Genre: StarTrek: The Next Generation
Title: New Civilizations
Summary: Another step to understanding, both on board the Enterprise, and on Kron.
Chapter 22
When Lieutenant Bundawba arrived on Kron carrying the portable link strapped to his shoulder, the rest of the Away Team were busy either connecting the extra communications unit or being attentive to the conversation between Picard and the Kronatina.
Motioned by Captain, the young man went to stand at Picard's side. He was introduced to a group of Kronatina who were standing on some low pedestals very closely grouped together. Paying attention to what was being said and at the same time, trying not to gawk at his surroundings, was nearly an impossible task.
The huge hall was magnificently ethereal with glossy white walls that undulated in sweeping curves. There wasn't a corner to be found in the vaguely oval space. Soft lighting, reflected and enhanced by the walls, was provided by what looked like glowing pearlescent clouds, which varied in size from a common bed pillow to that of a small mattress. All were floating at various levels from perhaps four meters above the floor to an indefinable height, high into the slightly misty atmosphere. Whatever ceiling there might have been was obscured by the mist or was so high, it was lost in darkness. Windows, two meters tall and deeply set, placed randomly at wide intervals, brought in shafts of pale sunlight that cut cleanly through the vaporous air. The floor was dark, and contained grains of a light-reflecting material that made it look like a deep pool filled with stars. All about the floor of the great hall were clumps of round platforms each about two meters in diameter, three to five to a clump, made of the same pearlescent material as the walls. Of the ten or so clusters of platforms, only three were occupied by Kronatina, the rest were empty. The iridescent feathers of the headdresses looked particularly brilliant in the light of the hall.
Bundawba had to pull his mind back, away from the sights, to deal with what was going on around him.
"We'll be grateful for any help your medical team can give to Doctor T'Shing," Picard was saying to the nearest group fronted an individual wearing a particularly elegantly chapeau. "When I last spoke with her, she said that she was waiting for the medical computer to work out an antibiotic that would be appropriate. Perhaps your team will have some information that is useful."
From his higher position above the Enterprise team, A's'kahn'a looked imposing. "Oh, Picard, we remain much concerned for our fellow Kronatt and we are glad you wish us to work together to help S's'haht'a regain health. Our doctors will confer with your doctors and a cure will bring our fellow Kronatt, who happens to be my special friend, back to us safely. Meanwhile, we would wish to bring the bad feelings to an end."
"It is our sincere wish also. Maybe this mishap will bring us all more closely together in mutual understanding."
All of the Kronatina bowed slightly.
A man in engineer gold called out from beside the com' unit, "Captain, Doctor T'Shing is waiting."
From another clump of pedestals, a group of three Kronatina descended and advanced to the second screen. Picard, accompanied by A's'kahn'a' and his group, also approached. Doc D'Jang was in view standing beside the feathered Kronatt lying on a metal table. Even Picard, who was no great authority on animals, could see that the feathers spread across the exam table looked dull, and scuffed.
"Oh, A's'kahn'a, this is one of our Federation officers, Doctor T'Shing D'Jang dal. Are you ready for a conference, Doctor?" asked Picard.
More sober than he had yet seen her, she answered in subdued tones, "Most certainly, Captain. Are these the doctors who will be aiding me?"
A's'kahn'a introduced them, moving from one to the other and raising his hand to their faces as he spoke their names. "A'fend-ran, T'kris-ran, and A'm'sehn-ran."
They bowed. A'm'sehn-ran spoke immediately. "What do you know of the condition of our fellow, Doctor T'Shing D'Jang dal?"
Even though he knew some medical terminology and even understood some of it, Picard noted that once doctors began talking, he still felt like he was listening to a foreign language with no translator. Apparently the Kronatina felt the same because as soon as the talk began A's'kahn'a moved away.
"Come, Oh, Picard, we will speak while our doctors confer." The tall Kronatt led the way back to the clump of pedestals and ponderously climbed on. The others followed suit. He turned to look down on Picard, Bundawba, and a security guard who maintained a respectable step to the back. "So, what would we say, Oh, Picard?"
"We are most anxious to resume our previous status among you, of course. As you know, part of our charge from the Federation is to explore the possibility of trade with you. You have already spoken of that with another race known as the Romulans. We understand, however, that you asked the Romulans to leave, before our own misunderstanding. Would it be allowed for us to know why?"
"We are not familiar with all of the details of that meeting." A's'kahn'a nodded clumsily around to the other Kronatina. "Others, not ourselves, met with the Romulans, not of the Federation. I believe that those who say they are Romulans, not of the Federation, refused to become acquainted with a fellow Kronatt. Not one of them would receive the company. They even became upset at being asked and began making some sort of threats, so they were asked to leave. That is my knowledge of the matter."
Picard wondered only briefly, how angry the Romulans would have been if they'd fallen ill after wearing the 'hat.' While the thought circled his mind, he nodded and hoped they saw it as a gesture of understanding. "I see. And do you require this of all envoys who would seek trade with you?"
"Of course. Is this not a right and correct way of behaving?"
Picard smiled, "Of course. It is your way and you are right and correct. You are aware that the Romulans still have not left orbit."
"Yes, and for that, we have gladness."
"But you asked them to leave."
"Only the meeting." Somehow, the goat-bleating voice sounded gentle.
"You intend to resume talks with them?"
Again the gentle reply, "Of course. Is this not a right and correct way of behaving?"
Picard wanted to say, 'not with the Romulans, it isn't,' but instead he gave the only acceptable reply, "Of course, it is your way and you are right and correct. And now I would wish to introduce—"
Before Picard could finish his sentence, the Ferengi materialized a few feet away. 'What,' he wondered, 'had been keeping them?' He'd actually expected them to appear within seconds of his own arrival. "I understand you have been told of the Ferengi, who are not of the Federation?" He had almost said, 'warned' of the Ferengi.
"Your great person, O'Doone, of the previous contact, made mention of the Ferengi, not of the Federation, as well as others, also not of the Federation." A's'kahn'a paused as if to catch his breath. "We have many who are ready to speak to those who may come. We are eager to learn of all who are not Kronatina."
The Ferengi were ignored by the Kronatina so Picard motioned to one of the members of the Away Team to greet them and bring them to his side.
As A's'kahn'a spoke, one of the third group of Kronatina stepped off of his pedestal and left the hall, but shortly returned, with a group of five others. Before any of the Ferengi could speak, this group presented themselves, received the Ferengian translation device clips, attached them to their harnesses, and introduced themselves. After a few words, they all left the main hall but not before several of the Ferengi tossed defiant looks at the Enterprise captain.
Ignoring the Ferengi, Picard made use of the time by conferring with Bundawba on the use of pronouns.
Bundawba's answer was not comforting. "Sir, I think Linguistics is going to have to bring a team down and redo the whole pronoun structure." Then, wisely, the Lieutenant changed the subject by asking, "Do you suppose all the hats are alive or just some of them?"
Before Picard could reply, the group around the communications unit stirred. A gesture from one of the doctors brought a Kronatt from the third group from off his pedestal to stride quickly to A's'kahn'a. While A's'kahn'a bent over and touched carapaces with his friend, a voice called to Picard via his personal com' unit.
"Captain? Riker here. Seems our guest had another secret. I just heard from both Deanna and Doc D'Jang."
&&&&
After the meeting in the Observation Lounge, Deanna headed to the Menagerie. She wanted to know more about the animals that looked so much like humans that the two men had decided to marry them. If she could see them, she thought she might be able to help the men more effectively. First, she had checked on would-be grooms and felt assured they'd probably sleep another several hours. Confident in Guinan's flair for various concoctions, she had no worries, so, after leaving a recorded message saying to call her when they awakened; she headed off to Doc D'Jang's country.
After receiving permission to continue with this project while on stand-by to the Captain on the planet below, she stood thoughtfully in front of the large semi-holographic enclosure. Not only had the technician escorted her, showing the way through the maze of large cages that housed the various creatures, she had stayed with her long enough to give as some background about these exotic, human-like creatures.
Although barely larger than five meters cubed, the ceiling and three walls were enhanced with holographic images giving the impression of being much more vast. The area looked like a group of craggy rocks overgrown in grassy vegetation and broad-leafed bushy plants, some a couple of meters tall, with a canopy of tree branches overhead. In the forefront, near the transparent fourth wall, that was undoubtedly disguised from the inside in some manner, was a shallow pool, in which cavorted, what looked like a naked human girl whose skin was swirled in a rainbow. Lying beside the pool also decked out in nothing but her multicolored skin, was the other 'girl'. Both were divinely lovely.
At first glance, Deanna found herself feeling outraged that these two beautiful nymphs should be considered animals that had to be caged. Even while listening to the technician's account of the initial observation and careful testing for signs even of pre-intelligence and lack thereof, she knew, just knew! that these were sentient beings. They looked human, how could they not be? She wanted them to be people!
Only after the technician had excused herself to tend to other duties, did Deanna realize how quiet the area was. Oh, she sensed everyone in the ship, as she always did, but here, separated by bulkheads, alone, as if she were in her own shielded quarters, the quiet was quite noticeable. There were animal sounds all around, but not the buffeting of thought. Next to this cage was the sparse, desert-furnished enclosure for a gerkiland, which was busy doing something noisy, digging, grunting, and snuffling. Behind, bear-like, bipedal creatures were softly snorting. But it was all physical noise, easily ignored. What she didn't hear, was the mental noise; there were no human emotions hammering at her, except from a great distance. Suddenly those two delightful creatures in front of her were beautiful animals, not people. She couldn't sense them, couldn't determine if they were bored, happy, or hungry.
'So', she thought, 'maybe this is what it's like for non-sensitives. How peaceful it is to just look at someone and not have to protect myself all of the time.' She stood for quite some time, watching. What a joy just to observe a humanoid without being torn at, clawed at by raw emotions.
The one in the pool began climbing out and was stopped by her sister-companion, who pushed her back into the water. The first heaved herself back up and sat beside the other, mock-battling with her on the pool's rocky edge, like two kittens playing. They gently feinted with their hands and with their mouths, ducking and snarling softly, trying to slap and bite, each reaching for the other's midsection. Whether by design or accident, they both ended up tumbling back into the pool.
Deanna flinched at the splash and couldn't help but think that perhaps the two saw her move. Seeing the ghost images of plants dripping just in front of her, she concluded that the two youngsters saw the front wall only as a plant-lined rock face. As always, she marveled at the wonders of holographic projections.
The two attractive creatures separated from each other, climbed out on opposite sides of the pool, and not paying much attention to one another, began drying themselves off, wiping with their four-fingered hands and licking themselves with bright pink tongues. There was not much drying to be done, since their cream-colored furry bristles, sparsely covering the tops of their heads, ran in a line nearly halfway down their spines, and seemed to funnel the water to the point between their shoulders and down their backs. Their multihued skin also apparently had a waxy coating so that the water was easily brushed off, leaving them entirely dry in seconds.
Deanna watched, entranced. A short while later, she was fairly sure of what she would be listening for, later on, from the two disappointed bridegrooms. Regretting the call to duty, but ready, she left the large animal enclosure area, feeling more at peace than she had felt in ages.
The Counselor seldom had to ask for directions when all she had to do was follow the trail of the appropriate emotions. In this case, the clinical interest of Dr. D'Jang brought her to the Menagerie's primary exam room. Architecturally a duplicate of the human infirmary, the only difference was that the main area held metal exam tables instead of couches. On one of the tables, Deanna spied the now familiar array of feathers. A temporary view screen was set up showing a trio of Kronatina that she sensed had the same sort of medical-clinician attitude she often felt from Beverly or Doc D'Jang. The veterinarian was standing in front of a diagnostic board, explaining the computer generated symbols, gave the counselor a nod.
"Gentlemen, a moment please. I see a colleague is here. Please, excuse me while I speak with her."
The three bulky medicos all brayed their assent.
"Deanna, so glad you came here, now. I'm just about talked out. What can I do for you?"
"I was looking at the humanoid girls for a minute and I just wanted to ask you some questions about what occurred with the bridegrooms. I see you're busy though."
"What do you need to know? I need to take a break. I love talking shop but having to explain every ruddy detail of the diagnostic tools is making me crazy. Not only am I trying to show them how I know about some of the internal workings of their little pet, but also I'm trying to explain the chemical breakdown of the antibiotic in terms we all understand. Now we're trying to decide if it would work without positively killing our patient. So, what did you think of the girls?"
They are lovely creatures, aren't they? I think I have some ideas on how to deal with their…" She almost said husbands. "I guess we have to call them owners, now. I also thought I'd see if I could possibly get any inspiration from the Kronatin pet." She couldn't take her eyes from the Kronatt. "By the way, S's'haht'a is feeling much better."
Looking rueful, D'Jang replied, "I sure hope so. I still can't—" She looked piercingly at the Counselor.
TBC to Chapter 23
Thank you for reading. I hope you are enjoying this.