ST:SoD221 | "Growth Spurt"

Stardate 99845.6

The Valley Forge is presented with another mystery right on their doorstep in the form of unexpected changes in the ship's offspring, Junior.

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Emma Ralde@crystyl | With the Valley Forge cruising along quietly through deep space in between distant stops, Kelly is once again covering a quiet night shift on the bridge Emma Ralde@crystyl sits contentedly at her station towards the rear, and of course since she's got the late shift Rianni has joined them as well Keliaya@anncaris idly scrolls through a PADD, occasionally tapping the arm of the chair to monitor various systems and their status from the console there Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni sighs softly, "We should get a cat up here or something" Keliaya@anncaris:"A cat? Do we have a pest problem on the bridge?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni chuckles, "Not that I'm aware of! I don't know, just think it would be nice to have a fluffy little mascot is all" Emma Ralde@crystyl looks over with a smirk, "You're just bored!" Keliaya@anncaris chuckles, "We could ask Keelah about borrowing hers. Or we could find some equivalent in this quadrant. Seelix probably has tribbles tucked away /somewhere/ on her ship." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni eyerolls, "Not just on her ship. I swear, I don't know what she does with them sometimes, but I swear it's like she has /always/ got one tucked away somewhere!" Keliaya@anncaris:"Well, as long as she doesn't start an infestation on the Valley Forge. Or anywhere else, for that matter..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That would be bad..." Keliaya@anncaris:"She claims her tribbles are properly neutered, but she keeps getting more tribbles somehow. Which means she's got some breeding. Hopefully she doesn't accidentally sell one of those." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well for all her mischief, she seems to effectively manage them" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni: "Manage them? More like weaponize them! Honestly, I've never known anyone to cause so much trouble with tribbles..." Keliaya@anncaris:"Maybe it's that Earth sport people seem so fond of. You know, the one that involves throwing balls. Perhaps that's where Seelix got all her practice from." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni looks up, thinking a moment, "Basketball?" Emma Ralde@crystyl looks over, "No, I think she means netball" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Silvestrie: "No, it must be volleyball" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni sighs, "We have too many ball games..." Keliaya@anncaris laughs, "Okay, 'that Earth sport that involves throwing balls' is not specific enough..." Keliaya@anncaris glances back to Emma, "Which one is netball again? Is that the one where you have to kick a ball into a large net that's being guarded?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Um... No, I think it involved hitting it back and forward over a net..." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni shakes her head, "Nope, that's tennis for sure. But it's not a ball, it's called a cock" Emma Ralde@crystyl spins around, staring at Rianni, "A /what/?!" Keliaya@anncaris eyes Rianni as well Emma Ralde@crystyl | Silvestrie snorts, "I think she means a shuttlecock!" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni shrugs nonchalantly, "Close enough!" Keliaya@anncaris:"You have some very strange names for objects of games..." Emma Ralde@crystyl turns back to her console, drawn back by something more interesting than the cocks and balls debate Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni nods, "That we do!" Keliaya@anncaris:"Still haven't figured out the name for the one I'm thinking of. It was a particularly complicated one with many different steps. I never did understand the intricacies of it," she glances back, - Keliaya@anncaris - seeing Emma turning to her console. "Got something there, or are you trying to look up which game I'm referring to?" Emma Ralde@crystyl shakes her head slightly, "I don't know, it's probably nothing" Keliaya@anncaris:"A sensor ghost? Minor LCARS glitch?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"No, it's just Junior. Nothing untoward that I can tell, just his internal body temperature spiking a little" Keliaya@anncaris:"Is it still raised, or did it go back down?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"It's not at the peak, but still higher than normal" Keliaya@anncaris:"Has his body temperature been this high before, from our records of observing him?" Emma Ralde@crystyl checks a moment then shakes her head, "Not that I can see" Keliaya@anncaris:"But there's no other signs of anything wrong? He's not in distress that we can tell?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Not that I'm any kind of expert on space whales, but I can't see anything untoward" Keliaya@anncaris:"He's only a juvenile space whale. For all we know, it could be normal for his development. Most of us were pretty different as infants, I imagine. But keep an eye on him, just in case. If there's - Keliaya@anncaris - anything else that starts happening, we might want to wake Lennie." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "Will do" Keliaya@anncaris:"Hopefully it's nothing, but it's always better to be careful. Especially with a lifeform we still understand so little about." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"No arguments here!" Keliaya@anncaris:"Let me know if the temperature goes down to normal, too. But no need to call Lennie in that case." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I think she'll be most grateful if we simply capture the data for her" she smiles Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Yes, we probably want to avoid waking her in the middle of the night unless it's looking to be an emergency." Emma Ralde@crystyl:";| The shift continues to tick by idly for a while... Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni, "Commander, take a look at this" Keliaya@anncaris steps over, "What've you got?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni shows Kelly on her console, "More inconsequential data on Junior, it's his flightpath. There's nothing outwardly strange about it, but I ran a comparative analysis over the last few weeks - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- see, here" she shows a mapped flightpath with the VF going in a straight line and Junior periodically veering away and then drawing back in a wavy line next to the VF's path. It looks to grow in - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- amplitude as time goes on suggesting he keeps pulling harder" Keliaya@anncaris nods as she views the flightpath, "So his behaviour's been changing slowly but steadily." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni: "I'm not sure what he's doing, but whatever it is seems to be getting... 'more' over time" Emma Ralde@crystyl peers over, "If he keeps pulling away but drawing back, what is drawing him back?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Maybe some connection to the Forge, still?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni: "Must be" Keliaya@anncaris:"Good catch, Lieutenant. Make sure to log it for Lennie when she comes on shift." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni nods Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Um, I hate to interrupt this feel good moment but-..." Emma Ralde@crystyl | Before she can finish, the line still on Rianni's screen showing Junior's flight path suddenly veers off. A moment later, the ship goes to red alert Keliaya@anncaris looks to Rianni, "You didn't set that alert, did you?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni shakes her head, "No Commander!" working to try and stop the random alert. It takes her a moment, but she reigns it in mostly, though the bridge lighting remains without the klaxon or - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- system changes Keliaya@anncaris:"Must be some of the instincts that's still remaining. Where's Junior headed now?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni checks before shaking her head, "I am uncertain. He is off sensors" Keliaya@anncaris:"Off sensors? He couldn't have wandered that far off so quickly..." Emma Ralde@crystyl moves to the science station and checks there, "This might explain it. Apparently there is a level 5 diagnostic of the sensor arrays underway now..." Keliaya@anncaris steps over to Emma, "That the ship triggered on its own, I assume?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni frowns, "That's inconvenient" Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "Judging from the timing, I would say so yes" Emma Ralde@crystyl | As they debate, the internal comm beeps on the arm of the captain's chair Keliaya@anncaris:"See if there's some way to cancel it or at least speed it up," she moves over to answer the comm Rianni@crystyl | Emma gets to work on overriding the diagnostic Rianni@crystyl | <C> Bridge, um hi, it's LT Baker down in engineering" Keliaya@anncaris:"Lieutenant, is something happening in Engineering?" Rianni@crystyl | <C-Baker> "Oh hey boss it's you! Well maybe it's all good then if you're up there. Just confirming the order that just came through down here to shut down the core and realign the matrix. I mean,- Rianni@crystyl:- I can try and get it started if you really want. But I thought you'd want Thorkildsen here for something like that, so we figured best to check before we stop the engines" Keliaya@anncaris:"I don't remember giving such an order. Good call checking in with the bridge, LT. Don't do any of that, keep an eye out for any anomalies in the systems." Rianni@crystyl | <C-Baker> "Understood Commander, thanks" Rianni@crystyl | Emma looks around, "Given what else we're seeing up here, do you think the ship is trying to tell us something?" Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe we should stop or at least drop out of warp before it starts throwing tantrums again" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Agreed. Helm, drop us out of warp. We'll want to inform the An we're making an emergency stop, too." Rianni@crystyl | Emma returns to her station, "On it Commander" Keliaya@anncaris looks over to Rianni, "The ship seems to be actively hampering us. Stopping us from scanning, trying to shut down the warp core...you'd think it would /want/ us to go after Junior if something's - Keliaya@anncaris - wrong with him." Rianni@crystyl nods, "It is strange. I don't know, maybe Junior somehow triggered the diagnostic to blind us and the ship - well - doesn't know what to do except stop and wait maybe?" Keliaya@anncaris:"You think Junior would have that level of influence over the Forge? It's possible, but I suspect it's more likely the Forge's own instincts flaring up in response to Junior's actions. Why it would - Keliaya@anncaris:- prevent us from acting though I can't quite explain. Perhaps this /is/ some natural part of Junior's development that the ship understands and we don't, and it's telling us not to interfere?" Rianni@crystyl:"That would make more sense..." Keliaya@anncaris looks to Emma, "The Captain's probably already on her way after that red alert earlier, but it might be time to wake Lennie too. Just in case she can offer some more insight into this. She's - Keliaya@anncaris - been studying Junior and she's more familiar with natural behaviour patterns and all the xenobiology details, after all." Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "Sure Commander, I'll make sure they're both up up to speed and on their way" Keliaya@anncaris:"Thanks, Emma. Are the sensors still down?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "Yes, no matter what I try I can't bypass the block yet. We might need Mia for this if the ship doesn't start behaving" Keliaya@anncaris:"We could contact the other ships with us for their sensor data, but I have a feeling the moment I give that order, something's going to happen to our comm systems. And we don't need to add another - Keliaya@anncaris:- system to the list of things to deal with..." Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles, "True enough!" Keliaya@anncaris:"We don't have sensors now, but we do have starcharts and previously collected data on the region. Is there anything in the area that Junior might be interested in, like the trinary system with the - Keliaya@anncaris - radiation we went to when he was born?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma moves back to the science station, "I'll take a look" Keliaya@anncaris looks to Rianni, "Any ideas on how else we can investigate this without sparking a response from the ship? There's the option of sending a shuttle out, but the ship could interfere with the - Keliaya@anncaris - launch." Rianni@crystyl:"Or worse, shoot it down..." she hrms, "Honestly I think we're doing all we can for the moment" Rianni@crystyl | Emma looks back after a minutes, "Well... there's a couple of nebula in the vicinity, also an uninhabited star system" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Any of those have properties that especially stand out?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma shrugs, "Not to me at any rate" Keliaya@anncaris:"Rianni, when Junior pulled away before, is it all consistently in the same direction, or was it towards varying different directions?" Rianni@crystyl hrms, checking her analysis, "Not much of a pattern that I can see" Keliaya@anncaris:"What if we look at Junior's movements and where the Valley Forge was at the time on the starcharts. Does he seem to be heading towards anywhere in particular?" Rianni@crystyl:"It will take a while to analyze, I'll get right on it!" Keliaya@anncaris nods, taking a seat and waiting for either Keelah or Lennie to get here while Rianni works Rianni@crystyl | The team work for a few minutes before both Keelah and Lennie arrive Rianni@crystyl | Lennie takes her station, with Emma moving to catch her up, while Keelah groggily joins Kelly, "So what's going on with Junior now?" she asks, slurping her coffee Keliaya@anncaris stands, letting Keelah have the chair, "There's a...situation with Junior and the ship. Not sure what else to call it, because we're not even sure what exactly is happening." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "A... situation?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Emma noticed a temperature spike in Junior first. Nothing that seemed alarming, so we just continued to observe. Then Junior veered off, and now the Forge seems intent on preventing us from - Keliaya@anncaris:- following him. It's taken down our sensors and tried to get Engineering to shut down the core." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah slurps her coffee again, still not taking her seat as she looks around, "So Junior has... run away?" Keliaya@anncaris: "From what we can tell. Rianni noticed a pattern of him seeming to veer off but getting drawn back towards the Forge," she nods for Rianni to show Keelah Rianni@crystyl | Keelah joins Rianni who shows her findings Rianni@crystyl | Lennie meanwhile looks at everything Emma has, "Huh, we'll... I'se got nothin'. Maybe I'm-a still not awake, but I can't see no reason why he'd run off like tha', nor why th'ship'd wanna let him - Rianni@crystyl:- go an' jus'... sit 'ere. Best guess; it 'knows' what's going on and simply wants t'wait" Keliaya@anncaris:"That's what I'm thinking, too. If anything, I'd have thought the ship would want to go after Junior if he's run off. Though Rianni also came up with a theory that maybe Junior's managed to affect - Keliaya@anncaris:- the ship somehow..." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah looks up from the screen and from kelly to Rianni, clearly not liking that prospect Keliaya@anncaris:"It seems a bit...advanced compared to what we've seen from Junior so far, but it's hard to tell given how little we know about him still." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "I would also imagine the ship reacting rather more adversely to something like that" Rianni@crystyl | As they debate, Junior suddenly reappears on the viewscreen! Keliaya@anncaris turns to the viewscreen, "And it looks like he's back. Do we have sensors back, now?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "Yes, everything seems back to normal..." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah sips her drink once more and yawns, "Alright, I'm going back to bed then..." Keliaya@anncaris:"Sorry for waking you, Captain. It's just a very unusual situation. I wonder if the ship only reacted because we noticed Junior veering off, as opposed to the more subtle times he did it before..." Keliaya@anncaris looks to Lennie, "Do scans show anything different about Junior? Is his temperature back to normal?" Rianni@crystyl:"Captain, wait. Look at Junior..." Keliaya@anncaris turns her attention back to the screen Rianni@crystyl | Lennie turns and grins, "I'd-a say so!" Rianni@crystyl | On closer inspection, Junior has definitely gone through a growth spurt. Not only is he a good chunk bigger now, but also seems to be taking on a more VF'esque appearance Rianni@crystyl | Keelah looks for a moment, still half asleep, "Alright, well have fun studying that" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Cap'n, ya gonna wanna see this..." Keliaya@anncaris:"What'd you have?" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah pauses short of the turbolift door, staring at it in a 'so close' moment before turning and joining Kelly at Lennie's station Rianni@crystyl | Lennie looks between the pair, then to her screen where she has scan data of the new Junior, "I dunno how else t'explain this but... he's a ship..." Keliaya@anncaris:"He...transformed from a space whale into a full ship?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "See for yourself!" Keliaya@anncaris looks over the scan data Rianni@crystyl | Sure enough, Kelly can see the scan data shows a distinct interior atmosphere within Junior Keliaya@anncaris:"Huh. I'm not sure what I was expecting from what's been happening, but this certainly wasn't it." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah, "Alright, this is a significant development" she concedes, looking to Lennie, "So what's next?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "Well I mean, if he's developed a crew compartment of sorts..." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "And you don't mind going EVA?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie opens her mouth happily then pauses before a word comes out as it dawns on her Keliaya@anncaris:"I can lead a team over. If he's a ship, sending someone with engineering expertise could make as much sense as someone with biology expertise." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah: "Alright, who do you want with you?" Keliaya@anncaris considers for a moment, "I'll go with Eva, in case her psionics is of some help here. Rianni, come with us too. You're the one who spotted the pattern in Junior's behaviour. And while there's - Keliaya@anncaris - unlikely to be physical danger, best to be prepared for any circumstance. Trenick can come along to provide xenobiology knowledge." Rianni@crystyl | Keelah nods, "Alright, good. Sounds like you've got everything covered" Rianni@crystyl heads over to join them Keliaya@anncaris glances back to Lennie and Emma, "Any signs of shuttlebay doors, airlocks or any other exterior access on Junior?" Rianni@crystyl | Lennie checks and shakes her head, "Nothing obvious. Maybe tha's due in a later growth spurt?" she jokes Rianni@crystyl smiles, "I guess it's the transporter then" Keliaya@anncaris:"Here's hoping the Valley Forge doesn't throw any more tantrums..." Rianni@crystyl | Lennie: "I'm-a pretty sure now tha' everythin' before was jus' it's way of diggin' it's heels in t'wait for Junior" Rianni@crystyl | Keelah, "But to be on the safe side, we'll get Mia to investigate with the computer as well" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Yes, it was probably preventing us from accidentally interfering with Junior's growth, but it's good to be safe. Let's head to the transporter room and get suited up, then." Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles and waves, "Have fun now!" Rianni@crystyl returns the wave and heads out with Kelly --- Keliaya@anncaris beams in with her team of Rianni, Eva and Trenick all suited up Rianni@crystyl | The team materializes inside what can best be likened to a large organic chamber. The walls are ribbed, and bioluminescent pulses stream back and forth behind the visible outer layer Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick comments as they glance around at their surroundings, "Doesn't look like the Valley Forge from the inside." Rianni@crystyl:"Not exactly..." Keliaya@anncaris:"Were you expecting it to?" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Not quite expecting, but it was a possibility." Rianni@crystyl:"Well he has just grown this far. Maybe he'll end up a fully fledged Sentinel one day!" she giggles Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Yes, maybe there's more development to go yet. After all, we bipeds undergo multiple growth spurts." Rianni@crystyl looks to Trenick, "So... this is my first time visiting the stomach of a space whale ship. Is there any particular protocol or approach...?" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Starfleet hasn't done this often enough to have specific protocol. Just behave the same way you would on an unknown alien vessel or facility. Watch where you're going, and try not to - Keliaya@anncaris - touch anything." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Got it" and begins surveying Keliaya@anncaris starts to look around as well, scanning one of the bioluminescent pulses to see what she can learn Rianni@crystyl:best as she can tell, kelly might liken the pulses to data comms with tangible reactions correlating to the Keliaya@anncaris:"I think these might be...data streams, or something comparable. Can you sense anything, Eva?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "I can sense him as usual. He's definitely the same lifeform, but it feels like there's more complexity to what I'm picking up." Keliaya@anncaris:"So these growth spurts must be affecting his mind as well as his body." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "It seems so. I wonder if we'll be able to communicate with him one day. He seems to be getting more...coherent, if that makes sense." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Or communicate directly with language or telepathy, rather than the methods we use today." Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe he's capable now, but just doesn't know how" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Possible. After all, children need to be taught to speak." Keliaya@anncaris:"But how would we teach him? His mind probably works very differently from ours." Rianni@crystyl:"And he does seem to be modelling himself after the Forge, and it's not like the ship can actively communicate!" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "On the subject of minds, I wonder if he has something like that. A brain or computer core." Keliaya@anncaris:"If he does, we might be able to locate it by following the data streams. Assuming he lets us gain access. I know I probably wouldn't just let anyone into my brain..." Rianni@crystyl:"I wouldn't let just anyone inside me period. But here we, he created an atmosphere after all" Keliaya@anncaris:"Good point. Let's follow the lights, see where they lead. I have no idea which /way/ to follow them, so I suppose I'll pick a direction and start walking. Unless someone else wants to pick?" Rianni@crystyl shakes her head Keliaya@anncaris:"Alright, let's go...right, then." She turns right and starts following the light that way, going further in and seeing where it leads them Rianni@crystyl | Progressing through a fairly small but perfectly passable hallway of sorts, they follow the pulsing light into another chamber where the lights seem to focus towards a central point on the far - Rianni@crystyl - side; best described as a glowing energy 'sac' a good few metres across Keliaya@anncaris approaches the sac curiously, giving it a scan as well Rianni@crystyl | It is undoubtedly the focal point for all of the data, though making direct sense of it may be near impossible given the volume and complexity of it all Keliaya@anncaris:"This will take a /lot/ more studying, but at a glance it does seem like all the data is coming here. Whether it's /the/ core or just a node remains to be seen, though." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "I sense something. I think he's aware of us being here." Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "As large as it is, it does seem a little small to be a brain compared to the overall proportion of Junior. It seems to be some form of neural processing organ, but given the nature - Keliaya@anncaris - of Junior as a very different lifeform, his nervous system could be considerably less centralized than ours. This may be one of many nerve clusters, each serving the function that a portion of - Keliaya@anncaris - a brain does." Rianni@crystyl checks her tricorder, "Well it does look like there are other chambers, but they all seem much smaller than this and the energy is far less concentrated in those" Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe this is a cluster set aside for interacting with us?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Now there's a theory..." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Perhaps that's why I'm sensing this particular cluster reacting to us. But /how/ do we interact with it? Psionically, through learning how to use its data streams, or something else..." Rianni@crystyl:"I wonder if Junior's thinking the same thing" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Psionics is the most direct, so it would stand the most chance of success, wouldn't it?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "It is the most direct, but that could either be a benefit or a drawback. It's a direct unfiltered connection to his mind, but with how different he is, there's a good chance that I - Keliaya@anncaris - wouldn't be able to make sense of it. We all know what happened when the basilisk attempted to communicate with unprepared Lodzki. That's a more extreme example of incompatibility between our - Keliaya@anncaris - minds and those of Primeval life, but it conveys the drawbacks pretty well." Rianni@crystyl:"Yea, we definitely don't want any of that" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Most likely, my mind wouldn't be overloaded like that, I just won't understand the information." Keliaya@anncaris:"Let's see if we can find other options first. We'll start with the lights. If we can mimic the data and send it to Junior, and then interpret the signals he sends back, maybe we can establish a - Keliaya@anncaris:- dialogue that way." Rianni@crystyl:"What if we can use these pulses somehow? I mean, it's all energy right? So even we or Junior can't comprehend the message, maybe we can at least establish a format?" Rianni@crystyl looks to Kelly as they both come out with the same idea at the same time Keliaya@anncaris chuckles, "Guess that's the approach we're going with, then!" Keliaya@anncaris starts scanning again, picking up a stream of data and configuring the tricorder to re-emit the light back towards the sac Rianni@crystyl | There is a distinct change in the light patterns in response to Kelly's action, though it is unclear the nature Keliaya@anncaris:"Well something's happening. No idea what any of this means, though." Keliaya@anncaris captures the new light pattern, playing that back to see if there's any response Rianni@crystyl | The pulsing lights pause for a moment in the immediate area, then a new pattern starts in distinct repeated bursts Rianni@crystyl:"Is it just me or is it responding now? Or at least reacting somehow" Keliaya@anncaris:"It feels like the lights are changing in response. So we can definitely communicate through here. Now comes the hard part of actually interpreting what all this means..." Rianni@crystyl:"Well the pattern changed after you tried repeating your pattern. So maybe it's kind of reaching out to see if we are responding intelligently by repeating it's patterns" Keliaya@anncaris:"That's certainly possible," she captures the new pattern, repeating it again to see if it reacts differently Rianni@crystyl | Indeed it does. Again, the pattern halts leading to a brief pause before a new and more complex pattern starts up Keliaya@anncaris glances to the others, "Does it look like the patterns are getting more intricate?" Rianni@crystyl:"Seems it to me at least" Keliaya@anncaris:"Either he's testing our intelligence, or he's trying to communicate something more complicated." Rianni@crystyl:"Given the steady rise in complexity of sequences, I find it hard to imagine that's any form of actual communication. Feels more like the sort of thing you'd do when trying to size something up" Keliaya@anncaris nods, repeating the more complex pattern again and observing the reaction this time Rianni@crystyl | The cycle continues with Junior creating new patterns and Kelly repeating them back to him for several minutes Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "I can't decipher any sense of language from these patterns and neither can the UT, but I am sensing some change in Junior." Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Look. The ambience of the room seems to be changing." He taps his own tricorder. "It appears to be adjusting to a similar hue to Junior's external colouration when he is content." Rianni@crystyl looks between the two, "So he's... happy?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, "That would explain the change I sensed. I wonder if maybe the lights don't have any meaning. And he's not so much testing us as he's...playing with us?" Rianni@crystyl:"Well he is a baby after all. I think... at what point do space whales reach maturity anyway?" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "That would depend on the particular species. They can be as diverse as we are, and we do not all mature at the same age. You make an excellent point- most infants begin attempting - Keliaya@anncaris - to communicate with random sounds rather than coherent language. Perhaps we are looking at the same thing here." Rianni@crystyl:"For the record; I had to deal with a tantruming toddler with my little sister and I have no desire to do that again, especially when the toddlers are almost the size of a bird of prey..." Keliaya@anncaris:"Now you mentioned that, your experience could come in useful..." Rianni@crystyl:"Commander, that's just mean! Anyway, this is still assuming that we are in fact dealing with the space whale equivalent of a toddler in the first place" Keliaya@anncaris chuckles, "Don't worry, there's plenty aboard the ship with that sort of experience if it comes down to it. I'll keep repeating the lights, see if we can identify anything else. Fortunately he - Keliaya@anncaris - seems happy right now, so we don't have to deal with any tantrums..." Rianni@crystyl:"What if you tried initiating a pattern of your own; let him repeat you?" Keliaya@anncaris:"Interesting idea, Lieutenant. Eva, I'll let you come up with a pattern." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Let me weave together a few different lights from the previous patterns. Something he'll definitely be able to pick up, but also unique from what we've seen so far." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva takes a moment to configure the pattern before emitting it back at the sac Rianni@crystyl | Once again there is pause, much longer this time, and the hue of the room shifts a little Keliaya@anncaris looks to Trenick, "Have you seen this colour on Junior's exterior before?" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "There are similarities to the colour when he is nervous, but it's more of a fusion between that colour and the content one. He typically displays the nervous colour when dealing with - Keliaya@anncaris - something unknown. I think this would best be described as confusion, rather than nervousness or alarm." Keliaya@anncaris:"I wonder if that means these lights do have some deeper meaning and we just played back some garbled, nonsensical sentence, or he's trying to decide how to respond and whether to copy us." Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe try it again? When he was baiting us with a pattern he kept repeating it at us after all" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, repeating the lights a second time Rianni@crystyl | It takes a moment longer, but eventually Juniors lights pulse out in the same pattern mirrored back to them Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "That's promising. Let me try a different pattern and repeat it a few times, see if he keeps up." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva configures a different pattern and emits it back on repeat again Rianni@crystyl | The response start coming almost instantly now as Junior falls into a new routine of repeating back Eva's patterns Rianni@crystyl | As they play this new game, the hue shifts back to it's previous colour in the room Keliaya@anncaris:"Looks like he was just confused by the sudden change of roles." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva continues configuring new patterns for Junior to mimic, musing, "Language doesn't come naturally to most species, except those who might be able to pass it on through a telepathic - Keliaya@anncaris - connection with their parents. Like how Pia learned from mind melding with Keelah. Most people learn language the long way, though, probably including Junior. He might not be communicating any - Keliaya@anncaris - coherent messages yet, but we're clearly able to exchange information with him through these lights..." Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "Which means it may be possible for us to teach him a language." Keliaya@anncaris | Eva: "Exactly!" Rianni@crystyl looks between the two, "How exactly do you turn lights into language? Like some sort of morse code?" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods, "Something like that, yes. Morse code was developed as an emergency form of communication by humans, whose primary medium of communication isn't through light. There's a few species - Keliaya@anncaris - who communicate on a daily basis using light and have more effective light-based languages. We might be able to teach one of those to Junior." Rianni@crystyl:"Sounds like quite the project" Keliaya@anncaris | Eva nods as she repeats a different light pattern, "It's definitely going to take a good number of visits. We'll probably have to dedicate a team to working with Junior on a regular basis." Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "The question is whether he is capable of learning a language yet. The infants of Children species tend to be capable of emitting sound the moment they are born, but don't develop the - Keliaya@anncaris - higher brain functions for language until later. He might be able to exchange lights with us, but Junior may not be advanced enough to actually do more than play this game of repetition yet." Rianni@crystyl:"Really? But he can navigate through space and travel at warp, that's got to count for some higher brain function right?" Keliaya@anncaris | Trenick: "I suppose warp travel is more complicated than language. It's possible that he has that capability by instinct, though. Some animals are capable of some surprisingly complex tasks - Keliaya@anncaris - without even being sentient. But we won't know just what Junior is or is not capable of yet without trying." --- Emma Ralde@crystyl | A few days pass and the VF is abuzz with talk about Junior once more. Following the recommendation from Kelly & Trenick, regular teams have been spending time on Junior working with the language - Emma Ralde@crystyl - training, or just plain studying Emma Ralde@crystyl | Thanks to an unwelcome suggestion from Mia to the Captain, her budding ship designer cadet T'Pia has been rotated onto a team to spend time on Junior Emma Ralde@crystyl | She is in her quarters getting ready when the door chimes T'Pia@anncaris calls out, "Come in!" Emma Ralde@crystyl peers inside the door, "Good morning!" T'Pia@anncaris turns around, "Oh, hi Emma! Sorry, just getting prepared for the away mission..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"No sweat, take your time! I saw we had the same rotation so thought I'd come by and head over there with you since I don't think you've been yet, right?" T'Pia@anncaris shakes her head, "No, not yet. You're on the same rotation as me? Have you been there already then?" Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles and nods, "Yeah, I've been with a couple of teams now! But I'll be glad to have you along today though. It gets /so/ boring with all the science types scratching their heads about how to - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- talk with Junior! I'm just there to facilitate and organize for them, and all that stuff's way over my head so I'll be thankful for a little more objective company for once! And I bet you must be - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- excited to see for yourself right? Not every day you get to poke around the inner workings of a bioship is it!" T'Pia@anncaris nods a little nervously, "Yes, certainly not everyday..." Emma Ralde@crystyl approaches, "Hey, something wrong?" T'Pia@anncaris shakes her head, "No, it's fine! You've all been over, multiple times too at that in your case. It's just...bioships and organic technology is one thing, but Junior's an actual living entity. - T'Pia@anncaris - Even if he's growing to resemble the Valley Forge more and more..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well, yeah. What is it that's got you concerned exactly? Is it the fact that he's got a mind of his own, or that it's all biological so there's none of your usual tinkering?" T'Pia@anncaris:"A bit of both, I guess. Plenty of us have been inside Nuhar Constructs, it's not so much the ship having a mind as him...not really being a ship. It feels weird, venturing inside another lifeform. - T'Pia@anncaris - And like you said, I'm not a scientist, so I'm not sure how much help I'll be there anyways." Emma Ralde@crystyl chuckles, "Well I'll admit it's been a while, but the last I recall cadets aren't meant to be useful!" she teases. "You're not there to contribute towards the teams daily workload right? You're - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- there for the learning and all that" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "I suppose so. Maybe I've been spoiled by the Coalition project where I actually help give ideas and all," she giggles Emma Ralde@crystyl:"And now you're to be spoiled more by being given the chance to get new ideas! At least, that's how I'd think of it" T'Pia@anncaris:"Good point. It still feels a little weird, going inside a lifeform, but I guess you're right about it being a unique opportunity to study a biological spacefaring creature and get some ideas that - T'Pia@anncaris:- can be implemented into ships. After all, a lot of good designs borrow from nature, don't they?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That they do! And you've got to think like; if this creature evolved naturally to exist in space, then it's got to be pretty damned good at it! So try not to let it bother you, yeah? I'll make sure - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- to stick close too if you like" T'Pia@anncaris nods and smiles, "Thanks, Emma. What's it like inside, anyways?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Um... so, yeah... living around Humans has pretty much numbed your sense of smell by now right...?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Wait, we're not wearing suits over? I thought some of the teams did, at least..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"At first, yeah. But now they've had a chance to analyze the atmosphere thoroughly and it's all good!" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well growing up on a Starfleet ship has definitely gotten me used to most smells, but now you're worrying me..." she giggles nervously Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well if it makes it one less thing to worry about, we could swing by sickbay and get you a shot to numb the senses before heading over there" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "I'll do that just in case. Has mum been over yet, or?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Um... I think so? I've not been over there with her, but I'm sure she must have been by now" T'Pia@anncaris:"I should've asked her if she got a hypo for it. I thought we were still wearing suits over. Might as well play it safe and get one from sickbay!" Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles, turning to head out, "Good thing I stopped by then! As funny for the rest of us as it may have been for you to pop in over there fully suited up, I doubt it would have too enjoyable for you" T'Pia@anncaris:"Yeah...anyways, I'll see you at the transporter!" Emma Ralde@crystyl chuckles, "See you there!" --- Emma Ralde@crystyl | After getting her shot from Kazra, TP rejoins Emma in the transporter room and beams over to Junior. A small science team is working away in the main chamber, and they loosely acknowledge the - Emma Ralde@crystyl - arrivals, though clearly more interested in their work than a pair of gold strips T'Pia@anncaris looks around the chamber, "Okay, it actually looks like the inside of a space whale here. Both kind of weird and interesting at the same time..." Emma Ralde@crystyl giggles, "You can always trust a cadet to be brutally honest" T'Pia@anncaris chuckles, "Have you been in a space whale before? Or a bioship?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Nope, can't say I have. Not before Junior here at least" T'Pia@anncaris:"Really? This is a first for you too?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Is that so surprising? Sure, I've been around a while. But most of that time was either with Starfleet or the Orions. And neither exactly have a reputation for using bioships, let alone living - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- creatures. In fact, I'm not sure of any species who does..." T'Pia@anncaris:"Starfleet doesn't use bioships or living creatures, but we come across weird things all the time! I thought you might've encountered something like this before. Well, this definitely looks like a - T'Pia@anncaris:- bioship on the inside..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Yeah, but he's not exactly his mother still. I think we need some of your fresh and uninhibited thinking to really figure this guy out!" T'Pia@anncaris:"You think he might develop to be more like his mother? Actually looks like the Forge on the inside too, maybe even with consoles and all to interact with him?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Nice as that may be, I can't imagine a LCARS interface being hereditary like eye colour" she chuckles T'Pia@anncaris chuckles, "Good point. Is this science team the one working on communicating with him?" Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "Yeah, that's their big focus at the minute. We can leave them to it and focus on exploring if you like!" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "Lead the way, Emma! You've been here before, you know what the highlights are! And I don't want to stumble around and fall into his stomach or something. That's a good question, he set - T'Pia@anncaris - out this interior with an atmosphere specifically for us to visit, so it probably doesn't actually connect to anything that might put him or us at risk, right?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"So far as we can tell, yeah. But that's not to say that he's got it 100% right, or that we're not capable of doing something wrong still. But from what I've seen so far there's been nothing untoward” T'Pia@anncaris nods, "We should be fine with a guide like you! I'll try not to wander too far off!" Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles, "Contrary to what Rianni might tell you, flattery will not win me over so well. But that doesn't mean you should stop with it!" she wanders around with TP, "Seriously though, I don't think - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- I make much of a guide here. This all looks the same to me" T'Pia@anncaris:"It all looks the same? Are there any points of interest, something that stands out?" Emma Ralde@crystyl hrms, "Besides that big brain node in the main room that all the science guys are fiddling with, nothing that I know of. But like I said, I'm no expert here!" T'Pia@anncaris:"Wait, he's given us access to his /brain/?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well, not literally. At least I don't think so! That's just what we started calling it. I think Trenick described it like Junior doesn't have a single brain organ like we do, but rather different - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- functions spread throughout his nervous system with each area of operation consolidating into a node like that one" T'Pia@anncaris:"Oooh, that would make more sense. I assume this one is here for us to...tap into somehow, which is why the science people are fiddling with it?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That's the current working theory" she nods, "We figured that he wouldn't have created an atmosphere in the area around it if he didn't want us near it" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "That makes sense. I assume the rest of him doesn't have an atmosphere." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Not yet at least. No idea if he'll 'fill out' more or not, but right now it's just the areas we've got" she continues to wonder with TP, "So how are you feeling now that you're here? It occurs to - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- me that outside of a few social gatherings with Rianni, you and I have never really spent much time together so I don't really know a good day from a bad one yet" she smiles T'Pia@anncaris smiles back, "Well, I still feel slightly out of my depth with how...biological everything looks. But the part about making an atmosphere just for us is reminding me of Nuhar Constructs. They - T'Pia@anncaris - don't normally keep a breathable atmosphere in their interiors. They don't even keep it pressurized! But they can do it to host guests aboard. I guess it's more efficient that way, no point in - T'Pia@anncaris - maintaining the atmosphere when or where it's not needed." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That makes sense. You've spent time in the Nuhar then back at the Heart? Or is it 'on', I can never be sure with those things yet..." T'Pia@anncaris chuckles, "I'm not really sure either. I've been in...on a few Nuhar. It feels different, since they look like a ship on the inside. A very functional, industrial ship, not like Starfleet ones, - T'Pia@anncaris - but still technological. So it just feels like an alien ship. Actually it's quite the opposite experience from being here in some ways." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Really? If anything I would have thought it a lot closer" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well when you're in a Nuhar, it just feels like being inside a starship. You have to remind yourself that it's alive and sentient and you're moving around inside a living thing. Here with Junior, - T'Pia@anncaris:- everything looks alive and organic, and you have to remind yourself that he's like a living ship and you haven't just been eaten by a space whale or something!" Emma Ralde@crystyl chuckles, "Fair point" and looks around, "Well, if anyone can look past the organic surface to view Junior as a ship, it's an engineer I'm sure! So come on, let's try it!" she moves to a nearby - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- wall full of seemingly random pits and crevices with light pulses streaking back and forth just like everywhere else, "Just think like; you're not looking at something organic, but you've taken an - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- access panel off a wall section on the Forge to reveal the plasma conduits and circuitry behind. What are you looking at?" she gestures to the mass of organic'ness in front of them T'Pia@anncaris follows over, eyeing the mass of organic'ness, "Uhh...it does look like part of an EPS grid, now that you mention it. I guess biological life is basically just organic circuitry and components. - T'Pia@anncaris - At least, the physical part is. I'm not getting into that discussion about katras and consciousness..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Sure, just focus on what you know and make that image of Junior work for you! So we've got an EPS grid, and it seems to be flowing... that way" she points, "So, whats either end of us within this - Emma Ralde@crystyl:-corridor in broad terms?" T'Pia@anncaris:"If it's flowing that way, that's probably a system the plasma is being fed to. And the other direction is wherever the energy is coming from, so it must be something that's producing the energy." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Like his warp core or whatever he actually has! See, now he's starting to feel more like a ship already! So if engineering is that way-" she points, "-then where do you want to go explore?" T'Pia@anncaris points towards where the flow is coming from, "Let's check out engineering! I wonder if we can trace this all the way to where it comes from, or if we don't have access to that part." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"One way to find out!" T'Pia@anncaris smiles, "Let's go!" She starts walking in the direction the energy is coming from Emma Ralde@crystyl | The pair wander a short distance before reaching what seems to be a dead end T'Pia@anncaris:"Hm. Maybe this is as far as we have access for." T'Pia@anncaris takes out a tricorder, curiously scanning to see if it can pick up anything beyond the dead end Emma Ralde@crystyl | There does appear to be a chamber there T'Pia@anncaris:"Looks like there is a room behind here. Maybe there's a way around? I don't suppose you know the way much better than I do, with you saying how it all just looks the same..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"You got me there" she glances back and forth, "But why would this hall even be here if it's just a dead end?" T'Pia@anncaris:"What if...he's still growing? Maybe all this time while we're working here, he's been expanding his interior? From what I heard it sounds like this big change after he went off and had a...growth - T'Pia@anncaris:- spurt of sorts. But that doesn't mean he stops growing outside of these big bursts. Like how ships have major refits, but the crew's always making minor tweaks and modifications." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Yeah, maybe. But you know what else ships have in halls? Doors" T'Pia@anncaris:"Maybe he hasn't gotten around to forming the doors yet? Unless it's like an emergency access area? Somewhere he doesn't want to let us into, but formed a room around so we can transport in, just - T'Pia@anncaris - in case we ever need to?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Could be. Don't you think it's strange still that it would go that far and then just leave the access as a solid wall?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Yeah..." she checks her tricorder again to see if it can pick up some other accessway to confirm if there is indeed a way around Emma Ralde@crystyl | There does not seem to be another route that she can tell T'Pia@anncaris:"My tricorder's not picking up any other way to get in there either...very weird." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"So maybe this is actually a door of some kind?" T'Pia@anncaris:"It doesn't look much like a door..." she scans around the dead end, checking for any indication that it's a door, and whether there's some way to open it Emma Ralde@crystyl | If it is a door, it's certainly not one in the conventional sense! T'Pia@anncaris:"Doesn't look like a door to me." She looks around the area to see if anything jumps out at potentially being a switch of some kind Emma Ralde@crystyl | Nothing obvious, but then almost everything is unfamiliar so if there is a control it could quite easily appear to be something else T'Pia@anncaris:"I don't see anything that might be an access panel, or a manual release. Any ideas, Emma?" Emma Ralde@crystyl thinks a moment, "I guess that's no surprise, I mean what use would Junior have for access panels right? All he does to interact is change colours" T'Pia@anncaris:"You think we might be able to ask him to open the door with colours? I guess it can't hurt to try! The question is, which colours..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Can you make your tricorder cycle through the spectrum maybe? Could be more conclusive than us randomly picking" T'Pia@anncaris nods and taps her tricorder, "There!" She holds it up towards the door as it cycles through the colour spectrum Emma Ralde@crystyl | And... nothing happens T'Pia@anncaris:"Maybe if I lingered on each colour for longer? I guess that's the equivalent of talking more slowly for Junior." She taps her tricorder and tries that Emma Ralde@crystyl | Still no effect T'Pia@anncaris:"Talking slower never works if they don't understand what you're saying, does it. I don't know why it's always everyone's first instinct to do that..." she giggles T'Pia@anncaris:"What if...the science teams are communicating with him, right? In a very rough kind of way, but how exactly are they doing it?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Yes, from what I've seen it's about on par with how I've seen Rianni communicate with your cat before. Just with less scratching thankfully" T'Pia@anncaris giggles, "Scratching on Junior's scale would probably mean destroying the Forge's paintjob...and mum wouldn't be very happy with that!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I bet! So what are you thinking?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well maybe there's a way to trigger the door by communicating with him however the science teams are doing it. If there is a door or some way to gain access to that room behind here. Which there - T'Pia@anncaris:- should be, if he made a room, like you pointed out!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well as I understand it, they are using pulses of light to try and establish a language" T'Pia@anncaris:"Hmm...and we're already trying to use lights here. But can Junior see us here?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That is a good question. So if there's nothing visible like the other ares, maybe light isn't the key here. But that's the only way we've seen him communicate, externally at least" T'Pia@anncaris:"Maybe it's less communicating with him and asking him to open the door, and more triggering a reflex?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well we are inside him after all, and most internal functions like that are more like triggered reflexes than communicated instructions!" T'Pia@anncaris:"That's what I was thinking, too! The question is, where's the trigger..." T'Pia@anncaris:"Or /what/ is the trigger, if it's not like a specific panel to press or something." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"And you definitely went through the whole light spectrum before?" T'Pia@anncaris:"The whole visible light spectrum...you're right, I could try infrared and x-rays!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Ooh non-visible extremes, but still light yeah!" T'Pia@anncaris:"It's possible he doesn't see like we do, like the Arshai! Let me give that a try..." she taps her tricorder, cycling beyond the visible spectrum now Emma Ralde@crystyl | After cycling slowly through the extended range, TP hits a high infrared range and the dead end in front of them retracts back into the wall around it! T'Pia@anncaris:"Aha! That did it!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Nicely done! Great thinking there Pia" T'Pia@anncaris taps her tricorder some more, "Now just to make a note of that particular colour, to see if it works for other doors, or if every one has its own colour." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Hopefully it will at least be in the same area" T'Pia@anncaris:"That would be helpful!" She steps forward into the new area, looking around and trying to see if there was anything different about it Emma Ralde@crystyl | At first glance it seems much as expected by this point, except there is almost none of the pulsing light behind the skin of the walls T'Pia@anncaris:"I wonder why this area was sealed behind a door. Looks mostly the same as everyone else. Is it just me, or are there fewer lights around here, though?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"It is not just you" T'Pia@anncaris:"It's the main difference I can see. Maybe this area is still under construction? Or...if the lights are how Junior communicates with us, maybe this isn't a place where he expects to talk with us?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I'm not sure the lights are just for us. I mean, the first team said those pulsing lights were all over. Maybe it's like this area just... isn't active at the moment or something?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Oooh maybe." She explores around, scanning some more. "I wonder if there's even more areas we can access from here, or if it's just the one room locked away.” Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Who knows,maybe we'll find a cafeteria!" she laughs T'Pia@anncaris laughs, "Hungry already?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"A little maybe" she chuckles, looking around more T'Pia@anncaris:"The lack of lights does remind me of a part of a ship powered down to conserve energy. But we followed the light here, so this should be the direction the energy is coming /from/. Unless these - T'Pia@anncaris:- lights aren't power..." Emma Ralde@crystyl looks to TP, "Another out of the box idea?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well...Junior communicates with colours, right? So what if the lights aren't an EPS grid, but a computer network?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That does make a certain kind of sense. But even if they are a computer network, how does that explain this area?" T'Pia@anncaris hrms, "Good question. Maybe it's...a maintenance area? No, that doesn't make sense. Junior doesn't have a crew like the Forge." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well if it is like a computer network, I guess it makes sense for an area to be 'shut down' as it were, when not in use. So what sort of functions does Junior have that he's not using?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well he's communicating with the science team. He might not be using his exterior colours right now, but it doesn't seem like this would be tied. What else is there..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Try thinking of it like a ship again, that's done you well so far! Look at the Forge and what it's doing now; what systems are active and which are inactive?" T'Pia@anncaris:"We're not at warp. So this could be used for navigation, or something related to warp travel. These are complex processes that Junior carries out!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Right! That would make sense. And this chamber is connected to the area he's invited us to, so I guess that means it could be to accommodate some sort of interface for that?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Maybe we can come here and pilot him? Well not really pilot since he's got a mind of his own, but direct him somewhere. Set coordinates, so we can show him places to go?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Could be! So the question then is, how?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Good question. I imagine we interface with it using light still. But I have no idea how to translate that into navigational data Junior could understand..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Let's take a look around then, see if we can figure anything from the room itself" T'Pia@anncaris nods, exploring the room some more and keeping her tricorder active, seeing what it picks up Emma Ralde@crystyl | As the two move around the room more, Junior seems to become aware of their presence and the area lights up more like the rest they've seen T'Pia@anncaris:"Looks like more lights are coming on. I guess this area really was inactive before! Now if only Junior is able to tell us why..." T'Pia@anncaris:"Now it just looks like the same as the other rooms...anything stands out to you?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Before Emma can answer, another - smaller - doorway in the ceiling peels open and a muscular tendon slithers down towards the floor. It stops about waist height and a series of tendrils begin to - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- extend from its tip... T'Pia@anncaris:"Okay, /that's/ definitely different..." T'Pia@anncaris looks from the tendrils to Emma, "Has he done this before?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Not that I've noticed..." she watches, slightly grossed out Emma Ralde@crystyl | The tendrils do not extend far however. but rather, form into tray-like shape about the size of a tricorder T'Pia@anncaris:"Wonder if it's another form of interface. A little too on the organic side for my preferences..." T'Pia@anncaris steps up cautiously, scanning the tendrils Emma Ralde@crystyl | They appear to be pulsing with the same energy which flows throughout Juniors body T'Pia@anncaris shows Emma the readings, "What do you make of this, Emma?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I think you're right you know, it does look like it's meant as an interface. Thinking of it like you said comparing him to a computer system, the way his datastream things are running through these- Emma Ralde@crystyl:tips makes it seem like the equivalent of a chip port or something" T'Pia@anncaris:"Yeah! What would Junior take as chips? Unless it's meant for some kind of direct interaction. Like a mind meld?" T'Pia@anncaris glances back to the tendrils, "It does look the right size for a hand..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"A little square for that though don't you think? I mean, it's organic so to form a square shape like that must take intent" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "I guess it's not the right shape. It's too big for an isolinear chip, though. Have you seen anything squarish around Junior? Or maybe..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Um..." glances to the tricorder in TP's hand T'Pia@anncaris raises the tricorder, "That's what I'm thinking too...do you think Junior would even know what tricorders are?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I'm starting to think he's got an idea..." T'Pia@anncaris:"We have been scanning around with them all this time while visiting. Should I try giving one to him?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"And for the past few days, everyone has been using one to communicate with him. So yeah, I think it's worth the potential sacrifice of a tricorder don't you?" T'Pia@anncaris nods, carefully placing the tricorder in the tendrils, "I hope he doesn't eat it like a baby or anything. Well, I guess Junior can probably digest it if he does eat it..." Emma Ralde@crystyl | The tricorder sits neatly in the tray Junior provided and the tendrils wrap around it, taking it from TP's hand and holding it in place T'Pia@anncaris observes to see what happens, "He seems to be taking it. That's a good sign, right?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Presumably" T'Pia@anncaris:"If he doesn't want it, I imagine either nothing would happen or he'd drop it somehow." Emma Ralde@crystyl | As they watch, they can see the tricorder lights flickering as Juniors energy pulses through the device Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he simply wouldn't have taken it from you if he didn't want it" T'Pia@anncaris:"And now it's lighting up! I wonder if he's trying to use the tricorder, or study it." Emma Ralde@crystyl | As they continue to watch, the periscope-like tendon supporting the whole thing opens up forming a framed gap. It starts near the tendons start at the ceiling, but the gap slides down as the - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- tendons flex until it is a short way above where the tricorder is held. The void then lights up with Juniors pulsing energy, growing more intense until it starts to resemble the 'brain node's - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- appearance from the chamber where the scientists are working T'Pia@anncaris:"Is it...forming new things as it goes, or was that there all along, just hidden? I wonder if it just formed the tricorder-holder-part too, or if that was always there..." Emma Ralde@crystyl | A strangely distorted echo of TP's words repeat back from the energy screen ,"...forming new things ... just formed... too..." T'Pia@anncaris widens her eyes, "He's trying to use the tricorder to communicate!" Emma Ralde@crystyl | The voice repeats, "...trying... communicate..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well, we have been using them to communicate with Junior, so I guess it makes sense that he'd associate it with the task" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "He only seems to be able to use what we say to him. Umm...hi! Can you understand us? Say yes if you can!" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Junior: "Understand... can..." T'Pia@anncaris:"He didn't say yes, but he does seem to understand. He's not just playing back random snippets of what I say, it actually seems to have meaning!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Think about it; if he functions something like a computer, he's probably just absorbed all of our language syntax from your tricorder Emma Ralde@crystyl | As they debate, the energy screen swirls around and shifts colour until forming a tangible interface like the screen of the tricorder - albeit a very organic take on the screen making it look - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- more like something from an Undine or Borg ship T'Pia@anncaris:"Woah. And now he's made a console! At least, that looks like a console." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"He is definitely trying!" T'Pia@anncaris watches the screen form, trying to see if she can make any sense of it Emma Ralde@crystyl | Unfortunately it seems - at best - to be a replica of the standard tricorder screen, with no tangible data behind it T'Pia@anncaris:"Am I supposed to interact with you through the console? Or by talking like this? Or a mix of both?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Junior: "...interact..." Emma Ralde@crystyl chuckles a little, "Well that's helpful" T'Pia@anncaris chuckles, "Well here goes nothing..." she stretches out a hand to tap the interface Emma Ralde@crystyl | Unlike the anticipated interface, this one bends around her outstretched hand like a repelling magnet T'Pia@anncaris:"Uhh...huh." Emma Ralde@crystyl | To top it off, the hue of the display shifts to red Emma Ralde@crystyl | Junior: "Danger" T'Pia@anncaris retracts her hand, "Okay, it's not a tactile interface. Sorry!" Emma Ralde@crystyl | As she pulls her hand away, the display returns to normal T'Pia@anncaris:"So...how do I interact? Voice? Can you...show us something on this console?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Junior, "Show..." Emma Ralde@crystyl | With that, the console once again reforms. Further consuming the tricorder, a larger panel takes shape over it and starts to resemble the controls of the tricorder T'Pia@anncaris:"Now that looks less like a console and more like a giant tricorder. Do I touch those? Or is it also danger?" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Junior, "No danger" and they see an energy barrier of sorts form across the screen Emma Ralde@crystyl:"It seems like he is learning - and trying - to adapt, and to keep you safe too" T'Pia@anncaris:"Yeah! He sure is learning quickly!" She reaches forward carefully and taps the controls to see what happens Emma Ralde@crystyl | They seem to - albeit quite clumsily - navigate the energy screen display. It's a little hard to make sense of, but for the most part it seems to be information about Junior T'Pia@anncaris:"It's...not quite a tricorder. Is Junior trying to tell us about himself? Or is this just data retrieved from my tricorder?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I don't think that's your tricorder data. It looks a lot more detailed on Juniors inner workings than I've seen on a scan. If anything, yeah, I'd guess you could look at it like a system status" T'Pia@anncaris examines the data more closely, "You're right. So he is telling us about himself! I wonder if there is other data we can access from here. Or even giving him coordinates for navigation, like we - T'Pia@anncaris - were speculating earlier!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"We might be a ways off from that yet, but this is definitely progress!" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "Do you think we should let Lennie and the science team know about this new discovery, or play around with it some more before they start lining up here?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Now is probably a good time to let others know about this breakthrough" T'Pia@anncaris:"Let's go notify the team, then!" --- T'Pia@anncaris | Lennie and Eva beams over to Junior as the science team informs them of a major discovery. They materialize in the same chamber they are used to arriving at now. There, T'Pia and Emma are - T'Pia@anncaris - waiting for them Lendaria@crystyl looks between the pair, "Shouda figured you'se two would be involved in this" she chuckles T'Pia@anncaris giggles, "It was mostly a lot of happy coincidences and trying the right thing with trial and error!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Tha's often the case with th'unknown" T'Pia@anncaris | Eva nods, "And despite all our studies, Junior is still fairly unknown. But I think we're knowing him much better now that we can work with him up close," she smiles Lendaria@crystyl:"Even closer than we thought apparently" T'Pia@anncaris:"Yeah...is it weird for you being inside Junior, or is it more normal? Because you work with biological things all the time." Lendaria@crystyl:"I'd be hard pushed to define any o'this as normal. But it don't bother me if tha's wha' ya mean. Why, does it bother you?" T'Pia@anncaris:"I just haven't been inside a bioship before, but I think I'm getting used to it! It was a bit unsettling when I first beamed over, but thanks to Emma, now I'm starting to think of Junior as a - T'Pia@anncaris:- ship, just, well...biological," she smiles Lendaria@crystyl:"Sounds promisin'! I take it this fresh approach is wha' lead to ya discovery?" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "That it was! Come on, I'll show you what we found!" She eagerly begins leading the way Lendaria@crystyl smiles and follows T'Pia@anncaris heads over to the hallway leading to the sealed chamber from before, checking to see if the chamber has closed off again, or is now staying open Lendaria@crystyl | The door has closed behind them T'Pia@anncaris:"Oh. The door's closed, and the frequency is stored in my tricorder. Which...Junior has. I think I remember the rough range though, so if someone has a tricorder I can borrow, I can get it open again!” Lendaria@crystyl eyes TP at the comment about Junior having her tricorder, but doesn't question it yet, "Here" she offers her own to TP T'Pia@anncaris:"Thanks!" She taps away at it, cycling through the infrared spectrum again to trigger the door to open Lendaria@crystyl | Sure enough, she soon hits the right frequency and the door opens as before Lendaria@crystyl watches with wide eyes and grins T'Pia@anncaris:"Yup, looks like it's still the same frequency!" She taps the tricorder some more, marking the frequency on Lennie's tricorder before handing it back to her Lendaria@crystyl looks at it before returning it to it's pouch, "Ok, now what made y'all think t'run infrared frequencies at a blank wall?" T'Pia@anncaris:"We thought it was a bit odd to have this hall leading into a dead end. So I did a scan and found that there was a room behind it, but seemingly no way to access it. And we were wondering if there - T'Pia@anncaris:- might be some way, which brought us to trying light frequencies since that's how we've been communicating with Junior!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Smart, but infrared?" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well we tried visible light and it didn't work. Then we remembered not all life sees in the same parts of the light spectrum, so we went beyond what we can personally see." Lendaria@crystyl:"An' wha' we've seen from outside Junior. Nice!" T'Pia@anncaris smiles happily at the complement and steps into the room, looking to see if the tendon is still there Lendaria@crystyl | Inside the room is exactly as they left it T'Pia@anncaris steps up to the tendon, "This is what we found! It wasn't in here when we first came inside. We actually watched it emerge and grow!" Lendaria@crystyl:"It... grew?" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "At first it was just the tendon-thing. Then the tendrils came out at the end and formed a box-like shape. Emma and I tried to figure out what that was for and it seems to be made - T'Pia@anncaris - for a tricorder. So..." she gestures to the spot where her tricorder is now encased in the tendrils Lendaria@crystyl:"No way, you're saying ya... fed Junior ya tricorder. An' now it's in there?" T'Pia@anncaris:"We weren't /entirely/ sure if it was a good idea, but the shape he formed looked too perfectly formed for a tricorder! And Emma pointed out that we've been using them to communicate with him all - T'Pia@anncaris:- this time, so he'd have learned what it is." Lendaria@crystyl:"Guess he's been learnin' more than we'se been teachin'..." T'Pia@anncaris:"And even more now! He formed the interface after he started...reading the tricorder? At least I think that's what he was doing," she points to the screen and tricorder-like controls. "See, he's - T'Pia@anncaris:- recreated the interface! And he also seems to have absorbed verbal language from the tricorder as Emma pointed out, though his verbal communication is still a bit sporadic. I think he's just - T'Pia@anncaris:- getting used to the idea, and even with all the language data, he's still working out how exactly to use it to talk." Lendaria@crystyl "He actually spoke to ya? Whatcha do to prompt tha'?" T'Pia@anncaris:"I'm not sure. He just started repeating bits of what I said randomly at first, before he actually started using his own words." T'Pia@anncaris | Eva nods, "Like he did with the lights..." T'Pia@anncaris waves at the tendon, "Hi Junior! Can you...say something now?" Lendaria@crystyl | Junior responds in the distorted echo of TP's voice, "something... now..." Lendaria@crystyl:"Well that'd be cute if it weren't so disturbin'..." T'Pia@anncaris chuckles, "I think he mostly wants us to use this interface here, though," she taps the tricorder-like controls to bring up Junior's data again. "It's like a self-diagnostic, we think." Lendaria@crystyl eyes the display, "Huh... I think ya might be right. But why's offerin' us this now?" T'Pia@anncaris:"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because we discovered this room, and he can only do this here? Or he's been learning more than we've been teaching him, like you said..." Lendaria@crystyl:"We have been theorizin' based on his growth tha' he's tryin' to emulate th'Forge. So it sorta makes sense tha' he'd give a structured interior like this" T'Pia@anncaris:"So you think this room was made specifically for interacting with Junior this way, and it was here all along waiting for someone to find it?" Lendaria@crystyl:"Well, since his growth spurt at least" T'Pia@anncaris:"I was wondering since we saw the tendon...sprout, I guess, whether Junior could've made this more recently to provide a better way of interaction. Or maybe he was just curious about the - T'Pia@anncaris:- tricorders!" she giggles. "It could explain why this area was sealed off, since it was still under construction or something like that." Lendaria@crystyl:"I don't know if I'd call it sealed. Jus' seemed like a door t'me" T'Pia@anncaris:"True. Just a door we didn't know how to open until we started cycling infrared frequencies!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Yeah! An' now we know them frequencies, we can start explorin' for other areas too" T'Pia@anncaris:"That's what I was thinking too! Maybe we'll discover other functions Junior has! But I think there's a lot to learn from here alone! I'm not sure if this is an interface specifically for Junior's - T'Pia@anncaris:- status, or if there's other things we can do with the controls here." Lendaria@crystyl looks around, "This's a lotta room for jus' a single console don't ya think. I reckon he's still gotta learn how t'do more" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "And he's formed it using a tricorder interface. Which is good for a handheld device, but not as convenient as a console. Maybe we should beam over some consoles for Junior to tap into. - T'Pia@anncaris:- If he does the same thing with them as the tricorder, he might be able to reproduce some consoles like the ones we're used to working with on ships!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Not a bad idea Pia! Let's get some gear in here an' see if he likes it" T'Pia@anncaris | Eva: "I'll call Kelly, see if she can spare some consoles to beam over." She steps off to tap her combadge and arrange the console transportation T'Pia@anncaris | Eva steps to an empty spot in the room and sets down her combadge before stepping back, "It should be transporting in on my combadge's signal in a few minutes." Lendaria@crystyl:"Perfect!" T'Pia@anncaris | Indeed, a few minutes later, a small console transports in. As the transport completes, Eva steps over and retrieves her combadge T'Pia@anncaris moves over to the console, "Oooh, Kelly's attached a portable power pack so it's got a few hours of power in it." She taps on the surface and activates the console Lendaria@crystyl follows, "So, how'd we get him t'eat more consoles now?" T'Pia@anncaris:"That's what I'm wondering. He took the initiative with the tricorder..." T'Pia@anncaris | Eva: "Well, one of your theories was that he recognized the tricorder from communicating with him, right?" Lendaria@crystyl:"Yeah. So... maybe power these things up an'start puttin' signals out then?" T'Pia@anncaris begins to power up the console, "Good thinking! Should I send random lights, or?" Lendaria@crystyl:"Random probably ain't best, will just confuse him. Here, these're the patterns we established contact with so maybe he'll associate 'em th'same" T'Pia@anncaris takes the patterns, programming the console with them. She takes a step back as the console starts emitting the light patterns, "Now let's see if Junior takes notice..." Lendaria@crystyl | It takes a while but soon enough the same tendrils begin to form and probe around the consoles T'Pia@anncaris smiles happily, "There they are!" T'Pia@anncaris looks over to Lennie, "This is more or less what happened earlier, just that I didn't have my tricorder lying around so Junior asked for it instead." Lendaria@crystyl:"Seems so. He's definitely curious ain't he!" T'Pia@anncaris:"That he is! If nothing else he should be able to get some information out of the console like he did with the tricorder, but maybe he'll make a console that we can use, too!" Lendaria@crystyl:"What's them consoles configured for outta interest?" T'Pia@anncaris:"It's a spare engineering console. Looks like it was being used for monitoring and adjusting coolant levels before it was disassembled. Probably during one of the refit jobs." Lendaria@crystyl | Junior's tendrils once again work their way into the console and energy begins pulsing through them T'Pia@anncaris | Eva: "Is that supposed to happen?" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "It was very similar with the tricorder. I think this is him absorbing the information." Lendaria@crystyl:"Guess this's how he interacts directly" Lendaria@crystyl | As before, the console slowly gets absorbed by the tendrils until it is completely gone before another energy screen appears above it T'Pia@anncaris:"Looks like he's forming something! Don't touch the screen yet though, last time he warned it was dangerous. I wonder if he's going to make a screen that can be interacted with this time since he's - T'Pia@anncaris:- absorbed the console..." T'Pia@anncaris and Eva continue to watch curiously Lendaria@crystyl | An interface like the previous one appears, this time with the screen showing information about what seems to be his equivalent of blood flow T'Pia@anncaris:"Huh. It's more information about him, but different information. I think it's related to the console being used for coolant monitoring. He's trying to replicate the console in its function, not - T'Pia@anncaris:- its appearance and tactile interface." Lendaria@crystyl:"I had a feelin'!" T'Pia@anncaris smiles, "That's why you were asking what the console was configured for! Smart! Now we can get him to produce different consoles based on what we send him." Lendaria@crystyl:"Seems so!" T'Pia@anncaris:"We can figure out what information we want him to display, and then send him some consoles configured for equivalent purposes on the Valley Forge." T'Pia@anncaris | Eva: "I wonder what a comms console would do. He already has the language data from the tricorder so he /can/ communicate verbally. Maybe it would just form another node like the one the team - T'Pia@anncaris - has been working at." Lendaria@crystyl:"Possible. But if it includes an antenna, maybe it'd let him talk t'us on th'Forge" T'Pia@anncaris | Eva nods, "And then we wouldn't have to travel here to talk with him and might be able to coordinate much easier. I'll ask Kelly if we can get that over for him to learn from." Lendaria@crystyl:"Thanks Eva, but tell her there's no rush either. Don't want her t'think we're strippin' her stores bare now!" T'Pia@anncaris | Eva chuckles, "I'll make sure to emphasize that there's no rush. I don't know how much energy this learning takes too, but it probably takes some effort and we don't want to tire out Junior either." Lendaria@crystyl:"Also a good point!" T'Pia@anncaris:"Well, we've got new data to study in the meantime at least! What do you make of this, Commander?" she looks at the interface. "This is probably much more your expertise..." Lendaria@crystyl:"If I had t'guess right now, I'd-a say he's tryin' a learn from us - t'be wha' we want him t'be. Trouble is, he don't know wha' we want. Jus' kinda more like an animal instinct I bet. So wha'ever we- Lendaria@crystyl:- offer him, he takes it an' uses it" T'Pia@anncaris:"And that's probably why he grew to look like the Valley Forge more too. He's like a child just imitating his parent without really knowing why?" Lendaria@crystyl:"Yeah, I figure it's his instinct t'emulate th'parent like tha'. Jus' this time his parent's an active starship so tha' means emulatin' a crew interaction too" T'Pia@anncaris:"That makes sense! Do you think he'll eventually decide on a direction to develop in, or do we need to teach him what to be?" Lendaria@crystyl:"It's certainly possible tha' he's got some baser instinct that'll override everythin' one day. But f'now, I think he's purely lookin' to us - well, th'Forge - f'guidance" T'Pia@anncaris nods, "Then we'll just have to make sure to guide him well!"