Carpathia IV: Episode 135 - Major General
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer-A, Bridge
Captain Valro twisted uncomfortably in his chair, finding the image on the holopad in front of him both highly amusing and unsettling at the same time. The pad showed not just Sorchae in the foreground, but part of the lab as well. Front and center was Sorchae, looking rather grim, with Amenaru, cat version, perched upon the bed in the background. To the side was Tamati, holding a little blonde bunny, Kit, and gently stroking the back of his head. When Kit first caught sight of Amenaru, he gasped and buried his nose into the safety of the crook of Tamati's elbow.
Aire: I see. Condition Orange seems prudent under the circumstances. I don't suppose you have any idea how long we should remain under quarantine.
Sorchae: I'm afraid not, Captain. At this time, I don't even know if we're dealing with a pathogen. However, our cadet has come up with an intriguing hypothesis.
Sorchae beckoned for someone out of shot. Slowly, Darius sidled into view with his head down and rubbing his paws together.
Darius: Not really a hypothesis, Captain. There's no evidence besides circumstance. You see... Dragons can change form, right? And we just had a dragon delegation on board? I thought it might be possible that some sort of draconic illness might have made a jump from dragons to us.
It made sense, Aire thought, though Darius was right. The evidence was circumstantial. Nevertheless, it was something to go on.
Aire: Worth investigating, at least. Shall I send Ryuu down or would you prefer he stay away for the time being?
Sorchae: Staying away for now would be best. I have a holopad in the lab and I can communicate with him virtually until we determine next steps.
Aire: This is top priority. Anything you need, it's yours.
Sorchae: Right now, nothing, but I'll let you know of anything changes. In the meantime, report any strange animal situations to sick bay immediately.
Aire: Understood, Doctor. Aire out.
The image on the holopad fizzled away and Aire quickly leaned toward Joust.
Aire: We need to compose a statement quickly that doesn't cause a panic.
Joust: They are a well-trained crew, but nothing causes anxiety to spike like an epidemic.
Aire stood and gave his uniform a little tug to straighten it.
Aire: Agreed. Joust, you're with me to the ready room. Mikado, contact Admiral Zhang, advise her of the situation, and tell her I'll contact her as soon as the statement to the crew is delivered.
A moment's hesitation as Mikado's ears pitched forward and his tail became pert.
Mikado: Oh! Yes, Captain!
Aire glanced at Joust's chair and, discovering that he wasn't there, looked up the stairs to his ready room. There, Joust was already perched on the railing, looming over the bridge like a gargoyle.
Aire: Teren, you have the bridge.
Teren: Yes, Captain.
Teren rounded his station and took the Captain's chair while Aire hoofed up the stairs. In the meantime, Nalma went to Mikado and leaned close to him.
Nalma: Let me help you with that.
Deck 4
An unaccompanied cat trotting down the hall would be a strange thing for any crew member to encounter. A cat that was somehow singing a jaunty tune as she strode by would have one questioning their sanity.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle: I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem, I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
Whenever Mrs. Tiggywinkle passed a crew member on her way to the lift, she did so fast enough to leave them wondering if they had heard what they thought they heard. Most of them simply shook their head, as though flicking away a rampant case of the morning sleepies.
With a hop, Mrs. Tiggywinkle hit the lift call and waited patiently for it to arrive. It didn't take long for the doors to slide open allowing her to trot inside. Quenya, with her frayed hair and coffee mug as big as a flower vase, took a quizzical look at her new liftmate. She already road the lift to Deck 4 accidentally when she stepped into one going up so, to ensure she wasn't seeing things, decided a big gulp of the coffee was in order.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle: Deck 12.
Quenya spat her coffee everywhere. The walls, the floor, herself. What was left went down her throat and windpipe, sending her into a violent coughing fit, during which she could only manage to say pieces of words.
Quenya: Wha... Buh... Guh...
By the time Quenya stopped gagging on her coffee and wiped the residue from her face, the lift doors had already opened again. Mrs. Tiggywinkle darted out, leaving Quenya to wonder if she imagined everything.
Sick Bay
Captain Valro fizzled from the holopad and Sorchae turned around, back to her patients. Amenaru behaved with considerable restraint, sitting straight on the lab bed, leaning forward a bit with his nose twitching. As unquestionably interested as he was in Kit, he made no attempt to pounce or display any aggression at all. Kit, for his part, kept his face buried in Tamati's elbow.
Tamati: It's okay, Kit. This is Amenaru.
Amenaru nodded and even resisted the urge to smile, which would have revealed his pointy teeth. From the depths of Tamati's elbow, the only part of Kit's head that stuck out were his ears, and they quickly went from being folded flush with his body to full alert status. With a single jerk, Kit pulled his head halfway out, revealing one brilliant blue eye on the side of his head.
Amenaru: It's me, Kit. It happened to me too.
Kit: Amenaru?
Tamati: May I, Doctor?
Sorchae: I think it's okay to put him on the bed, yes.
Tamati leaned to the bed, so that his arm was even with the surface. Kit hopped out and sat next to Amenaru. Both swiftly commenced to sniffing each other.
Sorchae: Darius, full body scan on Kit.
Darius: On it, Doctor.
Darius slowly waved the scanner over Kit while Sorchae slid up a chair and sat, looking both directly in the eye.
Sorchae: Did you two sleep together?
Amenaru: No... I mean, yes, we had sex last night, but Kit went back to his quarters after.
Tamati: STI, Doctor?
Sorchae: Can't rule anything out, but that still leaves the question of which one is the carrier and how he got it. Kit, tell us what you did after you went back to your quarters.
Kit: Not much. I cleaned myself up first. Then I got a glass of tonic water and spent about 30 minutes working on my new Shadowdancer carving. After that, I went to bed.
Sorchae: Pretty mundane. There has to be something we're missing.
Darius finished his scans and held the device close to his nose.
Darius: Doctor, you'd better look at this.
Sorchae gave a heavy sigh and took the scanner from Darius.
Sorchae: According to this, Kit's DNA is entirely Earth-type lagomorph, Dutch. Just what the hell is going on here? Even dragons in their humanoid forms are still dragons.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle: I can help you with that, Doctor.
Every head in the room pivoted down to the source of the voice. There was Mrs. Tiggywinkle, sitting on the floor at the doorway to the lab.
Amenaru: Tiggy? Did... whatever this is hit you too?
Mrs. Tiggywinkle lowered her head and flattened her ears, tail swishing back and forth behind her.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle: I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Amenaru. My real name is Bastet. I'm afraid I'm the cause of all this.
Sorchae paused, as did the rest, but she seemed particularly nonplussed. Odd as it was, Mrs. Tiggywinkle appeared to finally offer some hope of explanation.
Sorchae: Darius, cancel condition orange. Tamati, get me Captain Valro. Tell him Omega Directive... hm... level eight, I should think.
Tamati and Darius gave their acknowledgements and performed their duties while Sorchae gave a little pat of the lab bed while making eye contact with Mrs. Tiggywinkle.
Sorchae: Bastet, was it? Why don't you hop up here and tell us what this is all about.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
