Mysteries Medical and Otherwise ((T'Prise/t'Tamarak))

[Jaiysa t'Tamarak 0]

T’Prise’s fingers moved deftly over the console as she relayed information to the main computer. Tapping the controls one last time, she moved away from the console and set about straightening up the lab, properly stowing the contents of the box brought aboard by Lieutenant Morran when the away team had retrieved him from Cold Station Nine, while she waited for the system to analyze her data input.

 

As she went about her work, she began to muse on the current situation aboard the Manticore. The irrational behavior of emotional species continued to both puzzle her and intrigue her curiosity; she still found it a fascinating phenomenon to observe, especially given the events of the past weeks. While the recent actions of Morran and more importantly the outbreak of some type of plague aboard the ship were currently the central focus of the entire crew, T’Prise was much more curious about her commanding officer’s reaction to the situation. Escher seemed to have interpreted his junior officer’s behavior as a personal failure on his own part, not as the sole responsibility of Morran whose conduct had precipitated the issues they were now addressing.

 

While she intellectually understood how powerful the emotion of guilt could be, its manifestation in Commander Escher seemed particularly acute. Were Morran’s actions truly the cause of such a response in the Commander, and therefore the cause of his illogical behavior, or were they merely the vehicle for expression of some underlying issue with which he was struggling internally? His emotions seemed to resemble the movement of a pendulum, swinging back and forth.

 

When she had pointed out that they seemed to be dictating his conduct, he had lashed out at her, in a poor attempt to elicit an emotional response; this was followed by a moment of remorse, but again quickly returned to anger. These abrupt changes puzzled her exceedingly. Yet, notwithstanding his emotional outbursts and the exceedingly illogical arguments and orders regarding the serum which the artificial intelligence had provided to them, he was a good officer and someone the Vulcan considered a friend.

 

The idea that he would allow the behavior of another, so wholly unconnected with his own, to perhaps lead him to make illogical choices and poorly rationalize his own actions merited some level of disquiet within her. Although she could not accurately attribute her apprehensions regarding the matter, she resolved to take careful heed of the situation and to continue to observe Escher, in an attempt to prevent him from holding himself responsible and shouldering additional burdens besides those already attached to his post as science chief.

 

Her own behavior would mostly likely become the subject of a disciplinary action; this would be the logical conclusion to incapacitating a superior officer. However, if it stopped Escher from committing a more grievous offense, it was both logical and necessary. The problems resulting from his practicing medicine without the proper license and credentials could very well lead to his dismissal from Starfleet. She could not allow him to take such a risk when it was unnecessary. Her own dismissal from Starfleet would merely result in returning to Vulcan and taking a research position with the science directorate, while his would deprive the Manticore of an important member of their crew. Her choice had been a logical risk, his had not.

 

The computer emitted a low tone, indicating that the analysis was complete. Focusing once again on the console before her, she perused the results, looking for an indication that the serum might cause harm to Lieutenant Morran. Satisfied with what she found, she tapped her badge, opening up a comm line to sickbay.

Jaiysa sat at one of the consoles in sickbay and eyed the readouts balefully. So far, she had not been able to pin down the exact protein or DNA marker which was responsible for the damage to the cells of those officers (and visitors) currently in stasis, nor was she able to identify what element of yyaio biochemistry might be responsible for their resilience (and, she hoped, by extension, her own). This whole business was starting to make her edgy (which, she supposed, was better than itchy), and when the commline pinged down to sickbay from sciences, she all but snapped her response at it. "t'Tamarak. Ie, what is it?"

 

A moment of silence ensued before the calm voice of T'Prise intoned, "I apologize for disturbing you, Dr. t'Tamarak, but I have completed the analysis of the serum provided to us by the artificial intelligence Lieutenant Morran brought aboard.”

 

Serum. There was a serum? Jaiysa vaguely remembered the report being sent down from the scientists; it had been the one Erei'riov Escher had been enquiring after when Mele had evicted him from the medical bay. "If you can tell me that it is a method of counteracting our current problem of transformation, you will make me a very happy woman, rekkhai," she said, a little wryly.

 

Another quiet pause. “I am unable to account for any effects it may have on those experiencing the transformation at this time, as that would require further study. I can however, state that it appears it will not be harmful to Lieutenant Morran in his current state if it is administered. What its efficacy will be in curing the transformation is unknown, but it may be of aid to the Lieutenant.”

 

Jaiysa sighed. Of course, it was meant to combat Arrain Morran's difficulties. She felt a wave of frustration go through her; the idea of settling in with a medication ostensibly intended to battle neurological imbalances and psychosis, something she might potentially understand, sounded even more appealing than usual when faced with the data currently crawling past her, and it suddenly seemed highly unfair that the yyaio woman was dealing with it when she would clearly not appreciate it. Na matter; this wasn't really the time that she wanted to be dealing with that anyway. The time table Maenek Jaz had cited before she went into stasis had placed the transformation issue squarely at the top of the priorities list. "Do you think it is imperative that this be dealt with at once?" she asked tiredly.

 

“Although I am fully aware that you are currently dealing with a crisis in sickbay due to the transformation, I believe it is important that the medication be administered to Lieutenant Morran as soon as possible. I have not had the proper time to run a full analysis, only to determine that it will not harm him but, his condition is worsening and the serum may help to counteract the problems caused by the Echococcosis.”

 

Jaiysa's jaw clenched slightly at the mention of that fvadt plague; she didn't know what bothered her more, the fact that Morran had apparently been involved with it, or the fact that the current chaos in the main bay had made it all but slip her mind. "Ie. Send me the data you have; I will replicate and administer the serum." She paused, pondering another line of thought; it galled her to ask the impenetrable Vulcan for help, but... "In the meantime...if you have any knowledge of cellular biology, your input on the current syndrome at play would be...appreciated," she said grudgingly.

 

The sound of tapping on a computer console could be heard muffled over the commline. “The data has been sent,” T’Prise commented succinctly. “I will review your information regarding the transformation and provide my own insights as soon as possible. Do you currently know the rate of dispersal at which it is spreading, or is it merely contained to those exposed during the away mission?”

 

"We do na believe it is contagious," Jaiysa said as she watched the transmitted data stream in and began programming it for replication. "Or, at least...we did na," she added thoughtfully. "There is now a tendency in the medical bay to believe any itch to be significant, so it is hard to say if any others might be affected just yet."

 

“Could the symptoms presenting in those not present on Cold Station Nine be psychosomatic?” T’Prise queried, her agile mind already shifting gears to focus on the transformation.

 

"They could. It is na simple to pin down the effects until it has progressed relatively far, unfortunately. I am doing comparative tissue analyses at the moment, looking for unique markers across all those currently affected, but progress is slow." Tapping her console, Jaiysa sent her own information off to the Vulcan’s console and told the replicator to manufacture a hypospray full of the serum.

 

“I will analyze the data and contact you if I discover anything of significance.” The scientist’s voice sounded far off, as if she was already disassociating herself from their conversation and was now immersed in the puzzle of understanding the underlying causes of that which had infected the away team and Morran’s mercenaries.

 

"Ie, do that," Jaiysa said, and if she'd had more patience to hand, she would have been amused at the Vulcan woman's peremptory reply. As it was, she just responded with one of her own. "t'Tamarak out." Looking around, she watched the hypospray hum into existence and pushed herself heavily off her seat to pick it up.

 

*****

 

Arrain -- Lieutenant

Erei'riov -- (Lieutenant) Commander

fvadt -- damn

ie -- yes

na -- no, not

rekkhai -- sir

yyaio -- Rihan slang for "Vulcan" (lit. "dead one")