Science tackles the Ferengi medical crisis

Posted on Thu Oct 5th, 2023 @ 10:22pm by Commander Chalan Kendri & Lieutenant Commander Johanna Lyngstad & Ensign Ivitha zh'Vaoreth
Edited on on Sat Oct 7th, 2023 @ 7:55am

1,800 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Grabok Settlement, Campor III
Timeline: MD C11 1100 hours: After Finally to the Ferengi Settlement

After the senior officers explained the initial safety protocols that they would be taking, the Ferengi medics backed away to give them space and a fully functional field laboratory was set up alongside the shuttle, the decon chamber servicing both the shuttle and the lab.

Sarah was double checking the weather proofing on some of the more sensitive equipment.

"Ok, Commander Lyngstad, unless there is some major diplomatic breakdown somewhere, you're in charge for time being. Where do you want to start?" Kendri asked.

"We can start with the obvious things. Airborne viruses, tainted food or water, blood samples of the infected. If all those come up negative, we can move to the less obvious things." said Johanna.

"I can get started on the blood samples right away," Lissa volunteered. "Sarah, are you comfortable coming with me and Brad so you can run some back to the lab for me so we can tend to some patients as needed?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, ma'am, of course," she said. She realized that she and Lissa had the same rank, and blushed. Stupid mistake number nine million of this cruise. She better get it together, or she would be shipped off to a Starbase, or worse! A shipyard!

"Sounds good, Ensigns. Make it happen." Johanna replied. Johanna always liked the 'Make it happen' phrase.

As the medics returned to the facility, they told others of Starfleet officers wearing HAZMAT suits. Many moaned, feeling rejected. "They didn't even bring any latinium," he told those assembled.

Many of the senior Ferengi medical personnel were upset by the dismissal of their staff, but agreed giving them space was the right option.

Kendri and Tomm picked up the muttering behind them through the Universal Translator. Kendri rolled her eyes, though it was barely visible through the biohazard suit.

"How long will it take to determine if the virus is airborne?" Kendri asked.

Foley piped up, "I have already put out a few air quality scanners. Once we have a collection of blood samples to analyze, less than an hour. Assuming that it's not, we'll just want to keep a close eye for any mutations that might suggest a change."

Kendri took out her tricorder and scanned the area. "It looks like their water supply is at least funneled through a tower near the settlement's center about 3 kilometers north. There is also a market near there with fresh produce and meat. Do you think it's worth taking a look, Commander?" Kendri asked Johanna.

"Definitely. It's a only a 3K hike." answered Johanna.

These stupid EV suits were hot and heavy, and she was uncomfortable thought Sarah. Still, she perked up a bit at the sound of a market! Some cool local fruits would be fun! More of those Moonberries would be fantastic. Poor Sar couldn't share them with her, though. She was lost in her thoughts.

"Okay, Sarah, and I will help medical in the hospital, and get samples back to the lab. I want to get our lab working on those tests so we can learn more about this virus as soon as possible," Kendri ordered. "If we should know more in an hour, it will disrupt the market less if we can take these damned suits off before we leave."

Sarah nodded, and followed Chalan and Lissa in the direction of the hospital. She didn't mind helping like that.

Inside the hospital, Sarah became a courier for the blood samples, and within a a few minutes the scientists had half a dozen samples to work with, and Lissa and Brad worked diligently to collect more, promising the sick patients that they would be back to offer medical assistance, but that it was important to get the tests started now.

Kendri followed behind them, and for the ones who were well enough to talk, she tried to get some history about if they remembered when they first fell ill, and where they had been, what they had eaten, if they'd been to any parties, or around any people.

Sarah was busy running blood samples back and forth from the patient areas to Commander Lyngstad, and information back to Commander Chalan. She was diligent to make sure she didn't harm or damage the samples, and was careful to relay any data to the Commander precisely. She understood that there wasn't room for errors today. Maybe she should re-train for medical laboratory work.

"OK," began Johanna, "let's run these samples against a non-infected Ferengi and against the standard Ferengi blood profile and see what we get." Johanna turned to Foley. "Hopefully, we can find a deviation."

"The virus is not airborne," Alex announced casually, as he continued looking at the screens typing in command codes for the computers to run more scenarios. "Nor is it easily transmitted from person to person. I'm not certain how many other races could even contract the virus."

Alex began freeing himself of the bio suit, stopping once both arms were free. He took a blood sample from himself and inserted it into the equipment to be tested. He shook his head, "Incompatible with human DNA. Anyone else want to try?"

Sarah blinked. "I can ask Ensign Sar, if you'd like. He's Vulcan. Perhaps it's an enzyme or something that they have that my people don't? Also, the Counselor...isn't she...something?" She said.

Kendri tapped her communicator and ordered Lissa and Brad back to the lab. "We can focus on the away team members for now," Kendri suggested. She had started taking off her suit as soon as Alex had said the virus wasn't airborne. "To make sure we're all safe. I don't know how much my hybrid blood will tell, but you can test me. Tomm and Ivitha, you should provide samples as well, we'll get one from Lissa when she arrives."

Kendri rolled up her sleeve and offered her arm to Alex, he pressed the instrument to her arm, and submitted the sample for testing.

Kobi was relieved to get the EV helmet off. It was burdensome and at times hard to get a clear field of vision while wearing it. He was more than happy to breathe real air and pulled up his sleeve. “Here you go, my turn.”

Ivitha definitely wasn't at her 100% today. Her antennae sagged, drooping at the halfway point as she picked up a blood sampler, pressed it to her arm and submitted it for testing. "No signs of infection." She announced, reading off the screen. "If you ask me, this entire thing smells... targeted."

Lissa jogged out to the lab - she almost always jogged or ran, rarely walked anywhere. Brad trailed behind her. Lissa saw that a few of the officers had taken off the bio suits. She looked at Alex who nodded at her. "Thank the gods," she said as she began stripping the suit off. "I hate these things. I feel like I must look like a monster when I'm treating patients. What have we found out?" she asked.

"My current hypothesis is that this virus only infects the Ferengi or closely related races," Alex told her. "May I have a blood sample?"

Lissa rolled up her sleeve and offered her arm while looking at his data. "Do you think this could have been bio-engineered?" she asked. "Isn't it strange that such a specific virus would be endemic to this spot?"

Sarah shrugged. "I am sure it's possible, but then again, most things are possible," she said. She wasn't really the one to ask, honestly. She knew about computers. She didn't know much about medicine.

Johanna heard Lissa's comment. She kept her suit on. For whatever reason, it didn't bother her right now.

"Interesting hypothesis, Ensign Kerr. That would explain a lot. How a virus that only seems to affect Ferengi showed up here. I will have to get some history on when this plague started and who was the first infected."

"The computer's predictions were correct, at least with the limited sample size, we are all incompatible with contracting or even becoming carriers of the virus," Alex told them. "It will make our work here easier. Alex still had the pants of his biosuit on, the top half of the coveralls hanging behind him as he worked.

"We need to find out where this virus came from," Alex stated, "And whether or not it is planet wide. Romulans and Klingons are predicted to also be immune, so it may just not have been detected yet."

"But if it is just here..." Lissa said ominously.

"I can keep working with the Ferengi medics here to try to get some healthy samples to work from and see if I can build a cure from there," Alex offered. "The market is a good idea for you to check out. Food, fruits, meats, even pets. Do the Ferengi keep pets?"

"Not that I know of. However heading to the market is a good idea. Keep trying to get those healthy blood samples," Johanna responded. "Any one who wants to tag along." Johanna started the hike to the market.

Kendri nodded. "Brad stay here, and work on finding some healthy samples for Alex to work with. The rest of us will head toward the market. The water source is near there too, we may need to split into teams."

"Commander Lyngstaad!" Kendri called out, catching the science officer's attention. "Your suit," she reminded her. "There will be a lot of people at the market. It does seem off-putting to the Ferengi. Also, we will also need currency. The Captain thought ahead and sent some with us, so give us a minute, and we will get the latinum."

Johanna heard the XO and started removing her suit. "Money, of course! I didn't even think about it. With all the studying I have done on history, I should have remembered." Johanna had done a lot of studying on history, but it was mostly musical history.

She looked at the security chief, "Commander Tomm?" He had the security codes to get the strips of latinum out of the secured safe.

“Commander? Oh, latinum…right. Our portable safe with the currency is in my pack. Ten bars enough?”

The safe was made from lightweight and recycled materials, making it easy to carry. It was still rather bulky despite its weight. Tomm maneuvered it out of his pack, manually entered the security code and removed approximately ten bars worth of gold-pressed latinum.

"Alright, After you, Johanna," Kendri said, calling up the Chief Science officer.

Commander Chalan Kendri
First Officer
USS Columbia

Lt. Commander Johanna Lyngstad
Chief Science Officer
USS Columbia

Lt. Commander Kobi Tomm
Chief Security Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Sarah bet Ira
Operations Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Ivitha
Science Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Daisheliss Kerr
Nurse
USS Columbia

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