ILLUMINARRPG: (7 - 1530) ACSO Ensign jg Zara Khatri

[Zara Khatri]

Mission: Exogenesis
Day 7
Stardate: 2446.06.07

(USS Illuminar - Deck 6 - Biochemistry Lab - ACSO Ensign jg Zara Khatri - 1530)

Zara sat at her work station, staring at nothing. She was trying her best to contribute to resolving the nanite crisis, but her thoughts kept going back to Yevan. Honoring her friend by helping others was all she had now, but by allowing herself to be distracted, she wasn't helping anyone. The cramped quarters and body aromas filling the air didn't help and she was hungry. Rubbing her eyes, Zara went back to searching for ideas.

There was a humming sound. Another distraction.

Doctor Solice beamed into the lab.

“Captain. Ensign.”

"Doctor," said Sekal.

Solice announced that isolation protocols had failed. Zara was normally the optimist, but all this was beginning to wear her down.

"We can now assist you in that regard. We have isolated the agent responsible," said Sekal.

Zara felt she didn't have enough to help, but the little she had was better than nothing.

"Ensign, the report please," said Sekal.

Zara stood up and began by telling Solice the sicknesses were caused by nanites. She then explained the incident from the Enterprise-D.

"I know gamma radiation is dangerous, and it's probably a silly option, but it's still one possibility."

"Captain Sekal has suggested hitting the nanites with an EM pulse. That could work, but we would need to shield the ship electronics and computer systems to insure they aren't affected. Perhaps send groups of people to the most remote part of the ship, use the EMP, then bring in the next group, and so on."

"I have one last option. I was able to contact the facility on Earth that manufactures nanites, though I had to go through several Starfleet channels to be given access. They're built with an emergency dissolve system. If we can determine that the nanites attacking us also have one and we can discover the frequency to activate it, we can shut them down. We would then need to purge their remains from our bodies, either through our natural immune systems or by artificial means."

Zara paused to take a breath.

"This is what I have at this point."

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