Micro Aliens
Posted on September 13th, 2002 by T'Kirr and Jordan Toreek

T’Kirr and Jordan Toreek

Riding the turbolift, T’Kirr immersed herself in several PADDs. The microscopic life form was beginning to make sense, taking shape in her mind. It was clearly intelligent, and seemed similar on a molecular scale to the large ‘beasts’ that had attacked the Atlantis, Lexington, and Socrates. Hopefully, the talents of Dr. Toreek would help them arrive at a conclusion. The turbolift slowed, beeped, and then stopped, letting the science officer off near Sickbay.

Jordan sat in her office in sickbay. She was looking over the reports that T’Kirr had sent her. Calling up a Computer program, she input the patient care reports from the colonists that were in the report along with the other patient information from elsewhere that had been attributed to this microorganism.

After hitting the analyze button, Jordan looked over the reports again. Something didn’t seem right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it; she just had an uneasy feeling. The reports from the colonists just didn’t seem to match up with the others, though it was obvious that the microorganism that had attacked them was causing the same troubles. Drumming her fingers on the desk, she looked over information on the PADDs. In reality, she wasn’t concentrating on the PADD, but more just letting her mind go trying to put the puzzle together, and waiting for the program to finish running.

T’Kirr walked into the main sickbay. Spotting Dr. Toreek, she made her way towards her office. “Doctor, have you found anything?”

Looking up, her face tight from the concentration and frustration, she tried to force a smile, “Maybe.”

“As I included in my report, I have found a link between the microbe and historic files on the colony dated six months ago.” T’Kirr laid the PADDs that she had been carrying on Jordan’s desk.

Upon hearing the computer beep, Jordan said, “I just ran the data from the patient logs from the colonists, and the others to date, through a program that analyzes and compares them, looking for a pattern and such. Something looked different about the reports from the colonists. They just didn’t seem to match up, but I really couldn’t put my finger on it. I’m trying to figure out what caused the disease, but the only real thing I can determine is that they seem to drain the body. Whatever the microorganism is, it doesn’t really destroy the tissues, cells, or organs directly, rather just let’s them waste away.”

T’Kirr nodded and then moved over to a console to look at the results. Jordan also looked at the results from her console, eyes widening as the young doctor read over them.

“Is this possible T’Kirr?”

Turning, T’Kirr met Jordan’s eyes in a similar question. The results showed that while the microorganism on the colony is very similar to the other cases (both the ones that were earlier and the ones later) the one on the colony was different.

“This is very strange. Why would the cases that have occurred before and the ones that occurred later be identical, but the ones that occurred on the colony be different? Could we be dealing with two types of the microorganism? Would they be different subspecies or different species all together?” Jordan inquired, more out loud in astonishment then in asking serious questions. These were just thoughts that ran through her head.

“The logical conclusion would be we are dealing with two different microorganisms.”

“Do you know how the colony became infected?” Jordan reached out for the PADD with the information that T’Kirr had just brought her to see if it listed her answer there.

Tapping a few more times on the interface, T’Kirr turned completely around to face Jordan. “According to the historical database, the colony held rumor of testing done on a deadly virus, but the claims were never confirmed by local officials. This ‘virus’ could be our microorganism.”

Jordan’s face fell almost at once at this news. “What other rumors about this testing are known? And if they were, or still are, testing on it, what information do they have?” She rose and moved over to T’Kirr to look at the database herself. She thought to herself that if this rumor was true and if tests were done on the microorganism, that this could be both good and bad news. If they had information on the organism and were willing to share, that could possibly lead to finding of a course of treatment more quickly. However, the organism there was slightly different. Just how different, Jordan couldn’t be certain of.

T’Kirr hesitated, “Specifically . . . they center around purposes for biological warfare. These claims were harshly disputed over.” She raised an eyebrow with a quick glance at the floor, “And rightly so.”

Jordan’s train of thought stopped suddenly and she focused her eyes and attention on T’Kirr, “Biological warfare? But why would they want to do that?” Even as those words came out of her mouth, the doctor’s brain sped off. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, and the picture was becoming a lot clearer. In a more distant tone, as if thinking out loud, “That would explain–” She cut herself off quickly and moved over to her console. Her fingers ran over the console quickly as she searched through the records available to her.

The science officer’s thoughts started to follow along the same lines as the doctor’s. “As with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus of Earth centuries ago, the virus was engineered to spread through an enemy’s population. However, they seem to have formed it to kill much more quickly and efficiently.”

Jordan’s hands stopped as she pulled up the last few files. Looking over to T’Kirr, “The bug on the colony has a much higher kill rate, like HIV-I did. It also has a longer apparent incubation period; but once the symptoms hit, the infected person dies at a much faster pace. I believe that the person is most contagious in the incubation period.” Then she added, almost as an after thought, “I don’t have any real proof for that last part though. It’s just a hypothesis.”

T’Kirr stepped closer. “As are the rumors among the colony equally unsure.”

“Yes, but the rumors seem to fit and seem logical with this scientific data we have here. How else could this microorganism change and only appear on the colony in the new form?”

“It would seem to fit the situation,” T’Kirr agreed.

“If only we could get their research information, it might help. Looking at that information about what they did to the organism might give us ideas on how to defeat this creature. Maybe Admiral Zuriyev could help us contact the colony and get the information. Do you want to go talk to him, while I compile more on what we know about the microorganism and how it effects the body?”

T’Kirr nodded and picked up one of the PADDs, which she then input the data that showed the correlation between the rumors and facts. She headed out to contact the Admiral, while Jordan went to work on trying to find a way to kill the bug.