"Now everyone out of the room." There was a security guard in the crowd. "Do you have the key to this door?" He nodded silently. "Then on your life, lock that door and let no one in." The guard lifted his chin and said "Yes sir." "Good man. I need to speak with President Sinclair and then I'll be back."

Chapter 38 Preservation

The Time Lord returned to the lab. Jenna hadn't wasted time. She had done an analysis on the cultures she had started and had put his samples in petri dishes to check for a growth medium. "What have you got for me Jenna?" "Well the organism seems to be able to grow in almost everything I put it in. The exception being either high acid or high alkaline.

I believe raising the blood levels in either direction would kill it in the body." "You're probably right, but we're not going to kill it." She was horrified. "This is a deadly pathogen that must be eliminated." "They are not a pathogen. The Reshnak are an intelligent species with the same right to live as you.

I've just had a conversation with them and they are willing to negotiate. I'm off to see the president to come up with a solution. If your fellow lab techs come back, fill them in on what you've found and tell them to wait for me to return."

He left the lab and headed to the town hall. Trying to think of a solution. How were they poisoning the water? The President and the council were there when he arrived.

"Mr President I have established contact with the fungus. They are an intelligent species called the Reshnak that live in the soil. Three hundred years ago there was a terrible war that touched everything within a thousand lightyears of here. Whole galaxies were destroyed.

The original owners of this planet were among them. The refugees were uncountable. Many fled to the outer systems for sanctuary. The Reshnak were one of them. They landed on this world and lived in peace for three hundred years.

Then you came and started killing them. Not knowing it of course, but you were making an enemy that is now bent on your destruction. I have no doubt they would win this fight as they number in the untold trillions. The Reshnek have agreed to negotiate for peace. I have come to you as an intermediary. There is not much time."

The President was grave as he looked at the counselors and then back to the Time Lord. "Just what do they want?"

"To live in peace, just like you. Somehow you are poisoning the water table, killing them. From what I've observed they require only water and decaying vegetable matter. They have a highly structured society and are telepathically interlinked. The Reshnak are in essence a single supercolony.

A single life form covering ten square miles all linked together, sharing each other's thoughts and feelings." He was waxing poetic drifting with his own thoughts. The President became annoyed. "Doctor?" Sinclair brought him back to the present. "Doctor! Can you concentrate on how we can destroy this organism before our colony ship gets here?"

He was jolted back to an ugly reality. "Destroy? Are you not listening? This is a peaceful intelligent species fighting for their lives. Probably the last of the Reshnak anywhere. You're talking about genocide!"

The president's face was undisturbed. "It is unfortunately our only option. We can't live on this planet with a species ready to kill us without warning. Soon we will be tilling that soil, animals that will graze on it are arriving on the next transport. This world will have a dozen cities on it by the end of the century. Hundreds of thousands of people will come here. If the Reshnak are determined to kill us, we must strike first."

The Time Lord desperately tried to make them understand. "We are poisoning them. What are you putting on the soil that would kill?" The President was annoyed. "We're not spraying anything on the soil. Why would we?"

One of the councilmen spoke up. "If we could find out what it is, we could use it to finish them off." The Time Lord was horrified. "Humans! Do none of you have any compassion for these creatures? They lost their home world and now you want to exterminate them without even trying to find an alternative?

They were trying to communicate with us. If all they wanted to do was kill us, we'd all be dead right now. If you provoke them that's just what they'll do. You are making the mistake of thinking you have a choice. I won't help you destroy them!

I'm going to find out what's killing them and then you're going to stop it. Be ready to agree or kiss your colony goodbye." He left them to return to the lab.

The technicians had returned and Jenny was filling them in when he walked in the room. "I hope you are all rested and ready to work. There is a poison in the soil and we have to find it and stop it before the Reshnak kills this colony.

I need half of you to pair up and take samples of the soil in a half mile radius. The more samples the better, and as quickly as possible. Be careful not to injure yourselves. The smallest scrape could be fatal. The rest of you will start testing the samples I brought back this morning. Test for every poison you can think of. Any questions? Then get to work."

The lab techs quickly divided and began their work. Dr. Fuller was strangely absent and he went to find out why. He was in the ER with the new victims. They were in comas, but stable.

"Dr. Fuller I need you in the lab supervising the staff. What are you doing here? Do you know what's happened?" "Yes." He said wearily, "I heard about the Reshnak. What did the President say?" The Time Lord didn't want to encourage that kind of thinking. "He's scared. They all are, and they are grasping at the first solution that came to mind. It's a solution that will get us all killed."

Dr. Fuller could see the frustration in the Time Lord's face. "Let me guess, a Carthaginian peace? Politicians tend to be very expedient in their thinking. Always keeping in mind their next election. As scientists we want to explore and understand. Killing is generally not our first choice. What's your plan?"

He was glad Dr. Fuller was not going to fight him on this. "We have to find out what's in the soil that's killing them. I've sent half the staff out for samples, the other half testing what we have. I need you to see to it they stay on track and maybe offer a few suggestions for exotic poisons. I'm going to see if the Reshnak can help us determine what it is." Dr. Fuller agreed and went to leave for the lab. The Time Lord called after him, "Dr. Fuller, thank you, and good luck." "The same to you."

The Time Lord went to Rachel's room again. The security guard was at his post and let him in. He was assured that no one had gone into her room. He sat on the bed and turned the device on. "Noble Reshnak, do you hear me?" The monitors jumped and the voice returned. "We hear"

"We need your help to isolate the poison and stop it's use. Can you tell me anything more about it? The poison, what does it do to you?" "Dries the water, unable to absorb." The Time Lord's eyes knitted together as he concentrated, going over every poison he knew. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he recognized the toxin. "I understand, please give us a little more time. I have a solution we will test." "Agreed." Rachels physical readings returned to normal.

Chapter 39 Solution