Star Trek: Bendross
If I only had a Heart: Episode 34
By
Jay P. Hailey
And
The Bendross Players

Michelle Gibbons was picking apart the ruins of a raptor. Deinonychus by the look of it. It was stunning. A real, live dinosaur. Well, no so alive any more. As it turned out the fearsome predator was no more immune to weapons fire then any other living creature.

Michelle was not a paleontologist. She had the bare basic knowledge necessary to be an assistant in the field, perhaps. "Send more scientists." She muttered to her self. Picking through the wreckage of a legendary beast trying to get enough information to describe it anatomy well was trickier than it looked.

"I'll never sneer at the Age of Enlightenment again." Michelle said.

"What in the hell?" Hamilton said behind her.

"The Age of Enlightenment. Roughly from 1400 AD to 1700 AD. It when the scientific method was first developed. Investigators were called naturalists and they had to work this way, one piece of dead animal gut at a time."

"Well thank you, but I meant him." Hamilton said.

Michelle looked up.

Marching across the field was a single native. He was about four and half feet tall, and covered with soft looking brown fur. His face was a long snout, and he had a tail. The skin that showed around his face and hands was jet black. He has on a leather vest and an assortment of doo-dads and tools strung from a harness around his body. He had a long tail.

Michelle's second impression was that the creature was literally scared stiff. He walked with a bowlegged gait, his hands stiffly down at his side, his fur and tail were bushed out, and it seemed to their maximum extent.

Hamilton turned. "Sergeant Vasquez! Visitor!"

Linda Vasquez looked and then popped out onto the stairway of Expedition One with her gauss rifle covering the small native.

Within moments, Martin Kerenski appeared in the weapons turret. Servos whirred as he brought the large gauge guns to bear.

Rudy Greenvele appeared with a video camera in hand.

Michelle had eye only for the new comer. He noted each arrival and cringed as if expecting death at any moment.

Michelle stole a look to her side and saw Hamilton with his rifle ready but no pointed at the creature. She looked behind at an intimidating array of firepower.

"I want all guns pointed somewhere else!" Michelle barked.

Vasquez didn't move.

Kerenski's voice came over their communicators, little radios slung over the ear with a small wire mike and earpiece. They were standard police equipment for a hundred years and very handy for adventuring.

"Michelle," Kerenski sounded a touch exasperated

She cut him off "I WANT ALL GUNS POINTED SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

Hamilton noticed that the creature stopped at the shriek and stared with whites showing all around his eyes.

"Hey, Little fella," Hamilton said. "It's alright. She's not mad at you, yet."

Michelle fired a glare at Hamilton and knelt in front of the new comer.

"All weapons to ready position." Kerenski said over the comm.

Vasquez snapped her weapon up to her shoulder.

Michelle put her arms out to her sides. She smiled and put on the friendliest tome she could manage. "I'm unarmed. I'm not dangerous. I don't eat people." She grinned.

Hamilton stepped back a couple of steps to leave the contact area free for Michelle and her new friend.

The new comer watched all this with stunned silence. Then he stiffly lurched into a range of about three feet from Michelle and threw himself on his back. He said something that sounded like whistling chatter.

Michelle sat there, and cooed back "Yes, it is a nice day."

They remained in these poses for a long time.

The newcomer chittered at Michelle.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't speak. . . Lemurite."

Gradieaux peered over Rudy's shoulder. "What is the hell is that horrible thing doing?"

The newcomer saw him and cringed on the ground. Eyes squeezed tightly shut waiting for the axe to fall.

Michelle got it. The creature wanted contact, but was as scared as hell that the Explorers were going to kill and eat him.

She spoke sharply to Hamilton. "Cover Gradieaux. If his foot touches dirt, shoot him."

Hamilton turned towards the spacecraft. "Gladly." He raised his weapon.

"Morons. Fools." Gradieaux sneered.

"Mister Gradieaux, get back inside. Ham, lower that weapon. Michelle, you don't get to order members of our team shot. Only I do." Kerenski said.

Hamilton held his weapon on Gradieaux until the Frenchman disappeared back inside Expedition One. Then he slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Aw, Martin. You don't let me have any fun."

The newcomer watched the exchange carefully and chittered at Michelle.

"No, we don't like him." Michelle said.

The new comer just looked at Michelle.

She looked back.

The new comer reached a hand towards her. Michelle stayed still. The newcomer very daintily touched the tip of her nose and then recoiled back at lightning speed.

Michelle smiled. "It's okay." She said softly.

The creature moved in. Michelle held up her hand and very slowly moved towards the creature's face.

His ears were very expressive. They flickered between expressions Michelle took as wary or fearful and curious.

She softly touched the tip of his nose and then drew back slowly. His nose was a bit damp and cool, like a dog's nose.

"You are very interesting." Michelle said.

The creature chittered at her.

"Ask Gradieaux if he learned anything of their language." Michelle said into her comm.

The creature reached out and touched Michelle's sleeve. Stroking the fabric of her overall with curiosity.

"May I?" Michelle gestured at the Creature's vest.

He took it off and handed it to her.

Michelle examined it for a few moments. The workmanship was excellent as far as she could see. It smelled of the creature, not an unpleasant smell.

"Are you going to take off your clothes and hand them to him?" Hamilton leered at Michelle.

"Shut up, you. I'm having a first contact." Michelle said. He tone was deceptively friendly and mild.

She gave the creature back his vest.

He sat down and chittered to Michelle at great length, with many hand gestures and seemingly a lot of emotion.

Michelle nodded at him and replied. "You know I have no idea what you're talking about."

The creature looked thoughtful.

Michelle watched him think.

He picked up a rock. "[Rock.]" He said.

Michelle said slowly "Rock."

"[Rock.]"

"Rock."

Michelle tried the Chitter. Apparently with less success than anticipated. The creature's ears flicked back and forth.

"[rok.]" Michelle tried.

"Rock." The creature tried.

Michelle nodded vigorously. "Yes! Rock."

"Please tell me we have a translator program." Michelle asked.

Hamilton nodded. "Right back on the Bendross III safe and sound. We all thought this place was uninhabited."

"Well meet the new landlord." Michelle said.

"Rock." Stares-into-Night repeated.