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» LCARS » Newspaper: The Federation Tribune » Newspaper Archives » 2003 » December 2003 » Aquarium Adventures, Part 2 by Bram Peeters
 | Phlox meets a friend |  |
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(Pandora Station - CO's quarters, Aquarium - 2391.03.06, 1250)
~Swim, swim... Eat, Eat... Swim, swim,~ Phlox thought while he was enjoying his evening meal. Something about two-legged airbreather who fed him seemed to have changed, but Phlox didn't really care about it, as long as he got his food on time. ~Eat, eat... Swim, swim,~ he thought while he continued eating.
Some movement to his left attracted his attention. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Phlox said, "I warn you, my father was a shark, and he learned me a lot of tricks." Phlox looked around. "I can kill you in one bite!"
Two small eyes looked at him from behind a plant. "P...P...Please sir... D... Don't kill me."
For a moment Phlox stared at the eyes that had answered him, then he turned around and swam as fast as he could towards his hiding place. ~There can't be someone else here, I must be hallucinating...~
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to scare you," he heard the voice behind him. The stranger had followed him! He was trapped. Phlox turned around, trembling.
A small blue fish darted towards him. "Hello sir, I'm Styx. Nice to meet you, is this your place? It sure looks nice, do you want to play with me, sir? Please?" Styx started to circle around Phlox. Even before his fear could go away, Phlox started to get dizzy.
He lifted his fin and the small fish bumped into it. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to swim there, and I..."
"Calm down, Styx," Phlox said. "I don't know who you are, or how you got here, but this is my territory."
The blue fish started to circle him again, now in the opposite direction. "Of course sir, I understand, but I just wanna play."
"WILL YOU STOP CIRCLING ME?" Phlox shouted. Styx stopped and looked at him. "Yes sir, I'm so sorry sir if I upset you, sir."
Phlox looked at the fish. "If you are going to stay here, there are some rules."
Styx nodded.
"First, you will not swim circles around me. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Rule number two, this here is my hiding place, if you want one, find your own. And when I'm in here, I want to be left alone."
The small fish nodded again. "Yes sir, I understand, sir. No circles, and not disturbing you when you're in here, sir."
"Good," Phlox said. "Now follow me, there is one other thing you should know."
"What is that sir? Please tell me, sir."
"Just follow me and I'll show you."
"Okay sir, I'll follow you and you'll show me, sir," Styx said.
A moment later they approached a line of purple pebbles on the floor.
"This," Phlox started, "is the Purple Pebble Border, also known as the PPB. Whatever you do, do NOT cross it, or terrible things will happen."
"Why's that sir? What will happen? What's behind the PPB sir?"
Phlox looked around and then back at Styx. "Behind the PPB is The Corner. A monster lives there."
"A monster, sir?" The small fish looked frightened.
Phlox nodded. "A horrible monster..." He shuddered when he thought about it. "But don't worry, it has never dared to cross the PPB before, and as long as I am here, the monster will stay in that Corner."
Styx looked in the direction of the Corner, a bit less frightened now.
Phlox started to feel hungry again and he remembered that he hadn't finished eating yet. "I'll give you a tour later, but first I need to finish my meal."
Phlox turned around and swam away, followed closely by Styx. | | |
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