Charting a course - Part 2

Posted on Sat Aug 30th, 2025 @ 10:48am by Captain Daegan Baas & Lieutenant M'Tala "Hobbes" Clan Hrasi & Lieutenant JG V'Laros & Aseek Tarnala & Commander Jerome Hunt Jr. & Lieutenant Niami Troga & Lieutenant Ayumu Tanaka & Lieutenant JG Christian Rogers
Edited on on Sat Aug 30th, 2025 @ 10:49am

1,564 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: What was Lost is Found
Location: Ready Room / Conference Room
Timeline: MD 2 - 1600

V'Laros looked to the Captain. "That is correct Captain. The work continues on a full report by we were able to make several significant finding. Of key importance the Pricari data had vital, and surprisingly precise data on the path of the asteroid that brought the contagion to their world. After processing the information through Astrometrics we have refined that information.

"As to the biological analysis of the Defiled. We have confirmed Mr. Tarnala's assertion that these creates are in fact dead. Every scan, including those of what had been Lt. Wallace, showed no life signs, nor any neurological activity. The DNA scans showed that the Defiled is the most densely coded of life form ever encountered. The recovered video footage showed how rapid the transformation process can be. This is most likely caused by the contagion using the victims nervous system and the victim's DNA is rewritten extraordinarily fast."

Rogers listened to both the captain and then the science officer, irritated that all this data had been available and yet kept restricted to only a few? So far he had to go off half-educated guesswork based on what he was able to cobble together from Lambert and the other reports from the away team. But to find out there was actual data that would have helped him better plan? This idea of compartmentalizing is why people got killed. Still, though, as irritated as he was, he tried his best to keep that to himself. There was also the issue of the sudden destruction of the shuttle without attempts to help Lieutenant Wallace before it was destroyed. It made it somewhat better that the data they had stated there was no hope but that was mitigated by the data being two centuries old and formulated with technology and knowledge that was two centuries old. Who knows what could have been done today if they had actually given it a chance. His jaw clenched and he gripped the baseball tight in his off-hand while he waited for an appropriate time to take his turn to speak.

Baas nodded at the report.

Hobbes looked to V'Laros. "What about that huge thing that tried to swat me out of the sky?"

Aseek spoke up. "I can assure you that whatever that was it wasn't any EVER seen before."

Raising an eyebrow at the previous characterization, "i can validate Mr. Tarnala's statement. The creature had the same highly coded DNA but it would be pure speculation to comment on its possible origin. We should be able to establish a reasonable hypothesis once the analysis is completed. However the fact that, as the Lieutenant so colorfully added, this creature, 'tried to swat him out of the sky, would indicate some for of intelligence. If only rudimentary."

"Could it be from something else that may have gotten infected?" the Commander inquired. "With every poor soul that encounters the Defiled. There has to be some slightly different affect, even if minor enough to go unnoticed."

Turning to the Commander V'Laros began to speak but didn't get the chance.

"There is nothing on my planet anywhere close to the size of that thing."

"As I was about to say. It is highly unlikely Commander the creature witnessed by most of the surviving surface team not only towered over the height of the cliff face but also extended well below the surface."

The Lieutenant's earlier statement still echoed in his mind, but Daegan looked to the Vulcan. "Any theories?"

"Sir the full analys..."

"I didn't ask for a full analysis I aske what you think that thing was based on what you know right now. "Your best guess Lieutenant."

"My, 'best guess' Captain, is that the creature is an amalgamation of the others. That once there was nothing left to infect, given their mutational capabilities, they fused together to create a single entity."

"I was afraid you would possibly say that," Hunt mumbled. "Would they likely fuse into one super-sized creature or a dozen of these things but smaller?"

V'Laros cocked his head, "Possibly. However we still don't know the purpose of the various types seen so without knowing the purpose for amalgamation any statement concerning the process would be pure speculation."

Daegan nodded in agreement. "Let's stick to what we know. How soon until the full analysis is complete?"

"Approximately 36 to 48 hour. Captain."

"Very well. Use whatever resources you need help accelerate the process."

V'Laros nodded, "Yes Captain."

Daegan glance to Jerome. "Please fill everyone in on the results of the orbital away mission."

Niami's lips thinned hearing the reports of the monster, and she will call it a monster, worse than Frankestein's monster, that though, had intelligence and feelings. This thing didn't seem to have it at all. She shuddered slightly hearing all of this.

"How is that possible?" Rogers asked, failing to realize he just blurted it out until he heard himself speaking. "You said this was a virus, how do they..." he shook his head, scowling. He wasn't sure it was the right word or concept or whatever but it was the one that came to him, "communicate together? Either as an individual being or as a..." he grabbed his ball as he sat back in the chair, throwing it from hand to hand once more. "...an amalgamation." And how was he supposed to come up with a way to make sure they've eradicated these creatures before they had a chance to harm anyone else?

Baas looked to the Lieutenant at his outburst. "Lieutenant, I realize you are coming into this after the fact. And that there hasn't been time to bring you completely up to speed. However you need calm yourself....and put that ball down."

"Yes, Captain," Rogers said and put the ball on the table in front of him. But his hand never left it and within seconds, he picked it back up and gripped it tightly in his lap.

"Your second question is a valid one, and one no doubt on everyone's mind. Lieutenant V'Laros, can the question of coordination or communication be addressed yet?"

V'Laros' shook his head, "No Captain. We are still looking into those and other questions. Even if we had a tissue, blood sample, or even a specimen that could be examined directly it would still take time to analyze. There is nothing like this in known science."

Baas nodded. "Thank you Lieutenant. Commander."

Commander Hunt had been looking towards Rogers who was frustrating with the ball. Hearing Baas address him, he quickly focused. "The crew on the station eventually gave up hope once resources got low. When the constructions sites were over run, ship building came to a halt. Many opted to take their own lives. But one thing was certain, if anyone finds that message and have the means. They should destroy everything down on the surface to the last microbe."

"As much as that sounds like an extreme solution, I think that I, for one, would like to second Commander Hunt's recommendation," Doctor Tanaka spoke up. "Whatever's down there is highly virulent, defies all medical and scientific conventions, and has a practically guaranteed mortality rate; I don't think it poses any real benefit to anyone, so unless we have the means to destroy it ourselves, I would strongly suggest that we write this planet off as a navigational hazard and post a warning beacon advising all ships in the area to steer clear."

V'Laros interjected. "Captain. While the doctor is correct in that this life form defies our current understanding. So did the inorganic life discovered on Velara III. Our current understanding of life has been challenged. There is no questioning the danger this ...contagion poses. It is a serious threat to life as we know it, but we know almost nothing about this life form. It's actions are predatory, with the ability to detect and attack a target without any sensory organs or central nervous system as we know it. It also..."

Aseek had had enough. "I can't believe you are defending those things! It wiped out my people as well as all any animal life on my planet!"

"I was merely stating fact. It would be illogical to destroy something simply because one doesn't understand it. Additionally, as it is now the dominant form on the planet the Prime Directive would seem apply."

"Are you serious? It is the utmost logical to destroy something that has no value whatsoever except to desecrate the dead," Rogers shot back to the science officer. "Are you going to suggest next that trying to eradicate a viral plague runs afoul of the Prime Directive? Which is what this is. It's not merely because it's the 'dominant lifeform' on a planet, it's interfering with the natural development of a planet. There is no 'natural development' here. None. Whatsoever! It's a virulent plague that depends on killing its host in order to take over."

Rogers, turned his darkened scowl toward the Captain. "Sir, phasers are capable of eradicating this planet and anything on it. A warning beacon wouldn't be sufficient enough protection. We can't chance that someone ignores it and is able to spread this plague to other inhabited worlds." With a head toss back to the science officer, "That would be in line with the Prime Directive. And our duty as responsible caretakers of the galaxy."


TBC...

 

RSS Feed