COLUMBIAD
STARDATE 04.12.21
PRE-HISTORY YEARS
Con Trung turned on the lights in her new quarters. She was a petite Vietnamese woman with oversized glasses. Behind her, four crewmen carried cages, aquariums, tanks, containers, and vessels. They stumbled into the room, clearly overburdened.
“Uh…where do you want these, ma’am?” the crewman blurted out strained from the weight.
“Over there, and there, and over here,” Con instructed in a light voice. She was already planning how to arrange everything once the crewmen left.
The four crewmen dropped all the items off in the locations that Officer Trung indicated. They wiped their brows.
“If I may ask, ma’am?” one crewman said as the other three crewmen left the room to complete other duties. “What is all this for? We don’t need bugs in outer space, right? So why bring them along? What was it you studied again? Enzy…Entor…Entolo…”
“Entomology,” Con answered quickly, finishing the crewman’s thoughts. “I study Insects. You know insects are fascinating creatures. They have been around longer than the Dinosaurs. Bees provide valuable pollination for plants. Earthworms improve the soil wherever they go. A Cockroach can hold its breath for 40 minutes. The Bombardier Beetle is a master of chemical warfare. Aphids absorb solar energy. The Bark Spider’s web is 25 times stronger than steel. The Fishing Spider can literally run across water. The Dung Beetle can pull 1000 times its own weight. It takes a drill to pierce the dense armor of an Ironclad Beetle. And Fleas can jump 1000 times their own body length. We can learn so much from insects, if we just take the time to study them. You know, so many modern inventions have been patterned after insects, from medicine to flying to camouflage to eyesight to locomotion to armor to weapons and more!”
Con Trung was clearly excited. Her eyes bulged, which, when magnified by her large glasses, seemed 4 times larger than normal.
The crewman was speechless. He didn’t know what to say. Insects were annoying things to be squashed at every opportunity.
“That’s all well and good, ma’am, but what use is any of that in outer space?”
Con Trung sighed. She could see the lack of understanding in the crewman’s eyes.
“Well, imagine what we might find on new worlds. Imagine the strange and wondrous insect populations we might come across! Think of what we could learn from how they have evolved and adapted to their native environment. It’s going to take someone familiar with insects in order to recognize these subtle clues and patterns.”
“Ah…I see. Very good, ma’am. So glad to have you aboard! Let us know if you need anything else.”
The crewman rushed out of Con Trung’s quarters.
“It’s alright, my Babies. Momma’s here now. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m going to take care of you. I know all your needs. Just be good, ok? I need you all to behave. We’ll eat something later. For now, rest and go to sleep.”
Con Trung began to arrange all of her insects in a precise manner. She hummed lightly as she did so, checking to make sure all of her pets were healthy and vibrant.
It wasn’t long before Con Trung, the Entomology Officer aboard the Columbiad, would be given an Unofficial Title by the rest of her crew mates. It wasn’t something she wanted, or enjoyed, but she tolerated it nonetheless. They called her…
THE BUG LADY.
