"Unsettling the Maenak"

[Guest Sar'vek t'Jhiin]

The ship had returned to smooth sailing again, and the Daise’Maenak felt it safe to move about the ship again without fear that her sensitive stomach would rebel. Now it was time to deliver at least io of the samples she’d collected from the Lloann’na ship to the scientists to study. Or dissect. Or whatever it was they did down here.

 

"Near disaster averted. At least this thing survived." Morgana sighed, examining the plant life encased in its protective sheath as she rode the lift down to the Science Lab.

 

Sar'vek glanced up at the door to the Lab, peering curiously at the visitor -- and just a bit wary. "Maenak," she greeted. "Aefvadh."

 

"Jolan tru." Holding out the box, she smiled slightly. "Brought au a gift. From the station. Io of the plant samples they collected on the Gamma Quadrant."

 

An arched eyebrow. "Gift? That's... considerate." She hesitated before taking the box. "Are they... poisonous?"

 

"They cause some sort of reaction to the skin according to the maenakenn there. Akin to something they call poison ivy but with a far more severe reaction. Thought au would like to study it."

 

A slow smile spread. "I'll na be offended by it. Hanny'yo." She pulled out the planet, careful of its leaves, and studied it. "Did they give au a name for it?"

 

"The Orin Creeper." She leaned against the countertop watching the scientist's interest in the plant. "They picked it up on one of the planets we may encounter. Na telling what what type of reaction Rihannsu would have if exposed to it. Although I am curious."

 

"Ie." Sar'vek considered for a moment, then, letting whim take her, brushed the tip of one finger across the leaves, waiting a few seconds. "Na thing immediate..."

 

"Do au honestly think that was wise?" Ksa stared at the woman as if she'd lost her senses.

 

"Probably na," Sar'vek admitted calmly, then gave t'Ksa a mischievous grin. "But there's nothing like empirical evidence, ie?" She considered. "Itches a little bit. Likely an urticating substance on the leaves... protective measure against herbivorous animals?"

 

"If au swell up like a balloon, do na come crying to me." She rolled her eyes, then focused on the plant rather than the veruul next to her. "It may be a defense. It may have also been bred for other reasons. I'm told that the fruit it produced was quite tasty, but also hazardous."

 

"H'nah, Maenak, have I ever come crying to au for anything? Even the time I gave myself laser burns trying to fix my desk, I didn't go near Medical."

 

"Au are io of the few." She tilted her head as she took a look around the room. "It seems strange. Being in here. I do na quite remember au people having some many..........vials down here."

 

"All full of toxins, I assure au," Sar'vek dead-panned. "Want a tour?"

 

Glancing around for a moment. "Ie, fhaen. My curiosity has been piqued."

 

A smug little smile passed her face. "We had lots of upgrades this past stopover. I did na even recognize the place." She pointed at some of the new consoles. "Bioscanners -- high-tech microimaging labs. I let geology have some fun with those, too. They make pretty pictures," she laughed. "It's incredible what things look like at the microscopic level of detail. Anything can be beautiful."

 

"Interesting. And au's library of data. Was that upgraded as well?"

 

"Ie," she answered. "Aurs?"

 

"Ie." She shifted uncomfortably. "Upgrades I did na expect to get until next calendar year. Na that I can complain, it's just all so unexpected."

 

"We either pleased the Elements -- or the Khre'Riov convinced the right io she was in jol with..." Sar'vek paused. "Na, I'm sure we must have racked up karma with the Elements."

 

Morgana quirked a brow slightly, wondering what Sar'vek meant by the second comment but too shy to ask that question yet, "Or someone paid someone off at Galae command."

 

"Or that," Sar'vek agreed, pointing to a large set of clear enclosures in the corner of the main lab. "Animal housing, or for mobile plants..."

 

"Animal housing?" She took a few steps closer. "Seriously?"

 

"Ie," she answered. "Remember, like when we had the lizards?"

 

"Ie, the lizards." She shivered. " I remember those blasted things. You have holding pens now for them?"

 

"I... ah..." She considered. "Weren't they all y'ya?" she fudged.

 

Morgana gives her a look. "Don't try to pull that over on me. I know there was io left. And I know au quii in Science had it. Where is it now?"

 

"Well... " Sar'vek began sheepishly. "He was rather cute. And was starting to make adorable noises when it was feeding time. But after the repairs and upgrades were complete, it was gone." She shrugged. "I know na whether they y'ya'd him, or whether he escaped."

 

"Oh t'Jhiin, that is na good. Have au done a scan of the ship to if it's wandering around out there? Do au have any idea what will happen if it stings someone while we are in the Gamma Quadrant? How long it will take us to reach help? Are au nuts?"

 

"I know, I know, but..." She frowned. "Au know Dheno -- they're all brutes. I don't want them to y'ya it..."

 

"And I don't want it to y'ya one of our crew. Au have got to do a scan to make sure it's na aboard!" t'Ksa held her stomach, trying to calm it. "Au scan or I will."

 

"Fhaen calm aurself, Maenak. I scanned days ago." t'Jhiin rolled her eyes. "I suspect it's in the bowels of the engines, where it can warm itself -- and where we can na get clear scans."

 

"Oh Elements." She sagged into a nearby stool. "So what is au's plan, hmmm?"

 

"Wait and see, I suppose." She shrugged. "It has na attacked yet -- and it was growing friendly, which is a menkha thing."

 

"Ie but the rest of the crew should be warned. Au would na want the to walk up to it unexpected." Ksa watched the younger woman.

 

"Ie..." She sighed. "Ie, au're right. I should have mentioned it earlier..."

 

"Uh huh." She narrowed her eyes at the scientist. "And ie, I understand au see it as a pet. But it's a very dangerous pet." She signed. "If au don't want to see it y'ya, then I would suggest au come up with a plan to recapture it before it does make an unexpected appearance."

 

"It is a test subject," Sar'vek clarified, her tone crisp. "And the subject of a paper I am contemplating: "Warbird Living and Its Effects on Reptilian Subsentients"."

 

"Au want that test subject alive, ie?"

 

"Ie."

 

"Then I would sugest au find it before the Dheno staff do."

 

"Ie," t'Jhiin agreed. "I will."

 

"Uh huh." Ksa glanced at her sceptically. "I hope au do. For au's sake as much as that creature's."

 

"Ssuaj-ha." She glanced about. "It seems our tour is interrupted..."

 

The maenak glanced behind them. "Ummm...perhaps another time then?"

 

"Another time," she agreed. "And Maenak?"

 

"Ie?"

 

"If au see anything scuttle by that's scaly..."

 

"Au mean besides N'Dak?"