What Croaked the Crocus? (Part I)

Posted on Tue Feb 22nd, 2022 @ 4:16am by Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D & Lieutenant Commander Yivliph Ra-Gruvloveii

1,353 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Bandits of Black Rain
Location: USS Ontario | Deck 07 | Corridor

A loud series of agitated snorts and snarls could be heard from within the botanical laboratory of Ontario's seventh deck, and when the doors opened various Ontario personnel scattered and scurried. Remnants of the victims were out on the corridor, leaving a reddish brown spots along the corridor.

Percy let out a low growl as his nostril flared. His eyes widened as he studied the area outside of his laboratory. There had been murders on deck seven and his botanical laboratory was the scene of the crime. The victims lie about decapitated and partially devoured.

It was too late for any aid to be rendered, a man hunt was the only option left. Though this was not a job for Ontario's security. This needed someone else. Percy tapped his comm badge =/\= "Lieutenant Bálor to Yiv," Percy let out a frustrated sigh. "Yiv, I need you outside of the botanical laboratory at your earliest convenience, and bring me a phaser."

'A phaser?' Yiv's frown could be heard in his words. 'I ... I'll be right down, Percy. With a phaser. Don't move.'

While he waited for Yiv, Percy checked out the area more thoroughly and that's when his boot came upon a piece of a victim. The firmness gave out under the pressure of his foot and a sudden squoosh and him look down. The half- Tellarite then was on all fours with his snoutish nose to the deck.

Rounding the corner of the corridor at a trot, noticing reddish brown spots trodden into the carpet of the deck, Yiv slowed, stopping to inspect the stains. He blew out a breath, and holstered the phaser, shrugging at the crew around them, 'don't mind us, this is Science Department business.' Moving briskly down the corridor, Yiv came upon his boyfriend? casual partner? Friends-with-benefits-if-the-benefits-were-picnics-and-aggro? His ... Percy, he settled on his Percy.

His Percy who was kneeling on the floor, and who's posterior would make a great target for a kick. 'A phaser, Percy, really?' Yiv chided as he crouched next to the science officer. 'What's happened to the plants?'

"This is what's left of a crocus bulb, Yiv," Percy said picking the crushed bulb from the deck and holding it in his hand. "My botanical lab is a mess, several crocus plants completed destroyed. We have intruders aboard, Yiv. I can smell them" Percy said tapping his snoutlike nose.

He was quite serious. "Yes, a phaser. Believe me, you are going to want it. Heck, may as well start arming the ship as far as I'm concerned."

'What can you smell?' Yiv asked after a moment of contemplating the crocus bulb in the Science Officer's hand. 'And what kind of crocuses are these that they would be so treated?' He was fairly certain the half-Tellarite was over-reacting, but his hand hovered near the phaser in its holster just in case.

"Sex," Percy replied not missing a beat. "Pheromones to be more precise, Yiv. We are caught in a bad Vole-mance." The Chief Science Officer looked up and over at the Chief Intelligence Officer. "Cardassian voles did this. If there's one vole, there's dozens...hundreds more if we wait too long. Yiv, this is not good."

'Cardassian voles, huh?' Yiv withdrew the phaser from his holster and sighed, 'you know I wasn't ever frontline with these things,' he chatted away as he set the phasers dispersal beam to wide. 'You could do with getting an Operations team in on this too.' He hefted the weapon and tested his sighting down the arm. Satisfied a thought struck him, 'I don't believe the ship has been anywhere near Cardassian space in years either. Bad cargo?'

Percy sighed. "Zero will probably just complain I'm his unique way about the ship being inefficient, and that there is better use of his time. If we bring Operations into this, I'd prefer Peri." Percy also nodded. "Bad cargo would be my thoughts as well."

'Operations is responsible for cargo inspections,' Yiv responded simply. 'It's not just their officers who know the rules and regs,' he sighed. 'Alright then, no Operations for now. Where to?'

"They are responsible for that," Percy replied. Parker thought Percy though he said nothing of it. "All it takes is two baby voles of opposite sexes, and then you have yourself a huge mess. I would say we start with this mess and follow it."

'You're the, uh,' Yiv groped for the analogy, 'blood, uh, bloodhound? Bloodhound. That's you. I'll follow. Need a phaser yourself?'

"Truffle pig," Percy teased. "I don't need a phaser. I have a big strong Efrosian to protect me from nasty little voles" teased Percy. "Just make sure you can see what you are shooting at."

Involuntarily blushing, Yiv snorted then relented, fishing out his glasses and placing them on his nose. His vision improved immensely. 'You're right of course. Let's get going.'

Percy snorted. "Yes, Sir," he replied to Yiv. Percy's nostrils flared a bit. He had caught the scent of at least one of the voles. "This way."

'C'mon then,' Yiv set off at a trot, slowing his stride so Percy could catch up with him, 'so this isn't how I imagined my duty shift going. I had some really nice fleet dispositions to analyse and report on.'

"Yeah," Percy replied with a teasing tone of voice. "That seems fitting. Reading reports and looking at data and numerics. The ideal day for you I'm sure." Percy lead them to a maintenance hatch which would lead into the Jefferies tube network. "Instead, you get to follow me around in my pursuit of a vole. I think it went upward to deck six...possibly into one of the cargobays. I bet they are nesting."

It was Yiv's turn to snort, 'this alternative sounds like a world of fun. Crawling around Jeffries tubes like some sort of Operations grunt is exactly why I joined Starfleet.' He clapped Percy on the shoulder. 'You first then.'

"Of course," Percy replied a bit playfully. "Cardassian Voles are native to Cardassia, but they are quite scattered about. They became notorious for being invasive species on a dozen worlds." Percy lead the way straight into the Jefferies tube network and up a ladder.

Yiv kept his eyes firmly on the rungs in front of him, not wanting to look up lest he be distracted. 'They're stubborn little buggers are they?' Yiv grunted as he hauled himself into the tube and pulled his tricorder out, 'here. Smell will only get you so far.'

"And flattery will get you everywhere and then some," Percy replied to the man behind him. Percy too the tricorder, knowing what to look for, he used the data it was providing. "I have a suspicion that we are about to find ourselves a bit of an infestation, Yiv. They are stubborn buggers. They can be as destructive as Tribble though fortunately, their mating process is more traditional. However, their temperament are more like Tommyknockers so avoid their mouth and claws, and watch your ankles."

Confusion crossed Yiv's features. 'I'm not familiar with Tommyknockers. What planet is that species from?' He held his phaser loosely in his hand, trying to cover the both of them.

"Tommyknockers, knackers, coblynau...various cultures on Earth had similar creatures. They are mythological and from folklore, but these Cardassian Voles are very much a reality," said Percy as he opened a side hatch that poured out to a corridor on the next deck.

'Huh, I see,' Yiv said as he shifted his position, coming up close behind Percy, 'I guess they're some sort of creature that hides and is generally unpleasant from the comparison to voles?'


"Precisely," replied Percy. "Let's check out the cargobay ahead, I am worried that's going to be ground zero."

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

Lieutenant Commander Yivliph Ra-Gruvloveii
Chief Intelligence & Second Officer
USS Ontario


Lieutenant Percival Bálor
Chief Science Officer
USS Ontario

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