I want a tinyfic on Nacal Tarstar, the space archaeologist
“Hey, Professor Varrone,” one of the undergrads calls excitedly from the sifter tray, “I think we got something here. It’s really small, but…”
Varrone hands the borrowed trowel she’s been gesturing with back to its owner and crosses the dig site. “This little thing?” she asks, pointing into the sieve, and picks it up when the undergrad nods. “Pretty thin. What do you think it is?”
“Looks like ceramic to me.” The student leans over, traces one fingernail very lightly across the fragment. “See how it’s got these two black lines running straight across it? Looks like decoration, right?”
“Could be,” Varrone allows. “Or could just be a bit of sedimentary rock with some darker strata. Hard to be sure just by looking.”
The student sags a little. “Oh. Well… how can you be sure, then?”
Varrone spreads her mandibles in the way she knows humans read as a smile. “The good news is, there’s an easy test. Well, easy for you, anyway – works for humans, not for Verpine.” She offers him the fragment back. “Lick it.”
The undergrad gapes at her. “What?”
“Lick it. Ceramic is porous; I’m told it’ll feel like it’s sticking to your tongue. It’s not perfect – bone or some porous stones will stick, too – but it’s a good first test.”
“You can just… lick artifacts?”
“As your professor, I am giving you official permission to lick the artifact.”
The student takes the little fragment from her, raises it to his mouth, and very cautiously extends his tongue to lick it.
“Well, Mr. Tarstar,” she says, making the mandible-smile again, “what’s the verdict?”
Nacal sighs. “Nothing. Just a little chunk of rock, I guess.” Then he brightens and adds, “But I did learn something really cool.”
(tagging @copperbadge - I thought you might like to know that Nacal is out here in the wild getting fic requested about him)
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