Posted by Lieutenant Kaia (Chief Engineer) in Koro and Kaia - Kitwatching

Posted by Civilian Sair Songz (Counselor) in Koro and Kaia - Kitwatching

Posted by Lieutenant Kaia (Chief Engineer) in Koro and Kaia - Kitwatching
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“Yes. There are two kinds of Zoo. A regular Zoo has lots of animals, large and small, in enclosures built to make them feel like they’re out in the wild. A lot of the animals in those kinds of zoo are dangerous or easily spooked, so there are fences and windows that keep people from scaring them or touching them and getting hurt.”

“A petting zoo is special because all the animals there are used to people, and not big enough to hurt anyone. So you can go into the enclosure and interact with them, even give them treats. If you like the Petting Zoo, maybe I can watch you a different time and we can visit a regular Zoo on the holodeck.” Kaia explained how zoos worked, in a way she hoped Koro would understand.

Lieutenant Kaia
Chief Engineer USS Manhattan

“Okay!” Koro said, clearly fascinated. “We don’t have zoos back home.” He bounced on his toes waiting for Kaia to take him inside.

~Koro

Kaia nodded, and the door to the Holosuite opened up. As soon as they crossed the threshold, there was a explosion of sights, sounds, and smells. The smell of hay and animals, the bright sunlight of a warm day, the sound of goats and chickens and other strange animals, and the sound of children laughing. Kaia and Koro stood in a shaded area, a tree stretching up above them, a picnic table to their left. In front of them was a pen, a little enclosure with sides that looked like a white picket fence, a bored-looking employee standing at the gate and half watching the area around the pen, half watching… whatever was inside.

Lieutenant Kaia
Chief Engineer USS Manhattan

As curious and enthusiastic as Koro could be, he also could be rather shy at first, especially with new people or new experiences. He rolled up on his toes to see if he could see into the pen from where he was, but couldn’t quite see inside. Uncertain with how to proceed, he stayed where he was for the moment, taking in the surroundings and adjusting to the sight, noise and smell.

~Koro

Kaia gave Koro as much time as he needed to adjust to the new environment. She glanced at him occasionally, not wanting to make the child uncomfortable by staring at him.

Koro was quiet and seemed planted in that one spot, but after a minute he stepped a little closer to the pen.

Once Koro expressed a desire to continue forward, they approached the first pen. “Welcome to the Galaxy Petting Zoo,” the staff member said, switching into a smile as soon as they saw the pair approaching. “Right here we’ve got the fluffiest little earth critters. They come big and small, with long ears that are sometimes real floppy, and tiny cotton-tails. Behold, the bunnies!” The gate was opened, revealing a pen with about a dozen rabbits happily munching on clover and grass.

Lieutenant Kaia
Chief Engineer USS Manhattan

The preschooler broke into a smile. He was a generally happy child and smiled often, but there were far fewer of them since he said goodbye to Kel the day before. “They kind of look like akaes!” he said, crouching in front of a white long haired rabbit with black patches.

“Will they bite me?”

~Koro

“Nah, long as you’re gentle with them,” the employee replied.

Kaia stood at the gate, watching with a smile.

The rabbit was happily munching on some carrot-tops, but the new smells of the child were a little interesting and it turned to sniff his hand for a moment. Not edible. It turned back to the greens. It’s ears were long and flopped down, and it’s eyes were covered by fluffy fur.

Lieutenant Kaia
Chief Engineer USS Manhattan

Koro crouched in that way that small children were so able to do and gazed at the rabbit. He watched carefully for a couple minutes before he very cautiously reached out, brushing the very tips of his small fingers along the fur. He giggled. “It’s so soft!”

~Koro