to focus on Wormie, who had by now realised that it had been lured into a trap. It was wriggling against her, forcing her, against her wishes, to take stronger grip so that Doctor Sadar could extract the liquid without too much difficulty. If Wormie had a method of defence, they’d soon find out.

Sadar: Ah-ha! And we have water.

Adea: Nicely done, Gila.

Jovenan: Congratulations on this scientific achievement!

Kel: Response

Sadar: The scans show no harmful bacteria or substances within the water. It’s perfectly drinkable. ::looks to Wormie:: You are a marvel.

Adea: You can let go of the worm now Commander.

Jovenan released the forced embrace of Wormie, who realised it had managed to pry itself out of a predator’s claws and fled as fast as it could with it jiggling, long body. Jovenan stood up from the ground and tried to swipe her uniform clean. As she had suspected, Wormie had spread some mud over it, but if that was the extent of her misfortunes and accidents on this trip, she’d be happy. When Genkos wasn’t looking, she raised her hand to a wave.

Jovenan: ::whisper:: Bye, Wormie.

This was the full extent of her rebellious phase.

Sadar/Kel: Response

Genkos gestured Doctor Sadar to hand him the vial she had extracted. They had at least succeeded in one step on their path to survival.

Adea: I’ll give it a test. ::he gave it a sip:: Oh, gods, I -

Jovenan panic seeing Genkos choke and turn red, reaching his throat. Nothing had indicated the water had any toxins, poisons or contaminants. Had they been so wrong?

Jovenan: Genkos! Quickly, get him something!

Sadar/Kel: Response

Fear struck her face as she tried to look around for something that helped them. She wasn’t a doctor, but she couldn’t allow her friend to suffer and succumb because of her. Quick, she needed to find anti-venom! Anti-toxin. Anti-poison?

Before she could do anything but lose all colour of her face and helplessly search for something that could have saved him, Genkos stopped and simply stood straight. Jovenan’s mouth was fully open as she looked at the Commander, breathing and acting normally now.

Adea: ::grinning:: Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Striking a fellow officer was a major offence. Still, at this moment, Jovenan considered veering into the dark side and hitting his elbow, hard.

Jovenan: You… ::pause, calmer:: are okay, Commander?

Sadar/Kel/Adea: Response

Jovenan sighed. Sometimes she didn’t understand the humour of the other cultures. Perhaps she needed to ask Vitor to teach her. Not the unnecessarily cruel bits like pretending to die from poisoned water or summoning a subordinate to one’s office for a reprimand that turned out to be a compliment, but all the nice jokes. Like, what’s it called when worms take over a planet? Global worming.

Picking up the backpack she had left to the ground, Jovenan turned back to the team.

Jovenan: Okay, we have water and an idea where to find more if needed. Do we need anything else before reaching the cave?

She looked at Ensign Kel, hoping he may know what was needed when surviving in difficult environments or what was needed to defend a location like the one they had chosen.

Sadar/Kel/Adea: Response

Jovenan: Everyone still feeling fine about walking? No one has blisters or abrasions in their feet?

Sadar/Kel/Adea: Response

 

TAG/TBC