Lt. JG Rhodium Wells - If You Have Any Burning Purple Goo…Fling it Now!
Teayl Thorn
((Life Sciences Lab, Deck 10, USS Ronin))
Wells: ::stretching both arms above her head, before resting her hands on her hips:: Well, if it is similar to a giant single celled organism, I do hope it’s not a cancerous cell. Who knows what sort of offensive or defensive capabilities it might possess at this scale.
Kel appeared to dislike that possibility.
Kel: All the more reason to find a way to communicate with the creature.
Velis: Response
V'Len began activating the various sensor systems they could access from the lab.
Kel: We've got a few hours to work, lets pull in as much information as we can.
This kind of part guess work and part theory from minimal data was her forte. Rho rubbed her hands together with obvious glee.
Wells: Large lifeforms that have no environmental awareness rarely survive. If it is capable of navigating interstellar space intentionally or even with some sort of native migrational sense, then it likely possesses a sensory mechanism.
Velis: Response
Kel: Let's hope neither the Lattice Alliance or the Consortium has taken any notice of this beast.
At that Rhodium glanced up from her perusal of the holo projection. She had been serving on Endichrinimus V for several years and had only recently travelled freely through the Alpha Isles.
Wells: Mm. Why would either of those factions be interested in this entity? What value do they seek? And what does Starfleet want with it? Is it a scientific curiosity? ::blinking innocently at Velis, fishing for information::
Velis: Response
Kel: Let's just say they're not the easiest people to deal with.
Wells: Ah, they are like that are they. Perhaps we should let them make contact first. Just in-case it’s dangerous, non?
Velis: Response
((Time Skip - Several hours, Rhodium doesn't keep track, Xenobiography Lab, Deck 10, USS Ronin))
Rhodium Wells…or at least the being who currently called herself by that name, did not keep track of time particularly well. Not after several centuries.
Some amount of time after that charming blue creature Commander Kel and the mysterious Lieutenant Velis were recalled to the bridge with their poor harvest of scientific findings, she found herself wandering the winding corridors of Deck Ten with another morsel of stolen food in one hand and a research PADD of Kel’s research on fusion of gel-packs and holo-technology tucked under one arm. She left Fraslil and Lyrik to their own devices.
As she neared the Xenobiology lab she could hear the murmur of voices and poked her head in.
Inside, the lab lighting had been dimmed low around a broad table lined with glowing blue bioneural gel packs. The tall, mustachioed human that was head of the medical department, Quentin Beck looked up from some controls.
Wells: Oh là là! What is going on in here?
Beck: Welcome to the Xenobiology lab, Lieutenant. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. I am just about through with my preparations here, and we can run a test.
The room was quite warm and had an odd scent, but she entered anyway. There was an interesting experiment clearly in progress and she wanted to see what would happen. Nearby, a similarly tall Klingon Doctor was helping with the set up of the science experiment.
Wells: I’m glad you invited me in. I can’t cross the threshold unless someone gives me permission. ::she joked, casting a wink at the Klingon:: Doctor Beck I know by reputation and you also Doctor Shortbread, Doctor de la Croix was singing your praises last mission. It’s Lieutenant J.G. Wells, but you may call me Rhodium.
Shortrith: Response
She nodded calmly and shook the Klingon’s hand, seeming oblivious of the correction from Shortbread to Shortrith. But she had totally done it on purpose.
She turned back to the experiment to see Quentin Beck, his uniform jacket discarded, the dark undershirt clinging to him slightly from the warmth of the room, and she assumed the exertion of putting together the experiment at Kel’s request.
She grinned and handed over the PADD with additional notes on the design and specifications, then took up a good spot to watch the activities. She was centuries old, but she wasn’t dead after all.
He took the data she handed to him and glanced up at Shortrith.
Beck: Can you double-check the feed from the sensors for me before I turn this on? I want to make sure we've got the most up-to-date files before I have the holomatrix start analyzing.
Shortrith:Response
She hooked a finger in her own collar. It was warm in the lab.
Wells: Terrible heating control in here.
He took a breath, eyeing the gel-packs like a gambler eyeing the chips, his finger on the device's ignition button.
Beck: Hold on to your butts.
Rhodium shook her head in dismay at the slang use of federation standard. At least he was pretty to look at. Instead of holding anyone's butts she ducked behind a console.
oO How will holding one's butts help in this situation?Oo
Wells: ::ducking down:: I prefer the much more practical and safer option of taking cover!
Shortrith:Response
He did the thing and the console chirruped. Immediately the gel packs brightened, casting a sapphire blue aura into the lab. Rho peered over the console and as it didn’t explode she shifted back for a closer look.
Beck: So far, so good. Once it's finished with the next round of tests, it should start processing the data from the computer.
Shortrith:Response
Ghostly images flickered above the table, she wasn’t sure what they were looking at yet, but she was impressed. At some point they had dropped out of warp and what must have been the image of their direct path and the space between the Ronin and her quarry began to stabilize. A hologram showing dense clouds of gas and particulates coiling beautifully. But nothing she hadn’t seen before. Where was the part of this experiment where they could use this to communicate with the creature?
But the Human was grinning.
Beck: Well, I'll be damned - this might actually work. Okay, Renaie, let's see–
The image above the table shifted. The gel packs glowed brighter and warmer if that was even possible, as something massive began to coalesce in the image above the table.
Kel: =/\= Kel to Beck. Let me know if you getting anything through the gel packs. =/\=
Kel’s voice came through over the comm just in time.
Beck: =/\= We definitely, definitely are, Commander. Right now it's still mostly just the outline, but give us some more time and some deeper readings, and I think this will clear up quickly. =/\=
Wells: We can see it forming, it’s registering on the electromagnetic scale, but we have yet to pick up anything that we can translate into a form of communication or visual impressions. I wonder what sort of mind it possesses.
Shortrith:Response
The image shifted a little, the outline of the fusilform growing more clear and they now were picking up rippling waves of something radiating off the creature. A wave of energy seemed to roll off of the creature in their direction and kissed the ship. The deck vibrated under their feet.
The hair on the back of Rhodium's neck prickled and she jerked slightly as some of the gel packs darkened towards violet. Something enormous began resolving within the projection, Rhodium inched closer trying to make it out.
Abruptly a gel pack exploded with a wet pop and a sizzling hiss. Then several more went bang, as the now purple goop streaked across the table, consoles, deck, bulkhead and ceiling. She watched Beck take a direct hit to the chest.
Rhodium ducked swiftly back behind the tall Klingon just as a hot lump of bioneural gel flew past where her head had been.
Beck: Hell's bells, we need to start replacing the gel packs that are busting.
Wells peered around Shortrith’s shoulder, eyes almost glowing with mirth and utterly unruffled at the scene. Somehow not a drop of goop had landed on her.
A current of static or energy seemed to ripple through the ship.
Wells: Mm, that tingles. ::smile sharpening:: Also how rude, where are its manners?
She shook her finger at the now barely flickering image of the creature, then she put her hands on her hips.
Shortrith: Response
The comm burst from the bridge to the lab.
Kel: =/\= Kel to Beck! Are you getting anything at all? I think we may have upset it. =/\=
Beck: =/\= You can say that again. I'm not a hundred percent sure exactly what just happened, but we are having a few technical difficulties and are working on clearing those out. The data is coming through, though, absolutely. =/\=
Somewhere on the bridge muffled voices overlapped. Rhodium took Renaie’s shoulder for a moment. Checking them over for bio gel burns.
Wells: Are you alright? It was very hot gel that exploded. Did you get burned?
Shortrith:Response
Another voice cut across the comms.
Velis: ::pauses:: The doctor or Commander Kel can likely confirm this, but I believe Commander Kel’s antennae might be functioning as a radio receiver.
She nodded slightly, that all made sense. It was likely there were members of the crew more sensitive to the creatured energy waves who would be picking up a headache right about now.
Beck: =/\= A radio receiver, huh? That gives me an idea. =/\=
Niac: Make it quick Doctor, I don't want to expose any of the crew to this if there's a risk of long term damage. Steady as she goes Mr. Raga...but kept that escape course updated.
There were some sounds over the comm, medical personnel and command staff receiving medical assistance. The scientist focused on the problems at hand. Rhodium slid back toward the environmental controls, fingers gliding over the console manually rather than using voice commands.
Wells: I’m going to lower the temperature in the lab. Not so much that it impede the gels function, just enough to compensate for the thermal transfer of during the electromagnetic pulses. That should preserve the ones we still have while we get replacements. It might get a bit chilly here.
The computer chirped in disagreement as she tried to override the safety parameters. She spanked the console. That did the trick. The computer accepted her commands. Cold air whispered through the lab and the temperature in the room began to drop rapidly.
Shortrith: Response
Beck’s hands flew over the controls again, one organic and one a prosthetic. She glanced at the chest where the overheated purple gel had struck him. Was he injured and hadn’t noticed? There was a lot still happening.
Velis: I think if we can figure out the frequency, so to speak, we might be able to program the computers to simulate the creature’s “language” and enable us to communicate with it.
Niac: Very well, let's see if we can pin down the source of V'len's burning sensation. Mr. Kessler, is anything hitting the shields? Mr. Raga, Lieutenant Venn...can the probe tell us anything useful? I'd like to be able to politely ask this creature to stop shouting at us.
Rhodium wholeheartedly agreed. While she wasn’t telepathic, she was sensitive to some energies and what the creature had done had tickled, it was distracting. She
Venn: I’m still unable to tell if it was communication or an attack. For all I know, at this point, Captain, it could be both.
Kel: If this was an attack I think we'd all know it. As it is, Beck is right. My antennae just happen to be able to sense something.
Raga: Telemetry from the probe does confirm the power surge in the creature and that it was focused on the Ronin. The probe detected EM, UV and RF radiation among the others it detected. To my knowledge, no weapons capable of causing any harm to us or the ship use either of those.
Kessler: Response
Velis: It won’t be perfect, but I think it’s the best we’ve got.
Beck: =/\= Perfect is the enemy of good. We are seeing some progress down here - instead of a vague black outline, it's a vague white outline that is starting to show some deeper details. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Well done Doctor, get as much data as you can. Mark any spots that strike you as particularly important and our guests will prioritize them for further inspection. =/\=
A few moments later.
With the chill in the room seeming to have helped stabilize the gel packs, their breath was starting to mist. Rhodium went over to a supply cupboard and brought back several heavy lab coats. They would do for now to keep them slightly warmer, but she might need to replicate an ice-terrain jacket before too long.
She slipped on the oversized coat, rolled up the sleeves before handing one to Shortrith and made sure they could get into it if they wanted.
Wells: Here, it’s too cold now. I know your people are known to be hot blooded.
Shortrith/Beck: Response
She turned to Beck.
Wells: And you…::shaking her head:: Put your jacket back on, and the lab coats. ::pointing to where the gel had hit:: Did you get burned when that exploded? Do we have any more gel packs? I know we can’t replicate more because of the living neural tissue, but surely you didn’t just use all the Ronin’s replacement stores?
She reached out and lifted the edge of his collar, checking for an injury, clucking her tongue.
She left the medical personnel to tend to themselves and each other while she fetched more of the reserved gel packs, each one like a little blue brain in a bag. She looked at them clinically. She had once been a doctor of sorts, several lifetimes ago, but there had been that terrible incident that she refused to think about. She could perform medical care, she just chose not too unless it was an emergency.
Shortrith/Beck: Response
She began plugging the packs back into the matrix. On their little holographic tableau it showed more subtle rhythmic pulses emanating from the fusilform…
Rhodium was now more assured it was a cosmozoan lifeform with an unusual spindaloid structure. Her excitement might have been radiating off of her. Such a rare and beautiful encounter, unlike any other in the universe.
Just as she was wondering about what it might look like on the inside, the imagery changed, showing a slightly internal scan, like an X-ray, reading some sort of arteries and chambers beneath the midnight skin.
Wells: What do you make of that? Internal structures. ::gesturing with slightly pale, shivering fingers:: Maybe a heart, a brain?
Their breaths now came out in visible clouds of white.
Shortrith/Beck: Response
[Tags/TBC]
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Science Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14