Conveyance

Nolee sat on a bed in the medical bay. Nevu was installing a universal translator implant in Nolee's left ear. The cold tip of the insertion device poked the tragus. Nolee flinched. Nevu pulled back.
"You do not need to do this. The comm badge is adequate."
"I want to make sure I communicate well."
"I will try again." Nevu wrapped her right hand around the base of Nolee's skull and inserted the device. There was a pop and a crunch. "It is done."
Nolee nodded, then wondered why the light was dimming around the edges of her vision. Nevu was mouthing something indecipherable.
When she came to, Nolee was lying on the bed with a basin on her chest. "What's this?"
"For your vomit."
"I vomited?"
"No." Nevu adjusted the top of the bed from ninety to thirty degrees.
A wave of nausea washed down from the crown of Nolee's head and settled in her intestines. She puked until she was empty.
Nevu removed the basin and handed Nolee a damp cloth. After using it, Nolee traded the cloth for a sweet, salty beverage.
"Sip it slowly."
"Okay."
Nevu discarded the bin and the cloth. She sanitized the device and placed it in a drawer. "You are truly unfit for interstellar travel."
"I'm aware."
"That was praise. You have sacrificed your comfort and possibly your health to make this journey. I am grateful."
"Don't mention it."
"Did you notice that I am speaking in Vulcan?"
"No. Oh wow."
Nevu sat on a stool and rolled close to the bed. She adjusted the tilt of Nolee's head and inspected the ear. "No blood. How do you feel?"
"Better. When does she get here?"
"Less than an hour."
"Should I give her time to adjust? I mean, from being in prison."
"House arrest. You may follow her guidance."
"My ears are ringing."
Nevu performed a few scans and hearing tests. She pointed out the device, tucked into the left temporal bone like a splinter. The ringing abated.
"Try walking," said Nevu.
"Okay."
They walked to the observation deck. Harth had set up a small buffet of treats. There were a few posies of taiga flowers.
They stood at the wide porthole. "Look," said Nevu. She pointed to a tiny rectangle that was slowly getting bigger. "They're almost here."
"They'll come straight here?"
"I'll do some bioscans first." Nevu turned to Nolee. "Did you hear what I said before?"
"About…"
"About doing what she wants. Whatever she wants. As long as you are capable of it, no matter what she asks, please try to do it."
"Okay. Yes. I will."
"Keep her secrets, Nolee. She must trust you. This is important." Nevu sighed quietly. "It took much negotiation to get her a promise of clemency. The handover must go smoothly. If she doesn't feel safe with us, she'll find a way to ruin the deal."
"I understand. I mean, I'll try." The shuttle had disappeared from view. There was a slight jolt when it docked at the other end of the ship.
"I will greet them." Nevu nodded and stepped away.
"What were the damages?"
Nevu paused. "Damages?"
"On Earth, you said there were damages. What exactly did she do?"
"I will let Etanja tell you as she chooses."

Nolee yearned to nap. Her ears and brain were overworked. She closed her eyes.
She opened them to see dark yellow eyes staring at her. The pupils were horizontal. There was a dank, familiar scent.
Etanja held out her left hand. "Shake it!"
Nolee shook it quickly.
"A human custom!" The Ktarian laughed. Her teeth gleamed. "Sister, you are so kind to meet me here." She sat close to Nolee. Nolee squirmed. The Ktarian's scent was metallic and overripe. What was it? Oh—placenta.
Etanja rubbed Nolee's braid. "Rougher than it looks. Beautiful color."
"Would you like something to eat?"
"Yes—you. That's an Earth saying? I could eat you up! Rather brutal."
"I guess."
"You're not brutal. You're gentle. I can feel it." She swung around, brushing Nolee in the face with her hair. "Is that Ktarian beer? Let's drink. Tell me all about yourself."

Nolee told her about being a midwife, growing up in Alaska, and her xenobiology course. At every pause, Etanja asked her another question, then sat silently during the answer. Her eyes rarely blinked.
Nolee's voice started to strain. She took a long pull of her beer.
"I've overworked you, haven't I!"
"No, it's fine."
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"No. I mean, whatever you want to tell me."
"You're kind. You must know I had some troubles. I might be gone for a long time. I had to meet you." Her voice softened. "I wrote you. You never wrote me back."
"I didn't know that. I didn't know any of you existed."
"Left out of the sisterhood! Sad little human."
The main door to the observation deck opened. Harth trotted in. "Tehr wants you in the cargo bay."
"Who, me?" Ktaria asked.
"Nolee, can you go? Tehr said it's time."
"Time for what?"
"I don't know."

Tehr sat in the middle of the bay. Nolee squatted beside him. "Is something wrong?"
"She is whelping. Observe." They tilted a tablet. On the screen, a ball of fluff writhed. A ball of slime popped out and started to wriggle.
"Does she require assistance?" Tehr's antennae quivered.
"It looks like she's doing fine. It's best to leave them alone." Nolee noticed that the newborn wasn't alone. Another blind baby wriggled in the nest. "I'll stay and watch the third one."
Nolee sat cross-legged and watched as the mother pika groomed her babies and started another set of contractions.
"Did you notice the flowers?" Tehr asked.
"Flowers?"
"I displayed them for our guest."
"Oh! They're very pretty."
The final baby was born. One by one they began to nurse.
"Do they eat their young?" Tehr asked.
"I don't know. Rabbits do that. Rabbits are similar to pikas. As long as she isn't stressed and has enough food, she won't. Probably."
"I will reinvestigate her nutritional supply."
"What happens when the babies grow up? If there are males—"
"I will sterilize them. Thoroughly. This isn't Starfleet."
Nolee giggled. "You're funny."
Tehr grunted. "They are terribly pink. How long until they have fur?"
"A week or so, maybe. They'll grow quickly."
"Uzevah willing."

Nolee visited a needs station to empty her bladder and drink water. Her ears rang weakly. She thought of begging off and going to sleep in her quarters. Instead, she returned to the observation deck.
Etanja was kneeling before Harth and massaging their hands. "He loved Soren," the Ktarian said. "He'll do anything for you." She was whispering, but the words were transmitting at a normal volume to Nolee.
Harth jumped up. "You're back."
"Delightful!" said Etanja. "Our little sister is going to fetch us some Ktarian chocolate. Have you tried it?"
"No."
Harth shuffled out of the deck.
"Where were you?"
"Attending a birth." Nolee fumbled through a menu on her wristband until she found an image. She patched it to a wall screen. The mother pika slept while the babies fed.
"Very ugly," said Etanja. "When are they big enough to eat?"
Nolee's nausea returned. "Oh—we don't—"
Etanja cackled. "You're scared of me."
"No, I—"
"I understand. I'm the first alien you've ever met."
"I've been on this ship for three weeks."
"I know humans. You are a small-brained species. Most of you imagine other races as different flavors of human. Right? Stern parent Vulcan, weird cousin Andorian, sweet little J'naii. Even before you made first contact you dreamed of aliens as either just like humans or unknowable monsters." The horizontal pupils tightened to lines. "I'm neither."
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
"I'm not." Etanja giggled. "It's not your fault. You're a midwife, not a xenoanthropologist." Etanja opened two more beers. "Let's salute our differences."
Nolee took a sip and placed the beer on the table.
Etanja drained hers and tossed aside the bottle. "Nolee the human. I am going to tell you the truth."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You sisters are all I have. My mother abandoned me after my troubles. It isn't right. None of it is my fault."
"What happened, exactly? If you can say."
"I was helping. A new strain of Orkett disease emerged on Tavela Minor. It was killing Bajoran children. They needed more equipment to treat them. I found someone who could provide what we needed, but they weren't allowed near the planet."
"Why?"
"A slight history of smuggling, some war crimes. I negotiated, and I brought the equipment to Tavela. I didn't know the shipment had other equipment." Tears welled up in the far corners of Etanja's eyes.
"What was it?"
"A bomb. I didn't know! It was meant for Legate Remat."
"But it didn't hurt him."
"It killed his whole family. What a terrible thing to make me do!"
"Terrible." Nolee's gaze wandered to the pika family. She took it down. Etanja kept talking.
"The Cardassians are so strict. They don't care about what I was trying to do. The Federation won't stand up to them." Etanja lightly tugged on Nolee's braid. "Will you do something for me?"
"If I can."
"It's really simple, the smallest of favors. Write him."
"Who?"
"Our father who art in Heaven. I'm not allowed."
"I don't know how to contact him."
"I'll show you." Etanja tapped Nolee's wrist. "Send your profile to the table."
Nolee obeyed. On the table, Etanja sped through a communications protocol, then typed a message.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm asking him to send help to Deep Space Nine." And alert popped up. "You have to authorize sending. Put your hand on it."
Nolee pressed her hand to the glossy surface. The message flew off the screen.
"Thank you, sister." Etanja yawned. "I need to rest now."
By the time Nolee exited the deck, the Ktarian was sleeping.

Nolee retraced the path to the medical bay. Nevu was working at a station inside. "Is the implant bothering you?"
"No. Not much. Did she kill children?"
Nevu shut off her screen and swiveled in her stool to face Nolee. Sitting, she was still taller.
"The incident involved three juveniles."
"You could have told me that."
"I didn't want you to be prejudiced against her."
"It's hard not to be."
"Is it? She was lied to. Her attempt to help was sincere."
"Really?"
"You dislike her." Nolee looked away. "Can you dislike her and still try to help her?"
"I guess so."
"Good. May I ask your advice?"
Nolee nodded.
"I will soon make contact with another one of our kind. She knows of aliens but has never met one. Do you have advice for the first encounter?"
"Answer all of her questions."
"Understood. Thank you, Nolee. You are doing very well."

Nolee replicated a cup of hydration formula in the kitchen. Harth sat at the table, slowly munching on Ktarian chocolate.
"Doesn't that make you drunk?" Nolee asked.
"What of it?" Harth took another bite.
"Let's trade, okay?"
Harth sipped the drink. Nolee tasted the chocolate. It was overwhelmingly rich.
"Etanja's a lot, isn't she." Harth hiccuped. "Can I ask—what were you talking about?"
"I'm kind of like you," Harth said, speaking to their lap. "You and the others."
"Oh?"
"He knew one of my parents. Soren. My species can't mate with outsiders, though. Nevu found me and tested me to be sure. That's when I learned what he'd done."
"What did he do?"
"He loved them. They loved each other. Like man and woman, like humans. That's a crime for J'naii."
"What happened?"
"Soren was discovered and corrected. They learned to behave. They wedded my other parent and made me. When I was a baby they flew a shuttlecraft into a star."
Nolee felt tears emerging and blinked them back. She never took on a patient's pain.
"He didn't protect her. Starfleet protocol." Harth sniffled.
"I'm sorry." Nolee wrapped up the remaining chocolate. "Do you want to make dinner with me?"
"Okay."
"By the way, humans love each other in many ways. Not just man and woman."
"I know. I've seen some videos. There was quite a variety of couplings. None of them looked appealing."
"You can ask me questions if you prefer."
"Maybe. Maybe after."
"After what?"
"After we get to the station."

Nolee dreamed of a spider encircling her wrist. The spider beeped.
She woke up. She had a message: "I will help. On arrival at Deep Space Nine, wait for docking instructions."