((BetaGen Inc. Science Complex))
Arlo
was distracted by a soft, wet cracking sound from the incubator. Full
of anticipation, she looked down at the egg, a breath catching in her
throat. Cracks were forming across the surface of the egg's
semipermeable membrane, like fissures on an icy lake. Something was
attempting to break free, banging against the inner layer of the
shell. Then with considerable effort, the top of the egg broke apart
revealing a tiny lifeform covered in albumen fluid. It's bantam head
was dominated by two large orange eyes with black slits down the
middle and a pocket of inch-long feather-like protrusions. It seemed
to struggle to adjust to the sudden arrival of light, its eyes
struggling to remain open. It twisted in its short but bulky neck and
looked around, unsure of itself. Suddenly top-heavy, the creature
flopped forwards and dragged itself out of the ruins of the shell by
two slight claws on spindly legs. Each forward leg had sharp, narrow
and vaguely boomerang protrusions that seemed to extend longer than
it's primary body. Wings! Arlo
realised belatedly. After several more seconds, the diminutive
creature pulled itself completely free, revealing a sodden body
composed of both cobalt blue scales and creamy feathers, two hind
legs missing the boomerang wings and spindly tail.
Even with her myriad of misgivings, Arlo could not deny that she had just witnessed something revolutionary. She looked at her fellow officers- and Hankins- her face a visage of wonderment.
Thornton: That's incredible! ::she breathed even as she unclipped her tricorder and began scanning the newborn dinosaur. Biological data flooded across the screen. Though she had no baseline for comparison (not to mention that she was not a veterinarian) everything about the tiny creature seemed to be healthy.:: Cardio-pulmonary and neurological readings are all with expected parameters for newborn life. I think. ::she looked across at Loxley and passed him the tricorder. It made sense for him to make the final determination.::
The
physician took the proffered device and reviewed the
results.
Loxley: Er, yeah, what you said, Arlo. It looks
perfectly healthy, and perfectly normal for something's extinct. ::he
shook his head in wonder at the little creature:: Everything is,
well, fine.
Perhaps not the most detailed of analyses, but
what had she been expecting? Nobody
has ever taken tricorder readings from a dinosaur
before! She
reasoned with herself.
Fortune: It's so adorable! A little
confused, I bet.
Arlo looked back down at the newborn creature
that was now looking about its surroundings. She had to concede that
Corliss had a point: it was incredibly cute. It certainly did not
look like it would grow up into a creature that might view the five
people present as a future meal.
Thornton: I never thought I'd
see the day when I'd be present for the birth of a dinosaur! ::she
let out a chuckle, shaking her head in a mixture of awe and
disbelief.:: This is so surreal. oO He
might actually be on to something.
Oo
It might have been a premature thought- and Hankins might
have still have been a pompous egomaniac- but Arlo could not deny
that the scientist's zealous explanations and the hatching of the
creature were changing her mind somewhat.
Loxley: Technically
it's a sauropsida rather than a dinosaur. ::he caught a look from
Corliss.:: But semantics...
Fortune: A baby. ::she nodded, seeming
serious before cracking a grin.:: I'm sure they have a more
scientific name, however.
Arlo exaggerated the roll of her
eyes in a display of mock annoyance towards Loxley.
Thornton:
You say potato, I say vodka...
Hankins: Yes. Technically...
::shooting Loxley a little look.:: it is
a saurospida. It's classification is pteranodon
kansii.
Loxley
handed Arlo's tricorder back to her before he crouched in front of
the incubator- just as she had done to witness the birth of the
creature.
Loxley: The results are pretty astounding. It's
clear that most of this stage of things is automated, Doctor, but I'm
with Lieutenant Thornton. I'd be very interested in meeting with some
of your science tram as we continue this journey. So, what's
next?
The wonder that she had felt witnessing the hatching of
the pteranodon had taken precedent over the fact that Hankins was the
only person working in the Science Complex that the away team had
seen. Loxley's question jogged her memory and she looked to the
balding scientist.
Neathler: What my colleagues said. And more
personally I'm interested in participating in one of the drills you
daily conduct to simulate escaped animals.
Fortune: Yes
it's... a little quiet, isn't it?
Hankins: I'm sure I can
arrange for you to view today's drill. And my team stays very busy.
They're responsible for the health of every creature here after all.
Our job doesn't end with their birth.
Neathler: So what's the
next stage? You can't leave that poor creature in the incubator just
all alone?
Fortune: Are they pack animals? Or are they
required to separate? ::she leaned in closer to the incubator cooing,
causing Arlo to raise a mirthful eyebrow.:: What a little thing you
are!
Hankins: The babies will be placed with a surrogate adult
which will raise it to maturity. Some species are pack animals not
too dissimilar to the Terran loxodonta
africana but
the majority seem to prefer solitude or familial solidarity.
It's
not like any elephant I've ever seen,
Arlo pondered, her eyes catching the boomerang-shaped wings that the
little tyke was now stretching as if to see what they did.
Loxley:
Response.
The Pteranodon sqwarked at the same time as the door
embedded into the far wall opened, admitting a Bolian man. He was
clad in the same uniform as the driver who had dropped them off at
the compex, right down the cap embroidered with the garish orange
BetaGen Inc logo. Seemingly not expecting to find Starfleet officers,
the Bolian eyed the quartet nervously before diverting his attention
upon Hankins.
Zhad: Sir, there's a problem with the one-day
old Pratloraunus. I think you'd better have a look.
Fortune:
Well we better get to it, should we?
Arlo nodded in agreement
with the counsellor. This was a prime opportunity to examine in
detail how Hankins and his team handled any issues with the nascent
dinosaurs. For a moment, the man seemed torn on what to do and
remained oddly still. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other,
Arlo watched him closely. Evidently he was reluctant on some level to
permit his visitors to observe. After
all,
he reasoned, He's
determined to make us think everything runs smoothly. A problem with
one of the newborns would go against that.
Loxley:
Response.
Neathler: Don't let us stop, mister Hankins, we'll
follow you every steps of the way. I'm sure this will be a learning
experience for us all. ::She paused a moment before she continued.::
It's the perfect opportunity to let us see how well-oiled your
project is.
Fortune: Absolutely! ::she grinned bouncing on the
balls of her toes.:: Also, we could see another little dinosaur, a
bit older but all the same. And meet more of you team,
possibly?
With a smirk of disportment, Arlo once more
marvelled at Corliss ability to find the silver lining in every
cloud. Then she looked back at the Doctor who was still trying to
decide the best course of action.
Thornton: If there is
anything we could do to help... ::it felt strange, offering
assistance to a man that she did not personally care for- but she had
just witnessed the birth of one of Hankins' dinosaurs. Evidently, the
process worked and perhaps she had been too quick to call his
professional abilities into question.::
Loxley:
Response.
Hankins: Fine. Follow me.
And with that he
began following the Bolian employee. If he was at all grateful for
Arlo's offer his tone of voice did not betray it. Corliss hovered
near the incubator as the Pteranodon made a trilling noise. Looking
back down, Arlo saw the newborn pushing itself against the splintered
and shattered remains of the blue-grey egg that it had grown in. She
caught the beast nipping at it and realised that the semipermeable
shell would likely provide sustenance until it was old enough to
paired with the aforementioned surrogate parent.
The scientist
stopped, turning back to answer Corliss' concerned
question.
Hankins: No, no it will be fine. The automated
systems will care for it until we return.
Satisfied that
everything was in order and the little beastie had some form of
nourishment to tide it over until it could be fed proper, Arlo went
to follow Hankins. However, the civilian stopped again, regarding the
quartet again.
Hankins: You know, the little guy is going to
need a name. Thoughts?
Arlo made a 'hmm' sound as she pivoted
her attention back to the pteranodon. As she considered the idea, her
eyes fell upon it's little wings that were vaguely shaped like a pair
of feathered boomerangs. Inspiration hit her quickly and she whirled
about, looking at Hankins with a grin akin to a child who might have
just aced a test.
Thornton: What about... Kylie?
::she could the incredulity falling over the assembled.:: It's the
Indigenous Australian word for boomerang.... and it's wings look a
little like.... well, boomerangs... ::she trailed off, eyes blazing
with excitement.::
Neathler/Loxley/Fortune:
Response.
Hankins: Wonderful! I'll make sure to have it put in
its records.
((Neonatal Unit, BetaGen Science
Complex))
Hankins led the away team in another spherical room
like the one the trio had just left. In the centre of the room on a
raised dias was a table with a creature on it. About a meter and a
half in length, It had a long thick head not unlike a rhinoceros,
thin ears that swept back above its thick, rotund middle. It was
lying on it's side with four stubbly legs that flared out into thick
and wide feet. Almost from head to toe, it was covered in a thick
material that appeared to hide and scale at the same time. The light
from the overhead bulb caused the scale-hide to shimmer and refract
all the colours of the rainbow. It was at once both ugly and
beautiful; ungainly yet graceful.
That
must have been one big egg,
Arlo thought to herself.
Hankins' attention was fixed upon a
large wall screen on the far side of the room. Not being a physician
she struggled to make sense of the readings although she did note
that it's temperature appeared to be several degrees higher than
usual according to one notation scrolling across the bottom of the
screen.
After absorbing the information on the screen, Hankins
turned to face them again.
Hankins; This is Zhad, my
assistant. Zhad, our visitors from the
Federation.
Neathler/Loxley/Fortune: Response.
Arlo
nodded her head in greeting to the Bolian scientist before stepping
towards the Pratloraunus
on the dias.
Thornton: What's wrong with the... what did you
call it.... the pratloraunus?
Hankins:
Response.
Neathler/Loxley/Fortune: Response.
Thornton:
Where did pratloranus
evolve originally?
Hankins:
Response.
Neathler/Loxley/Fortune: Response.
She
recalled as much detail as she could about Verdaka III. It was
somewhat unremarkable world near the Parliament system, Class G and
tidally locked to it's parent star. Most of the planet was
uninhabitable save for a narrow strip around the planet's vertical
equator where plant and animal life was abundant. The planet was
perhaps only notable for the fact that due to the unusually high
amount of crystalline sand deposits on the sunward side of the
planet- giving the planet an 'aura' that glowed even from orbit. Most
life started underground and worked its way to the surface over time
and some species had been known to reflect the glare of the sunlight
as a defence mechanism.
Thornton: If it's Verdakaian- could it
be having an adverse reaction to the large amounts of light available
here? Perhaps it is experiencing a form of sensory
overload?
Hankins: Response.
Neathler/Loxley/Fortune:
Response.
Thornton: How can we help, Doctor?
–
Lieutenant
Arlo Thornton
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Gorkon
ID:
C239203TW0