It doesn’t matter what species you are. If the ship’s engineer start running you better follow -- Anon Guest
Only Humans ever invented running as a recreational activity. Which is why places with a jogging track also have large volumes of warning labels. Before Humans joined the Alliance, even possessing something that could pass as a jogging track was never a priority. When one cogniscent was running, it was generally a good idea to run with them. They obviously knew more than you did.
Which was a problem on the Seeking Barbel, where the crew had thought that hiring a Human as a protective measure and an engineer would be a smart idea. It was an honest mistake. Ships' Humans generally have other occupations than being there and scaring off random encounters. What they didn't know when they hired Human Noot was that she was a fitness junkie.
The instant the Human figured out a set of looping pathways aboard the Seeking Barbel, she began trotting along them in her free time. As you might understand, this caused some evident confusion.
Noot had no idea she had people following her until one of them tapped her arm. "Why," the little Ikthid panted, "are we running?"
Noot pulled a speaker out of her ear and slowed to jog in place. Only now did she witness a veritable horde of partially panicked and somewhat exhausted Ikthid followers behind her. "What. The. [EXCREMENT]?"
Baus seemed glad of the break. He gulped air and forced himself to say, "Why. Are we. Running?"
"Um. I'm doing this for health. I've no idea why you guys are running. Do you need help getting to Medical?"
Pant pant gasp. "...'esplease?"
Noot got out the emergency kits and distributed insulation blankets before she carried four of them - still at the same rushed pace - to Medical. There, she told the attending Medik, "Got a whole bunch of newbie joggers who need some help."
She ran off before Medik Krach could ask her what joggers was.
It was quite the scene. Even though many didn't need it, a large portion of the crew took their rest inside the ICU drawers[1]. Simply because there wasn't enough room for twenty crewpersons in the normal treatment space.
To her credit, Human Noot hung around to help and explain the Human recreational habit of jogging.
"You... run away..."
"Around," corrected Noot. "We run around. Usually in a circuit."
"For no reason," continued Medik Krach.
"Well, there is a reason. Exercise. Better health."
Krach gestured meaningfully at the recovering crew. "Not all better health."
"Well they should start slow and work their way up to twenty laps."
It was going to be a very long morning.
[1] Space to store things is premium in space. So, if a patient should not be sitting up or wandering around, a drawer is the ideal way to deal with that.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / vladvm]
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