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Chapter 5
Vega's palms were sweating as she nervously walked to the briefing room, accompanied by Uhura and Caruso. This is my first real assignment she thought and look at how terrified I am! I screamed in front of superior officers including Mr. Spock and now I have to face a room full of officers including (gasp) the captain! Oh I may as well start my resignation now and save myself the embarrassment of being kicked out…
Her body began a cold sweat as she nervously rubber her hands. Without realizing it, she was several feet ahead of her companions.
"Slow down!" Caruso interrupted her thoughts of doom. Vega turned around but was still walking. "Is that an order?" she said through a nervous smile.
"Yes!" both officers replied. Her bright blue eyes turned downwards as she slowed her pace along the corridor.
"Oh don't be nervous, Vega," Uhura's reassuring voice tried to calm her "you'll do fine."
"I guess I'm afraid. I've never had to give a report to the captain before." said Vega.
Caruso folded her arms over her chest while Uhura rested her hands on her hips, giving comforting advise:
"Honey, he burps and passes gas like any other man. Keep that in mind." Uhura was an old veteran of these meetings. Usually, if the landing party's performance was not to Kirk's approval, she could count on receiving a good portion of the chewing-out, no matter who was at fault. Caruso, too, was nervous as she did not know what to expect from Captain Kirk, either. The lab results did not make sense and she knew Kirk: he did not want to hear that.
They reached the briefing room at the same time as M'rowt. "Ladies firrst." M'rowt gallantly offered, extending his huge, orange paw. Despite starfleet's gender-neutral regulations, caitians prefer to treat a lady as such.
"Where do I sit?" a nervous Ensign Vega asked.
Uhura simulated seriousness. "We're putting you next to Captain Kirk."
"And right across from Mr. Spock." Caruso added.
Vega looked terrified at first, then laughed when she realized what they were doing. Uhura and Caruso smiled while the two security men looked at the ladies in puzzlement. M'rowt moved close to Vega.
"Is she anotherr human infatuated with ourr captain?" Nothing like being blunt. Another trait of Caitians. No nonsense. Right to the point.
"No!" she defensively replied. "I…I'm just a little scared. My performance wasn't all that great."
"She's not infatuated with the captain." Caruso came to her defense. "She's infatuated with another member of the bridge crew."
"A certain Russian member of the bridge crew…" Uhura added. This was no secret so the two ladies knew they could safely state this without embarrassing Vega.
Dreaming of her kracivue chelovek put her at ease. Unfortunately, he was assigned to assist in the lab and would not be at the meeting. Everyone else took their seats as the Captain, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy entered and took their seats. The sound of the doors startled her. She went to take her seat when she noticed her superior officers were kind enough to leave her a seat next to Captain Kirk and across from Mr. Spock.
"We have an entire planet dead, all researchers as well as vegetation." The captain irascibly began.
Without hesitation, Spock stated
"Auxo seven was found to contain an unusual compound – indolegibberelic acid, the only planet to have this naturally-occurring auxin, the only naturally-occuring auxin that is not toxic at high levels."
McCoy let out a huff of air. "Auxins! They regulate cell elongation in plants. What the hell does that have to do with a morgue full of dried-out bodies!?"
"My question exactly." Kirk added as he scanned around the table. Vega tried not to meet his eyes so he wouldn't ask her anything. He turned back to McCoy. "What about your autopsy reports, doctor?"
"I'm waiting for final sample results from the lab. The preliminary tests show their bodies contained a type of fungus." He glanced down, not liking what he had to say next. "Unfortunately, there was not much left of the bodies to analyze. Some of the bodies were so desiccated that they were nothing more than a pile of dust." A slight pause. "We're also trying to run tests on the mitochondiral DNA to try and determine who-was-who." Most of those lab techs were probably young students.
Caruso looked surprised. "I reviewed Dr. Roberts' log tapes. He reported that analysis of plant samples showed the same result, Bipolaris maydis."
This time everyone else looked surprised, except for Mr. Spock.
"Bipolaris maydis is a fungus exclusive to vegetation." Just as he finished, Lieutenant M'ress' face appeared on the small screen.
"Captain, I apologize forr the interruption but the lab wishes to speak with Drr. McCoy. They say it's urrgent."
"Put them through, lieutenant."
"Yes, Captain." a second passed before Chekov appeared. Vega finally calmed down a bit.
"Dr. McCoy, you won't believe this! The fungus has been identified but it doesn't make sense."
McCoy leaned back. "Let me guess – Bipolaris maydis."
Perplexed, his accent grew thicker. "Why, yes doctor. We ran the tests several times to be certain."
Even Spock raised an eyebrow; the results were not logical.
"What's unique about this Bipolaris maydis?" Kirk was growing more and more impatient. Everyone had plenty of time to perform analyses yet it seemed things were making less and less sense.
Mr. Spock turned towards the ladies, giving them the opportunity to speak. However, each was hoping Spock would direct the next question at the other. Caruso quickly spoke up "As it develops, it produces enzymes that digest the cell walls of plants and it releases toxins, which disrupt cellular membranes. As a result, cellular components leak out. Bipolaris maydis uses these components for additional growth."
Spock added "Extensive tests were run before the project began on Auxo 7. There were no traces, at least reported, of Bipolaris maydis nor any other species of fungi that would harm vegetation."
Kirk turned his line of sight. "Ms. Uhura, what did you find?"
"The standard type of transmitter had been replaced with one capable of transmitting waves at a low frequency; a frequency that would have been normally missed had I not been trying to look for anything. Someone did not want this facility contacted."
"Well of course starfleet would send a ship, eventually!" McCoy's hot-temper started. He then realized his anger was aimed in the wrong direction "I'm sorry, Uhura. It's just that it makes no sense. I have piles of dust I'm trying to identify as once-living beings!"
Uhura nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I don't understand why someone went through all the trouble of replacing the transmitter."
As things were being woven together, Kirk felt a cold tingle through his spine. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "You mean why didn't this person or persons simply smash the communications center? Certainly much faster and there would have been no distress signal. But it's a lot easier to replace a transmitter than an entire communications center."
A flash of both enlightenment and fear was felt throughout the room.
"Someone wanted the center operational for, most likely, a return visit." Spock logically concluded.
"So what we're dealing with," Kirk continued "is a fungus, capable of infecting both plant and animal cells." He glanced around the table, taking in everyone's anxious expressions, making sure his didn't show. "You're telling me this Bipolaris maydis disrupts each and every living cell it comes in contact with. Do you know what this means?"
"A weapon!" M'rowt hissed.
"A weapon using merely a natural resource. Very simple yet effective enough to wipe out an entire population in a short time frame." Spock supplemented.
Kirk nodded and emphatically added "A weapon, if in the wrong hands…"
Chapter 5
Vega's palms were sweating as she nervously walked to the briefing room, accompanied by Uhura and Caruso. This is my first real assignment she thought and look at how terrified I am! I screamed in front of superior officers including Mr. Spock and now I have to face a room full of officers including (gasp) the captain! Oh I may as well start my resignation now and save myself the embarrassment of being kicked out…
Her body began a cold sweat as she nervously rubber her hands. Without realizing it, she was several feet ahead of her companions.
"Slow down!" Caruso interrupted her thoughts of doom. Vega turned around but was still walking. "Is that an order?" she said through a nervous smile.
"Yes!" both officers replied. Her bright blue eyes turned downwards as she slowed her pace along the corridor.
"Oh don't be nervous, Vega," Uhura's reassuring voice tried to calm her "you'll do fine."
"I guess I'm afraid. I've never had to give a report to the captain before." said Vega.
Caruso folded her arms over her chest while Uhura rested her hands on her hips, giving comforting advise:
"Honey, he burps and passes gas like any other man. Keep that in mind." Uhura was an old veteran of these meetings. Usually, if the landing party's performance was not to Kirk's approval, she could count on receiving a good portion of the chewing-out, no matter who was at fault. Caruso, too, was nervous as she did not know what to expect from Captain Kirk, either. The lab results did not make sense and she knew Kirk: he did not want to hear that.
They reached the briefing room at the same time as M'rowt. "Ladies firrst." M'rowt gallantly offered, extending his huge, orange paw. Despite starfleet's gender-neutral regulations, caitians prefer to treat a lady as such.
"Where do I sit?" a nervous Ensign Vega asked.
Uhura simulated seriousness. "We're putting you next to Captain Kirk."
"And right across from Mr. Spock." Caruso added.
Vega looked terrified at first, then laughed when she realized what they were doing. Uhura and Caruso smiled while the two security men looked at the ladies in puzzlement. M'rowt moved close to Vega.
"Is she anotherr human infatuated with ourr captain?" Nothing like being blunt. Another trait of Caitians. No nonsense. Right to the point.
"No!" she defensively replied. "I…I'm just a little scared. My performance wasn't all that great."
"She's not infatuated with the captain." Caruso came to her defense. "She's infatuated with another member of the bridge crew."
"A certain Russian member of the bridge crew…" Uhura added. This was no secret so the two ladies knew they could safely state this without embarrassing Vega.
Dreaming of her kracivue chelovek put her at ease. Unfortunately, he was assigned to assist in the lab and would not be at the meeting. Everyone else took their seats as the Captain, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy entered and took their seats. The sound of the doors startled her. She went to take her seat when she noticed her superior officers were kind enough to leave her a seat next to Captain Kirk and across from Mr. Spock.
"We have an entire planet dead, all researchers as well as vegetation." The captain irascibly began.
Without hesitation, Spock stated
"Auxo seven was found to contain an unusual compound – indolegibberelic acid, the only planet to have this naturally-occurring auxin, the only naturally-occuring auxin that is not toxic at high levels."
McCoy let out a huff of air. "Auxins! They regulate cell elongation in plants. What the hell does that have to do with a morgue full of dried-out bodies!?"
"My question exactly." Kirk added as he scanned around the table. Vega tried not to meet his eyes so he wouldn't ask her anything. He turned back to McCoy. "What about your autopsy reports, doctor?"
"I'm waiting for final sample results from the lab. The preliminary tests show their bodies contained a type of fungus." He glanced down, not liking what he had to say next. "Unfortunately, there was not much left of the bodies to analyze. Some of the bodies were so desiccated that they were nothing more than a pile of dust." A slight pause. "We're also trying to run tests on the mitochondiral DNA to try and determine who-was-who." Most of those lab techs were probably young students.
Caruso looked surprised. "I reviewed Dr. Roberts' log tapes. He reported that analysis of plant samples showed the same result, Bipolaris maydis."
This time everyone else looked surprised, except for Mr. Spock.
"Bipolaris maydis is a fungus exclusive to vegetation." Just as he finished, Lieutenant M'ress' face appeared on the small screen.
"Captain, I apologize forr the interruption but the lab wishes to speak with Drr. McCoy. They say it's urrgent."
"Put them through, lieutenant."
"Yes, Captain." a second passed before Chekov appeared. Vega finally calmed down a bit.
"Dr. McCoy, you won't believe this! The fungus has been identified but it doesn't make sense."
McCoy leaned back. "Let me guess – Bipolaris maydis."
Perplexed, his accent grew thicker. "Why, yes doctor. We ran the tests several times to be certain."
Even Spock raised an eyebrow; the results were not logical.
"What's unique about this Bipolaris maydis?" Kirk was growing more and more impatient. Everyone had plenty of time to perform analyses yet it seemed things were making less and less sense.
Mr. Spock turned towards the ladies, giving them the opportunity to speak. However, each was hoping Spock would direct the next question at the other. Caruso quickly spoke up "As it develops, it produces enzymes that digest the cell walls of plants and it releases toxins, which disrupt cellular membranes. As a result, cellular components leak out. Bipolaris maydis uses these components for additional growth."
Spock added "Extensive tests were run before the project began on Auxo 7. There were no traces, at least reported, of Bipolaris maydis nor any other species of fungi that would harm vegetation."
Kirk turned his line of sight. "Ms. Uhura, what did you find?"
"The standard type of transmitter had been replaced with one capable of transmitting waves at a low frequency; a frequency that would have been normally missed had I not been trying to look for anything. Someone did not want this facility contacted."
"Well of course starfleet would send a ship, eventually!" McCoy's hot-temper started. He then realized his anger was aimed in the wrong direction "I'm sorry, Uhura. It's just that it makes no sense. I have piles of dust I'm trying to identify as once-living beings!"
Uhura nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I don't understand why someone went through all the trouble of replacing the transmitter."
As things were being woven together, Kirk felt a cold tingle through his spine. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "You mean why didn't this person or persons simply smash the communications center? Certainly much faster and there would have been no distress signal. But it's a lot easier to replace a transmitter than an entire communications center."
A flash of both enlightenment and fear was felt throughout the room.
"Someone wanted the center operational for, most likely, a return visit." Spock logically concluded.
"So what we're dealing with," Kirk continued "is a fungus, capable of infecting both plant and animal cells." He glanced around the table, taking in everyone's anxious expressions, making sure his didn't show. "You're telling me this Bipolaris maydis disrupts each and every living cell it comes in contact with. Do you know what this means?"
"A weapon!" M'rowt hissed.
"A weapon using merely a natural resource. Very simple yet effective enough to wipe out an entire population in a short time frame." Spock supplemented.
Kirk nodded and emphatically added "A weapon, if in the wrong hands…"
