[USS Athena] "Making a Stink"
- From: T'Shana Tubed <antediluvian2370@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: USS Athena <ussathena@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:48:25 -0700 (PDT)
Making a Stink
"I don't think I've seen you looking quite as satisfied with yourself all
day as you are right now," Erein Hanaj raised a curious brow at the dark haired
woman.
"I enjoy my work," T'Shana grinned back at him. She halted in front of the
door, "I'm in my element when it comes to Sciences. You should see me, when I
get to handle Engineering matters."
"Hm," he looked at her skeptically, before pushing the button to allow them
entrance into the biology labs. "I'm still unsure if I should believe that...
or that you're just satisfied with being right."
"You have a very poor opinion of me, my dear Hanaj," she sighed, stepping
into the large room. Her gaze moved over the facility quickly, noticing there
were mostly computer consoles lining the walls and a large fixture in the
middle of the room, which resembled an round table with buttons and displays.
"A holographic unit?" She pointed. "Impressive."
"I believe it's a smaller version of the one we have in stellar
cartography," Hanaj nodded. "Of course this one is used for different purposes."
"Of course," T'Shana rolled her eyes, still taking in the laboratory setup.
"So... are you gonna take me to Astrometrics soon, too?" She briefly glanced at
the guard sideways.
"Astrometrics is on deck 9," he explained, walking alongside her. "You
might have to wait for the officer relieving me of duty. My shift is almost
over," he smirked.
"I see," she kept moving through the room, now and then stopping to look
over the shoulder of one of the scientists, trying to see what they were
working on, and then moving on. After a few minutes, she stopped, looking at
the Erein expectantly, as if to say 'now where to?'.
He motioned to another door with his hand and a nod, "The Biology and
Exobiology labs are through there."
"Alright," she marched over without delay.
Just as she arrived at the doors, they slid open and a young Fleeter
Science officer rushed through, running smack dab into her.
"Whoa!" She stumbled back a bit, just as the officer did also. "Is there a
fire somewhere?"
"Oh, sorry sorry... Ma'am," Jerinah Toval apologized. "I need to check on
some experiments I'm suppose to watch for Arrain Dhivael," hurrying off.
T'Shana straightened her dress. "The manner of kids these days," she wagged
her head.
"Ensign, slow down!" Erein Hanaj called after the officer, but couldn't
help the chuckle. "I'm sure Arrain Dhivael gave very specific instructions
about her experiments. Who can blame the Ensign for diligently following them,"
he shrugged, ushering T'Shana into the adjacent room.
"Well, there is diligent and there is just plain rude," she huffed. "This
Dhivael woman must be very exacting if it encourages her subjects to be this
worried about messing up."
The Romulan chuckled again, "I'd say you two have something in common."
"Excuse me?" Her brow shot up. "Are you trying to say I'm exa...."
"I'm trying to say that both of you are... half Rihannsu," he cut her off.
"You might benefit from talking to her, get some insight on our species," he
looked around the room, not at her.
T'Shana stopped, crossing her arms, as she eyed him, waiting for him to
look back at her. "What's that suppose to mean?"
He turned, meeting her eyes with a coy grin, "It means you seem to have a
lot to learn about the Rihannsu way."
She slowly cocked an eyebrow.
But before she could respond, Hanaj's comm unit sprang to life. "Erein
Hanaj, I'm at Doctor cha'AAnikh's quarters to relieve you," the deep voice
boomed. "Where are you?"
The Romulan tapped the comm badge, "The Doctor wanted a tour of the ship.
We're in the Exobiology lab, deck 7, sir. And, the Doctor would like to see
more of the Science labs, particularly Astrometrics."
"Roger," the voice replied, "I'll meet you in the lab in less than 3
minutes. Lieutenant Korba out."
Hanaj turned to address T'Shana, only to notice she had walked off and was
scouting out the animals kept at the far end of the lab. He sighed, traversing
the room.
"Interesting specimens," T'Shana peered through the transparent aluminum
walls. "Those remind me of you," she pointed back to a couple of critters with
large, bushy feelers. "It's like they have bushy eyebrows," she grinned at
Hanaj.
He took a deep breath. "You're never short of insults, are you?"
"Insults for whom?" She grinned, "Them or you?"
"My relief is coming to meet us here," he ignored her remark, knowing only
to well, she was teasing him again. It didn't matter now anyways, in a few
minutes, he would be off duty and he could get as far away from her as
possible. "Lieutenant Alexander Korba will be here momentarily to take over
guarding you, lhhei."
"Good," she moved along the wall, seemingly only interested in the animals.
"I take it he's Starfleet... considering the name."
"Ie," Hanaj sauntered along, while still keeping an eye on the doors to see
when the Lieutenant would walk in. "I suppose that will stifle your fun joking
about the Rihannsi for a while."
"What makes you think that?" She smirked at him, stopping in front of a
container with several large beetle like creatures. "The Lieutenant might enjoy
a good Romulan joke," she grinned broader.
"I doubt it," the Security officer sighed, "But maybe he can convince you
to use the term Rihannsu."
"And rob me of the joy of seeing you roll your eyes?" T'Shana chuckled
softly.
Hanaj nodded with another sigh. "I should...," he halted his response, as
the door hissed open and his head snapped up. There was a certain satisfaction,
when he saw Korba walk into the room. "Well, it's time to part, lhhei," he
snapped his heels and hurried to meet the Lieutenant halfway across the room.
T'Shana chuckled, "Till later."
While the Romulan guard spoke with his relief officer, she turned her
attention to the beetle creature again. "Stink Beetle," she read in an
undertone, "Discovered on New Romulus." Her lips drew up in a soft smile,
"Hmmm... so that's what they call you now," she addressed the bug, tapping on
the container lightly, "How original."
The noise from her tapping made the half dozen critter scurry around like
crazy.
"I don't recall you guys smelling too badly," she muttered. "Though, I do
remember another nasty little ability..." Her hand went to pop open the small
feeding hatch on the lid of the container. She stuck her nose to the opening,
inhaling carefully. Her nose wrinkled. She stepped back a bit, letting the
hatch drop down, but not lock. She fanned with her hand, "Ugh... I suppose in
closed quarters you DO have a nasty odor..."
"Beg your pardon?" A deep voice sounded from right behind her. "I do recall
showering just a half hour ago."
T'Shana whirled around, pressing against the bug container to shield the
man's eyes from noticing she had opened the feeding hatch. "Lieutenant Korba?"
She chuckled nervously, staring at the tall, broad shouldered man. "I was
just... I was merely talking to myself..."
"Ah," he sniffed the air, "I don't think you need a shower either," he
grinned.
Again, she chuckled to cover over her embarrassment. "I'm Doctor
cha'AAnikh," she stuck out her hand, "You can call me T'Shana if you wish."
His bluish-gray eyes searched her features for a moment. "I think it might
be better to remain more professional," he shook her hand. "I'm Lieutenant
Korba. You may address me as... Lieutenant," he released her hand, "and I shall
address you as... Doctor."
"As you wish," she rolled her eyes. "I don't see why we have to be so
formal, but fine."
"Shall we?" Korba motioned to the far door, "I've been advised that you
would like to see the Astrometrics lab."
T'Shana nodded. As he turned, she quickly reached behind her back and
slapped the feeding hatch on the beetles' box down to lock it, then followed
him out of the Exobiology lab.
Unnoticed by herself and the Lieutenant, she was carrying a little
hitchhiker along. One of the beetles had crawled out of the container and
latched itself onto her long hair. The little critter hung on, as they entered
the Turbolift and rode to deck 9. Only when they stepped out into the corridor
did it finally drop off and scurry away in the opposite direction.
"Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put to practical use."
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