Ensign Joan Basilone --- One in a Million

[Alice Zim]

(( Science Laboratory, Deck 6, USS Njörðr ))

::Joan had decided to make herself useful, scrounging for more nickel from the lab, in case her first anti-mist bomb worked like she thought it would, when her train of thought was interrupted by the Commander::

Marshall: Where's Tis?

Basilone:::Pulling out her tricorder:: No idea, ma'am.

Sim: Response
 
::The search was short-lived, with the door to decontamination chamber opening up, revealing Carmen sitting on the floor.::

Marshall: Doctor, run through the process for Tis, then see yourself in there. 

Sim: Response

::Joan was about to recommence her scrounging for more nickel, when the ship made a rocking motion, accompanied by a high pitched screech that set Joan's heart pounding. The rocking motion made Joan stumble, though she did catch herself, just kneeling on one knee.::

::The Commander took a knee beside Joan, and Joan couldn't help but be in awe of the other woman's composure. If Joan were going to remain in Starfleet, the Commander was one of those individuals Joan would have strove to emulate.::

Marshall: Thank you, for taking the first plunge. It can't have been easy. How're you feeling?

::There was a fictional character from old Earth that Joan saw a video production of once. Chon Wang or John Wayne or something like that. The character was always serene, no matter what kind of conditions he found himself in. Joan did her best to channel Chon Wang in her response to the commander.::

Basilone:: No problems here, Commander.::Joan paused, then asked,:: Ma'am, I assume you have an ultimate goal we're heading for?

::As soon as Joan asked the question, she wished she hadn't. Of course the Commander had a plan. Focus on that, and don't doubt it.::

Marshall: Along those lines, yes. ::The Commander nodded, then exhaled again, running her hand over her face.:: Once we're free of this, we're going to be making a run up to the top deck. Any ideas on the PADD of how to get there?

Basilone: A general idea, ma'am. Unfortunately, we'll can't verify each step of the way is open until we're almost on top of it. The nebulae outside and that viscous gas inside is forcing me to be creative with the tricorder settings. ::Her chin set in determination, Joan added,:: Not to worry, Commander. You want a path to the top, I'll get you to the top.::

Marshall:: Response

::A flash of garish green brightened up the Science Labs again from the display console and the Commander looked over at the chamber as Carmen exited out of the opened door.::

Marshall: Everything alright? 

Tis: WELL, I certainly feel no DIFFERENT, so I will take that as a GOOD thing ah BASILONE?

Basilone:o OWell, whatever it did, it didn't improve her hearing.O o

::Joan appreciated that Carmen was tryiing to be optimistic about things, even if she could tell that the other woman must have been feeling some discomfort, by the way she was obviously forcing a smile on her face. Joan smiled back at Carmen, and flashed her a fist, with her thumb and pinky extended.::

Marshall/Sim/Tis: Response

::While the others prepared the chamber for the doctor's decontamination, a muffled explosion from somewhere in the distance was followed by another shakng of the room. Joan had just picked up a thin, long metallic rod, about a meter in length, when a huge crablike creature dropped from above. Wherever it had been dislodged from, its agression obviously hadn't been affected. It immediately advanced on Joan, claws clacking.::

::Without thinking, Joan lashed out at it with the rod in her hand, striking it between the eyes. While the creature's back legs continued advancing, it's forward legs and claws were flailing uselessly. Joan circled around the crab, took careful aim, and struck the creature in the rear. After about three tries, she must have found the right point, as the back legs joined the front ones in flailing uselessly. In just a matter of seconds, the creature stopped moving entirely.::

Marshall/Tis/Sim: Response

::Joan scanned the area with her tricorder, frowning. There didn't appear to be any more of the crabs in the immediate vicinity, though she couldn't tell if there were any beyond. The nebulae and accompanying damage to the ship weren't helping her tricorder readings. But with her luck, she had just killed the Njörðr's only specimen of this creature. She could hope that there were others from whatever habitat this one had escaped from, but Joan suspected she wasn't going to be that fortunate.::

Basilone: It's a crustacean, at least in appearance, though one with a number of unique properties. It appears to have adapted to surviving in a vacuum, for example. And I can't make heads or tails out of its metabolism. Simplified nervous system, though. We have crabs on my homeworld, though not quite as big as this one. The most humane way of killing them, once you remove them from a trap,  is to strike them between the eyes and at a point at the rear. Which seems to have worked on this one as well. Convergent evolution at work, I suppose. 

::Joan shrugged as she added the last sentence, though there was a clear note of disappointment in her voice. She could only imagine what her reaction would be if someone had just killed one of her lab specimens out of hand. True, present circumstances weren't conducive to rounding up escaped lab animals, but still...::

Marshall/Tis/Sim: Response

::Joan waved her tricorder around before turning her attention to the others::

Basilone: This one didn't bring any of his brothers along for thed boil. At least none within my currently limited tricorder range. But we should probably keep an eye out for other escaped specimens, ma'am. Once we get moving again.::The last was added directly toward the Commander.

Marshall/Tis/Sim: Response

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Ensign Joan Basilone
Science Officer
USS Gorkon
G239603JB0