"Scientific Visit"

[Guest TParek]

T'Parek walked through the polished interior of the Saurian Science Academy, pausing now and then to admire an aesthetic or architectural wonder here or there. Having left Dave on his own, drooling over the particle accelerator, it was down to Jas, their Saurian host, and T'Parek.

 

Their reptilian docent turned, glancing to the physician. "Enjoying your ssstay, Doctor?"

 

"Um... I guess. It's all very interesting. Especially that library."

 

"Yess, we're very proud of our collection. Sssome of the writingss date back for millennia." He made a turn into a turbolift, glistening silver walls surrounding the academy's guests as they stepped inside. "Shall we visssit the medical R&D sssection?"

 

"Sure, I guess." She shrugged.

 

T'Parek glanced at her askance, an eyebrow raising. "Not particularly interested in alien medical advances?"

 

She turned and laughed. "Ha-ha it's not that. I'm very interested ... let's go!"

 

Pressing a button, the Saurian smirked. "Ssscientisssstsss are all alike. Ssssneaky and quiet. Withdrawn." Tongue flicking happily, he spoke again. "To research it is."

 

Jas laughed nervously again and thought to her self. "To research."

 

"Have you ever studied a reptilian sentient before, Lieutenant?" the Vulcan asked.

 

"Unthinkable!" The doctor replied. "I mean, no."

 

A small flick of the tongue -- a smirk. "We have ssssome sssscansss you can download into your database, if you're interessssted. As far as live sssspecimenssss, there might be a few who don't mind being looked over by a rodent-like doctor..."

 

She looked over at T'Parek and frowned. "Rodent-like?"

 

"Mammalian," she explained.

 

"Yesss... until our firssst sssspace visssitorsss, the only rodentsssss we ssssaw were at dinner. Asss food, not guessstsss."

 

She sighed. "I guess we can leave the live specimens alone. Talking with your people is research enough."

 

"A fascinating culture," T'Parek noted. "The Vulcans have been in contact with the Saurians for a number of years, as I understand it."

 

"Yes, and with some good results. Trade, as well as scientific knowledge. Hopefully the same can be accomplished here."

 

"I hope so. Mutual peace between races is good right?" She smiled.

 

"But of courssse."

 

"It is generally what we aim for with diplomatic encounters, yes."

 

Jas nodded.

 

The trio headed out of the lift into another large research center. Wiring, tubes, and large vats of odd-colored liquid filled the room, purple lizards dashing around them all. A few glanced up at their visitors, but most continued their work.

 

"Do you have a particular field of interessssst, Doctor?"

 

"Neurology," Jas replied quickly.

 

"Thisss way..."

 

He led them into a smaller, quieter annex off the main center, a few stylized forms of art representing the Saurian nervous system on the walls. "We have a large databassssse of information we have collected, assss well assss many experimentsss in progresss."

 

Jas stared at the walls and nodded. "This is very interesting." The doctor walked around the walls, trying to read the art representing the progress of the Saurian experiments.

 

"Those are the representations of the central nervous organ, the Saurian brain. We've been experimenting with manipulation to toy with dendron electrical conduction."

 

"What about rebuilding destroyed pathways? Reorganization of such pathways?" she asked.

 

"Ah, excuse me. One step at a time." She looked at various displays, finding them a little confusing to understand. "What does this mean?" She pointed to a wall.

 

"That one representsssss the electronodessss in our brain. The one on your right representssss the information conduits we're currently altering."

 

"Ohhh." Jas jotted down some mental notes. "That's amazing, how the systems are organized." She walked back.

 

"Very logical, really. More organized than mosssst speciessss we've encountered."

 

"Um. Do you have any other experiments going on regarding neuro science?"

 

"Ssseveral." He motioned towards another display. "Can you recognize anything on here?"

 

Jas stood next to the display and examined it. "Hmmm. This looks like a very intrictate pattern of impulsing firing. Could it be? A makeshift pattern?"

 

"Yesss... Very makeshift. Very hasssty in its development. Perhapsss you would like to take some of the readingsss back to the ship asss a project."

 

"Oh, that would be splendid. The brain is fascinating, isn't it?" she said smiling.

 

"That it is," T'Parek cut in. "Especially those of emotional species. So many contradictional responses."

 

Jas stared. "Yeah."

 

The Saurian smiled. "Vulcansss... have been the sssame for centuriesss... I ssssseee some things do not change..."

 

Jas turned to T'Parek. "Are you bored?"

 

"Not at all." She shrugged slightly. "I was a scientist and diplomat long before I settled in linguistics."

 

"Ehhh, really. Why did you get out of it?"

 

"The opportunity presented itself. I'd been in Science for long enough, between the Vulcan High Command, independent study, and Starfleet."

 

Jas smiled again. "So, you got bored of Science!"

 

"I suppose, simply, it could be put that way, yes."

 

Jas finished looking at the wall panels. "Should we move on? I don't want to bore T'Parek."

 

The Vulcan shot her a glance, a small sigh escaping her lips. "This is still fascinating technology, if not in my field. But if you insist..."

 

The scaled one smiled. "I suppose we can move onward, back to our physicist friend..."