Pied Piper of the Galileo

Posted on 27 Aug 2014 @ 8:44pm by Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm

2,079 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 1 - Saalm's Quarters
Timeline: MD 07 - 1930 hrs

ON:

It was amazing how the mind worked, even when she was still sleep deprived. All that had happened and still some part of her mind had continued to think about the problem of the tribbles. They were everywhere now and even though they did not like her much, they could not waddle, roll, scuttle away fast enough to still be underfoot. Instead they would just freeze in place. Allyndra wondered if it was a natural response, pretend to be dead that some other creatures adopted.0

She stopped in front of the Lirha's quarters having said she had an idea on the tribbles. Allynra hesitated, fingering the hypospray in the medical pouch. She had taken the liberty of preparing it though she had not even made her final presentation. Finally getting the courage up she pressed the chime and a bit of curiosity of how the Commodore kept her quarters went through her. She never really thought about it before but now that she had the question was about to be answered.

"Enter," came the simple yet subdued reply from inside of the room. The commodore was currently in the middle of preparing a quick meal in her kitchen and turned her attention towards the door to see who her visitor was.

Allyndra approached the final few centimeters and the door slid open and she stepped inside. There was a sort of exotic smell in the air and Allyndra wondered for a moment if perfume or natural or her attention drew across the soft furnishings to see the Commodore preparing something. It was so instinctive that Allyndra could not help but drop into a very formal curtsey.

"Forgive me, I did not know you where busy. I had a thought on our tribble problem but I can return."

"Hello, commander," said Lirha when she saw the familiar winged medical chief enter her quarters. Wiping her greasy hands on her apron, she proceeded to shake her head and motioned towards a nearby chair to indicate for Allyndra to sit. "No trouble at all, dinner can wait a few more minutes. You have made progress with the tribble problem, I assume?"

Allyndra nodded in the affirmative. "An idea at least that should work. It smells delicious." She sighed, "I have come to love the smell of cooking even if I can not partake of the vast majority of dishes." Allyndra sighed and then continued getting her mind focused.

"Tribbles are fairly simple creatures overall. They primarily hunt and find each other by smell primarily. Research indicates the reason Tribbles react so to Klingons is because of smell." Alyndra tried not to laugh and she mostly suceeded, "However much I sometimes agree with the Tribbles. The idea is to stimulate your natural pheromone production but in such a way as to be attractive only to the creatures."
Allyndra mentally added, "I hope."

"So...you want to use my pheromones to make me attractive to the tribbles...?" Lirha wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that or if she understood the CMO correctly, and she briefly had several mental images flash through her head of being surrounded by massive piles of the fluffy creatures.

"That is correct in what humans call the nutshell." Allydnra replied but noted the look on the Commodore's face. "I understand not the most pleasant of tasks but if we can attract them then we can draw them to a location where they can be taken care of or neutralized. As I am sure you are aware they are going to be difficult to track down in all the little corners."

"A tribble magnet?" replied the Orion with both curious and skeptical raised eyebrows. "...Do you think this will actually work?"

Allyndra shrugged, "I think I have come with something," she produced the hypospray, "that based on what I have studied should work and best of all it should not interfere with the crew's ability to function," Allyndra added mentally, "I hope."

One thing taught in medical school was to be confident in your approach.
"Since it is not a sex pheromone, at worst everyone will just be your friend even more that usual but to tribbles you will be irresistble just like their cooing is to some species."

Lirha cautiously eyed the hypo while continuing to wonder if this was going to be a good idea. "How...long until it begins to take effect?" she inquired. "Will I go to bed this evening and be suffocated by tribbles while I sleep?" That was not exactly her preferred method of death, if she had to choose one.

Allyndra actually had to laugh as the vision passed in her mind. She shook her head in the negative. "No, even tribbles pile themselves only so deep, they have to breath as well. As for the other question not immediately, it takes time for even the incredible Orion endocrine system." She spread her arms and shrugged that odd shrug which caused her wings to sort of rattle, "I am guessing at least ten or more hours, then you might start finding more around your area if you are still. The maximum effect probably another ten hours."

Pausing for a short moment to do a final consideration, Lirha then gave a curt nod of agreement. "Very well." She pulled her dark hair back behind her neck to expose the emerald skin on the side of her neck and waited for the CMO to inject her with the experimental concoction.

Allyndra approached and pressed the hypo home against the smooth skin. She had never been this close to the Commodore and she was reminded of the few Orions she had ministered to back in clinics. There was a subtle but rich smell. To most humanoid females it would be repugnant, a sort of territorial thing Allyndra guessed but to her it was pleasant.

"There," Allyndra said and then paused. "I should stay to make sure that there are no reactions. I know you were in the middle of dinner but if you do not mind?"

Absentmindedly rubbing the side of her neck after being given the injection, Lirha offered an open hand towards her living room. "You may stay as long as you need and my computer is available if you need to check on any of your work. I am also almost finished cooking, if you are hungry?" she suggested.

Allyndra shook her head. "Thank you but no. There are many things I cannot eat," she replied not knowing or wanting to go into Akkadian physiology. She moved toward the couch in the living room and took a seat. She was only partially correct in that she wanted to observe for reactions but for some reason she just wanted to watch the Commodore. It was a strange feeling.

"Lovely quarters," Allyndra remarked tearing her eyes away and looking around, "I do love the decoration and for once it is warmer and brighter then most rooms. Almost reminds me of a High Spring day."

"Most of it is family decorations, things I acquired during my youth then later when I settled at San Fransisco," Lirha casually explained while returning to the kitchen to finish the final preparations for her meal. "When you grow up aboard a trade vessel, there is no lack of embellishments to be had," she added.

Allyndra looked at the decorations rather than the Orion though her attention wanted to drift. She took several deep breaths but rather than steadying her, her agitation only seemed to increase. "Trade vessel? I suppose I should have thought about that. Many Orions are traders by nature. I guess I just frame everything as though we all grew up in big steady houses."

Making her way back from the kitchen with a bowl in each hand, Lirha took a seat on the opposite end of the couch then placed her salad on the table top along with a small plate of grilled and glazed Orion shrimp. "It is easy to forget at times, yes," she agreed. "Especially after many years have passed. I did not settle around Humans until I was in my early teenage years just after Nesh had been born... I remember it felt so strange at first when we moved to Earth. But now, less than twenty years later, it seems like it was ages ago." She poked at her salad with a fork and brought a big chunk of veggies to her mouth as she began to eat.

Allyndra observed the Orion woman and now a bit more clinically than she first had felt. So far nothing seemed to be abnormal. She then spoke, "At least you were used to aliens I assume by then. I never even saw let alone met one until I was sent to Earth by my Guild House. It was a shock to see all those beings. I think I just stared for hours at the port. There was not another like me and I remember feeling very lonely and afraid." Allydnra paused for a moment reflecting. "Your upbringing must have adjusted you well for you seem to be quite comfortable. I would hazard to say though the boys at the Academy probably gave you a hard time." Allyndra laughed a little picturing Lirha in that setting. Orions were exotic, girls more so and then there was that reputation that seem to persist from early days of the wild Orion beast girl.

"I gave them as much back as I got," Lirha chuckled at the mention of her Academy days. Indeed she had been a rather sought-after partner from both her fellow male and female cadets, and also a couple of instructors. "And yes, I have always felt comfortable around different races. Orions have a very commercialized society that necessitates dealings with other species and cultures...by the time I was thirteen, I could already speak most of the major Alpha and Beta quadrant languages. That always helps, in my experience," she explained.

Alllyndra nodded her head. "Not some poor back water girl from a planet that most have never heard about. A problem with being too insular I think, though I have hopes that may change. Now then," she shifted on the couch. "Let me check you over once more and I will leave you in peace Commodore."

Allyndra could have used the small scanner from where she sat but she wanted to get a whiff once more. Someplace in the back of her mind warned her that this was natural subdued pheromone but a deeper more primal instinct responded as well.
She made her scan but her eyes bored on the lovely green neck and she wondered what Lirha would taste like. Exotic, sweet, she did not know. She realized after a moment that she had been staring and blinked.

"Sorry, it appears that no adverse reactions. I shall leave you to your dinner Commodore. Thank you for your consideration in this little experiment." Allyndra got up now a little uncomfortable.

Something about the Akkadian's sudden proximity seemed a bit...strange to the commodore, but she didn't think much of it and instead was happy to let her finish her scans and hopefully give her a clean bill of health. As long as there were no adverse side effects to deal with, Lirha supposed she didn't mind being a test subject. Especially if it was supposedly for 'the greater good'. "If I have any issues, I will be sure to contact you," she replied to Allyndra with a polite smile.

"Very good," Allyndra replied but it was a little breathless. She turned and left and just outside the door visible shook herself. It took a few moments but she realized that perhaps the pheromones even subdued had had an effect on her. It was like nothing she had experienced and certainly nothing with another woman. She had just assumed that the same attractive properties to males that made for repellents to other females would be the same with her. Instead it had touched her to a primal core. She still wondered what the Commodore would taste like and imagined for a moment standing in the hall before again shaking herself back to the here and now.

"A subject perhaps for another day," Allyndra finally whispered and turned to head down the hall.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

LCDR Allyndra Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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