Triumphant Tribbles

Docked at Jouret Space Station, the crew of the USS Nexus found themselves in a scene that even the penta-ceturian captain, Anzyl Praxas, never imagined they would encounter.

"Well, I'll be," Captain Praxas muttered in his casual civilian clothes, his expression a mix of disbelief and curiosity, as he read the large banner, welcoming them at the entrance of the station: "The Intergalactic Tribble Grand Showcase."

His close friend and chief science officer, Nolan Rivas, and chief tactical officer, Veirik, stood beside him, also in their civilian clothes and equally surprised and perplexed.

"Who in their right mind would intentionally breed… Tribbles?" Veirik's concern was evident in his voice.

"Apparently, it's quite a popular hobby," Nolan replied, engrossed in reading a tablet on the subject. "Competitive Tribble Breeding is one of the fastest-growing pastimes in the alliance."

"Of course it's one of the fastest growing hobbies, their tribbles, all they do is grow and breed." Anzyl remarked, shaking his head in disbelief. He then tapped his com badge, addressing the senior staff. "Captain to senior staff. Under NO circumstances is a single tribble allowed aboard the Nexus!" His tone was firm and commanding. "Lock all gangways, and ensure the only access to and from the Nexus is through the teleporter buffers. Eroga," he directed his Klingon Operations officer, "I will hold you personally responsible if a single tribble makes it aboard the ship! Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly clear, sir," Eroga confirmed. "I too have no desire to see tribbles aboard our ship."

Anzyl nodded in satisfaction, then turned to his two friends. "Now then, shall we use our shore leave to learn more about this intriguing phenomenon of competitive Tribble breeding?"

Veirik grimaced slightly. "I'd rather not, but wherever you go, Captain, I go."

"I, for one, am quite curious about these little... balls of fur," Nolan added, adjusting his data pad. "I've never encountered anything quite like them. There were no... Tribbles... in the Voth."

With that, the trio ventured further into the world of competitive Tribble breeding, the station buzzing with breeders of various races and factions, each cradling a cooing, chirping tribble in their arms.

—

In the bustling main promenade of the space station, booths and stalls overflowed with an array of tribble paraphernalia, catering to the enthusiasts of competitive tribble breeding.

Patrons clutched tribbles of every conceivable color, boasting a spectrum that spanned the rainbow, each adorned with unique shades, fur textures, and markings.

"Wow… competitive Tribble breeding really IS a thing…" Anzyl marveled, his eyes darting between the diverse selection of tribbles in the patrons' hands. "White, brown, tiger-striped, leopard print, pink, blue polka dot…" his fascination evident as he scanned the furry creatures around him, "Is that a GOLD Tribble?!"

Red tribbles, blue tribbles, white tribbles, black tribbles—small tribbles the size of golf balls and massive ones resembling beach balls—filled the halls, creating a spectacle of color and variety.

"A rather BIG thing…" Veirik remarked, equally captivated by the abundance of tribbles surrounding them.

"The Tribble," Nolan expounded as he trailed behind the pair, engrossed in his datapad, "or Polygeminus Grex, native to the jungle world of Iota Geminorum IV," he continued, his eyes widening as he read, "with over 50% of its anatomy geared towards reproduction!?"

"Indeed, Doctor Dinosaur," Anzyl affirmed, "It's a well-known fact in the Federation now. When the crew of the Enterprise encountered them. Kirk's enterprise, after Pike." He corrected, "Dr. McCoy discovered that they are essentially born pregnant."

"Producing one litter of 10 every 12 hours or so…" Veirik chimed in, observing the scene with amusement.

Taken aback by the revelation, Nolan frowned, "Born pregnant? That defies biological logic!" He quickly found clarification in his data, "Ah, they give birth to genetic clones! That's more comprehensible," he remarked, "and the diverse coloration is a result of high Epigenetic Reprogramming within the Tribbles' genetic code," he elaborated further, "a parent can birth 10 clones with identical genetic material but randomly activate different colorations and variations… found in nature?" he trailed off, pondering the implications as the trio continued down the promenade. "I wonder what they mean by 'found in nature'?"

"I'm pretty sure THAT color isn't found in nature!" Anzyl remarked, eyeing a glowing neon green and blue Tribble in a Ferengi's hands. 

"Aha, yes," Nolan nodded in agreement, "It seems that the coloration is extremely altered by external stimuli and environment, especially by the food consumed by the parent tribble." 

Veirik surveyed the Tribble feed offerings. "Picking the right food for optimal color, it seems that literally anything and everything on the replicator's menu can alter their appearance."

"That does explain the…" Anzyl stood looking at a pink and black tiger striped tribble in a cardassian's arms. "Unusual colorations and the competitiveness of Tribble breeding…"

 "It also seems that one can naturally postpone and halt breeding by simply not feeding them," Nolan added. 

"Yeahp," Anzyl nodded, "Dr. McCoy said that when they first discovered them back in the day too."

Nolan, absorbed in his datapad, spoke up. "It's interesting, oh but that's grim…"

His interest piqued, Anzyl turned his ears towards him, "Shat do you mean?" but his eyes still encapsulated by the different banners of past winning tribbles.

Nolan's expression darkened as he explained, "It seems that a lack of food can trigger the extreme case of, Fetal Resorption, where the parent tribble lives off the unborn fetus in its uterus, halting the reproductive process and extending the lifespan."

Anzyl and Veirik grimaced at the unsettling revelation.

Nolan then shrugged it off, "but with an anatomy that is 50% dedicated to reproduction, that really doesn't come as a surprise when you think about it." Nolan quickly lightened the mood. "On a brighter note, spaying them is a simple solution to their over breeding problems. It allows them to live perfectly healthy lives."

The trio continued down the crowded promenade, eyeing the different shapes, sizes, and color schemes of the thousands of tribbles around them. 

Seeing the soft, warm and cooing little balls of fur, and observing how their handlers were entranced by their soft cuteness, Nolan began to ask, "Captain can I…"

"NO!"Anzyl and Veirik exclaimed together, swiftly raising their hands to halt any further discussion, quickly intervening to prevent Nolan from considering adopting a Tribble to bring aboard the Nexus.