Just a Casual Walk
Posted on 23 Apr 2018 @ 9:31pm by Captain Sular Vivano (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR to XFY) & Lieutenant Jake Winchester (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR, XFY) & Luuna C.G.CA/U
Edited on on 23 Apr 2018 @ 9:31pm
Mission:
Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio - Heroes & Villains
Location: Lower Decks
Timeline: [Backpost]
Tags: Luuna
Luuna was out and about on her own. She had promised “Alpha” not to get into trouble, or mark anything, and she had to stay within mental contact. She had just been wanting to get out and explore the ship, so she had been letting her nose lead the way.
Sooner or later she’d found something interesting, so she decided to follow it. It had a vague scent of C-4 and black powder. She had been wondering around the ship following the scent until she came to an area where the scent was strongest.
She sat.
Looking up, she saw a door with red shapes on it that she knew ‘Alpha’ called letters and words. She had never been taught what these ones mean however. She cocked her head listening, and scented the air, wondering if any being was inside.
Sular was in his element as he worked. He had always liked explosives. Though what he was working on now would not even be considered as such by the current standards. However, lower grade or medieval style explosives as some of his instructors would have called it were all that was needed at times. Also, sensors were not really programmed to look for such “trivial” types of mixtures like this.
Napalm by itself wasn’t much of an explosive unless it was held under high pressure in a container. Once lit it would burn for a long-time coating whatever it came into contact with. However, combined with either a blasting cap or some sort of primer/igniter it could be used as a nasty sort of anti-personnel weapon.
He was carefully grinding the powder down to a fine grade as he had already filled the tubes he was going to use with the napalm mixture. He had music playing in the background. It was a mixture of old earth southern rock and country music.
Luuna cocked hir head farther as she picked up a noise that Alpha had told her some beings called music. She preferred her own kind and that of her ancient wild ancestors, but she was accepting of whatever others preferred too. She was about to make an alert of some sort at the door when a particular part of the music reached a cord deep down in the pit of her belly. It itched and ached, it reached forward from those left to the past of timeward’s ever marching flow. Her aforementioned ancestors reached out to her here in the present, and Luuna loosed a long echoing howl in response to some of the notes reached on the other side of the door.
Vivano heard a howling noise and put what he was working on down. Opening the door, he found a canine of some sort that reminded him of a German Shepherd Dog, except the striking green eyes.
“Look at you, pup. What are you doing here?” Vivano said as he held out his hand and curiously looked at the animal.
When the door opened Luuna halted mid-note. She cocked her head and looked at the offered hand. Realizing what was expected, she sniffed it. The apparent source of the scents she had been trained to alert to present in front of her. She wasn’t sure what to do now. Usually another made the determination what to do about her alert from there. Besides, where was Ms Inkky? She sneezed.
Vivano smiled as the dog sneezed. He scratched him behind the ears.
“Come here boy,” Vivano said as he backed away from the door. “How did you get aboard this ship?”
Luuna grumbled a bit at being called a boy, but in a non-threatening way. She wasn’t sure how to explain to the male humanoid that she wasn’t a ‘he’. She pulled away slightly; shaking her head and from under her neck fur emerged a mustard collar with an old-style starfleet arrowhead for a tag with the security semi-spiral in the center. If one looked closely, on the back, it read “I am microchipped.” Also, if one looked closely, the tag was similar in design to a commbadge in that a message could be recorded onto it to be played back anytime.
Vivano approached the dog when it wouldn’t come further. He heard the collar dangle and examined the tag.
“Luuna,” Vivano said aloud. “Well, it seems you belong to someone.”
“Vivano to Winchester, I think I may have one of your canines,” Vivano transmitted to the Security Chief, remembering Security was starting an experimental program.
Winchester tapped his commbadge and said, “Can you describe the K-9 in question, because i only have one ma’am.”
“Ma’am? Winchester, this is Captain Sular Vivano,” Vivano transmitted, a bit befuddled by the gender confusion. Vivano’s voice was not high by any means. “Anyways, it seems to be a German Shepherd.
“That’s Rex, I swear that Dog gets smarter by the day. He was in my quarters 39 minutes ago”, Winchester said confused.
“Luuna Rex? Well, he’s down here in Marine Country,” Vivano answered.
“I’ll be down shortly”, Winchester said chuckling, his hand moving to terminate the channel.
Luuna wined, she wasn’t a he, and she tried to figure out a way to inform this person without being blatantly obvious. She turned her back end to him and brushed her rump against his hand in hopes he might scratch it. Then she could maybe just wag her tail at him lifting it a bit higher than usual, and maybe, just maybe he’d peek. If only he’d read further on her tag there was more information. He could have had the computer scan her microchip too.
“Alright boy, we’ll get you to your owner soon,” Vivano said, patting the dog.
After closing the comm channel, Winchester shook his head and smiled. “Crazy smart animal”, he thought to himself as he walked to a nearby turbolift and headed down to retrieve his Dog.
Luuna rubbed up against the patting and wagged her tail high as she was trying to show off what made her a ‘she’. She wasn’t too much into rolling on her back and submitting to strangers, but she might have to try that next if this man didn’t notice. Either that, or squat to pee… she might even have to pee on his nice shiny marine boots.
After a few moments, Winchester arrived at his destination and said, laughing, “I trust this has not been too much of a bother?”
Luuna did not recognize the man, though he wore yellow sometimes they tended to be rough and manhandling. The fur on the back of her neck went up, though she didn’t want to provoke anyone, so she tried to remain calm. She just tried to put the other man between her and him. Perhaps she should try and find Alpha, s/he’d know what to do. She turned to try and retrace her steps.
“Not at all!” Vivano replied.
Keeping the man that smelled like chemicals that was playing the music between her and the new man with the yellow collar that made her uncomfortable, Luuna started to sniff about to try and retrace her steps. S/he wanted to find Alpha. She headed back up the corridor. She found her scent and her tail went up wagging very narrowly and stiff at her excitement. This would also have the effect of giving anyone who looked at her from behind a good idea that she was indeed a ‘she’ and not ‘he’ if only someone would take even the briefest of curious glances.
Winchester raised his eyebrow slightly. Nodding to the other person present, he began to follow what he quickly realized was not Rex. This dog, from a cursory glance was indeed a female. Feeling like a humiliated moron now, Winchester stopped, and, in a calm, fair, reasonable but firm voice said, “Halt!!”
Luuna had been very well and specifically trained only to listen to that specific command when it came from Alpha, and only telepathically. She was engrossed in her task and hadn’t really payed the noise much attention since she knew most would not know this as a command for her, and most would use more generic commands. She waited for one of those, such as ‘come’, ‘sit’ or even ‘down.’ On the other hand, the other human, the cute one, she might be more responsive to too.
Vivano smiled, “Looks like your pup could use some more training!”
Luuna wished the cute man would stop calling her ‘his’ pup. She was her own pup, no one else’s; she was with Alpha under mutually beneficiary agreement.
Luuna tried to relax her thoughts. She tried to reach her mind out, ~Alpha, help, I’m trying to get home, but there is a man here, and I think he wants to take me away. ~
“She’s fine”, Winchester smiled. Turning his attention back to the Dog, he said in a much calmer voice, “Come, please, I just want to get you back to your owner.”
Luuna stopped and sat while she was ‘listening to Alpha through her connection to hir. She looked over her shoulder at the big bulk of a male Terran. Maybe she’d give this one a chance.
Slowly making his way up so as not to alarm the Dog, Winchester smiled and knelt. Petting it, on the head, Jake said, “Ok, don’t be alarmed I’m going to check your collar for your information ok?”
Luuna pulled her head away. After how many eons ‘dogs’ and humanoids had been together, and they still didn’t get it. She raised her muzzle to try and get a sniff for the man. She didn’t know him, she wanted to get a better idea whether he was safe or not.
Pausing for a moment he sensed no resistance, so he reached for the collar around its neck. After a few moments he spoke again, apologizing, saying “Sorry Girl for calling you a ‘he’ all this this time, forgive me for that?” He had no idea if she could understand what he was saying, but it had always been his habit to talk to animals as if they could.
Luuna could sense something was going on with this man his smell was a little off, but it wasn’t alarming. She wished she could tell him to get a check-up though. She tried to lick his hand.
After her response, Jake spent a few more seconds studying the collar and said, “Ah, I know who your owner is now, what do u say about greeting you back to her girl?”, he added, giving her another reassuring pat on the head.
Luuna ducked this time. Maybe he’d miss and pet her shoulders. Then again there was that itch further down her back near the middle.
Smiling, Jake sensed what was wrong. Reaching his hand down, he scratched her between the shoulders, hoping things brought her some relief.
At the talk of heading home, she stood. Finally. She walked off the way she’d come, leading the way.
OFF:
Luuna “Aldana 365”
Search & Rescue Specialist (unofficial)
[Unassigned]
&
Sular Vivano, Capt, SFMC
CO, Bravo Company, 3d MRBN
&
Jake Winchester, LTJG, SF
TACSEC
