A Barrel of Voles (Part III)

Posted on Fri Jul 1st, 2022 @ 5:56am by Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D & Lieutenant Commander Yivliph Ra-Gruvloveii

966 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Bandits of Black Rain
Location: Cargobay

As Percy got to work rigging up his trap and setting the bait, Yiv was tasked with reconfiguring the cargo transporters to detect the particular signatures of the small rodent-like lifeforms that were running amuck throughout the starship and undoubtedly in the Jefferies tube system by now. Percy had made it a priority to start sealing off junctions and access through the Jefferies tubes and maintenance shafts and chutes to critical areas such as Engineering and he Computer Core, areas that would have drawn the voles, and become a much larger disaster.

"I am sealing off access to engineering and computer core," Percy reported to Yiv. "Can't guarantee that they haven't spread out to those decks and sections yet, but at least those that did will be isolated and the rest will be cut off" stated the Chief Science Officer.

Though the two officers were becoming closer and their personal lives evolving into something more interwoven, they did not get many opportunities to work this closely with one another. It was unfortunate that the threat of a Cardassian Vole infestation was what was needed to make moments like this a reality. "How are those transporters coming, Commander?"

'Transporters have been tied into the internal sensors, and computer space has been given over for constant sensor sweeps for the next ten minutes.' Yiv looked over at the science officer and grinned, 'there should be plenty of time to zap those voles to a secure location.'

"Excellent, we can send them to Counselor Rose's quarters and call it a day" quipped Percy with a small chuckle. Though the thought did cross his mind for a few moments longer than appropriate, he said so in jest. His war with the the woman was exhausting and utterly unnecessary, as best as he tried to quell the tumultuous animosity between them, it fell on deaf ears and hit a the thickest of bulkheads.

Straightening his line of thinking, he nodded. "Right, these voles need to be taken care of before they become an even worse problem" Percy noted. The half-Tellarite was tinkering with his trap, reconfiguring and setting up the last of his pattern enhancers.

"Beam as many of them as you can in here with us," he instructed Yiv. "I set up my trap too with some last minute modifications. It will draw out the rest of them like a moth to a flame in the next few hours, the ones that are nesting away in our blind spots," explained Percy.

The Chief Science Officer gestured towards the middle of the room where he had placed some 'bait' for the voles. Percy, standing at a computer console was tapping away like a 1940s career typist in service to their nation. "Rigged ourselves a nice little trap, we did. One way confinement field, they can enter it, but they cannot leave."

Nodding his understanding, Yiv input the beam-in command to the program, and looked up at the familiar whine of a transporter beam materialising. The voles scurried, writhed and squirmed as they materialised in a roiling heap near the spot Percy had indicated. 'Dang, not quite perfect,' Yiv muttered as he recoiled from the sheer weight of xenorodents in his near vicinity. 'They set my teeth on edge,' he called out to Percy.

"Just growl at them if they come too close for comfort," Percy replied as he fidgeted with the trap he had constructed. "If you growl at them, they will mistake you for a predator and it will likely repell them away from you" explained Percy. However, it very well may attract me the Chief Science Officer thought, trying to look down to conceal his blushing.

It took a moment, but soon a very low humming sound pulsated through the room. "Don't worry, that's just feeding more power to the bait. Give it several more minutes and we will have voles coming out of every hatch to race here."

Looking on with a sour expression on his face, Yiv continued to observe the writhing mass of creatures as it undulated around the bate. True enough the low droning sound attracted more, they made their way cautiously across the open space of the cargo bay, Yiv only needing to growl at one or two to discourage them. This is disgusting, he glanced back in Percy's direction again, 'how long?'

Percy chuckled and carefully made his way through the mass of voles that were quickly becoming the decking floor itself, scurrying about. "The Chief Science Officer made his way over to Yiv and placed a hand on the console, leaning in. "We are good here, Commander," Percy said.

"These voles aren't going anywhere. Trust me, as long as that thing is functioning they will be drawn to it. We can keep them contained with a containment field. I'll swing by in an hour or two and wrap things up here. Care to grab a drink with me?"

Thinking for a moment, Yiv considered the sheer weight of rodent tonnage in their cargo bay and its wriggly characteristics and weighed them up against the pleasantries of a drink with Percy. It was not a long train of thought, 'you're the expert, Lieutenant Balor. If you say they're contained for the foreseeable future, a drink is in order.' He winked at the half-Tellarite, 'something properly alcoholic, mind, these things give me the heebie-jeebies.'

Percy chuckled and grabbed Yiv's hand, pulling him towards the exit. "I know just the thing to wet your whistle and get rid of the heebie-jeebies." The two were soon off to a little excursion.


A post by:


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

&

Lieutenant Percival Bálor
Chief Science Officer
USS Ontario

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