She was heavy-set, had a constant cough, but otherwise was very quiet. The human that signed aboard the science vessel was younger than they'd ever had before as an officer. The only reason it had been allowed was her parents had signed a statement saying they agreed to allow her to go and all tests indicated that she could handle the job. Botanical scientist. Her friends always called her "botany geek", to which she'd smile, laugh, and then cough. When the medics asked about the cough, they learned it was due to scar tissue on her voice box from a very bad reaction to the immunoflu when she was 10.
They reached a planet where it was damn near a perfect haven for anyone to live. They set down the camp and began their work. She was more excited about the botanical life than any other it seemed, which was a relief to see at least ONE human who wasn't wild but, in fact, actually as curious about the science as they were. However, it was when she was out of sight for a short time, they realized, she wasn't coughing. The more she worked with an odd, tiny, yet heavily prevalent yellowish-green plant, the easier her breath seemed to come. This had seemed like such an unobtrusive little weed, and now, like the young human, it seemed to be more than it appeared. -- Anon Guest
"It's okay, I'm not dying," insisted the Human. "I'm just doing a remarkable impersonation. Promise." Her voice was rough, and she was not attractive by Human standards, but as the Alliance widened, appearance mattered less. Humans had some peculiar standards anyway[1].
"Are you well?" asked Nahang, who actually liked a softer Human for varying comfort needs. "Is there something we need to inform the ships' Medik about?"
"Uh. Not really. Not every immunoflu is a hit. I caught an early draught that was released by accident and it left some scarring on my throat and lungs. Breathing's tricky but not debilitating. Also I cough at the least provocation. There's relief medication, but it never lasts very long." Human Gis smiled. "At least you'll always know where I am." That positive, though correct, was not always positive.
It took a year or more for Human Gis' eternal cough to be just another noise-of-the-crew. It stopped being surprising to any of the crewmembers, then it stopped being alarming to anyone who could hear it. Ultimately, it stopped being noticed.
Until they surveyed Rentin IV for potentially useful chemistry and resources. It scanned as non-hostile and none of the extant life was non-toxic. Safe for both the crew of the Seeker and their Ships' Human Gis. They camped in varying landing sites for weeks at a time, gathering samples and analysing the things they found there. The crew didn't notice for three such campsites that something was missing.
Nahang, Human Gis' designated primary Companion, was the first to notice. It is sometimes difficult to notice the absence of the everyday.
Human Gis was no longer coughing.
She was alive and well and as comforting to be near as always, but she was no longer coughing. She grinned as Nahang stared. "You noticed," she chirped. Chirped, not 'rasped'. The gravel in her voice had dropped noticeably, and nobody had noticed because Human Gis was the quiet type. She had a yellow flower pinned to her coat.
Come to think of it, she had had a yellow flower nearby for some days in a row. Nahang attempted to remember when Gis discovered it and could not precisely indicate when the change occurred. "How long have you known about your -ah- decorative choice?"
"Uuuuhhh... almost a couple of months? I've figured out how to propagate it, and I'm still working on the biotech, but there's something interesting about the scent chemicals in combination with its micropollens. It's healing the damage the immunoflu did when I was a kid. I dunno how it's doing it yet, but give me some time."
"You did not ask for help with this?"
"I was a little worried before I figured out propagation, but it turns out that this flower is literally everywhere, so I got less worried. I'm still prepared for when we take off."
"We have entire laboratories for analysing everything we collect. Why are you not taking advantage of what's there?"
"But," said Human Gis, "that's for the important stuff."
Nahang took a deep breath, centered themself, and prepared for a long afternoon of teaching Human Gis that their needs were as important as the mission.
[1] There are two reasons why Nonny wanted this character to be heavyset and I'm hoping it's the 'character like me' explanation.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / guffoto]
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