Rocks and Rules

Posted on Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 @ 1:32am by Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Lieutenant Eiri Ashshy Ph.D
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 2:09pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Science Labs

A Mission Post by Lieutenant Eiri Ashshy Dr. & Lieutenant Kalin 'Shae' Brennan PhD
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Science Labs
Timeline:
Sun Mar 11th, 2018 @ 6:03am


ON

Dr. Eiri Ashshy burst through the doors of the science lab and looked around for the nearest person that could possibly help him, rock in hand, sitting it its bowl. “Excuse me… Is anyone available to help me with a problem?” he asked of the room in general. He was still new to the Pandora and not really certain who was in charge; he knew the Officer in charge was a Dr. Brennan, but he did not yet know who that was.

Shae turned in surprise, her ears standing at full attention when an Officer in Science blue barged in; he was Vulcan by the look of those ears and brows, and while she didn’t immediately recognize him as one of her Scientists, she knew the Palatine had recently offloaded new personnel for the Pandora. But the real question was why was that rock in a bowl of what smelled like some sort of potent alcohol?

“What seems to be the problem?” the Chameloid woman asked hesitantly as she sent one of her subordinates back to work; Shae wasn’t normally in these labs on a regular basis, she had just been checking in to ensure that everything was in order before returning to Astrometrics.

Eiri held out the bowl with the rock inside and said the first thing that came to mind. “I am experiencing difficulties with my rock.” He knew that wasn't all he needed to say, but he was fighting down his fear that he might also be losing his mind as well as getting used to the “voices” of a new ship.

Shae stared at the bowl and the rock within with wide eyes, her mouth agape for a moment as she struggled to formulate words. “Have you tried turning it off and back on?” she finally asked, her ears relaxing back into their normally ‘drooped’ state.

Eiri looked at the rock and then up at Shae. “I am sorry, what? I have recently cleaned its bowl, if that is what you mean.” His pale face was a mask of Vulcan stoic discipline, but one eyebrow rose with his question.

Shae cracked a hint of a grin with a slight huff of a laugh in amusement. “No, I am sorry I didn’t mean to patronise, it’s just that… it’s a rock,” Shae said, attempting to suppress the growing grin on her face; she really shouldn’t laugh, it was unlikely an Officer of his rank would be here unless this was important. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she searched for the right words, but it was a rock, in a bowl of alcohol! “Here, set it down,” she said as she patted the surface of one of the lab tables near some equipment. “What, uh, difficulties are you experiencing… with your rock?” Yep, that was a thing, she just asked that….

Eiri stepped toward the lab table and set the bowl down with the rock still inside. “It has been moving about my office. It has never done that before. It has been with me for many years. It was even studied by some of the brightest minds in Starfleet and deemed to be harmless, but these behaviors are new.” He felt like he might be beginning to make excuses for his line of thought. “Or perhaps I have lost my mind.” His gaze returned to Shae. Stony as his face might look his eyes seemed to plead with her.

Shae sighed as she looked down at the rock sitting in its bowl. But it was just a rock! “I’m sorry, I have to ask this, but have you been drinking the liquid contents of this bowl?” After her recent experiences with War Nog, she knew that strange things could happen to one’s perception of reality when under the influence of heavy intoxication; it was a fact she had known before, but now it simply felt more real. “I really do not mean to… I don’t know, put down your concerns, but it’s a rock.”

He stared at her. The only indication that he might be offended was in the slight widening of his eyes. “No, I have not.” He looked down at the rock again. “I know it is a rock. This particular rock came from the extreme depths of a water planet in the Aquarat system. It was an unexplored region that I was in charge of cataloging.” He tipped his head slightly and returned his gaze to her.

When he raised his gaze again he felt like maybe he was just now really looking at Shae. Her large doe-like ears and fine fur were not something he was sure he had never seen before. Which for Eiri, was rather amazing since he spent hours cataloging species for fun. His eyes widened again and his ability to speak failed him.

“Ah, well…” Shae started to reply, but then she stared at the rock. After a moment she bent over a little to get a closer look, the new angle showcasing the long fluffy tail that sprouted from the base of her spine. “You have a pet rock and it moves… Does it do anything else?” she asked, still staring at the rock which had thus far not done anything.

Eiri was watching her tail. “Yes. You have a tail!” He suddenly felt like he had been spending way too much time with his husband and was now entertained by the simplest of things. He shook his head, as if to clear it. “Yes. It… you also have paws.” He looked at her face and then back at her tail and paws. “I do apologize. You are? I am Dr. Eiri Ashshy.”

“Yes, I do,” Shae replied without hesitation, still intently focused on this rock. She reached over to another end of the table to get a pair of gloves and a tool to pick up the rock out of the water. “I am Dr. Kalin Brennan, although most people simply call me Shae…” she said idly as she set the rock in her gloved palm to examine it. “So what else does the rock do? And what is the purpose of the bowl of alcohol?”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am not familiar with your species I am afraid,” Eiri replied. For the moment the rock was forgotten. Although, the rock itself did not disappoint. Ever so slowly it began to change color until it was revolving between a soft rose color and a deep dark crimson.

Eiri was shaken from his surprise by the gently pulsating colors and pointed at the rock. “It does that, Doctor Brennan. The color that it changes seems to depend on who is holding it, but I have never discovered a rhyme or reason to what those colors could possibly signify. The liquid is a substitute for the rock’s natural surroundings. If it is not in the liquid and allowed to dry then it will not… do what it is doing now.”

“I see!” Shae replied with wide-eyed wonder as the colors continued to shift within the rock. “Do you have a copy of the spectrographic analysis of the water it comes from? Perhaps if we can better replicate its natural setting then maybe it will be more inclined to cooperate and allow us to establish patterns in its behavior.” She paused in her examination for a moment to dip the rock back into the water to ensure it remained wet. “But it doesn’t seem to be moving now…”

“The most it has ever done is vibrate… may I?” Eiri moved toward an empty console. “There are files I can access that contain all of the information that was gathered. Of course until recently. I found it on the floor. The bowl spilled across my desk. The other day I found it out of the bowl and in the middle of my desk. I ignored the incident, but the floor was a little too much.”

With her dry hand, Shae reached over to activate the console for Eiri before returning her attention to the rock. “Naughty little guy jumping to the floor like that, aren’t you?” Shae said with a grin. She had seen it change colors and she could believe it might even vibrate for whatever reason, but she was still having trouble accepting that it outright moved in such a manner. “So what’s its name?”

Eiri sat down at the console and then tipped his head to one side and looked at her. “It is a rock Doctor Brennan. Why would I name it? Or are you asking for its scientific name?” he asked flatly.

“A scientific designation is not a proper name, we can do better than that!” Shae declared with a gentle smile. “Really, Doctor Ashshy, you have a pet and did not give it a name simply because it is a rock! That’s a bit rude, maybe even a tad racist.”

Eiri looked at Shae again, after having turned his attention to the console. For a moment his brain couldn’t decide what to the with the prospect of being a rock racist. He looked at the rock and then back at Shae. “Do you think that perhaps it would know what its name was if it had been given one. It has never come when called.” He wasn’t sure if the woman was giving him a hard time or not. Over the years Ayan, his husband, had tried again and again to explain humor to him. Even though he was much better at understanding that not everything that people said was to be taken literally, he still lacked in the subtle nuances of humor.

“Well, it’s a rock, so I doubt it would know if it had a name… But stranger things have happened,” Shae replied somewhat optimistically. She gave the rock one more dunk in the water, then smiled at it. “I think I’m going to call you Audrey,” she declared, then set the rock on the lab table to see if it would suddenly start moving.

Eiri’s eyebrows both raised this time and he looked away from the console again. “Audrey? I do not believe I have heard that name before. I have pulled up the analysis you requested,” he stated and slid his chair back away from the console. “Audrey,” he repeated. Ayan would be pleased to know that the rock had a name. Eiri took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was starting to be able to think through all of his inner noise.

It was also around this time that he noticed that he wasn’t hearing anything from the female right next to him. He turned his chair to face her, his eyebrows still raised. He tried to hear her. Most people sounded like they talked out loud in their thoughts, but Shae was like a blank wall, a hole in the cacophony of noise that constantly surrounded him. He blinked slowly in astonishment. “I… I can not hear you. Why can I not hear you?” The question was once again out of the blue, much like his earlier questions about her species.

“It’s a Terran name, popularized by the cult-classic movie ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ which was about a florist that raise a human-eating fly-trap. This movie went on to inspire a stage musical and then another movie based on the musical,” Shae replied as she made her way to the console, retrieving a set of reading glasses from a pocket inside her duty jacket, then placed the thin rimmed glasses on so that she could read the analysis on the console screen. “Hn, looks like Audrey likes some briny water… I think we can match the acidity levels without a problem,” she said with an approving nod as she read. But this Eiri-guy, he was a strange one! What did he mean he couldn’t hear her? She was talking and he gave every indication that he could- Oh, ‘hear’ her, maybe? Shae smiled softly. “And maybe you can’t hear me because I don’t like people listening in on my thoughts,” she said as she sent the spectrographic analysis to the replicator to replicate a liter of a more appropriate brine for Audrey the Rock.

Eiri continued to stare at her. “You can block my abilities? You can block my abilities!” It was probably the most excited that a Vulcan ever got. “Many people cannot do that. Or do not care to learn how.” He was so blown away by her ability to casually block him out that he mostly missed the movie summary, but one thing she said did sink in. “Did you say human-eating fly trap?”

“I did say a human-eating fly-trap,” Shae replied with a grin, making her way over to the replicator where there was a new bowl filled with water. “I think it’s important to give the little guy something to aspire to,” she continued as she retrieved the bowl and made her way back to the lab table where the rock was now sitting inside its original bowl and not on the table where she had left it. “Clever!” Shae declared, then set down the new bowl next to the old. “That was a neat trick! Care to do it again, Audrey?”

Eiri looked at the new bowl, then the rock then back up at Shae. “I told you it moved!” He pointed at the rock. “Although, I am not certain that human-eating is something we should inspire the… Audrey… to do.” He stood from the chair and moved closer to the table where Audrey currently sat. “It is almost as if it waits for me to stop looking at it.” He was staring hard at the rock as he moved closer and closer.

“Well, seeing is a large part of believing,” Shae said with a curious smile. “Wonder of wonders,” she added softly as she studied the bowl. She had heard no ‘plop’ of a rock being dropped in the water, in fact the water was completely still as though there had been no disruption whatsoever! The only indication that the rock had not been in the bowl earlier was the remnants of a small puddle in the area on the table where it once sat. “Perhaps the little guy is shy?” she mused aloud in response to Eiri’s theory that it waited for him to stop looking, but in fairness she had not been looking either! “Most curious, indeed!”

“I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind. I know I did not set it close enough to the edge of my desk for it to tip all the way out into the middle of the floor.” Eiri looked over at the new bowl. “Would you like to go to your new home?” He felt a little stupid talking to a rock he had never talked to before, but the possibilities, the implications, had him trying anything he could think of. “Perhaps if we look away? We could set a time limit.”

“To be honest, Doctor, the thought had crossed my mind as well. I was about to suggest you go speak to a Counselor simply to rule out that possibility,” Shae said with some amusement. “But I can admit when I am wrong, so sorry,” she offered, glancing his way to flash him one of her warm, caring smiles. “So yes, let’s see if Audrey will take to his new home! I know it couldn’t have been more than 30 seconds when both our eyes were off of it, so let’s see what he does with another 30 seconds,” she said, turning her back on the rock and waited for Eiri to do the same.

Eiri turned as well. “I was thinking the same thing Doctor Brennan. The only problem with seeing a counselor is that was a counselor.” The barest hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Please do not apologize. I might have thought the same thing if confronted with a very still, unresponsive rock. Our time is almost up.” He waited for her mark though.

“Oh my, that’s certainly awkward,” Shae said with a giggle when he revealed that he was in fact the new counselor! “I wonder, if this- I don’t even know what to call this, a suspicion, a hunch… but if we are correct and Audrey does not like moving while being viewed, I do wonder if that applies to surveillance and monitoring equipment? It is not being recorded now, but can we record it to see how it is moving?” At 30 seconds, she turned to see what the rock had decided to do.

The offer of a second bowl and the ability to not be seen seemed to have a rather amazing effect. The rock had indeed hopped bowls without leaving a drop of liquid anywhere on the table and once again the liquid inside had made no sound or ripple with its transference from one receptacle to the other.

Eiri gasped. He actually gasped and put one hand over his mouth with a rather effeminate tilt to his wrist. “I am really not crazy.” It was more of a statement then a question, his tone hushed. “It moved to the new dish. Right? I am seeing that? Correct? But there is no liquid on the table!” he pointed. “Not one drop?”

“You are most definitely not crazy, at least about this,” Shae affirmed as she knelt beside the two bowls, peering into the second bowl where the rock now resided. “This is fantastic!” she said as a whole list of tests she wanted to perform ran through her brain. “Absolutely fantastic! Okay… Okay, we need to establish a baseline for intelligence. If it is responding to our suggestion, well, we need to know if it does have the intelligence to respond to our suggestions! So, uh…” Shae paused as she thought about how to test this; how does one test the intelligence of a rock?! “Ah, okay, let’s try this…” Shae reached into the bowl to take the rock out, then set it on the table in between both bowls. “Audrey, can you return to the bowl with the water you prefer?” she asked, then stood back up, quickly taking Eiri’s arm to prompt him to turn his back as she did.

Eiri turned with her, taking a rather comfortable and relaxed stance with his arm linked with hers. “Thirty seconds again?” he asked, looking at her. This close to him she can probably smell the light herbal mixture he wore and see the excitement in his eyes. He was pretty much just as excited as she was. “I can not believe after all this time, that this is happening. I contemplated contacting the scientist I worked with when we took all those initial readings. If it is intelligent, why did we not see it before? Could it perhaps have been dormant?”

“That is only the beginning of the list of questions I would like to ask,” Shae said with a grin. It was then she heard some movement in the lab, and she turned to see the other Officer she had been speaking to before. “Fillmore! Turn your back, it’s shy!” when she noticed where the botanist's gaze was aimed. Yeah, like that didn’t sound like a whole box of crazy…

“But it’s a rock in a bowl…” the man responded with a perplexed expression.

“Yes, I know it’s a rock in a- oh, has it already moved?” Shae asked, then quickly turned herself and Eiri around.

The rock was sitting happily in the second bowl with the new mixture.

Eiri took a deep breath. “Alright… so Audrey is… shy.” He made no move to let go of Shae. He was way too surprised. “Why now Audrey? Are… are you trying to… migrate? Mate? What are you doing? And moreover… what are you exactly? I am beginning to question the “Rock” designation.”

Before Fillmore had a chance to point out that they were talking to a rock, Shae shushed him. “Yes, we know it’s a rock, we’re not crazy! As long as you’re not watching it, I promise you it will move,” she explained quickly, her eyes currently glued to the rock. “Okay, we may have proof of concept, but that is not irrefutable proof of intelligence, it could have just really liked that water regardless of what I asked of it. So, we need something else… something… like…” Her mind was reeling; so many possibilities! “Audrey-”

“You named the rock Audrey?” Fillmore interrupted.

“Quiet you, I wanted him to dream big!” Shae insisted. “Audrey, if you can understand us, move back to your old bowl.” And then she turned, sending a glance to Fillmore. “I’m serious, turn around, you have to or it won’t move!” And so Fillmore turned around as well. “Let’s try 15 seconds.”

Eiri actually squeezed her arm in excitement. “He still thinks we are crazy,” he said softly to Shae. “I believe he is doing what is called… humoring us. What if it does not wish to return to its old bowl?”

Shae looked down at where he was holding her arm. “A Vulcan showing emotion? How scandalous!” she said simply to tease Eiri. “And Fillmore can humor us all he wants, we’ll see what he thinks in 5 seconds…” Shae turned and the rock had not moved. Did it simply not like the old brine or did it not understand? “Okay, we’ll get another bowl with the same water I’ve just replicated to rule out preference. Fillmore, repeat the last item replicated,” she said, but Fillmore just stared.

“But it’s a rock,” he said.

“I know, but just humor us for like another minute, please,” Shae replied. Fillmore hesitated, but he did finally move, walking over to the replicator and retrieving another bowl of water. “Alright, now on the table- yeah, and let’s get rid of that other bowl,” Shae said as Fillmore moved the bowls around on the table. Okay, it was do or die time! Shae took a deep breath and then: “okay, take two… Audrey, the water is the same now. If you can understand us, move to the other bowl.” And then they turned. “30 seconds,” she said softly, just in case Audrey needed that extra time...

Eiri made a little click sound with his tongue. It might have been a laugh. “I am also half Betazoid so emotions are not quite so shocking. Even after the Kolinahr, I am still susceptible. I am not sure we are going to get the desired answer from these tests. The results leave us with more questions. Did it simply move back to any suitable bowl? Of course you did ask it to move to the new bowl.” He shook his head. “All these years... “

“Science is about testing and more testing; if Audrey really is intelligent, he will consistently perform in ways to help us understand his level of intelligence, we must simply find new ways of testing him to continue to expand our understanding,” Shae said with a wide grin. This was so exciting! “You ready?” she asked once 30 seconds had elapsed.

Eiri nodded and turned, pulling Shae with him. The rock was in the second bowl as per Shae’s request. “Alright. Now, I’m starting to wonder. I swear to you. It was a vibrating, colorful rock… a rock… for years. Years. Everything has been done to it. There is even a chemical composition breakdown of what it is made of. None of that suggests sentient life.” He was holding tightly to her arm and staying where he was, almost as if he was suddenly afraid of his rock.

Shae smiled and gave his hand an affectionate pat to comfort him. “It’s alright. We now know, and now we can do better,” she assured him. She extricated herself from Eiri’s grasp and once again knelt beside the bowls to speak to the rock. “Hey little guy, I know testing can be really impersonal, but we’re going to figure out an easier way for you to communicate with us. We hear you, Audrey, just be patient with us.”

Fillmore could not believe his eyes! Or ears, for that matter, was his boss consoling a rock?!

“I think I need to see a counselor,” Fillmore blurted out, still unable to believe that the rock had actually moved.

Eiri looked over at Fillmore. “Ex-counselor here. Does that count? How can I be of service?” he asked in his flat, Vulcan monotone.

END