PNPC Lt. JG Rhodium Wells - Mother Knows Best
Teayl Thorn
((The Shuttlecraft Queen Bee, In Orbit of Endicronimus V))
With a shimmer of transporter light, the four scientists materialised in the Queen Bee’s forward compartment. The star-jelly-baby appeared in the aft—and, as predicted, reacted poorly to being separated from her food source.
The shuttle lights dimmed instantly. Consoles flickered. The engines shuddered as an immediate power drain occurred.
A view of the aft compartment filled the main display. As containment forcefields went up, the power fluctuations eased enough for them to get their first glimpse of the “baby” without its tree exterior.
A large glowing Cnidarian floated in the aft compartment, jelly-like dome glowing blue and flashing with distress. In the last few moments, it had somehow developed yellow polka dots along its dome, its tendrils writhing wildly in all directions.
She took Rhodium’s breath for a moment, but she slid behind a console and brought up the creature's vitals.
Wells: ::eyes alight with joy:: Congratulations, mes amis. You have just managed to put the giant alien jelly-baby in the back seat, now we have to be quick, or she will become very attached to this ship. She’s already draining energy from the forcefield.
Rho wiggled her fingers in the air like tentacles.
The commander hurried to the shuttle's helm, reacting to something beyond Rho’s senses as Ensign Poagie clamped his hands over his shell-like ears.
Poagie: ::wincing:: What if we just put it to sleep? Maybe gas it, drug it, cryofreeze.... or even warm milk.
Kel: I don't even know where to start with sedating it, but Millie is clearly upset. Om-Zora do you think you can do you stuff again?
Om-Zora: Response
Wells: ::approving nod:: Millie? Oui, très mignonne. ::to Om-Zora:: Try that. And if that doesn't work try singing.
What Om-Zora was doing seemed to be helping. The lights steadied. The jelly-baby’s frantic pulsing softened, tendrils slowing to an uneasy drift as the blue Trill at the helm banked the shuttle, taking them swiftly towards the planet.
Kel: I'm heading for the Farm. Where do we think she'll be most comfortable? Something by the seaside? A forest?
Om-Zora: Response
Wells: And she was sleeping in a tree for many years. Babies like familiar things.
The Ferengi’s com badge came to life.
Brat: =/\= Brat to Poagie. Where are you? =/\=
The petit capitaliste rolled his eyes as an interesting conversation took place. A smile crept onto Rhodium's face as she monitored Millie’s lifesigns and listened with all ears. The short lived lifeforms were so interesting. So many personal dramas!
Brat: =/\= The courier shuttle is leaving early. And you need to be on it. =/\=
Poagie: =/\= Actually, I’m kinda in the middle of some… =/\=
Something seemed to clarify the choice for the ensign.
Brat: =/\= Oh no you don't...No excuses. You owe me. =/\=
Poagie: =/\= Fine, fine. I’m on my way. =/\=
Kel: Seems you need to be on your way Poagie.
Om-Zora: Response
Poagie: Well, as much as I’d love to be continuing helping with your little daycare dilemma, apparently I’m needed elsewhere. You guys got this. I'm not good with kids anyway.
Kel: ::smiling:: Good luck, we'll let you know how this turns out.
Om-Zora: Response
Wells: Lifesigns are strengthening. She may be getting ready to absorb more energy from the forcefields. If she does it could correspond to another increase in mass.
Poagie: But this doesn’t mean I’ve waived my quarter share if you do sell it.
Poagie stepped back into the transporter field. The shimmer took him.
Kel: Minus my finder's fee.
Kel turned back to Om-Zora and Rhodium.
Kel: I'm thinking a forest might be the best place for her. Lots of energy available.
Om-Zora: Response
Wells: Wherever we go, we need to do it quickly. She’s growing again, now!
The shuttle dipped into the atmosphere. Warning lights flared red and the power shuddered.
Kel: We're losing power. Millie may have damaged something during her tantrum.
Om-Zora: Response
((Forest clearing, some distance from the Farm, Endicronimus V))
The Queen Bee lay canted in the tree clearing, late afternoon sun reflecting off the hull, scrapes from branches along her flank, but still mostly intact—nothing that couldn’t be repaired. Scorch marks kissed the bark of nearby trees, leaves still drifted down in slow spirals from the recent disturbance.
The forest spread around them. The air was thick with disturbed loam, damp bark, the sharp scent of green sap and crushed alien blossoms. Somewhere nearby, small unseen creatures clicked and scurried, the rhythm of the forest settling back to normalcy now that the sudden intruder had settled.
A natural hollow yawned just beyond the shuttle, a soft depression in the ancient forest floor, ringed by roots like a natural protective crib. Millie had drifted towards it, low to the ground, and settled herself there. Tendrils sank deep into the mossy soil and twined into the root systems around her. Yellow polka-dots pulsed along her glowing blue surface in slow, symmetrical patterns, threaded now with faint silver filaments and soft green flecks. The impression she gave was pleased, calm and even curious about her new home.
Rhodium spread her arms, breathing deeply of alien pine and damp earth, stretching the kinks from the rough landing as she surveyed the clearing. She rotated her wrist experimentally, winced once, then dismissed it with a hum.
Wells: Nice landing, Commander. Everyone is still in one piece. I have definitely had worse disagreements with gravity.
Kel/Om-Zora: Response
She stepped closer to the hollow, gingerly swapped her tricorder to her uninjured hand and blew a wayward wisp of silver hair from her eyes.
Wells: Lifesigns are steady—and growing stronger. She’s not injured… and she’s gained 200 times her original mass in the last two hours. That is an impressive amount of matter and energy conversion for such a little lady. ::looking to Om-Zora:: Anything interesting showing in the neural department?
Kel/Om-Zora: Response
Crouched at the edge of the hollow, the xeno-botanist gaze softened as she watched the slow, radiant patterns ripple across Millie’s dome. She glanced up at the towering canopy above them, then back to Kel.
Wells: This forest is old, even for me. It knows how to cradle dangerous children. She chose well and so did you.
She straightened, offering Kel a little shrug.
Wells: And… I am sorry about your shuttle, Commander. She did not mean to break it.
Kel/Om-Zora: Response
[Tags / TBC]
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Science Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
As simmed by
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14