Creature Companions

Posted on 23 Feb 2014 @ 12:01pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm & Nesh Saalm

2,271 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Rigel VII - Vajripam, Tribble Farm
Timeline: MD 37 - 1520 hrs

[ON]

With her companions gathered around her, Lirha stood at the outdoor entrance to the tribble farm and looked around with complete awe. The massive facility spanned nearly two kilometers and most closely resembled one of the large dairy farms found on Earth. A strange ambient background noise could be heard even before they stepped inside, and it took the commodore a long moment to realize it was probably the hum of the collective cooing and purring of millions of tribbles. Maybe billions, considering the size of the farm.

It had originally been Lirha's idea to visit a tribble shop and pick out a creature companion for her next deployment aboard Galileo, but after visiting a few small kiosks earlier in the week in the city's downtown area, she had decided none of the tribbles sold by the venders really suited her tastes. So, being the picky and diligent Orion that she was, she had decided to visit the source of the tribble trade here on the outskirts of Vajripam.

Nesh was predictably just as ecstatic as her sister was about tribbles. They were adorable, cute little things that would have been perfect for anyone to have on a ship! Tribbles were low maintenance and came in so many different colors and types, that the young Orion would have happily swum in a sea of them... for science reasons, of course.

But she happily tagged along with her sister, no doubt ready to 'ooo' and 'aaaah' at the many tribbles they were sure to see.

"This seems like a really strange place to find animals........" Siren said lightly with mild confusion, looking around with a smile all the same, draping an arm loosely but warmly around Lirha's shoulders, her other hand resting casually on her own hip.

Delainey initially wasn't sure if she was going to come along with Lirha and the group to the tribble facility, mainly because she didn't think she'd be able to resist taking one home. Delainey took care of people for a living, but taking care of others wasn't just what she did, it was who she was. One look at a tribble needing a home, and she knew she'd be a goner. A tribble wasn't a baby, but it would be a decent substitute. That is, if she wasn't already tempting fate given all the chaos aboard Galileo.

Lirha approached the large steel door to the facility's entrance and tapped her green finger on the keypad to announce her presence. A husky male voice sounded over the comm after only a few moments. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked, speaking in Yrevish.

"I'm Lirha Saalm, I'm here with my group to visit and purchase some tribbles. I made an appointment yesterday," she replied in tongue, then waited for a response.

Several long moments passed before the large door unlocked and its mechanical servos parted it down the middle. An older bald Orion man walked out and looked at Lirha and her group, then smiled at them. "Ah yes, Mistress Saalm. We have been expecting you. And your colleagues. It's not every day we get honored guests such as yourself."

"Honored guests?" Lirha tilted her head with curiosity. While the compliment was flattering, surely there had to be others who visited the tribble farm.

A hearty laugh escaped the man's mouth. "Yes, a Starfleet commodore who wishes to purchase some of our finest product. It is an honor...but," he lowered his voice and leaned down to whisper in Lirha's ear, "as long as this is not a Federation inspection of some sort...?" He held her eyes for a long moment, waiting for an answer which would put him at ease.

Lirha shook her head and smiled politely at him. "No, no inspection. I am on shore leave, and we only wish to purchase some tribbles," she answered, then raised a curious eyebrow at him. "How do you know I'm a commodore in Starfleet?" she inquired, switching back to Yrevish.

Another healthy laugh again sounded from the large man. "You've made quite a name for yourself recently. The first Orion captain in Starfleet...now wanted by General D'Grath of the Klingon Empire for weapons smuggling charges...how could we not know about you?" he grinned.

The Orion commodore ran her hand down over her face and sighed. Project Sienna, she thought, in reference to the renegade general named D'Grath who had relentlessly pursued Galileo and almost destroyed it during their first mission because he couldn't get his hands on the experimental propulsion device. 'Weapons smuggling' was a convenient way of justifying his actions. Typical Klingon.

"Well...that isn't exactly true...but I suppose I can't control the rumors," she answered.

"Your secret is safe, don't worry," the man replied with a mischievous wink. "Besides, you can never completely trust Yridians...they say whatever they need to say depending on the amount of latinum you pay them."

Lirha smirked at the reference to the quadrant's notorious information dealers. "Naturally."

After being reassured of the group's intentions, the Orion man stood up tall and spread his arms wide to the group. "Let us see some tribbles, yes? Come!" he motioned for all of them to head inside.

"Tribbles!" Nesh was first to bound after Lihra and the Orion man.

Inside the main room -- which looked more like a shop than a factory -- were close to 50 different cages all neatly stacked in different areas across the walls. Each of them contained many tribbles, and it soon became apparent that there were many different kinds of tribbles who had each been separated from each other for display purposes. It reminded Lirha of the rabbit shop she had been to on Earth when she was a teen.

"So you want tribbles, yes?" the Orion man repeated, then began to give them a brief tour of the different breeds available. "We have the finest and most exotic tribbles from the entire galaxy! ...Even some special breeds," he winked, then moved to the first cage.

"Here we have the standard tribble species, Polygeminus grex. Available in both short-haired and long-haired varieties, of course," he explained, pointing to the different fuzzy creatures inside of the cage.

Siren leant close, tilting her head as she peered at the ball of fluff, never having seen a tribble before. "How peculiar..." she said softly with awe, resisting the urge to reach out and touch to see if it was as soft as it looked.

"Next," the large man moved to the cage adjacent to it, "we have pigmy tribbles. They only grow to about half the size of normal tribbles, but their appetite is formidable nonetheless," he laughed.

"Here we have albino tribbles," he continued, stopping in front of a cage with several all-white furry balls. "The lack of pigmentation is a unique genetic mutation, and they are sensitive to sunlight. Their fur keeps their skin from getting burned too badly, but they still must be kept in dim lighting."

"Perfect for a ship then," Siren pointed out with a soft chuckle, shaking her head. The whole concept of a pet still seemed so strange to her. The animals where she grew up were either caught to eat or just wild and struggling for survival as much as the people.

"They're so cute and tiny!" Nesh had her face as close to the cage as she was allowed. "Like fluffy little snowballs! How cute!" She grinned. "I totally want one of these!"

The Orion salesman walked to the next cage which was full of a rather exotic type of tribble Lirha had never seen before. "These are hairless tribbles, specially bred here at our farm. We call them 'picards'," he explained.

Siren couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking her head as she looked across to arch an eyebrow at Lirha. "Hm, I feel a birthday gift coming on? How could he not appreciate that, hm?"

Another happy coo came out of Nesh, though she was definitely questioning the 'practicality' of a hairless tribble. They were cute, but the point was to get one that had fur all over.

The next cage the Orion walked over to was larger than the others, and Lirha could suddenly see why after taking a glance inside. Situated on the soft bedding composed of wood chips was a pair of giant tribbles, each about the size of an Earth basketball. They were much larger than any tribble she had seen before.

"Ah yes," the man said as he noticed Lirha's interest. "These are called Great tribbles. Three times the size of normal one, but very personable and excellent for anyone wishing for a larger pet. Or food."

Siren's eyes widened when she saw them. She let out a whistle, hands resting on her knees as she peered at them with interest. "Now those are some mean mothers..."

Lirha rested her hands on her hips while the rest of the group inspected the different types of tribbles. There were so many different breeds and colors of the small creatures that she was having difficulty deciding which type she wanted to buy. Her gaze settled on Nesh and Siren, and she decided to get their input. "What do you think? Any preference? I admit I am partial to the Great tribbles, but they would take up more space in my quarters... The albino ones are cute...so are the picards... I am not sure which to get."

"Can we get one of each?" Nesh was quick to blurt out her response, bouncing next to Lirha and Siren. "They're all so cute!"

They were cute, Lirha wholeheartedly agreed. Adorable, in fact. And, Lirha was happy to indulge her little sister as long as she was sure she would be able to care for all of them. "I suppose we could..." she thoughtfully murmured. "Are you going to be able to take care of all of them? Or are you going to just hand them off to me once you get bored like you did when you were 12?" she asked, referencing Nesh's previous youthful but misguided pet obsession.

Nesh turned a furious shade of green, pouting at Lihra with big, doe-like eyes. Of course she remembered the incident, but that didn't mean she couldn't put up a fight for it. "But Liiihrrraaaa, I'm older noooooow." Of course she was going to be more responsible! "... At least two? Pleaaaaaase?"

It was hard for Lirha to say no to her sister, especially when she used her adorable sad-face. After a few short moments of thought, she finally sighed and nodded in approval, albeit it cautious approval. "Go ahead, but make sure you get the care instructions for each breed. And actually read them. And do NOT overfeed them..."

Delainey chuckled in delight at Nesh's sheer joy. She had to admit, as apprehensive as she'd been about selecting a pet, Carlisle found herself just as excited. The responsible adult in her, however, reminded her to think this through. "I think you've made her year," she offered to Lirha. "I'm tempted to buy one myself."

"They do make good pets," Lirha replied to the counselor. "Generally low-maintenance and they do not require much supervision. They are also terribly affectionate," she mused. The last time she had had tribbles was when she was a child, and she remembered them cuddling with her every night in her bed.

Delainey placed a hand over her heart. "You've just said the magic words. I could do with more affection in my life, without more hassle or talking back," she added with a chuckle. A thought occurred to her. "Would it be rude of me to ask our host if there are any tribbles that are difficult to place? Perhaps one in need of additional care or attention? I wouldn't take on one who posed a risk to the ship, of course, but it'd feel good to provide a home to a tribble that wouldn't otherwise be selected. I know it's a bit sappy but..." she let the statement hang. Anyone who thought of Delainey as a sap at least knew her to be a genuine sap.

The Orion salesman with his acute ears was quick to respond to the blond human before Lirha could reply. "We have tribbles we collect from the streets, mostly abandoned. We usually sell them off as food packages, but they are available for purchase if you desire. What is the term you humans use? 'Adoption'?"

Delainey briefly wondered if she would need the word "sucker" tatooed on her forehead before the trip was over. Looking over at Lirha, she mouthed, "Oh God," before letting the salesman take her away.

Siren watched with a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "What a nice thing to do," she smiled, meaning it.

Lirha arched a playful eyebrow at Carlisle, equally surprised that the tribble farm apparently had an adoption center. Much had changed since her last visit to such a facility, and pet's rights activists seemed to have now established a presence on Vajripam. "Yes, very nice," she mused in reply to Siren and the others. "So...shall we pick out some tribbles, now?"

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

Orion Salesman
Vajripam Tribble Farm
[PNPC - Saalm]

Cadet Nesh Saalm
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
(PNPC - Kita)

LT Delainey Carlisle
Counselor
USS Galileo

PO2 Siren Hex
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Blake]

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