Mirna cornered the duo a couple of nights after they had returned from the Mr Evans' trip to the main city.

Earlier that day, Ballqis had videocalled the senior to let her have a few moments with T7. The telepathic fish was more active than usual at the sight of Mirna. Mirna even made sign language for 'I miss you' to the tilapia.

"I still feel I should start the preparations to move Babyfish," Mirna said.

When she saw his erratic swim, Mirna was entirely convinced that the animal was scared. She begged Iqball and Ballqis to let her into the lab during their next shift.

"We can't let you in, Mirna. Micah said Mrs Jogh just upgraded the video surveillance equipment at both labs," Ballqis said.

Mirna's shoulders dropped.

"We will keep an eye in case green stickers emerged on any of the tanks," promised Iqball.

"His tail was shaking too much. It's a weird kind of shake that I've come to recognise as fear. The first time I saw him do that was when my shift partner said he ate tilapia at a Vietnamese restaurant because he found it so weird that Mrs Jogh was this passionate about the species. He said they tasted nice, but he couldn't understand why each fish inside the lab would cost so much when his meal was a $9.99 dish," Mirna shared.

"Well, Mrs Jogh did once said that tilapias are getting bad rep because they are sometimes farmed in dirty water and therefore retain toxins in their bodies. She said the species had so much potential..." Ballqis tried but then trailed when she saw Micah heading towards their table.

The senior was walking so fast but they managed to halt conversation in time.

"Hey Mirna, telling these kids about your fish?" Micah straightaway prodded.

"Shut up, Micah," was the reply he got. Mirna wasn't happy at all by his butting in.

"The fish are all still swimming happily. None of them has held a picket over soy pellets just yet," Micah added, laughing at his own joke.

"I've had a few soy protesters," Mirna quickly snapped.

Ballqis could not help but feel sorry for Mirna. But Micah even claimed the seat next to Iqball so that he could face the redhead.

"So have I, Micah. Some of the fish wouldn't touch those nasty pellets on some days. But we weren't talking about soy pellets, actually," Ballqis tried to sooth things.

Micah stopped laughing.

"Alright, alright. Please don't let me interrupt. Carry on, carry on," Micah said, not quite apologetically. And he did not even get up from the seat next to Iqball.

"Next time just mind your own business, Micah. Ballqis and Iqball happened to be Terry Pratchett's fans. His books are fascinating stuff. But I don't suppose you know what we're talking about at all, because you happen to be devoid of imagination," Mirna dissed.

"So was the talking fish part of your magnificent head's imagination then?" Micah rebutted with ease, pointing his sharp nose nearer to the seething girl besides Ballqis.

The fiery redhead grit her teeth. Iqball and Ballqis knew she was trying her hardest not to blast another comment, but she did look capable of giving Micah a tight slap across his cheeks.

"Yo, Micah, fourth person to arrive buys coffee. We were just talking about someone would show up and replenish our cups. Since you're keen on joining..." Iqball said as he clap his senior's back.

Micah let up his stare.

"Aw, Micah. I was thirsty for another latte," Ballqis joined in and held her cup up.

"Nice try, Balls," Micah grinned evilly.

He promptly left the table.

Mirna let the breath she had held gratefully.

"Thanks guys," she said as she made a face towards Micah.

And suddenly, her head swung back to face them.

"And how is it that you two are still talking to me? Haven't you arrived at the conclusion that I am a weirdo? Or that I was the one basket case that made Mrs Jogh stopped taking volunteers from other faculties besides hers?" she contested.

Ballqis and Iqball didn't have the chance to get their stories straight just yet when it comes to Mirna, so they both remained silent.

"Ah, so maybe you two were just humoring me?" she challenged them further.

"No, Mirna. We've seen how Babyfish reacted to your face. Plus, Molly told me that Aga once said to her that one of the fish in the lab was acting strangely. Aga was talking on a videocall that came in while cleaning the lab, and one of the fish was staring interestedly at their conversation," Ballqis revealed.

She hoped that would be good enough to keep Mirna at bay for a little while more.

Even Iqball found Aga's experience exciting when Ballqis told him about it while they had enjoyed the feast at the museum.

"That must be my Babyfish. He loves spying on people talking and watching TV. That's how he learnt so much," Mirna sighed with a wistful look on her face.

To Ballqis, Mirna cares a lot about the fish. She wanted to tell her that T7 would soon be mated off with T6, but the older girl suddenly spoke worriedly.

"I guess I'll just prepare the intercept once the fish are scheduled to be shipped out."

Iqball who have kept silence for sometime tried to ease her.

"We discovered that all these while, the green taggers were sent to a farm for breeding, so don't worry about Babyfish, Mirna."

"What? Really? So he is not going to end up as a Vietnamese dish? That's a relief! But then... why was Babyfish behaving as if he is scared of something truly nasty?" Mirna scrunched her face, her worries renewed.

That's something we have to find out, Ballqis told Iqball with a blink of her eyes.

Iqball agreed.

But to Mirna, they could only shrug cluelessly.

***

Later that night as they walk back to their apartment block, Iqball and Ballqis could not stop theorizing why T7 a.k.a Babyfish seemed terrified when he was talking to Mirna.

"I hope we'll have time to observe him during our next shift," Ballqis sighed.

"We should, the double tanks needed at least a week to be prepped and T6 will be transferred there first, Mrs Jogh said, remember?" Iqball reminded.

"Could Mirna be wrong, you think?"

"So far she has not said any untruth," Iqball mused.

Ballqis hesitated.

"I know you want to find out what else the fish is capable of, I guess that's why you're holding out on her about us knowing that T7 could communicate telepathically, right?"

Iqball smiled a half-smile.

"You always figure me out. I should have known that when you confiscated the e-ciggy," he jested half-heartedly. He knew she wanted to remind him that it was time to let other people in. 

Mirna knew, in fact she discovered the fish's capability. Aga have seen the fish being weird. Molly thought something strange was happening in the lab. 

"We should band together and tell Mrs Jogh about this. She'd be the researcher of the century," Ballqis pointed out.

A species that isn't human that could communicate with people telepathically, thanks to the genes planted by Professor Jogh in its ancestors' body. It would definitely shock the world. And Mrs Jogh was sitting on the cusp of success even without this knowledge. Take away her gills ripping skills, the lead researcher was someone who would know what to do with T7.

"Mirna tried and failed, what makes you think Mrs Jogh would listen to us?" Iqball contested.

"That's why we need to band together and present a strong case ... I'm not sure how we can document the communication or provide evidence ..."

"Exactly, Ballqis ..." Iqball said.

His companion's steps slowed, her face downturned.

"... but that's not exactly why I'm holding out on Mirna," he added.

Ballqis looked up towards Iqball's face. As he was inches taller than her, she had to point her stare upwards, and she noticed the moon behind his head.

"The thing is, I'm quite selfish. I like sharing a secret with you, and you alone. My stupid brain thinks you won't be quite as interested in me once you have other people to discuss about T7. I know that ..."

"That's not true," she chimed in.

"Yes, I know you better now, and I know we're friends, but still ... it's damn nice to have something so special, a secret, a discovery, a phenomenon this big... just between us," Iqball revealed.

Ballqis grinned. Somehow Iqball's brand of logic came across as endearing to her. 

Oh boy, I must really, really like Iqball to tolerate his stupid logic, she thought to herself but could not stop smiling.

"How about you and I share something else that is even more special?"

Her offer floored him.

"What ... what do you mean? What do you have in mind?" he quizzed her as hopes and dreams mesh inside his heart and produced something he had never felt before.

Ballqis cackled. Iqball's face was a cross between excitement and terror.

"A date," she said.

Iqball laughed along.

"Ok, I'm in," he quickly replied.