Jump Space is timeless, at least as far as humans (and most other sapient species) mark time.  In a grey, featureless void, where the Universe technically ends at the edge of the Jump Field, a little less than a metre from the ship's hull, Time doesn't really exist, and Space hangs on only by the skin of its teeth.

Anything which disrupts the Jump Field is to be avoided.

Within the hull though, time moves as normal, starting at some point in the Past, and sliding into the Future, at a steady, continuous pace.  One second further for every second that passes.

It's been a little more than eighty-six thousand of those seconds since Saskia and Tylen started spraying the solvent into the air system.  The sensors on the filter arrays are registering a 55.7% decrease in the organic matter clogging them, and the figure is improving steadily.  The smell of the solvent is even starting to fade, or maybe everybody is getting used to it.

No new stowaways have appeared, and a visual inspection of the filters by the engineer shows that the eggs, and any hatchlings which had already appeared, are turning into a liquid sludge, which flows down into the lower sections of the filter arrays, with very little encouragment.

Shui's new pet refuses to fall over and die, in spite of the change in its diet and environment, and seems to be actually thriving in its new enclosure.  Every time anybody moves close to it, it promptly becomes very attentive, chirping, buzzing, and waving its antennae in a friendly manner.

Conrad goes back to his standard navigator's J-Space routine of doing nothing much, interspersed with spells of familiarising himself with the computer and nav systems.

In between constantly checking the corners of any room they happen to be in, for any signs of unauthorised movement, especially small unauthorised movement, Yas and Tylen run gunnery sims to pass the time.

And finally, Saskia goes through to see Jago, and declares the cleaning of the filters to be a success.  Even if there is no further improvement, there is more than enough life left in them to last until the ship lands at Arkadia.

Now... there's just the matter of the live female bug somewhere on the ship.

Shui continues to experiment with her 'pet', even to the point of placing her hand within the enclosure and allowing the creature to examine it.  If it climbs abord, she makes a habit of removing it from the container and carrying it around her office, or placing it on the desk with some food as she works.

She is very careful, though, to never allow it out of her sight.  She is also very careful to fully close the container (with airholes) - that other bug is out there, somewhere, and she wants to keep this one safe.

The doctor is convinced that this creature is more than it seems.  She does show it to Conrad, when and if he comes for his morning exercises.  Hopefully he remembers them...and hopefully he hasn't thrown away his plant.

She is pleased, though, that the infestation has been contained.  Now it must be eliminated.  That could take time - this is the sort of infestation and elimination with which Shui has little training or experience, and she leaves it up to their semi-professionals.

Lunchtime.  She heads down to the galley to eat, still wearing her lab-coat like an absent-minded professor.  Tea is prepared, and she sits at the empty table in silence, pondering what she has seen thus far.

”Penny for them,” Jago offers as he emerges from the bridge and sees the doctor sitting in quiet contemplation. He grabs his lunch from the coffee percolator and brings the steaming cup over to Shui and pulls out a chair.

“You look troubled, is everything OK?”

Shui glances up when the Captain arrives, and smiles politely.  "Captain Lanza," she greets him.  "A...penny?"  For a long moment the Doctor considers the words, then nods.  "Oh!  Yes, I comprehend."  One doesn't travel as much as she has without picking up something here and there, even if english isn't one's native tongue.

She looks back down into her cup as he pursues that idea, wondering about her current issues.  She taps one finger upon the side of the vessel, then turns to face the Captain.  "The animal we captured," she begins, "is mildly psionically active.  It displays behaviour that may be instinctual strategy, or planned manipulation, or even genuine emotional bonding.  I believe it may even be self-aware, as I understand such things, though I do not yet have proof."  Her fingers again drum against the side of the cup before she stills them instinctively.  Excess noise....

"I am uncertain as to where I should proceed.  If it is self-aware, how intelligent might it be?"  She frowns.  "Keeping such a being captive runs counter to my beliefs.  And yet, at the same time it seems pleased by its surroundings...is that, again, instinctual survival mechanisms coming into play, or is it actual emotional comprehension of the situation?"

Leaning back, she rubs her brows.  "My apologies.  Long-winded and possibly ridiculous."

"Gotcha, Will!  Hahaa, I win again!  God, this is boring," Yasmine blurts out as she finished yet another sim sitting.  She sighs and pushes away the controls, gets up and out of the seat to walk out on the bridge.

"Are we there yet?" she asks anyone in earshot in her best annoying voice, sounding pretty much like a little girl.  She looks however nothing like a little girl in her tanktop, camouflage trousers and army style boots.

"I'd go take another cup of cocoa if I didn't think I'd o.d. on it already," she comments with her normal voice and leans in over panel next to Conrad to support her weight on both arms, the back of her hands facing her and the fingers drumming the front of the panel.  As she stands there, looking a bit like a fashion model posing for a shoot, she looks at everything and nothing on the panel - almost itching to push a few buttons out of pure boredom.

Saskia has finally reached a decision.  It's been days now, and the dressing is almost as black as the sky in interstellar space.  It needs to be changed, and the wound looked at.  It keeps itching, for a start.

Maybe Shui should look at it again?

At least the doctor hadn't hurt it when she examined the injury.  She'd been very gentle, and nice to talk to as well.  Thinking back, Saskia doesn't recall speaking to the woman much before.  Come to think of it, she never talks to anybody much, except her engines.  Well, and Yas, of course, but Yas is different.  Saskia has known her for a long time.  Back in Saskia's Navy days, Yas had even served briefly on the same ship, though Jar-heads and Navy didn't mix so much.

But Shui seems alright, any way, and she hadn't lectured Saskia too much on keeping the cut clean.

Nervously, the engineer starts to scratch at the dressing, then stops herself, cursing under her breath.  "Sholtz it, Saskia Naomi Blake!  You served in the Emperors Navy and got a medal for having more balls than most male officers.  You shouldn't be so frelling squeamish about a little scratch!"

Screwing up her courage, and her eyes, she tears the dressing away.  Now for the next step - building up the nerve to look at her hand.

”Hmm,” Jago frowns, “’the animal,’ I take it you found something other than the creature we were looking for, how come I’m always the last to find out what’s going on, on this boat.”

Jago’s tone is resigned rather than annoyed, and he lapses into a thoughtful silence.

“I’d like to see it,” he says suddenly. “I take it that you’ve not been able to identify it yet, perhaps the passengers can help, Mr Janur was very helpful about the Harpers Termite, I wonder if there is a connection between them.” The Captain’s rhetorical musings again fade away, but the frown remains as he sips his coffee.

Coming out of her room, Saskia heads for Shui's quarters first, then changes course towards the crew lounge instead, when she hears voices from that direction.  Sure enough, Shui is there, chatting to Jago.

The engineer crosses the lounge and grabs herself a coffee, before turning around to face the doctor.  She raises her injured hand, "Look, it's better, thanks."

The hand is better.  No more than a deep scratch and some bruising remains to show where the bleeding wound had been.  Saskia studies the injury for a long moment, her face growing visibly paler.  Then, with a shake of her head, she says, "It's better."