Science Catch-up

Posted on Wed Dec 18th, 2024 @ 2:34pm by Captain Dr. Nairut Noxi & Lieutenant JG Elysian "Elly" Clarke & Lieutenant Commander Lae'or Tahlin & Lieutenant JG Rose Andrake

1,782 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go...
Location: Labs
Timeline: MD-16

Noxi left the Engineer in charge again, since Chandler was planet-side, and made her way to the labs. She was a hands-on Captain-of course, she could just call down to the labs, but she wanted to SEE things. Her brain operated like that-she had to visualize and feel things to understand them fully.

"Captain aboard," she called out, donning the lab glasses. She forewent the jacket, but would if Lae'or insisted. "Good morning. Where are we at with an antidote to the GMO plants and acid rains?" She asked.

"I've got T'rysu from Medical sequencing the genetics and hopefully we have enough fragments from the samples to put together a stable genome, got Pharmacology and Chemistry working on delivery methods for our recombined genome, and I'm debating whether the best delivery method is just to virus bomb the fields with the new stuff. More, been checking the logs and not a damn nobody touched the replicator. Didn't even use it. Like word never got out. Kinda makes me want to suit up and grab a few Marines and go full pirate on whatever facility's making this damn pesticide." Rose didn't look up from her coffee and her tablet. Frankly, these people should count themselves lucky she decided to wear pants, let alone a lab coat. "In all reality I'm on the ecological problems. Turns out the acid rain's not that big an issue, they've got a sulphur eating bacteria in the soil, part of their nitrogen cycle. Stop the rain, soil acidosis will ease up in under a week. By the way, I'm sending some paperwork to Command about my transporter sickness. I'd appreciate your signature."

Noxi blinked. "Ok, I am going to need you to stop. Repeat. Explain it to me like I am a child," she said. "I was a doctor, remember?" She said. "But yes, I'll sign that, of course," she said. "Please remember to let anyone in command know that you have a dispensation to shuttle out instead of transport. I DID send a vague note to the department heads," she said. The first day it had come up-a few days ago now, She'd been busy since.

"Compounds that modify DNA are difficult to reverse," Rose sighed. "The changes tend to be random, with only a few changes being good. How early genetic modification worked. Cause mutation, grow what has the genes you want, toss everything else. In order to reverse it, you need a clean set of genes. Makes it take a while. I got experts from other departments to help. The planet has critters that eat the acid. Other experts are working on how to apply that change. I've got a few ideas. You remember that gender dysphoria treatment from the 2290s where the doc and engineering would put together a new transporter pattern and send the patient through to overlay the new pattern before bringing them back in the same place? I'm thinking same concept. Hell, it was Tahlin's idea. We use the cargo transporter? It's slow. And there's more than one plant species involved. So I'd like to go down and grab some clean seed. But there are downsides. Tally and Elly can fill you in better, and I'm sure someone knows transporter theory better than I do. Something about them leaving me tits deep in sensory Hell. That your new chief engineer got to see first hand in stead of hearing me call her cute again."

Noxi nodded. "Ok, I am following now," she said. "Yeah, or you can just replicate them in a virus and send it in?" She asked. That's what SHE'D do, but of course, her brain operated from a strictly medical standpoint. "Or something similar," she said, "of course, a denatured one. Don't want people catching something." She sighed. "Oh, you two know each other?! Great! I expect good news, then," she said. She turned to speak to the Botanist, but was interrupted by the arrival of the Chief.

Tahlin entered, two coffees in hand, a PADD under one arm. "Rosie, ease up. I'm only used to you because I knew you as a kid... Captain!" She set one of the coffees down on a nearby counter, then saluted. "My apologies--I wasn't aware you'd be coming down this soon... Lieutenant Andrake is a full head of steam, but she's essentially correct. It'll be a slow process, and honestly, if we want this done in any kind of timely, I recommend using shuttles, and getting the other ships involved--basically, anything with a working transporter we have access to, especially if they can be modified for narrow confinement beams and delicate work, we use. I'm estimating a day or two for everything the colonists actually use, and more like three to five for everything. It'll be faster once we get started, but still... Of course, we'll still have to evacuate people, but it'll speed up the recovery efforts significantly... I've got Lieutenant Clark--this is hers, by the way,"--the Bajoran gestured to the coffee she'd set down--"working on the possibility of a computer algorithm to automate a lot of the transporter work, but its not going well. She's also liasing with the other ships to coordinate efforts. Clarke-you're lucky I like you so far, coffee's here!"

Noxi smiled. "It's ok. I am more of a hands-on kind of Captain. Besides, I get bored sitting in the Big Chair," she said. "I am only the Captain because of a field promotion," she explained. "Several weeks ago, I was the CMO on this very ship. Now? Here I am," she said. "Old habits die hard," she said.

Tahlin nodded. "I know how that goes... Klingons made me acting CSO on the Venture for a few months before the Dominion went insane... Long story."

The Commander turned to face the other Bajoran. "Short version--we should have answers in... Three hours, maybe four, on whether or not we have to do all the transporter work manually. It'd be faster, but the Intrepid had a bit of a glitch in one of the critical bioneural packs... While we wait, if Clark can handle things up here, I'd like to request permission for Lieutenant Andrake and myself to be part of the next away team. She'll need those samples if this has any chance of working, and I want to take a look at this firsthand... Like you, I'm a hands-on type," she ended in Bajoran, then smiled tightly, waiting on Noxi's response.

Noxi nodded. "Sounds good," she said. "Lt. Clarke," she said. "What are these downfalls that Lt. Andrake mentioned?"

Elly smiled.

"Well, the first one being that we don't have a way to reproduce it quickly enough. We can leave the samples here, and let the Nadean people replant them, but it could take up to two growing cycles to make a good impact," she said. "A growing season here is just three months-otherwise, it is rock-solid ice in the main growing colony," she said. "I AM working on seeing if we could engineer some kind of species that can grow in the ice, but so far, no dice," she said. "There is a second region that would support the growing of crops, but the colony there seems reticent to adopt it. They operate very much on strict social and regional codes, and they don't want to step on others' toes," she said. "That said, I think I can at least educate them about small batch farms, at least to self-support until the fertile region is ready to mass-grow the wheat," she explained. "I will bring that up when we meet them today." She smiled. "Also, I am concerned that the acid rain is poisoning the water," she said. "And the blowback from that. I'd like to ask permission-from you, the Chief, and THEM-to add a cleaning agent to the water," she said. "Probably some kind of moss, unless they'd allow a chemical, such as pure Chlorine. It's quickly evaporated, and won't cause any ill effects, according to the EMH, on the people," she said.

"Aside completely nuking the microbials of the fresh water supply, it might work. I'll grab a few lake water and well water samples. Sodium bicarbonate or calcium chloride would be a better solution than anhydrous chlorine so you can get the dosage right, okay? The transporter truck should replant each clean genome plant at the same point in the growth cycle. This ecosystem is already amazing, with a spectacularly fast growth rate, so with a few tweaks... Maybe a bit of sundiving for the reaction mass and then ripping a replicator circuit and using the plasma to fuel a cargo transporter with a replicator board in its pattern buffer to mass manufacture the raw processed crops that will last them until the next growing season? Cap'n, you want me to snag F'rar for that or you think she'll be distracting?"

Elly nodded. "That's a good point," she said. "Thanks. As soon as you can get those back, I can start the process," Elly said to Rose.

Noxi nodded. "Yes, coordinate with Engineering," she said. "We need as many hands-and eyes-as possible on this. I want it done by tonight, if at all possible-the evacuation will happen sometime this afternoon, which gives us time to work quickly and unencumbered," she said.

"I'll get my suit," Rose nodded.

Tahlin shot Andrake a look. "I'm not sure I want to know. As long as you can function, and get this done quickly... Captain, I'll get all hands on deck. Can the Intrepid or Endeavour be any help, or are we it?"

Noxi nodded. "I am sure their science officers can help, I'll ask," she said. "I'll have their respective CSO's contact you," she said.

"You really don't," Rose responded to the question, half wishing she could still press the memory and sensations. The sensations of everyone around her during an event that shook her trust of skies forever. "Just let me suit up before we take the shuttle. I'll get a couple ensigns loading sample kits and equipment, give Engineering a hit time, et cetera. Ad nauseum. Ciao." She swept up her coffee and tablet, stepping out of the lab.

Noxi nodded. "Well, I'll leave you three to it down here," she said. "I should get up to the Bridge," she said, stepping out, and taking off the lab glasses. She didn't miss THAT.

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A Mission Post by:

Capt. Dr. Nairut Noxi
Commanding Officer
USS Deliverance

&

Lt. Rose Andrake
Stellar Cartographer
USS Deliverance

&

LtJG Elysian "Elly" Clarke
Botanist
USS Deliverance

&

Lae'or Tahlin
Chief Science Officer
USS Deliverance

 

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