Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (Science Chief, First Officer) in Yeoman - Always Up Early

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman) in Yeoman - Always Up Early

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (Science Chief, First Officer) in Yeoman - Always Up Early
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“Not at all, that’s probably one of the tamest animals here. Not too different from rodents on Earth, he eats seeds and small berries. He’s a little scared of me, but he’s a hider, not a biter.” Roman explained about the little rodent. “Interestingly, I’ve had him scanned, and on the scans of his body, there’s an organ we can’t identify, which I’m unsure of its purpose,” he said. When the rodent eventually died of old age, he’d want to autopsy it and get a better look. But he wasn’t willing to kill it just for that.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

She wondered if Alden rhymed on purpose. He was not nearly as stoic and taciturn as scuttlebutt said. His personnel report indicated as such of course, but Rand had not expected to be one of those people to see it. She went back to the closet and collected a bag of seeds and a bag of what looked like an assortment of small berries. “Maybe it is no longer necessary? Or outside of it’s native planet it doesn’t need it?” She handed the bags to Alden and then noted down several notes. “Does this one have a name?” She was meaning species but could have also meant a personal name.
Yeoman Rand

“Atariva Mouse,” he said. He assumed species name, because the only one he had actually named was Mushu. Both of Rand’s ideas, Roman had considered, but even after noninvasive testing, he had been unable to tell which it was. Or if it did something entirely unexpected. “He’s tame enough you can play with him if you like. As long as you don’t lose him.” He said. She seemed fond of him, and the rodent always seemed bored. It seemed like a good deal for both of them.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“Maybe, eventually. But if he’s scared of you someone totally new would be terrifying.” She opened the lid carefully and then took some of the berries and placed them down like a trail so it moved closer to her hand but she maintained a several inch distance. She didn’t know if it identified by smell like Earth animals but she wanted him to get used to her scent before she tried to touch it. After several minutes she finally got it to come over and take a berry that was right next to her finger. It sniffed her, the whiskers tickling her hand and she flinched making the poor thing run and hide. She removed her hand and closed the lid. She leaned down to look at where it had hidden. “Tha e ceart gu leòr. cha robh mi airson tòiseachadh ort, fear beag.” She turned around smiling. “Anyone else to feed. Does Wyvern or Chinzilla need another mouse?”
Yeoman Rand

Roman watched her interact with it, intrigued. “I think if you work with him, he’d become more friendly.” The Atariva mouse could have potential as a pet if it could be tamed like one. “Both could use another. I only fed them each one to show you how it’s done,” he replied.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“I’d be happy to if I won’t be in the way. Could he be a pack animal? If he is that might explain his behavior. I took an animal husbandry course in highschool and I remember the professor saying that some animals needed a pack or a heard. On their own they would become depressed and lethargic. Often acting as if they were much older than they actually were.” She had no idea if it applied but Alden said not to be hesitant to ask or observe. She moved back to the cabinet grabbing two dead mice this time. She was curious to see how the animals reacting to a no challenging meal. The Chinzilla was easy. It was still in the den and she dropped it outside the entrance and quickly closed the lid. The snake on the other hand was already watching her. She got the impression that it was sizing her up instead of the mouse. It didn’t move but its eyes followed her. She went over to the tank picking the side farthest from its head but it uncurled and before she could open the lid it was under neath, jaw already open and, to Rand anyway it looked like it was ready to lunge at her. She positioned herself like she’d watched Alden feed the snake. She unlicked the lid and at the click, before she had the lip up the snake lunged at the lid. Rand let out a surprised but quiet yelp and pushed the lid hard to lock it and backed up, all in a very quick second. “Nope. Sorry Cmdr. I’m not brave enough to feed that one.”
Yeoman Rand

The fact that Roman hadn’t considered that in the two and a half years he’d had the mouse was rather embarrassing. If that was the case, the idea that he was near the end of his life could be completely or at least partially wrong. Mice on earth after all, did live in packs. And he was beginning to think the perspective of someone outside the field was quite valuable. “This could well be the case. I’ve only the one, and haven’t had the chance to get another.”

“Then I shall make time to interact with him everyday, and you can see if it makes a difference. If…if you want me to.”

“Yes, this would be a fantastic experiment. I’d love for you to do so,” he replied.

Rand nodded, “What times do you feed them?” Normally she wouldn’t be able to come to the lab this early but she could probably make time later in the day.

The smell of the dead mouse was quick to spread throughout the cage, and it was just a moment before the Chinzilla emerged from her den and went to the carcass. It sniffed the body. Twice. And then it snatched the body, tearing fur off and then ripping into skin. It had been hard to see what was happening to the live mouse but this one was right out in the open and they were able to watch as the Chinzilla tore the body open and began to eat the innards of the carcass, then begin to rip and tear skin away from bone, pulling limbs off and crushing bone if it happened to be in her way. When the carcass was stripped, the Chinzilla strolled in a leisurely manner into the den with her babies.

Roman watched as Rand attempted to feed the red snake, and before Rand did, he’d seen the warning signs. The way it watched her approach the cage was like stalking prey. Its body tensed as she prepared to open the top, and by the time Rand had popped the lid and the snake lunged, Roman was already in action, rushing to her side as he helped slam the lid of the enclosure down. He looked intently at the yeoman as he asked, “Did it scratch you?” His voice was almost as intense as his gaze, and while it came from a place of concern for one of his crew, it did not quite sound concerned, just dead serious. At that moment, he half wished he’d never let anyone but himself touch his animals. The snake’s venom was potent, and if anything were to happen to Rand (or any crew) while caring for his animals…

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand, having been totally scared by the snake, found Alden’s dead seriousness steadying. He was the expert after all. “No. No Cmdr. I never even opened the lid, just unlocked it. I hesitated…it seemed to be stalking me and I didn’t want to open the lid.” She held her arm out for him to look. Not a scratch and in fact she still had hold of the mouse tail where she had memiked the way Alden had held the live mouse to drop it in the tank. “I’m sorry, Cmdr.” She didn’t think the snake was hurt or his experiment messed up. But he was obviously upset that she’d messed up or…something. “You said only someone specifically trained should handle that snake. I assumed you meant taking it out and cleaning. My assumption was incorrect. You meant feeding as well. I won’t do that again.” Assuming of course he ever let her in the lab again. The thing was still eyeing her and not the mouse; Rand had to stop herself from taking a step back. She really was sorry and now could feel her anxiety rising wondering what Cmdr Alden was going to do. She hadn’t meant to mess anything up. Very old habits were a fall back. She picked up her PaDD again, disguarding the dead mouse and continued to take notes. That was her job, taking notes not discussing biology with an actual scientist. Only if he was paying attention though would he notice she started and stopped a few times before actually writing anything - to stop her hand from shaking while she wrote.
Yeoman Rand

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Roman said, as soon as he was sure she was safe. “I implied you should feed him. Had anything happened, it would’ve been on me, not you.” In Roman’s eyes, nothing was ‘messed up’ at all, though it was precisely why he was such a stickler for rules. The snake was fine, the failed attack would not have hurt him, and so nothing regarding his experiments had been affected. He could tell she was nervous, he thought it was because of the scare with the snake. “I can finish feeding him if you’d prefer,” he said. “Or you can try again, and I’ll keep his attention away from you.” He enjoyed her interest in his work, and he didn’t want her to be scared away from it, but he also wanted her to be safe. In reality his pickiness with his lab assistants was exactly that - that if anyone got hurt because of his animals, he’d rather it be himself.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand eyed the cage. Her brother would tell her not to do something she was uncomfortable with. But would remind her that fears run from are fears that control you. She eyed the bite proof gloves and took one slipping it over her hand and picked up the mouse again. “I’m not quite as fast as you Cmdr. I think I’ll take the extra precaution.” Rand took a deep breath and waited for Alden to get the snakes attention.
Yeoman Rand

Years of playing with dangerous pets did tend to do wonders for one’s reflexes. Roman approached the cage from the opposite side of Rand, watching the snake inside. He figured he’d open the top and Rand could slip the mouse behind the snake. He got ready to pop the top of the cage open, and then looked to Rand. “When I lift the lid, you drop the mouse in. Whenever you’re ready.”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand grabbed the tail of the mouse in a firm grip so she wouldn’t drop it. She nodded, “Ready.” As soon as Alden lifted the lid she dropped the mouse in jerking her hand away as soon as she let go. Rand wasn’t afraid of snakes, but this one made her realize that humans were not the predominant predator. But she’d offered to help him and so she would keep her word.
Yeoman Rand

When Roman lifted the lid, the snake lunged, but his hand was already gone and the lid snapped shut, leaving just enough time for Rand to slip the mouse in. The snake watched them for another moment, then slithered to the dead mouse, and swallowed it whole. These were just small animals from the world Roman was helping study. The large ones were likely nothing short of terrifying. Certainly and thankfully nothing he could handle keeping contained on a starship. “Poor thing seems agitated for some reason,” he commented about the snake.

Rand hung the glove back up, and looked at Wyvern contemplating. “Maybe he doesn’t like me being around his cage. I don’t think he would feel....attached to anyone, but you are familiar and I am not. Perhaps I make him as nervous as he makes me.” She took several steady steps away to see if that helped. “Can he be given all the mice at once? Or do we have to wait?” Rand was considering if dropping them all in at one time would be less agitating than having his home invaded multiple times.

“We can finish feeding some of the herbivorous animals,” he suggested. Except the goo lizard. One close call is enough… He was sure Rand felt the same.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand glanced from the goo lizard back to the snake contemplating. “What about a drawer? Built into the side? It would slide in and have a lock to stop them from pushing it open and a hinged too on the outside. So you could pull the drawer out and then lift the lid, drop the food into the drawer and close the lid. Then push the drawer closed and lock it. Then you don’t have to actually open the cage, or at least whoever is your assistant will be won’t have to. And it would give you some peace of mind when you can’t be here.” Rand looked at some of the other habitats guessing the rest were herbivores. She retrieved an empty container and waited for Alden to tell her what he wanted from what she was internally referring to as the nutrient cabinet.
Yeoman Rand

Roman nodded. It was a great idea, this he could not deny. But with all Rand’s great ideas, he was going to owe somebody in Engineering a lot of favors. And while any enclosure was being worked on, the animals would have to be transferred to a temporary enclosure - something he would certainly need to handle himself. “That would be an ideal addition,” he said, and he was thinking considering what Rand had said before, if he were unable to deal with the lab, safety precautions would be necessary, and it would be worth the favour to Engineering to add them.

Rand had been a yeoman long enough to recognize the look that passed across Alden’s face. “Cmdr, if I may? When you are ready to send in those engineering requests, let Randy or I do it. People tend to like favors for special projects, even if they are easy. And,well to be blunt, that’s why you have a yeoman. We know what favors to trade for and how much each of those favors are worth. And some things don’t need a favor traded, they are part of standard requests, and everyone knows I can recite regulations to a T. We’ll get your critters taken care of.”

“The Atariva mouse could use more. The seeds for him. Mushu is well fed for today…” He was mentally going through a checklist. The red snake was fed, the goo lizard had the food it needed within the enclosure, the mouse, the chinzilla was fed… He looked around the room double checking he hadn’t missed anyone.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand could have skipped to the Atariva cage, but that would have been undignified, so she walked. She grabbed a handful of seeds and gently opened the top of the cage. She put a seed on the floor and slowly pushed it closer, and then backed away, letting the little mouse get the seed without feeling caged, although watched. She made a trail of the seeds like before until the mouse was eating next to her hand. She looked away from the mouse momentarily having heard the door open and close, when the mouse got her attention again. It was sitting in her hand picking up the seeds and eating them. “Cmdr.” She whispered trying not to spook the little thing, “look.”
Yeoman Rand