Commander Juriton - I Don't Blame the Orion - Or Me
Wil Ukinix
((Sickbay, USS Kepler, – en route to UAW territory))
Wong: Truthfully, I always wanted to study macroviruses and I’ve been trying to obtain a sample for a while now. I just didn’t think I’d be seeing any traces of them out in the wild.
Juriton: Well, you’re in luck. And I hate to spoil the ending for you, Doctor, but I do know why you’re seeing fragments, and maybe this mould, possibly developing into a macrovirus.
When the blond Klingon raised an eyebrow, Juriton felt his heart race a little.
Varati: I don't quite understand this... You know where the error might be, and you're only telling us now? Theoretically, we could have been much further along with a solution by now.
Iko: Just bloody tell us mate.
He rubbed his chin for a moment, before continuing. (He also wondered about the use of the term “mate” in this context. Maybe it was a cultural thing)
Juriton: So, you know how Voyager’s gel packs used synthetic neural tissue?
Varati: Yes, of course?! Artificial tissue is used to ensure consistent structures and quality…
Wong: Please continue, Commander.
Juriton: During the design phase, we didn’t have the same manufacturing capabilities as Starfleet which is why they are smaller-- and...
He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, before letting the rest of the important information out.
Iko: ::quietly:: And?
Juriton: ...we couldn’t synthesise suitable tissue for use in our gel packs. So the decision was made to use our three species’ DNA instead.
Varati: ::incredulous head shaking:: Wait… What?! ::pauses and looks around:: Do you even know what you're saying?!
He nodded. He knew. It wasn’t his decision. And he totally understood his Federation counterpart’s reaction. He’d be just as incredulous if he was in her position.
Lieutenant Wong though held up his hand to ask for Lieutenant Varati as a gesture to get her to calm.
Wong: Commander, are you saying that the jump from gel pack to crew is because the gel packs have a genetic link to the crew?
Juriton: The gel packs just aren’t a random transmission vector. They’re... cousins of ours.
Iko: How did anyone think that was a good idea?
oO That, is the Kessel class racing vessel question, Commander. Oo
Varati: That’s unbelievable… By the Thousand Gods! !#@$@!
Wong: Varati, language.
Once again, Juriton felt that the Orion’s reaction was justified, even if the cursing was out of character for a Starfleet officer.
Wong: So you knew the whole time?
All he could do was shrug. Yes he knew. Was he meant to tell, though? No. He’d probably get disciplined now for doing so. But hey, now he was on a Starfleet vessel, at least someone would listen to him now.
Juriton: ::Shrug:: Taking shortcuts to reach the end goal has become the general philosophy of Astrofleet. Just ask all the infected people. And the Zumardi.
He gestured around to the Enterprise crew that has been transferred to the Kepler sickbay. He noticed one of them look on with curiosity at Juriton - and he knew, it wasn’t because of him. It was because of the revelation he just made.
Varati: ::to Juriton:: By the Nine Hells! Why are you using a technique you clearly don't understand? ::shaking her head again::
Juriton bobbed his head from side to side. If by “you” Varati meant the UAW, he agreed with the question. If instead she meant him personally, then he obviously had more explaining to do.
Wong: Varati, compose yourself. Commander Juriton is a guest here. Please treat him accordingly.
It seemed though that Varati was running too hot like a Tarisgna team racer to have listened to Doctor Wong, as she paced the room.
Varati: ::to Juriton:: So, let's summarize for the record: you designed and produced bioneural gel packs even though you lacked both the necessary knowledge and the appropriate materials? I mean, all of this could have blown up in your faces eventually, even without the Zumardi's interference... why not just use isolinear circuits?
Wong: Actually…. She does bring up a valid point - why was the DNA of all three of your species used to create the gel packs? Did you have other DNA samples available to you?
Iko: Of like. I dunno. An actual goo?
Juriton: ::To Varati:: If you mean me, personally, I designed? No. And I have no idea why they persisted with the gel packs behind my back. ::to Wong, slightly sarcastic:: I’m not sure, say, oh I don’t know, Terrellian mosquito DNA, Illidarian tiger DNA, and Yalitian crawling beast DNA would have been the best combination. They went with the shortest path. ::To Iko:: What’s “goo”? If it’s a better solution, can you synthesise it quickly?
Varati: I don't know if I can do that... but well, it's ultimately about the health of your crew, who probably know nothing about this faux pas? Okay, then we need DNA analyses from all affected species so we can develop a generic solution for both the crew and the gel packs. A large-scale denaturation of proteins.
Juriton quietly gestured once again to the UAW patients in sickbay. If they didn’t know (which he was sure they didn’t), they did now.
Wong: Agreed. Because right now, we need that information before the mold actually has any possibility of turing into a macrovirus.
Iko: I’d rather this… stuff not tear me apart any more than it is…
He nodded with some empathy. No-one should have been “torn apart” like that.
Juriton: Your science is more advanced than ours.
Varati: But first I need to check the results from my other scans... we don't want to go from one disaster to another. Let's hope that this time we will be spared the wrath of the gods.
Wong: Okay. Varati? Can you work on that with Iko for a moment, please?
Iko: Sure.
Varati: Response
Juriton: Anything I can do to help? I’m happy to share the results of my many scans, there may be some useful data you can use.
But Doctor Wong turned to him with another suggestion.
Wong: Ah, Commander. I think we are going to need a quick chat.
That made the Commander raise his eyebrows, then shrug. He was a guest on their ship, and they were trying to help, it was the least he could do. He stepped away from Iko and Varati, and headed to a “quieter” spot away from all of the patients.
(OOC: I’m going to remove Varati/Iko tags for this conversation, from Juriton’s POV he’s solely focused on Wong)
When they moved to their spot, Juriton decided to get ahead of the chasing pack.
Juriton: Just say what you have to say, Lieutenant, it’s probably nothing I haven’t thought myself.
Wong: Right. Well. I need you to understand something - when you told us about the genetic link between the crew and the gel packs, that was significant information that we could have used a lot sooner than later.
Juriton: Astrofleet have a policy of not letting me tell everyone everything I know about the esses they ignored and raced straight through. Especially to outsiders.
Wong: I want you to think of the crew currently in quarantine right now, Commander. Surely, you have someone there you care about, right? Someone who matters to you.
Juriton’s eyebrows furrowed a little with frustration, and some irritation, as he let Wong continue.
Wong: Withholding information like that means that we won’t be able to help you effectively. It means you won’t be able to help them either by extension.
Juriton: I agree with you.
Wong: I need you to be upfront from here on out, Commander. No holding back on anything no matter how minor. And as you’re doing so, please keep those you care about in quarantine in your mind. Now.... Are we in agreement?
The Terrellian looked away for a moment, then looked back - then gestured for he and Wong to step away half a metre further. He looked over his shoulder at the Astrofleet patients that were in the Kepler sick bay, making sure they were not with earshot, and noticed some of them looking at the pair.
To ensure they couldn’t hear him, he stepped a little closer and spoke quietly, almost into Wong’s shoulder, but low enough for Wong to hear.
Juriton: ::Quietly, annoyed:: I was meant to be lead scientist on the design of the Enterprise, and when it became clear the UAW were trying to rush the development of the entire fleet, I spoke up. Repeatedly. Issue after issue. I raised them. Eventually, they got sick of it, and told me to keep quiet. Reluctantly at first, I did. Then they stopped telling me about decisions they made, including about things like the gel packs.
He took a quick breath, then continued.
Juriton: ::Quietly under his breath, annoyed:: After a while, not speaking up became habit, it became pointless. When we first launched, I tried *again* to raise problems I was seeing and that we should return to dock, and was told not to be so political. I am a scientist, first and foremost, who has effectively been in a holding pattern in pit lane - despite, ironically, them making me a Commander and Senior Science officer, in recognition of my efforts.
He turned to glance at Wong out of the corner of his eye.
Juriton: ::Quietly under his breath, annoyed:: My cousin, a security officer, is in the overflow sickbay on the Enterprise. A nurse that I went to school and raced against in junior leagues with was one of the original patients. I have been tirelessly trying to find a way to stop this pathogen, from every angle with the comparatively limited technology we have, because of them and every other infected crew member. I do not and will not take responsibility for the UAW failures. So, even though we are both members of different science, defence and exploration bodies of our respective Governments, *Lieutenant*, I expect you to treat me with the same respect you would of any other Commander who’s trying to stop this outbreak with the constraints I’ve had.
He directed a pointed look towards the taller Klingon.
Juriton: ::Quietly under his breath, annoyed:: So, are we in agreement on *that*, Lieutenant?
He kept his eyes locked on Wong, before looking away when Commander Iko spoke.
Iko: With that out of the way…
He turned to see Amity’s second officer gesturing towards Varati. With jaw still clenched, he clasped his hands behind his back, and turned to give Varati his full attention.
Varati: Response
Wong: Response
Iko: Now, if this thing is becoming a macrovirus…
Varati/Wong: Response
Juriton: If I may make a suggestion--
When Iko raise her hand, and then coughed profusely, he moved over towards her, bending down a little to look her in the eye and make sure she was ok. But the coughing sounded bad. And, from all reports, it was consistent with what some other patients had experienced.
Juriton: Are you okay?
Varati/Wong: Response
The only thing that the Commander could manage was--
Iko: Ahhh $#@%...
Varati/Wong: Response
Juriton: Your crew certainly does love cursing. ::shrug:: Hey, whatever gets your ship racing, right?
Varati/Wong/Iko: Response
Juriton moved over to one of the Enterprise crew, a fellow Terrellian from a different continent, that was on a biobed.
Juriton: Hello Ensign, what’s your name?
Yalrees: Talias-Gron-Yalrees is my family name, Commander. Yalrees is my given name.
(OOC: Yalrees is an NPC, anyone can write for them)
Juriton: When did you become infected?
Yalrees: 3 days ago, while I was working duty shift in cargo bay 3, commander ::coughs::
Varati/Wong/Iko: Response
Yalrees: Is... is that true about the-- ::coughs:: --DNA?
Juriton ruefully nodded.
Juriton: You didn’t hear it from me.
Who was he kidding? “They” would figure it out eventually.
Varati/Wong/Iko: Response
Tags/TBC
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Commander Juriton
Senior Science Officer
UAW Enterprise
V239511WU0