ILLUMINARRPG: (7 - 1323) ACSO Ensign jg Zara Khatri

[Zara Khatri]

Mission: Exogenesis
Day 7
Stardate: 2446.06.07

(USS Illuminar - Dexk 6 - Biochemistry Lab - ACSO Ensign jg Zara Khatri - 1323)

While medical and science people had been sent to the bio lab to work on the crisis afflicting the health of the crew, Zara asked for, and was given, permission to remain by Yevan zh'Firre's side.  The Andorian engineer was in the worst condition of anyone, so Zara felt it was important for someone to stay with her in case the worst happened.

In their three days together, Zara and Yevan had become close, a bond forming even Zara couldn't explain.  Yevan was the first to pass from the contagion and Zara was now in the lab, doing everything in her power to make sure there were no more.

Zara received some comfort in the hope and knowledge, while with the Earth Guardian now, Yevan was strong again.

"Ms. Khatri, I would like for you to review this."

The voice brought Zara from Yevan to the task at hand.  She moved to a work table where Captain Sekal was using an archaic microscope.

"Sir?"

"Yes.  It occurred to me that we have been looking for the wrong agent," said Sekal.

That was certainly possible.  They had tried, retried, and tried again, everything they were supposed to do, with no results.

Sekal stated what they all knew, what had been baffling them, that a biological organism would have been discovered and stopped.

"Something of mechanical origin however, might be able to avoid detection from scanners," said Sekal.

Of course!  That made perfect sense.  It was something Zara should have considered.  Her grief over Yevan was keeping her from being her best.  Taking a cleansing breath, she forced all thoughts of the last three days out of her mind.  Though feeling guilty, there would be time later to continue mourning.

"Observe the stain closely and within it what can only be a submicroscopic nanite,"said Sekal.

While looking, Zara was fascinated by the captain's explanation about how these nanites were attacking the crew.

"Their own weakness being that they cannot avoid visual detection and the spectrum of light," said Sekal.

Light!  Zara's eidetic memory kicked in.  "Sir, there's something from my first year at the academy..."  Zara rushed to her work station, accessing the computer logs.  "There!"  She waited for Sekal.

"In 2366, on the Enterprise-D, a civilian scientist was conducting a once-in-a-lifetime experiment on a neutron star.  On board, one of the school children was doing his own experiment with nanites.  Two of them escaped containment and evolved into sentient life.  To survive, they were consuming circuitry in the computer core.  This was ruining the neutron experiment and put the ship in danger.  To stop them, the scientist flooded the core with gamma radiation, which destroyed most of the nanites.  Unfortunately, there's nothing in the log that states the intensity level of the radiation."

Zara was so excited that she may have found a solution, she needed to slow down.

"Captain, I don't know if this is the answer, but if it is, medical will need to find the balance between stopping the nanites without killing the crew."

(reply Sekal, any)
(posted by Mary Lou)