Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari ~ Stacks of Sheliaks

[Roxanna Dorion]

(((Main Sickbay)))

The remains of the general were currently suspended. The degradation was baffling, which, was extra baffling because of how little information they had to compare it to. But, she was examining the latest readings and froze. 

Ohnari: Whoa. ::turning in her chair:: You have got to see this...

Melville-Kilpatrick: What's happening?

Ohnari: Hydrofluoric Acid. Or, something very close. See that third chain? ::pointing to the screen:: It's not artificial. And unless we find some sort of...implant that Amelia had mentioned...the Sheliak have the ability to secret some version of...it's like a Sheliak cyanide capsule.....

Was it some kind of...end of life protection? She had no idea what the environment of their homeworld was, but she knew it was radiation heavy, so perhaps they didn't have scavengers to assist with decomp so they just...did it themselves? 

How bureaucratic. 

Melville-Kilpatrick: I don't get it. Why allow capture, then use this hydrofluoric acid? Not that I'm advocating for suicide, but if the end goal is to die before you can give any information...well, I think maybe we would hear more about the Sheliak turning to goop instead of Sheliak prisoners.

Ohnari: The rate of deterioration is alarming.  

Melville-Kilpatrick: ::looking closer:: So you think it's natural? They can just ::wincing:: do that, on purpose? It could be a stress response, maybe. Or some...rather interesting genetic modification.

Ohnari: ::tilting her head, trying to shake loose a thought:: It could be as he was a high profile detainee, he may have had a "In case of emergencies" contingency plan...But it isn't foreign. That is what is surprising, is that it doesn't to be something that was introduced externally. 

Melville-Kilpatrick: Is it present in the other bodies, or just the General's? Maybe we should alert the others--just in case.

Ohnari: The computer hasn't finished the analysis of the second set of...remains, but considering the state of them..? I wonder if it is something they activate in order to avoid...but then wouldn't the entire Sheliak ward of the detention center just be...a pile of goop? Wait, you just said that. 

She was thinking out loud, and yammering. Half of one thought wouldn't even finish before another started. 

Melville-Kilpatrick: Response 

Ohnari: I wonder if it is something less....sinister? Perhaps given the silica based biology, this is how they avoid having stacks of Sheliaks littering the streets...? They seem to prioritize efficiency...::a chime alerted them to the new report:: Ooh, grab that PADD, we'll see if the other remains match. 

Melville-Kilpatrick: Response

Ohnari: Does it appear organic as well?

Melville-Kilpatrick: Response

Ohnari: So...they somehow managed to warp speed decomposition...either to protect intel, or just...how they are...? ::rubbing the ridges of her forehead:: Of course we have no way of confirming this, so our reports are going to be a giant question mark with little anecdotes of unverifiable information....? ::snorting:: Sounds like medschool term papers. ::sighing heavily:: this will go in the "We wish we knew" File....::slapping the fellow physicians back in comfort, grinning:: Welcome to life in Starfleet medicine. 

TAG/END for Ohnari 

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Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Khitomer
C239205ME0