Lieutenant Ras El'Heem - Flamingo Interlopers
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((Airlock, Deck 16, USS Khitomer))
Yet again, the Khitomer found itself on the precipice of scientific discovery, and if Richard hadn’t been snatched away by the flamingo interlopers, Ras would be vibrating with excitement as the Chief of Science who would get to catalogue the technology on his very first shift. Instead, the walk over was filled with tense silence. Yes they needed a sample of the nebula to understand how to get the Khitomer out of the mud, but his mind was stuck on contingencies and how he could assist in Richards extradition.
They didn’t yet know the ship capabilities they’d be up against. How much hostile intent to expect. What they were doing to Richard. How much time they had. Could they use the tractor beam to pull their ship up close? Could they figure out a pattern in the transport buffer to steal him back? Richard was always the computer systems guy. His brain felt buzzy and when they arrived to the entrance to the airlock, Captain Naxell seemed much more full of himself than he ought to be.
Melville-Kilpatrick: We're here.
The walls of the airlock looked like someone had jumped into a tub of undiluted bubble bath mixture, and the smiley face drawn on the window added to the whimsical, if not cloyingly pink environment that Naxell stood within. Ras’s head slowly swiveled around the room.
El’Heem: ::slowly, unsure:: Uhhh…I’m guessing the airlock being redecorated
to Chief Ohnari’s standards of home décor is…good news?
If Ras could raise his eyebrows, they would be raised. He could raise his eyebrows of course, but he lacked the facial musculature for it to have any meaningful effect for anyone reading his face. Besides maybe Amelia. He resisted the urge to sigh about something only happening in his head.
Naxell: ::moving his face to the window:: Yes, good news indeed!
Melville-Kilpatrick: Well, that's something, at least.
The Chief walked into the center of the room, doing his best to avoid stepping in the nebula’s material and crouched down to examine it closer.
El’Heem: Uh huh, and the good news…is?
Naxell: The cloud can explode! ::gesturing around him:: Quite violently!
He stood abruptly and back pedaled near the airlock door where the muck wasn’t as concentrated.
Melville-Kilpatrick: And that's good news...because?
He swallowed uneasily.
El’Heem: That wouldn’t happen to be the cloud we currently find ourselves summering in, now, would it? ::long pause:: I fail to see the upside.
Naxell: Response
The remnants of the cloud that hitched a ride on the tether seemed to be concerningly more liquid than he anticipated. It looked structured when it was out there. He glanced towards the glass on the airlock door and could see just outside that the same pink hue seemed to be pressing itself against the glass absently, as if it had given up trying to get in but wanted to keep track of the bits it had lost.
Melville-Kilpatrick: So what would you recommend we do with it?
MK wasn’t a scientist, but he should know that collecting a sample is the same. Protocols in place to maintain sterility and ensure the sample is viable. He watched the captain knowingly.
Naxell: Response
Melville-Kilpatrick: Maybe a vacuum cleaner would be better than a dustpan, here.
El'Heem: Of which we have neither. ::pausing to walk slowly around where it was most concentrated in the center of the room:: We do have a containment canister and ::pulling out the PADD tucked under his arm:: we have a special processing receptacle that was being used to conduct experiments on the cellular level of the infected gel packs. This ::tapping at the screen:: is more pressing.
Naxell: Response
Melville-Kilpatrick: And we're sure it's not going to ::fumbling for words:: reconstitute itself? Try and capture someone else?
El'Heem: That’s what we aim to discover ensign. ::stepping out of the airlock and setting the PADD in an open locker just outside the door:: let’s get suited up, we don’t want to find out what it does when it touches bare skin.
Ras turned to the biohazard containment cubby on the wall and replicated two biohazard suits, one much taller than the other, and began stepping into it as he spoke.
El’Heem: I understand why you won’t let me go over. Male and all. And I trust you’re not going to leave Rich- uhh ensign Matthews to be eaten by the black widows, but…
He stopped speaking long enough to stand after securing the boots and began zipping up the bottom half of the suit.
Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
El’Heem: Ensign Matthews, though he has been an ensign for as long as I’ve been a member of Starfleet, is an important member of this crew.
Ras pulled on the gloves one at a time.
Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
El’Heem: Diplomatic nightmare aside, we cannot lose him….::turning to MK:: hand me the canister and zip me up please ensign ::taking the canister from MK and turning to face Naxell:: I can’t lose him. It was under my direction that he went out there. And….and….and that’s going to be a lot of PADDwork, frankly. I can’t have that on my record. And…and given the unknown technological element of ::looking around at the splatters of pink:: of the nature of the matriarchal society, I believe we need a science officer on the away team.
With his suit now zipped, he nodded his head in the direction of the biohazard replicator. With one hand he lifted the mask and placed it on his head.
El’Heem: Now you, MK. ::turning to the captain:: I urge
you to reconsider, respectfully ::beat:: sir.
Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Ras El ‘Heem
Chief Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3