The Anzac trip was a riot! Though Mrs Jogh made them took the van with her while Mr Evans drove the lab researchers in her new RV, Iqball, Ballqis, Aga and Micah had a lot of fun chugging through the six-hour journey.

The reached the research institute located near an estuary when it was nearly dark, but the festival atmosphere was dynamic at the exhibition grounds.

They parked near the RV where Mr Evans had already set up all the fish tanks for the one-day field exhibition tomorrow.

The researchers were especially careful with the specimen from Tank A.

"I heard it's the oldest specimen. It was Prof Jogh's legacy," said Micah as the younger trio observed the researchers handling the old fish. The old fish was massive compared to the latest generation. Its fins are much longer, unlike regular tilapias of its age. Put next to the fish in Tank B, a regular specimen of similar age, Tank A fish is almost 30 percent bigger.

Specimen from Tank 6, 7 and 8 were also brought and they settled happily at the exhibition corner allocated for their team.

"How are you doing, old boy?" Ballqis greeted T7 when the rest were still enjoying the packed meal delivered by the organiser.

The fish swam and ate without any protest, eventhough it was soy, not his choice pellet.

Ballqis whispered to the animal.

"I want to know how you feel about Mirna. Is she a good friend of yours? You said she's an old friend, but would you trust her to take care of you when the time comes? Do you think you would be happy with her?" she asked as she dropped a couple of corn pellets.

The fish stilled for a second.

Mirna is a friend. Not like you and Iqball. Not like me and the fish next to me.

The thought sneaked through her brain as the genetically-enhanced fish slide close to T6, Iqball's favourite jumper.

"What do you mean by that?" Balqis asked, confused at the mention of Iqball.

Mirna and I can't mate. The fish next to me and I can. You and Iqball can.

Ballqis dropped the pellet bag she was holding. Lucky for her, it no longer contain much, as she had fed the rest of the fish.

That's not what friends are for! People of opposite gender aren't  just made for mating! Goodness. Ballqis was appalled at T7's simplified deduction.

She tried getting the fish to talk more about Mirna, but T7 was done communicating.

"I can't even talk to Iqball about this! Darn fish," she mumbled as she cleared the floor of spilled pellets.

"Can't talk to me about what?" Iqball's voice crept from behind her.

The dirty pellets Ballqis had collected spilled onto the floor yet again.

"I thought you were a bear!" she hissed.

Iqball nearly laugh but the red face Ballqis was sporting told him to hold his tongue. But then he laughed anyway and so did she. He quickly put down the sour apples he had gotten from the organiser's fruit stand.

"Sorry. I just happened to walk in when you said that... Is it about me? Did I do or not do..."

Ballqis quickly smiled to cover her nervousness.

"It was T7. He said something that made me..."

"Blush? I hope the fish will tell me about it. You look cute when you blush. Maybe I'll look cute too," he quipped.

Ballqis laughed. Oh yes, that would be interesting.

"How about you try that," she joked.

At the sound of her laughter, Iqball heaved a small sigh of relief.

"There's an elevated walkway along the estuary. Micah and Aga are already down that trail. Shall we check it out?" Iqball invited her.

Ballqis nodded before her nerves got her tongue again.

His heart was pounding as they climb the stairs up the wooden walkway.

"So what did T7 say?" he asked as they began their stroll.

The walkway was illuminated by the string of lights that lined on branches of trees draping on one side.

Ballqis hesitated for a second before she said, "I asked him about Mirna and he said she is a friend. But they can't..."

She could not say the word.

"They can't live together?"

"Yeah, sort of. He actually used the word 'mate', can you believe it?"

A guffaw escaped from Iqball.

"Darn fish," Ballqis muttered.

They continued walking and passed several groups of visitors, all likely exhibitors and organisers of the event and made a few friends.

They saw Micah and Aga walking with a couple of girls.

"It's true. Our lead researcher really did ripped the gills out of her specimen and cooked it, all within six minutes during our last outing. You guys better flock to our tent at 2pm tomorrow. That's the time she will present," Micah said, trying to impress and invite the girls to their corner.

Ballqis and Iqball slowed their steps.

The girls laughed and promised to come. They left Aga and Micah.

"Mrs Jogh really did that?" asked Aga.

Micah laughed.

"She really did. It was such a clean yank that I thought that must be how she ate all the fish she's been devouring," the senior revealed.

"Good heavens," Aga said. The younger man couldn't picture the gregarious Mrs Jogh doing something so violent.

"I think she was trying to impress the men in the room. It's hard being a woman researcher among the men. There's always the stigma of being weak, not detailed enough, and for Mrs Jogh it is worse because people are saying she was just riding on the foundation her husband had built," Micah went on.

Ballqis and Iqball wondered why Micah never told them any of this.

Aga was silent for a while but then said, "That's unfortunate. We should help her make the best impression tomorrow. But how come you know all this?"

Micah cleared his throat.

"I don't advertise this, but I am Mrs Jogh's nephew. She's my dad's older sister," said Micah.

Ballqis and Iqball chose that moment to interrupt.

Micah looked a little flustered, knowing they had heard him.

"Hey Micah I'm sorry if I ever said anything bad about your aunt," Iqball apologised.

"Naah, none of you ever said anything worth telling her about. It's not like Mirna. I know you two are her friends, but when she was still engaged with the lab she and Mrs Jogh had a fight. She said Mrs Jogh should believe her when she said she could communicate with the fish, can you all believe that?" Micah snorted.

Aga laughed.

"Maybe all the cleaning duty got her crazy. I know I wanted to scream when I had to deep clean the tanks. They smell so nasty!" Aga chipped in.

Ballqis and Iqball pretended to laugh.

"No wonder Mirna once said there were two people in the lab who think she's a nut case for saying the fish could talk," Ballqis commented later, after they had left Micah and Aga near the fishing spot.

They had reached the end of the walkway by then.

Iqball shook his head.

"I'm still not sure if we could fully trust Mirna. But I don't want to waste tonight thinking about her. I want to think about you," he said as he cornered her.

Ballqis gulped. Her hands gripped the railing nervously.

"Is it OK if I do that?" Iqball asked again, his voice, filled with hope.