Challenge #01815-D354: Complex Brain Chemistry
That first cup of coffee that finally gets your brain out of bed. -- Knitnan
Consciousness and cogniscence are two different states of being. One learns this quickly with a human in one's immediate vicinity. Folkax was still attempting to fathom it. The ships' Human was one of the ones with an irregular sleep cycle, and an even worse method of retaining wakefulness.
Human Ren would stumble out of their sleep nook with a complaining moan when they 'could not sleep anymore', and groan all the way to the mess, where they were allowed to prepare their deadly theobromine solutions. Under a special hood that kept the hazardous vapours from everyone else. Once there, they would lean on things and mumble complaining noises until their steaming cup was ready.
The cup was something Human Ren had brought with them. It had a clear window in a line from the base of the cup to the top, and a series of demarcations running from, NO! to Now, you may speak. Which was the lowest line on the outside of the cup. It was an accurate device. Human Ren was not capable of rational conversation until their first cup of theobromine had been imbibed.
There was a rumour on the ship about the time space pirates tried to disturb Human Ren whilst they were beginning their theobromine ritual, and Human Ren had thrown the solution on their captain. The deadly hot, poison solution had killed the leader (a) instantly, (b) horribly, or (c) both. There was some variation in the telling, but the pirates had surrendered largely owing to Human Ren's inability to 'give half a fuck' before they had their coffee.
There were entire days when Human Ren seemed to exist on the toxic solution.
Folkax watched them, as she had for some time every morning. But this was the morning that Human Ren noticed.
They had reached the Ssh... level of their mug, looked over at Folkax, and mumbled, "What?"
Honesty, and a hushed voice, were key at this point. "I am attempting to log other indicators of your... more amenable states of mind."
"Mmmnnh," said Human Ren. "You little bugs are weirdos."
"I am also attempting to log how, why, and when you might need another coffee. For optimal performance levels."
Human Ren reached, Not yet. "You take this cup way too seriously, sometimes."
"It is a rather accurate metric," Folkax insisted.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / mihalec]
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