FOWC: Trial

The Safari park in Worcester upon Moon had decided, against the wishes of many, to loan a pair of giraffe like creatures from the Zoo on Io.

Since the ceasefire relations had improved with the help of nature; Earth’s moon and Io had formed a kind of trial exchange program to further the knowledge of each other’s remaining species. In fact for Worcester upon Moon’s safari park to have any live exhibits larger than the 3 foot honey ant was a real coup for the Lunar dwellers. The whole park was populated by the animals which were taken during the evacuation from Earth all those years ago. So to have a 20 foot high reptilian giraffe was a huge statement to the Moon people that relations were getting better between our closest neighbours.

The Problems started when the Lunartics (as the Ionians called them) sent over, in exchange for the Giraffe, a tiny creature, one who had to be exhibited under a microscope projected onto a large screen. This creature was Pthirus Pubis or the pubic lice, crabs if you like the Anglo Saxon translation. The Lunatics sent over a whole colony to the folk of Io, very generous and the Prime minister himself arrived at the space port to welcome the guests.

Apparently no one had informed the largely hairy population of Io it might be a good idea to keep these creatures under glass. And within weeks, the population was a scratching itching mass of very irritable Ionians.

The Giraffes had been recalled and relations soured.