Lt. JG T’Fearne - Plant Logic
Teayl Thorn
((Science Lab 3 / Bio-Decontamination, Deck 08, USS Compass Rose))
The journey to Deck Eight was short, but each level seemed to press down more oppressively, as though the Compass Rose itself grew more reluctant to let them through. When the away team stepped into the laboratory, T’Fearne immediately saw why the decontamination chamber had been placed here rather than in Sickbay. There was more room in these labs in the more spacious hull of the outrigger.
The lab itself was rough. Panels hung from the ceiling like open ribs from a mechanical carcass. Cables dangled and patches of scorched metal scarred the bulkhead. The decon chamber sat to the side, its viewing window miraculously intact, though the door hung ajar with controls blackened and fused.
T'Fearne: Damage was done to the controls that allowed it to lock. Sabotage perhaps?
Roop slipped past her without hesitation, dodging dangling panels and debris, deft fingers navigating through dangling circuitry. Kel seemed to be excitedly going through what systems he could access, hopefully finding a solution for their plague problem.
T’Fearne’s eyes flicked to the Human engineering tech, crewman Ślimak, and felt the pulse of guilt ripple out from the woman as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
oO What is going on with her? Oo
Winters: Response
Kel: Thankfully the computer is still functional. I'm looking at the logs now.
Ślimak: ::twisted gloved hands together, gaze fixed on the deck plating:: There is… There is something I need to… I…
Crewman Benal, her Trill counterpart, interrupted.
Corzy: There were three of them. ::looking to Dominika and moving closer to her:: A big security crewman, and the half-klingon tactical officer?
T’Fearne’s eyes narrowed slightly. Though they had been cleared by Kel, she still found it suspicious that an inoculation had been found and that these two individuals had been found roaming around.
Ślimak: Two of our security officers, and an ops ensign… they tried to break in while the treatment was running. I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t know what to do.
Corzy: Yes! Korm, Korge, something. And that little supply ferret Mandruso. Sally Mandruso. Ensign. They were consumed with homicidal ideation. Cruely so.
The young woman began trembling at the memory, a delayed emotional reaction radiating out from her in a distracting wave. One didn’t have to be a betazoid to sense the distress, and crewman Benal reacted, putting a supportive arm around Ślimak.
Ślimak: Yes… but that doesn’t change what I did! ::voice cracked, pitching upward:: I panicked. I lied to them! I told them over the comm that it was the Gorn who were coming to get them. If they didn't run, they would be full of eggs! ::sniffling, fresh tears starting to well up:: They…they ran off saying something about “Kobayashi Maru” and ‘no win scenarios’.
Tears welled up, spilling down into the woman's helmet as her shoulders shook in Benal’s comforting embrace. T’Fearne suppressed a sigh. They didn’t have time for the woman to have a breakdown here.
Ślimak: Then… then I broke the chamber. ::pointing to the melted scoring on the internal doorframe, breath hitched:: That was me. That’s all I seem to do. Break things…
Roop: You had to break out. These chambers are built to be resilient to any need, including high pressurization. You did well to escape at all.
Winters: Response
Corzy: If the power had stayed on, we’d still be in there, Dom.
T’Fearne: Focus on the present, Crewman. Take some deep breaths.
Commander Kel, who had been looking hopeful, opened a comm.
Kel: =/\= Kel to Sickbay and Syrex. Beck I have something. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= My Team is listening eagerly, Commander =/\=
Nemes/Avae: =/\= Response =/\=
It was not good news, and the Ronin Security officer felt an almost reflexive urge to cover her helmet visor with both hands. She suppressed her reaction, but the Commander took his emotions out on the bulkhead. With a fist.
The engine tech not so subtly flinched and whispered hurriedly to her companion.
Ślimak: ::mouthing quietly to Corzy, pointing subtly at Kel:: What if they’re already infected? What if this is how it starts again?
Corzy: ::whisper arguing back:: They’re wearin’ suits. They’re fine till they take’em off. They’re just like us!
T’Fearne: ::levelly:: Fear is a contagion of its own. Let’s not spread rumours or worries.
Winters: Response
In her periphery, T’Fearne saw and felt Kel having a mixed emotional reaction as he looked over information from the tricorder analysis and the decon chamber readings. She waited patiently for the information to be forthcoming. He continued a moment later.
Kel: ::annoyed:: =/\= Alright. I've got some news. I have two crewmen here on the Rose who have not been affected. It seems the Rose's CMO found a way to provide immunity. Using plant based systemic silencing. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= Intriguing, what’s the mechanism of action they used? =/\=
Nemes/Avae: =/\= Response =/\=
Kel: =/\= So when plants encounter a virus they make short RNA segments to bind up the viral RNA. Basically the virus never gets off the ground. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= Like it was tied up, unable to move it’s hands? =/\=
Nemes/Avae: =/\= Response =/\=
Kel: =/\= Exactly. These crewmen have trace amounts of virus in their system, but it can't replicate or cause illness. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= Is there a way we can use this on actively infected crew? =/\=
Nemes/Avae: =/\= Response =/\=
Corzy: ::looking intrigued by Kel’s scientific discussion:: Commander Kel, could our white blood cells be of use as a potential inoculate to your people?
As Kel considered, Roop slipped out of the room and into the corridor. T’Fearne’s gaze tracked him automatically. Even with the new safety protocol with the doors and force fields, she preferred eyes on her protectees at all times. As the lab had only one entrance and the decon-chamber, and with Michele in the room. She stepped to the threshold, balancing her line of sight between Roop and the corridor.
Roop: ::softly:: Come out, come out, wherever you are. ::stepping outside the doors, sending a computer package request to Ronin Ops for expanding his small list into a full Rose database of crew, DNA, and current scannable position on the Rose::
T’Fearne: Don’t stray too far alone, Roop. I know we have additional safety measures now, but Winters and I are here for the unexpected occurrences.
Her words were precise, measured, but she felt the unease like static beneath her ribs.
Winters: Response
Ślimak: ::tentative, voice small but steady:: So… we’re immune now? Could… could you use us, or the chamber, to help the others? To stop this?
Kel: =/\= It's not a cure, but we might be able to offer protection to the Ronin Crew while we work. =/\=
Syrex: =/\= Thank you Commander, I eagerly await that transmission, Syrex out =/\=
Nemes/Avae: =/\= Response =/\=
Winters: Response
The channel clicked closed. Silence hung for a moment before Corzy exhaled, rubbing his gloves together.
Ślimak: ::softly:: Agreed. Tell us what to do. How can we help?
Corzy: ::rubbing his hands and fingers together enthusiastically, as if he was warming them:: Yeah, of course! We should be able to find Doc Bast’s recipe in Sickbay. Hey! ::wide-eyed:: Ducky kept a biolab up on Deck Two with hydroponic shelves! That’s gotta be where he started it if it’s not synthetic.
From outside the lab, just down the corridor, Roop’s voice echoed back, making a quick call, T’Fearne half-tuned it out, focusing instead on the conversations in the Lab.
Roop: =/\= Ensign Roop to Ronin Away Team Ops . I’ve sent a partial list of the identifiable Rose crew by comm badge and scanned position. Can you help fill out the scan database by Rose’s crew manifest name and DNA? =/\=
((OOC: It was getting a bit too complicated to merge the comm call in, so T’Fearne is not focusing on that. Please refer to Roop & Shortrith sims for comm call tags.))
Kel / Winters: Response
T’Fearne waited for Roop to finish, then nodded.
T’Fearne: I’d like to see that personnel manifest when it’s compiled, Ensign.
Ślimak / Corzy: Response
Roop (If any) / Kel / Winters: Response
T’Fearne: ::to Ślimak and Roop:: See if you can bring the chamber back online. If it’s operational, we can start replicating the treatment, begin inoculation of the Ronin crew here, and anyone yet to be affected.
Ślimak / Corzy / Roop / Kel / Winters: Response
T’Fearne: Shall we split the team? Some stay here to fix the decon-chamber and others go to find these plant specimens on deck 02?
T’Fearne stood back, watching the human and Trill technicians work, the hum of consoles slowly returning like a ship regaining its heartbeat. For the first time since boarding the Rose, she felt a faint but growing flicker of hope.
Ślimak / Corzy / Roop / Kel / Winters: Response
[Tags / TBC]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14