A Fire Upon the Deep

Posted on Thu Jul 11th, 2019 @ 3:28am by Commander Ichiko Gail

Mission: Getting To Know You
Location: First Officers Quarters

Trader padded down the corridor, reading door tags as he went. Well, to be more precise: Tin, a member of Trader, padded down the corridor reading door tags as she went. The hoods could be a nuisance but, as long as Trader's members wore them, he didn't have to keep the pack together. It was also his experience that single-member species who had never meet a Vingen found it uncomfortable to talk to one. Especially aboard a ship, there wasn't always room to fit the pack together in one spot and single-members never knew where to look. So, upon being summoned to the Operations Chief's quarters, it seemed like just sending the Talker would cause the least amount of hassle.

There were a couple of things left to do in Trader's quarters anyway. He wouldn't be able to do anything too intense while Tin was talking to the Ops Chief. It seems counterintuitive, but the Vingen are only somewhat better at multi-tasking than single-members.

Tin's eyes caught the compartment number Trader was looking for. It wasn't quite right, though. The tag said "First Officer's Quarters." Back in Trader's quarters, No moved to the terminal and punched up the manifest. Tin was in the right spot, Lieutenant--correction Commander--Gail had apparently been reassigned. Was it actually the First Officer that had summoned Trader? Yes, it had to have been. It was Commander Gail's voice on the comm. Vingen can recall voices as clearly as humans can recall faces. Tin stood on her hind legs and tapped the door chime with the end of her rat-like snout.

The tone of the chime broke Ichiko from her task at hand. Which, at the moment, was arranging her new quarters to be to her liking. Aesthetics was almost as important as functionality, truth be told, but she liked that picture over there on the left much better. The chime was actually a welcome distraction. "Hai, hairu." she called out, slipping into her native tongue for the time and allowing her guest access.

Tin padded through the doors as they parted. About a meter in, she sat back on her hind legs. There was a time, several decades ago, that Trader had experimented with trying to move his talker's mouth while addressing a single-member. He found that it was often more disconcerting to the single-member than just keeping the talker's mouth shut and using its tympanum they way he would if he were talking to another Vingen. Vingen mouths weren't made for talking, they made for hunting, killing, and eating. This is a fact that becomes obvious when the teeth are exposed.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. You asked me to come down here?"

Ichiko's glance fell upon Tin, and rather than surprise, concern, or curiosity as to where the creature's handler went, she actually offered a nod. Exactly as the file stated. She had read that the being used a variant of telepathy for instance to instance contact, and was actually pleased that the conversation they had with those outside the instances was... as much as the term could apply... verbal.

"I wanted to check in and see how you were acclimating to the position. I also wanted to see for myself what another multi-instance lifeform looked like." a pause, "Our closest neighbors and longest term allies are the Dalacari, and they're a binary instance lifeform. Fascinating people, rich history." she offered a soft smile, "Your profile stated you were a pentanid being. Five instances. Is that the case? In that, I'm mostly curious."

"Though, my truer curiosity is if you are needing any special accommodations or considerations in performing your day to day duties in Operations."

"Yes, ma'am, at the moment I do have five members but it varies. I've had as many as six and as few as four. Individuals of my race can live as much as a thousand years but our members only survive a few decades." Trader was impressed by the Commander's lack of response to Tin. Perhaps it was because she, too, was a kind of Federation outsider. Of course she had read his records but many humans had as well before meeting him. They always tried so hard to hide it---humans seem to be terrified of giving offense for some reason that Trader was never able to understand and that he had resigned himself to never understanding---but they had always had at least some reaction to his appearance. Most of the time, they didn't even realize he was even sentient until he spoke.

"As for accommodations, ma'am, I find that I adapt very well to single-member environs. I just need my hoods." Trader paused a moment, "I hope you don't mind me asking but what was it that brought you to Starfleet, ma'am? Your race isn't a Federation race unless I'm mistaken. I know I'm not the only non-federation citizen to serve in the fleet, but it isn't common."

She offered a soft smile. "We're looking for admission for the same reason our allies are. Common friends and strong allies are hard to find, and our home in the Delta Quadrant is starting to get a bit crowded. In that, rather a new ally than an unknown."

"Also, our defense accord with the Dalacari generally means where they go, we go. And if they go to Starfleet then so should we. It's just nice that in this instance we all have something to gain from the motion." she paused for a moment, considering. A thousand years. How lonely it must get.

"The Ts'usugi aren't member races yet, we're technically an allied race that is going through the motions for full status, same as the Dalacari. They're weighing the economic and social impact of becoming a full member, while we're weighing the weight of a future with them against the sovereignty of our past. Introducing new allies might mean sacrificing things we aren't ready to give up, as a people. So, we move slow in the talks." she paused, "Fortunately, the Federation seems understandingly patient."

"Though you mentioned not being the *only* non-citizen. I take it then that your society isn't part of the Federation as of yet, either?"

Tin shook her snout, "I doubt my people will ever apply to join the Federation. Individuals of my race can't get too close together without their mindsounds interfering and when that happens we lose consciousness." Trader thought a moment, "I guess how I can see that that would seem lonely to single-members but it's just natural for us. We have friends and we build societies but we don't form---or join---federations.

Ichiko gave a nod, "I can certainly see how that would be an issue. I'm familiar with non-single instance life, studied at a college on Dalacar. Though, I can't pretend to know how it's like to be anything but single-instance. Just like how I couldn't rightly ask you to see things from a single-instance point of view." she continued. "I must admit, I do find the concept of non-single instance life fascinating. I'd like to do some reading on your species, if such a document exists, and if I have any questions concerning your peoples, would you take offense if I were to ask if I may ask you some questions?" never hurts to be polite.

"I'm not sure, but I think there are some papers by Federation anthropologists who have visited my world. I will gladly answer any questions you have, though."

She gave a nod, "When they come up, I'll try to make a collection so as to not consume your time with one question at a time. I'll probably also send any anthropological writings up to the Dalacari Colleges to see what their views and questions would be." she paused, "They're a naturally occuring binary-instance lifeform. I think your people and their people would get along quite well."

A pause, "Though, aside from academic curiosity... I think I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you for indulging." she gave a nod, "If there's nothing else you require, you may return to your department at your leisure."

"Thank you, ma'am. Let me know if you need anything else." The conclusion of the conversation came at a fortuitous time. Na was getting hungry and he was still not quite old enough to feed without help from Trader's other members. That would consume a good part of Trader's attention for the next few minutes. Tin bowed her snout in the Vingen's rough equivalent of a salute and padded her way out of Commander Gail's quarters.

=/\=

Lieutenant Commander Ichiko Gail
Executive Officer
USS Astraea

&

Lieutenant JG Notingakina Trader
Assistant Chief of Operations
USS Astraea