Lieutenant Ras El'Heem - Fresh Meat
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((OOC: This scene got crowded fast. I will split us up so it doesn’t get overwhelming.))
((Main Sickbay, USS Khitomer))
If there was a right foot to get off on, Ras had certainly chosen the left with the Velithari. There wasn’t a male on the ship that they were happy to work alongside, and he was the single male who had stepped over the line that he doubted he come back from. Still, he was a science officer, scratch that, the Chief Science Officer and there were still many bug people mysteries to be solved. Of particular interest, was the nebula itself. An entire ecosystem in the vacuum of space? Sure, it wasn’t very diverse but the implications! It was incredibly easy for Ras to look past all the animosity Rana had pent up about his gender (and the whole cross-dressing thing), in favor of extracting all the information he could out of her. He’d bite his tongue for the time being. Vidya would be the better candidate for questions of this nature, anyways.
Rana: My apologies, I realize this comes across as rude to your people. ::addressing Ohnari directly:: I believe your...intelligence officer? Yes? She stated that it was possible that this warp drive that you and this Alliance share could do significant damage to the nebula. More damage than the Sencha.
That technically remained to be seen, but there would be blood, yes.
Ohnari: ::nodding:: That is certainly a high priority concern. One I am certain is being addressed, how best to extract ourselves and avoid the Lattice Alliance causing any harm to the nebula. You will have to forgive me but my field of expertise would be pertaining to your physical selves and by extension, possibly the Jorogumo as well since there seems to be a biological symbiosis.
Melville-Kilpatrick: I guess once we figure out what might have an impact on the connection between you and Jorogumo, if there is one, that is, then we can, ah, figure everything else out.
El'Heem: Sencha and our warp technologies both operate within subspace geometry. It is likely the theatre of war being utilized by both sides are of imminent danger to your nebula, but the warp drive…it’s a bit larger in scale than the conventional Sencha weaponry the Lattice Alliance has been utilizing.
Again, this likely didn’t do much to build trust in them with the Velithari, but the nebula was a victim of circumstance. The LA are probably not even aware of the significance of the pink cloud surrounding their target anyways.
Rana: If this is true, I believe my question would not be the effects of the Sencha on my people, but of the warp drive. We have lived with the microorganisms in the nebula for quite some time.
Ohnari: Lieutenant El'Heem is our chief science officer, while myself and Doctor Mellville-Kirkpatrick may focus on the protection of your people, Ras here might have more of an insight on the nebula's protection.
They needed to scale up whatever inoculant protocol they would use for the Velithari themselves. The mechanisms were undoubtedly as intertwined as they were with the Jorogumo.
Rana: I have limited-to-no experience with either of these technologies, but whatever prevents harm to my people is what is best for them, and that is what I want.
Ohnari: Now, if you would allow, I'd like to take a few scans, and with your permission, a microscopic sample of your physiology. I plan to be the least invasive as possible. I will take the samples to upload into our system as our safety "base", then I plan to expose a part of the sample to the replicated Sencha radiation. I assure you it is diagnostic in nature and completely contained. There is no risk of contamination, but it would help us to see how your physiology reacts to the waves.
Melville-Kilpatrick: ::pulling up an abbreviated form of the system on a PADD to show Rana:: This is the kind of data we'll be looking at.
El'Heem: Your chitinous exterior does indeed change the procedure of collection. In this instance, doctor Ohnari will only be taking a scraping and not a full biopsy. We’re obviously not as familiar with your anatomy as you are, captain, but judging by your resistance to the filaments, this will be less abrasive than that.
It was difficult to be serious in his current get up. The hair in particular kept getting in the way. He puffed another breath of air to push it out of his eyes.
Rana: Response
Ohnari: If it makes you more comfortable, I can provide my own scans and tissue samples, so you see what is being done and make your decision. Our physiology differs drastically, so our current methodology of a deep tissue monitored release inoculation may not work for you at all. As you were informed earlier, the Sencha waves are devastating to all organic life, similar to other radiations. The added component of affecting certain species telepathic communication is another complication. For example, my species the Haliians are what we call empathic. We have a low level sense of heightened emotions which is enhanced by touch. While we are capable of telepathic communications, to isn't innate. It requires a ritual and a lot of preparation. Whereas our intel officer has the innate ability and the effects are instantaneous.
Talia moved towards an empty biobed, and almost through muscle memory, Ras turned to the cabinets at his back and retrieved both a dermal sampler and an epithelial scraper from the diagnostic kit. He looked over his shoulder at Rana, the red locks of his wig masking half his face for a moment and decided to grab a diamond coated collection tip for the scraper as well. In a few steps, he had covered the room and arrived at the biobed.
Ohnari: With your permission, I will demonstrate the scan myself and sample process so we can proceed.
Ras placed the tools on the surgical tray in front of Talia.
El'Heem: Here you are, doctor.
Rana: Response
The doors to sickbay whooshed open and Ras turned his head to see who was joining them. Captain Naxell was flanked by a fresh faced Bajoran woman in blue and a single pip upon her collar. He squinted and the wrinkles of his forehead furrowed. He had only just been made Chief of Science but the few PADDs he did sift through before they arrived at the nebula had been the duty rosters. This was an ensign he did not recognize. Oh how he wished he had more time with Richard to go over each of the shifts. Ras straightened and turned fully to face the captain and the ensign.
Naxell: Apologies for interrupting, Doctor, but I’ve come to speak with Captain Rana about the Jorogumo and its combat capabilities. ::an open hand indicting:: Also to introduce Ensign Eeso Ayi, our fresh Science Officer who has not yet received her Sencha implant.
Melville-Kilpatrick: That's an important one. We were just talking to Captain Rana here about it.
Eeso: Doctor Ohnari, pleased to meet you. I wonder if you could explain how the implant interacts with various species and if there are any complications for species with multiple intestinal tracks?
Naxell/Rana/Ohnari: Response
Both Naxell and ensign Eeso had addressed Talia first, and as this was her domain, he let her speak. Besides it was an opportunity to observe Eeso without the pretense of her Chief’s first impression looming.
Eeso: ::pointing at the implant on a prep tray:: May I scan it to see how it works?
She was keen and curious and that was more than half of what you could ask for in a good science officer.
Melville-Kilpatrick: Well, hers might not be an implant, but the concept is similar.
El’Heem: Captain Rana’s, that is. Ensign Eeso. ::bowing slightly:: I am lieutenant Ras El’Heem. It is a pleasure to meet you. This is Captain Rana of the Velithari Jorogumo. She is a guest of ours.
Rana/Ohnari/Naxell: Response
Eeso: Chief Officer El’Heem. I am very pleased to meet you as Commander Naxell said my name is Eeso Ayi.
Ensign Eeso stepped forward and shook his hand. Ras nodded at her.
Melville-Kilpatrick: Oh, sorry. Dr. Melville-Kilpatrick. Interesting circumstances to meet, and all.
Ras chuckled. Leave it to the ensigns to be too eager for pleasantries, and the command staff to be too busy for them altogether.
Rana/Ohnari/Eeso/Naxell: Response
Ras could have smacked himself in the face. Here he was worried about easing Eeso into the role with as little pressure as possible, and her first impression of him was in drag. His eyes shifted a dusky pink and then darkened a few shades as he glanced at Talia.
El'Heem: Please forgive my appearance, we had ::beat as he looked at Rana:: miscalculated our first contact approach with the Velithari and Chief Ohnari has not found the time to remove my…prosthesis. ::to Naxell:: if you’re already here captain, I take it we’re running out of time?
Rana/Ohnari/Eeso/Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
It made sense that the woman would be growing impatient, but it was hard to tell if there was any shift in attitude as she had been cold the moment she stepped onboard the Khitomer and even colder since she’d arrived at the science labs.
El’Heem: Captain Naxell, ensign Eeso and I could work out a dispersal method for an inoculation on the cloud itself. Are the samples in the lab still viable?
Rana/Ohnari/Eeso/Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
The Kressari nodded.
El’Heem: Yes sir. Doctor Ohnari, MK and I will fetch a sample of the nebula and he will return with it here for you to work on a formula that can inoculate the cloud and the Jorogumo. Ensign Eeso can meet me in the lab once they have received their implant. Objections?
Rana/Ohnari/Eeso/Naxell/Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
TAGS/TBC
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Lieutenant Ras El ‘Heem
Chief Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3