A Poor Spy
Posted on Sun Apr 3rd, 2016 @ 6:26pm by
Edited on on Thu Jun 2nd, 2016 @ 11:34pm
Mission:
Time and High Society
Location: Civilian Promenade
Timeline: mid-day
[ON]
Having lost personal track of day and night, Monday Starr came to the point where getting rest was no longer optional. It was mid-day, lunch time for many. She had scarcely settled in a makeshift bedding in SciLab when a call came, =/Ensign Starr, report to Promenade Two with tricorder.\=
"On my way." Utilizing one of the liquid sleep hypos dispensed during the battle, she found enough energy boost to hasten down.
A man sought her out for a discrete word, "Ensign Starr, please come with me."
"What's wrong, Lieutenant?"
He led her over to an open cafeteria porch, "Do you see that man in blue sitting alone?"
"I do."
The man glanced around, hoping to not attract attention, "Quarantine security scanners flagged an unidentified species. We don't know what he is. His species doesn't show up in the registry. Would you?"
"Of course."
"Just... act natural."
That seemed like an odd request. She shrugged and in matter of fact fashion unshouldered her tricorder. Taking a preliminary reading, she approached the man. "Curious..." To the horror of the spying lieutenant, Monday simply walked right up to the stranger, "Hello, Sir. May I join you?"
The man of slightly oblique eyes listened to his translator and gestured to the seat next to him, "Welcome."
An efficient waitress was on the spot to take an order as she took her seat, "What pleases you on this day?"
Monday sighed deeply, "I... could use a sparsis oil, single dose."
The waitress offered a polite bow and hastened away.
"I am Monday Starr."
"Staterliskin."
In obtusely forward fashion that would befit any Vulcan, Monday just came out with it, "Base safety scanners noticed you as you crossed portals. It cannot identify your species."
The man chuckled, taking a slurp from what looked like a thick soup, "That often happens. I am gercheedi."
Monday tipped her head in surprise, "Really? May I?" At receiving a nod, she waved her tricorder wand, "You share common genome with gercheedi, but you seem to be a hybrid at best."
"Our chromosomes can split and realign to handle a limited number of niche conditions."
The trace of a rare natural smile appeared on Monday's face, "It's like shape shifting, but only on a DNA level!"
"Planets in our solar system undergo prolonged periods of radical ecological change. Our metabolisms allow us to adapt to the changes when they happen."
Monday typed flurries on her wristbook, "System, system... There it is." She then pulled up white papers on his species, "According to this..." She glanced upwards, "Our ambient lighting, here, has more UV than is healthy for you. It's not a dangerous level, but less than ideal is less than proper. I'll tone that down."
"Thank you."
She closed up her equipment, "This probably happens to you a lot, doesn't it?"
He sighed, "Yes, all too often suspicious eyes."
"I think I can help with that. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine here on starbase. She's a really advanced doctor who would be fascinated by your polygenomics." She touched at his sleeve, "I've no desire to callously treat you like a science experiment. You're a person. However, if you'll let her improve your species profile and update Memory Alpha, it'll prevent more misunderstandings like this everywhere you go."
He gestured a slight bow, "That would be of great help. I am a relief worker, and it is more difficult for me to carry out my work amidst fearful distrust. And worse, I keep getting swarmed with Ferengi who think they've found a new species business opportunity."
Her brows raised in complete sympathy, "Oh, you poor man!" Monday nodded as she typed flurries on her wristbook, "Can you wait here for a few minutes?"
"I am a slow eater."
Monday offered a bow of the head, gulping down her shot of newly served sparsis oil, "My friend Dr. St. Louis is on her way. She'll be here shortly." Feeling the tug of exhaustion, she rested her hand atop his for a moment, "If you'll excuse me, Staterlisken, I am pressed."
"It has been a pleasure, Monday Starr."
Once away, the aggravated lieutenant rushed to her in quiet fury, "Ensign! What were you thinking? You weren't supposed to let him know what you were doing!"
She continued undisturbed, "You did not say that to me, so I did the logical thing of asking. It's good that I did, too. He was able to tell me far more and far better than I could have discerned with a tricorder. He's not a new species. He's gercheedi, a humanitarian relief worker. He could have told you that if you'd asked."
The befuddled man had no choice but to let her go. He huffed back to his duty post, shaking his head at how obtuse the girl was to not read his original tone of voice and body language over secrecy.
[OFF]
Ens. Monday Starr
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet
