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Chirakis

Interesting Alien

Interesting Alien
Chirakis Kirel

20:00 hours and no word from Aegean. Third watch had commenced. All was quiet in CnC, and if the captain paced on the carpeting one more time her footprints would be permanently embedded not only in the carpet, but on the floor beneath.

She sighed. 

"Captain."

Lt Cdr Sherman, Officer of the Watch, had stepped up beside her and she hadn't even noticed.

She glanced in his direction.  "Yes, Commander?"

"Due respect, ma'am, but you need to rest. And I doubt that you have eaten since first watch."

She regarded him a moment, then turned back to stare at… nothing, actually… but a minimal smile did appear.  She had known him for decades and considered him one of her best officers: strict but understanding and revered by those he supervised.  He also reminded her of Cdr Lei'ri, the Qr'var whom d'Ka called "his watchdog",... and a good one he was.

"Captain?" he repeated quietly. 

"Yes,  Commander," she replied with yet another sigh as she messaged the back of her neck. "I understand, and you are correct.  I leave CnC in good hands, and," she turned and stepped close to him, "no need for 'due respect'.  We've known each other long enough."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled, watching her leave.

Before going to her quarters, she entered the security complex.  Since she was not expected, the young duty officer almost upended his chair when he snapped to attention.  

"As you were," she said while the computer recognized her presence.  "How is our little gremlin?"

"He’s… uh…. still pretty sad, ma'am. Won't eat. Just sits in the corner and fiddles with some of the things Lt Kenyon brought."

"Um…" she mused. "I will need an escort and some energy bars, if there are any left from last watch."

“Yes, ma’am, there are, but they’re all chocolate if that’s okay.”

“That will do.”

The security complex was quiet this time of night.  Surveillance was on duty, but otherwise the watch was quiet.  Her boots made a faint tick on the decking and the corridors sounded hollow—which she found odd.  Perhaps the sound was new, or perhaps she was otherwise occupied and never noticed it.  She preferred the latter, and continued on with her escort a few paces behind.  Why the escort?  She was not sure of this alien, and found it discreet to have backup.

The alien was definitely an interesting specimen. No more than a meter in height, its exterior was a smooth gray thick skin with occasional tufts of hair. When it turned, it was obviously a male, and Kirel wondered if it longed for its mate.  Its eyes were a deep gray, its long fingers ended in impressive musculature, and it stood erect on humanoid legs.  It's entire body could slip easily through a 16" pipe, which Kirel surmised was the reason it navigated below decks so easily.  

Inquisitive in nature and quite docile, its curiosity pushed it toward Kirel as she stood outside the enclosure, so she crouched to its level and watched.  It seemed very interested in something as it came closer, its eyes seemed to dance from her to the officer behind her, then it pointed.

“Lieutenant Rathers,” Kirel said without losing eye contact with the alien, “are the energy bars visible in your pocket?”

“Yes, ma’am.  You think it might be hungry?”

“Let’s find out,” she said, her hand outstretched over her shoulder to maintain eye contact with the being.  The alien seemed excited.

“Drop the force field,” she ordered as she peeled off the wrapper.

Rathers gasped.  “Captain, we have no means to recapture should it escape, and the odor, ma’am… it’s…. it’s….”

“Lieutenant?” She said, still smiling and without turning.  “Drop the forcefield.”

“But… ma’am….”

“That is not a request, Lieutenant.  That is a direct order.”

She heard him swallow hard into, “Yes, ma’am.  Dropping the forcefield.”

Startled, the alien moved back as the forcefield dropped and Kirel offered it the energy bar.  There was a heavy stench for a while, then it seemed to slowly diminish. It took a while, but eventually the alien slowly approached, tilted its head as it regarded her questioningly, then took the energy bar, sniffed it, and took a bite.  Then another. And eventually devoured the entire bar.

“Another one, Lieutenant.”

He passed it over her shoulder, and Kirel offered another one, which it took enthusiastically.

“Have you another, Lieutenant?”

“Yes, ma’am. One more.”

“Pass it to the alien and secure the force field.  I will inform Lieutenant Kenyon and Dr Pavilion of what transpired here.”
 

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