Why and How?

A small puddle of liquid was wandering around the lab. He was feeling everything there was to feel. The floor was hard yet smooth and was made of tiles.

"Are you feeling around?" asked Dr. Mora.

"Yes," said the young Changeling. "Why is the floor smooth?"

"That's how the designers wanted to be," he answered.

"Why?"

"Because it was a good design for a lab," he said.

"Why?" asked the Changeling.

"It's easy to clean up spills."

"Why?" The young Changeling was fascinated by all this information. He wanted to know everything about everything.

"It's smooth so that spills can't stain a carpet."

"Why?"

"Because there is no carpet," he said. He understood that the Changeling was curious and he wanted to answer all of his questions. After torturing the poor fellow he was lucky that Odo Ital still talked to him.

"It's not a good design for a lab."

"Why?"

"I just explained that."

"Why?"

"You asked me to," he said. Ok, this was starting to get slightly annoying.

"Why?"

"I don't know; take that up with your subconscious."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know the answer," he replied. Odo Ital was being very difficult. Dr. Mora may have known a lot of things, but he didn't know everything.

"Why?" asked Odo Ital.

"No one ever taught it to me."

"Why?"

"They didn't think it was important."

"Why?"

"Because it's not," he said. He thought that that would be the end of the conversation, but it was only the beginning. "Listen; there is no why only how."

"Why?"

"Because I made it that way," he responded.

"How?" asked Odo Ital. Now he understood that Mora didn't like him to ask 'why'. He was going to ask 'how' from now on. Mora seemed to like it better.

"By saying it," Mora answered.

"How?" asked the Changeling.

"I used my vocal cords."

"How?" he asked. Mora didn't seem any less aggravated with the questions.

"I…well…it's science."

"How?" he asked yet again.

"I don't-stop asking questions!" he screamed in frustration. Dr. Mora stormed out of the room leaving a very confused Odo Ital.

"All you had to do was ask…" he said. But no one was around to hear him say it.