Welcome Wagon [Part One]
Posted on Sun Jun 22nd, 2025 @ 12:30am by Chief Petty Officer Biv Th'shrolneq & Lieutenant Commander Zuub & Lieutenant Amy Gordon
1,150 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
The Foragers
Location: Empok Nor, Docking Ring.
Timeline: Same day as the Zulg's posts.
Biv refrained kept his antennae from twitching as he waited for the transport (SS Iris Betrayal) arrive. Another new officer was joining the Valiant.
As far as chief was concerned, there was getting to be more rank around the escort than an open latrine. Way more than a ship her class would dictate, but being a ship of her class wasn't the whole story, now was it?
Sighing to himself, he looked around again and saw people actually getting off the Federation flagged transport. Now if Valiant's new CMO would shake herself off, he could get this done and get off of welcome wagon duty. Tongue in cheek (he thought that's what Harriet had called it) he'd even made up a sign that glowed and said: ZUUB.
Zuub disembarked from the transport. She was 6'5" and extremely lanky. Humans would call her anorexic, even though she knew that she was anything but that. The CMO was rather pleased with herself, recently having obtained a pip for lieutenant commander. Of course, that still did not bring her any closer to solving Hlasha's Curse. Her antenna moved forwards, curiously seeking input and they had sensed another Andorian.
More than a little curious, she headed towards the Andorian and saw the glowing sign that said Zuub. Her antennae started to wobble uncertainly. In a soft, wispy voice that was unexpected for someone so large, she looked at the other Andorian and asked, "Is there a reason that you are holding a sign with my name?"
Biv had seen the commander coming of course. How couldn't you? At her question he glanced down at the sign, then folded it and stuck it under one arm. "I would have thought that was evident, Lieutenant Commander. It was to get your attention and let you know that someone had been sent for you. That someone is me, Petty Officer Biv Th'shrolneq. Transporter specialist aboard the Valiant. Do you have dunnage I should collect for you before I take you to the ship?" Biv was semi-careful to keep his tone respectful.
For him at least.
Glancing over the next contestant to assume Valiant's medical officer, he found the position surprising unlucky. Or something. Like Klingons with original ideas rare.
Absentmindedly, Zuub asked, "Dunnage?" She thought for a moment as if something was tickling her brain and continued in her wispy voice, "I believe that my belongings were going to be beamed to my quarters, but if you would like to confirm that, I would be most appreciative." She looked over at Biv and considered her. I wonder if she is in her first or second puberty. He seems rather polite.
She then continued, "So, you caught my attention as you desired. Now what is it that you are to do with me? Were you to convey any messages?"
"Aye aye, ma'am," Biv replied. "I should get a heads up when they go to complete that. Sometimes people have items they don't trust to anyone else to handle. As to messages: The Captain sends his regards. He is away with some of the officers and the XO is about doing something or other. They are slightly vague about some things I'm not supposed to talk about. I hope you're ready for strangeness."
Belatedly on purpose, he added, "Ma'am."
"Strangeness?" Zuub asked, her antennae starting to wobble uncertainly. "Can you be more specific?"
As he started into the flow of humanity, Biv said, "Well, that's probably better for the XO or Captain. But the quick and dirty is Valiant has been seconded to Federation Intel and conducting missions for them." Shouldering though a knot of beings, he said over his shoulder. "It has us running all over without much sense to it. At least to me."
"I wonder why all of that is," Zuub said dreamily as she started drifting off course to the right.
"Cause some officers are crazier than others maybe," Biv only half muttered. "Ma'am. You ok. You're veering to port there." He moved to stay with her, wondering why Tyree hated him.
Zuub continued heading off in the direction she veered towards and found herself before a pet shop. She tilted her head to one side, looking around at all the animals and individuals inside. Her antennae started to twitter excitedly.
"Sweet suffering..." Biv mumbled under his breath as he fell in behind the doctor and he blinked at the animals. Struggling, he kept his tone polite asking, "Hungry ma'am?"
"A bit peckish," Zuub admitted. "But I'm finding some of these animals rather interesting. I don't think that I have seen all of them before."
"Oh," Biv said. Taking a breath he counted to three and said, "I thought that was the live succulents shop." Thinking maybe this officer was (like most) was an air head, he said. "If you're hungry ma'am, let's get you checked in aboard the Valiant then you can explore the station."
At those words, there was a rumbling and the station's alert klaxon began sounding and the station's computer intoned. "All personnel. Please report to your duty stations or the nearest secure shelter."
As the voice repeated, Biv attempted to contact Valiant and got nothing.
"Well. Clot," he muttered. "Ma'am. We'd better find a place to ride whatever this is out?"
"Take me to sickbay," Zuub answered. "If there is something serious happening here, then I should be where I can assist most."
Nodding, Biv motioned with a twist of his head and turned to lead in that direction. By all accounts, they'd been called to duty stations and he should be aboard Valiant. But he'd also been sent to herd doctors.
Which was like herding cats without needing treats.
The pathway took them twice as long due to the milling of worried looking people and twice they were stopped by security who were also trying to herd cats, but then allowed to push on. Reaching the infirmary, Biv glanced in and then at Zuub.
"Infirmly ma'am. Full house by the looks but I don't see piles of body parts. Though a fair number do seem to be covered in some sort of purple goo."
Zuub's antennae whirled about erratically trying to understand everything that she was seeing. "Where did this purple goo come from? I need some samples of this. Don't touch it but I want samples so I can analyze this."
Biv blinked and held up his hands, shaking his head. "Um. No ma'am. I'm a transporter tech, not a lab goon. There's got to be one of those trolling about here someplace..."
"You're a lab goon now," Zuub informed Biv in a firm tone that still was somehow soft and wispy. "Go on. Let's get on with it."
TBC
Lieutenant Commander Zuub
Chief Medical Officer
USS Valiant
CPO Th'shrolneq
Operations/Transporter Specialist
USS Valiant
Lieutenant Angela Abernathy
Chief Medical Officer
Empok Nor
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