Building Blocks

Posted on Thu Mar 7th, 2024 @ 8:16pm by Lieutenant Feeva Drylo & Lieutenant Marcus Alexander MD

852 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 4 - Like a Thunderbolt
Location: Science Office
Timeline: MD-02

On:
Feeva sighed deeply. She really REALLY didn't want to call Marcus, but he was the only other person around who would understand what she was talking about. He was smart enough, even if he was a pain in her neck.

=/\=Doctor Alexander, can you come to Science, please?=/\= After closing the channel, she fixed herself a cup of Rakatjino. She sighed deeply as she waited.

Marcus awoke to the sound of the Chief Science Officer's voice. He was working in the medical lab and apparently had fallen asleep. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. =/\= Acknowledge =/\=, he said to her over the comms. He picked up a PADD and walked out towards the Science lab. The corridors of the station were quiet; almost too quiet for him. The doors of the science lab opened. Marcus looked around. "Lieutenant Drylo, this better be important," he said as he scratched the back of his head.

She turned around in her chair to face him. "It's always bloody important. I am not down here twiddling my thumbs!" She said. "Have a look 'ere. I was able to isolate the genetic differences. It's a protein. Instead of G-B-A-G, it's B-A-A-G," she said. She indicated that he should look. She kept a microscope-her personal one-on her desk.

The doctor looked at her microscope then up at her. "I've never heard of a B nucleotide. Plus I hope you have more than a 2 nucleotide difference. It takes 3 to form just one amino acid. So it wouldn't have an effect on the protein." He paused. "I need you to make this long story short so I can get back."

She clicked it over to the next slide. "No worries, Doc, it's there. Three nucleotides-B,G,A to form the nucleus. Atomic differences, as well. Those are marked in blue dye," she said. "What's it mean to you?" She asked. She spun around in the chair for a moment. She always needed to be moving.

The doctor walked forward and glanced in her microscope. He found the ones marked in blue. “I’m not very familiar with Faltan molecular biology. I had assumed it was similar to Raeyan, but I guess not.” He looked up to her, “and what is the significance?”

"It's a man-made amino acid," she said. "It's not naturally occurring in the Faltean wheat," she said. "I don't know what it MEANS but that's what the three molecules mean," she said. "I mean...I don't know how a manmade amino acid got into the food supply. It CAN happen accidentally-say, a farmer plants a closely related cousin nearby and they cross-pollinate. OR...someone's tampered with the food supply. I can't know which yet," she said.

"Would you like some coffee?" She asked, crossing to the replicator. Tea helped her to think.

“Sure, black please,” the doctor said. “Lieutenant, I would have to speculate that this is an intentional cross-pollination. Just knowing the history of this sector of space.” He lend slight against a console with his arms folded.

Feeva retrieved the coffee, and, abandoning her Rakajinto, sipped her Oolong. "Aye," she said. "I've read," she said. "Still...it's quite the accusation without a bit more to prove it," she said. "I think we could probably tell Command right now, but no one else," she said. "Why would someone want to poison their own food supply?" She said. Vissians would never DREAM of such.

The doctor took the coffee from her hand. “I spent 7 years on Raeya III. This sector had always been isolated, but after first contact with the Federation things changed.” He took a slow sip then continued. “Hate will make people do strange things.”

Feeva nodded. She knew that logically. She was a bit soft-hearted sometimes, though, and didn't understand it emotionally. "Right, of course, I see it often in me work," she said. "As we all do." She sighed deeply.

"Anyway...do you think it would cause some kind of quantifiable medical issues? Something akin to...what do the humans call it?Irritable stomach?? Should we call in the Commander, you think?"

The doctor raised his eyebrow. “Why do you say that? I was more worried about infectious exploding flesh or whatever happened down on the planet.”

"Because someone in charge might want to know for safety reasons," she said. She made a face. "Ew, exploding fish? Let me see!" She exclaimed. She liked when things exploded-it's why she specialized in Chemistry.

“I mean a fish might explode if it comes in contact,” the doctor snapped back. “I’ll let you inform our superiors. It’s your lab.”

"You said "fish" originally," she tossed her head. "Don't try to gaslight me!" She scolded. "Alright. I'll call Commander M'mIra. Do you wish to stay?" She asked.

The doctor took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll stick around and see if we can find any more clues to this mystery.”

Feeva sighed. Of course he would. She tapped her Comms badge, though.
=/\=Commander M'Mira. Could you please come to science?=/\=
She clicked off. "Alright. Now...we wait," she said.

 

RSS Feed