The smooth, sterile walls of the tulpar enclosure gleamed faintly under the diffused, constant light. Jimmy, now a dark, cylindrical bark beetle, scuttled across a miniature slab of what looked like carefully curated, aged wood. His tiny legs, usually so adept at boring, felt clumsy against the unfamiliar surface. A phantom itch of resentment, a familiar burn, pulsed beneath his chitinous shell. His mandible twitched, a useless action against the impenetrable walls, yet he felt an overwhelming urge to drill, to burrow, to undermine something, anything.

(an Au where they were transformed thanks to an experimental formula and equipment into an insect. A crew member accidentally got infected by it while getting something from storage. they are still on the tulpar being kept in an enclosure until they can be turned back)