“Well, this is it… you're standing in Minboa's very own stadium,” Agozi said as the two of them entered the stadium concourse, using Mevik body language to signal they'd reached their endpoint.

The entrance's lack of security measures surprised Andreas as crew patrons entered and exited without hindrance.

“There's no restriction on who can enter or leave?” he asked Agozi, who stood beside him.

“Uh, yeah?” she replied, visibly perplexed by his query. “It's not a mental ward… it's a place to have fun.”

Andreas hesitated briefly before deciding against asking another question, letting the matter go.

“I see…” He turned his gaze elsewhere. It then dawned on him that nearby patrons were curious about his presence, staring when they assumed he wouldn't catch them. “Seems I've become something of a spectacle,” he said, casually glancing around while pretending to admire the architecture.

“It's because you're so tall, even taller than us Mevik.”

“Just that?” Agozi's whiskers twitched nervously, her eyes darting to the side. Andreas responded with a knowing smirk. “No matter. Why don't we check out what games they're playing here?”

Agozi proposed a brief tour of the Stadium facilities, and Andreas agreed.

The ‘stadium’ was actually a hybrid facility with gyms, playing fields, and a central stadium. Though limited in scope, it was still impressively big for being inside the ship, or so Andreas thought.

An interesting thing Andreas noticed during the tour was that most patrons he'd seen seemed to be from Agozi's own species, the humanoid cat-like aliens she'd called ‘Mevik’.

Their heights varied somewhat, though most fell between Kaz and Agozi in stature. Andreas towered over nearly all of them. He noted a spectrum of fur colors: brown and black were prevalent, red less so, and yellow and white were rare, with white being the least common. Andreas pondered whether the Mevik had color-based social biases, similar to humans, but decided against inquiring.

“This place appears popular with your kind.” Andreas noted the gym's emptiness, save for the Mevik and himself, as they stood in the center of the area they'd entered minutes ago.

“You've got that right!” Agozi replied, her whiskers quivering with pride. “In terms of raw athleticism, we Meviks are in a league of our own!” Her ears suddenly drooped faintly, and she hunched her shoulders a bit. “Don't get me wrong, the other races have their strengths… just maybe not in the physical department. I mean—”

“I guess what you’re trying to say is that you focus first on cultivating the corporeal whereas the others prefer nurturing the soul,” Andreas said, offering a polite nod and half-smile.

Agozi blinked rapidly, her mouth opening slightly before closing again.

“Well, I guess you could say it like that… yeah, that's pretty accurate.”

Andreas responded with a tight-lipped smile. He wondered how this alien gym would measure up to its human counterpart. “Care if I take this equipment for a spin?”

“Sure thing.”

To his disappointment, the gym mirrored most human facilities he'd seen. It housed treadmills, diverse exercise machines, and a members' lounge for rest and socializing. The machines' appearance also wasn't notably alien, probably stemming from Mevik’s human-like body structure.

Andreas approached one of the machines, a pulldown type. He examined it briefly but couldn't locate the weight adjustment.

“Any idea how to adjust the weight on this contraption?” he asked Agozi, who'd joined him at the machine and now stood a few feet away.

“The lever controls the weight,” she replied, pointing to a handle on the machine. She explained the pulldown bar configuration and adjusted the setup to accommodate Andreas's height. “Word of advice though: Our numerical system might as well be gibberish to you... why don't you start easy?”

“What's the current weight?”

“I've put it at 22 pounds,” Agozi replied. “Likely too easy for you, but it's safer to begin gently. We want to avoid breakage, and I don't mean the machine.”

Andreas raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

“Oh please! I've lifted heavier plates at dinner.” He eyed the handle; it adjusted the weight by half-pound increments. He used his right hand to double the starting weight to 50 pounds, causing Agozi to look concerned.

“Wait, maybe we shouldn't—”

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Andreas cut her off, smoothly lowering the bar. He breezed through two sets of fifteen reps.

“As I mentioned… merely a warm-up.”

Agozi observed his workout without comment.

Andreas completed several progressively heavier sets until the machine capped at 110 pounds.

“What's stopping it from increasing?” he said, his voice laced with frustration and a hint of contempt.

“You've hit the top weight already…” Agozi replied, her whiskers twitching slightly and her tone carrying a note of surprise.

“Is that a fact?” Andreas said tauntingly as he smoothly rose from the seat, rolling his shoulders back. “Well, that was disappointingly easy. One would've expected that training equipment for a race that's in a ‘league of its own’ would've offered more of a challenge.” His words a clear jab at Agozi's earlier boasts about the Mevik’s supposed fitness, amusing him by their likely irritation to her.

And it worked; Agozi’s ears flattened against her head and she shifted her weight uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact.

*****

Kaz strode purposefully through the Medical Bay. Zelana's urgent message frustrated him with its vagueness; without specifics, he couldn't judge the situation. Her distressed tone during the communicator call concerned him. The situation seemed grave.

Whatever’s going on, I expect a full explanation when I get there, and it had better be good, he mused irately as he approached the Intensive Support Wing, a special facility reserved for particularly unstable patients.

*****

The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Zelana and two Mevik security guards.

Upon spotting him, Zelana rushed forward. Her usual composure vanished, her long ears pressed back, and her fur appeared to stand on end.

“Captain, please forgive my distress, but we have a dire situation that demands your immediate consideration!” Her voice seemed shaken, a stark contrast to her usual measured tones.

Kaz’s whiskers jerked momentarily, taken aback by her uncharacteristic display of emotion. He'd never seen the Langan doctor so visibly shaken.

“I don't know what has transpired here that has you so on edge, but it is of utmost importance that you maintain composure,” he said sternly. “What exactly has occurred”

Zelana visibly struggled to maintain her professional decorum. Her small hands clutched her datapad so tightly that her claws were scratching the screen.

“During the simulation test, the specimen Ross exhibited highly concerning behavior that I find profoundly disturbing from both a professional and ethical standpoint…” She paused, as if the next words made her too uncomfortable to continue.

Kaz's whiskers twitched and his eyes narrowed slightly. “What type of behavior?”

Zelana's ears flattened further against her head, and her nose twitched rapidly as she steeled herself to speak.

“It began with only some minor antisocial actions at first, but quickly escalated into…” Her voice lowered a bit, and her words came out in short, clipped sentences. “More concerning things. The specimen appeared to be integrating with the virtual inhabitants, until a series of events led to it…” Her voice trembled, and she had to take a pause before continuing. “Engaging in lethal violence against them.”

Kaz's stance changed abruptly, betraying his alarm. He swiftly masked it, his expression returning to normal.

“Walk me through the entire sequence, from start to finish. I want every minute detail, regardless of how trivial it might appear.”

Zelana outlined the simulation's disturbing progression, from Ross's initial strange behavior to his increasingly troubling episodes, culminating in his homicidal attack on the beach.

“This doesn't add up,” Kaz said, his brow furrowing and whiskers twitching in concern. “We're clearly missing something. Are you absolutely positive you haven't overlooked any details? Even the slightest thing that might have provoked this behavior?”

“After thorough examination, I can confidently state that the simulation operated without flaw,” Zelana replied. “I've found no indication that language barriers contributed to the incident. The specimen's actions were entirely of its own volition.” She tapped her datapad, bringing up a small holographic replay of the lethal episode, and Kaz watched in horror as Ross gleefully gunned down the simulated beachgoers, laughing all the while.

Kaz stood motionless, his expression grave and shoulders tense, while Zelana's hands trembled slightly as she clutched her datapad.

“The gravity of the specimen's actions necessitated immediate intervention…” Zelana said as she shut off the holographic replay. “I've authorized sedation and containment.”

Kaz's understanding of the situation's severity didn't prevent his knee-jerk reaction. His voice rose sharply, tinged with both surprise and indignation.

“You've sedated and imprisoned a sentient creature due to its troublesome behavior within an artificial environment?”

Zelana's nose wrinkled slightly and her posture straightened, her tone becoming firmer and carrying a hint of reproach.

“With all due respect, Captain, describing the violent decimation of sentient beings as merely 'troublesome' fails to convey the true gravity of what transpired.”

“Simulated beings, Doctor Zelana,” Kaz reminded her, his voice deepening. “Yes, it's concerning and merits investigation, but your reaction appears extreme.” His tone sharpened, laced with skepticism. “To such an extent that I must question whether your hasty response is entirely grounded in professional judgment.”

Zelana's ears twitched back momentarily, her voice tinged with surprise and a hint of indignation. “Captain, your words carry an undercurrent I'm struggling to interpret.”

Kaz took a moment, underscoring the seriousness of what he'd say next.

“Doctor, have you reflected on whether your Langan traits might be impacting your choices? That your inherent inclination towards caution might be skewing your… judgment.”

Kaz's question triggered an instantaneous change in Zelana's stance; her spine stiffened and her hands gripped her datapad more tightly, her voice rising with controlled intensity.

“The specimen intentionally manifested a lethal weapon and employed it with callous disregard for life!” She took a step closer, her eyes darting between Kaz's, reflecting a mix of fear and urgency as they locked onto his gaze. “This wasn't a mere lapse in judgment; it was premeditated and executed without any external catalyst. It found amusement in it…” She spoke more slowly, her eyes revealing concern that nearly bordered on fear. “In all my years of practice, I've never encountered such an alarming behavioral outlier.” She held her silence; a calculated move to heighten the tension. “Captain, I must ask... if this situation doesn't necessitate extraordinary measures... what conceivable scenario would?”