Alex Dane tried to remain calm as he tapped on the office door of Dr. Teirell. Knowing that someone else was also aware of the truth, that he was just an actor, that the Galaxy Quest broadcasts weren't real, it was quite a relief. But there was one thing that he could do to offer some assistance, and that was to serve as a reference on humans for Teirell.
The door whooshed open, and Dr. Teirell smiled stiffly. "Dr. Lazarus, please, come in. I wanted to ask your opinion on a few matters."
"Of course, of course." He stepped inside, letting the door close behind him. "Is there a way that I can be of assistance to you?"
"Actually, I would like to consult with you. I'm uncertain how much you would know of the workings of the human brain chemistry, but you would surely know more about vampires than I do." Teirell settled at his desk, and pulled one of the small recording devices from one drawer. "The warrior called Angel is something called a vampire, and it causes some medical concerns, but beyond that, I have no idea what the word means."
Alex nodded, and settled in the second chair. "Did you run a standard diagnostic on him? Blood work?"
"The basic scans indicate that from a physical standpoint, he is…" Dr. Teirell paused, and shook his head. "Angel is a corpse with brain activity consistent with a living individual. There are elements in his blood that are not found in the blood of any of the rest of you from Earth, though you are a rather small group for a good statistical sample."
"Vampires are widely believed to be no more than a myth." Alex murmured, and then looked at Dr. Teirell. "Clearly, that is not true. There are a large number of stories, but I am uncertain how many of them are true, or would be of use. They do agree that vampires must drink blood to continue their existence, which I assume can be dealt with by use of the replication technology. Another point that is highly agreed upon is an extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Many stories also include increased strength and reflexes, or the vampire healing more rapidly from injuries than ordinary humans."
"How?" Dr. Teirell sounded fascinated.
"That's where the uncertainty comes in. Angel might be the best person to ask, but I believe he was on the shuttle for the landing party." Alex rubbed at his temple, considering. "Willow and Cordelia are both familiar with vampires, they might have an idea, but Willow left with the Security Advisor to see if she could make use of her quantum manipulations to offer some defense against blaster fire, and she's probably going to be quite busy with efforts in that direction. Would Cordelia be sufficiently recovered from her latest vision to make a few inquiries?"
"Possibly." For a moment, he stared down at the small device, and then looked back up. "Can you give me any idea what would happen to a human whose brain chemistry goes too far out of balance? Her neurotransmitter levels were unbalanced in the aftermath. A Thermian… There would be pain, dizziness, nausea, and eventual inability to wake followed by death."
"That actually sounds rather similar to what would happen to a human, though the specific transmitters might be different. There are several theories among earth doctors that the brain chemistry can cause illnesses and pain in other areas of the body, so that might be a possibility, though I'm not an expert on such things." Alex murmured, trying to be as thorough as possible.
"As a human, do you think that Cordelia would have strenuous objections to some sort of implanted device to regulate her neurotransmitter levels?" Dr. Teirell murmured, his hand already tapping at something on the hand unit. "I think we could create something to serve that purpose, if Lt. Madison and Willow might be useful as templates for ordinary levels of brain chemistry."
For a moment, Alex desperately wished that he knew more about medical matters. But he was an actor, he would have to make the best of the situation. "We can only hope that would be an acceptable plan. Neither of them have any sort of brain disorders that I am aware of, and if a certain amount of leeway is programmed in to the device… It might depend on how invasive the procedure would be and how much difficulty she is currently having with the visions."
"So, what is your opinion, then?" The soft question hinted that this was a serious matter to Teirell.
"Ask her. Explain the procedure and what it should do as clearly as possible, and ask if she would like it to be done. Be as clear as possible about the possible risks and benefits. Then possibly you could see if she would have any better information about vampirism." Alex offered. "And this is something that should be handled delicately. While her visions are real, the crew might not be pleased to know what price she is paying for them."
"Yes, that's a very good point." Dr. Teirell agreed thoughtfully.
End part 35.
Fred Kwan watched as several of the engineering staff scurried over the engines. The last time he'd been here, there had been a few problems with the engines, and he'd suggested that maybe they should be prepared this time. Any possible places that could turn into problems would be located before such a problem could occur.
"Another point with minute pitting from the reactors, sir." One of the techs called, his voice a bit higher than most of the Thermians. "What should we do about it?"
"How long would it take to replace or repair all the pitted surfaces?" Fred asked, knowing that they would have a bit of a time crunch until after the problems on under Los Angeles had been taken care of.
"Approximately seven hours to replace all the pitted panels that we've discovered so far, though we could get a patching done in four." The senior engineer spoke, the one who was really running things, but considered himself answerable to Fred Kwan. "Replacements would hold better than a patch, but we would have to take the engines offline and shut them down completely for either one."
For a moment, Fred considered the dangers of the pitting, and then the possibility of attack from the enemies. "The people down there are going to want this ship, either to take it or destroy it."
"Sir?" One of the junior techs murmured, looking as if he wasn't quite certain what he was even asking.
"We might need to be able to maneuver the ship, we can't afford to be an immobile target for this." He looked at the senior engineer, who was nodding his understanding. "There could be a sudden need to move very fast, or sudden pressure on the shields. I don't know what they have, it could stress things too much. We need to be prepared, and those pitted places would be the most likely places for trouble to start."
"Most logical, Sergeant Chen." The engineer agreed. "Be prepared, there could be electrical fires, energy surges, and possible leaks."
The engineering department scurried to work, preparing for any potential trouble. This time, they would be ready before there was a chance that the engines would explode. This time, they'd be ready to stop any problems before they got that big.
The shuttlecraft soared upwards, the gleaming lines of the Protector clearly visible on their screens. The Protector was clearly superior to the ship that had landed them on the miserable, primitive planet now beneath them.
"I like it." The pilot murmured, a wide smile on his pale face. "Perhaps it could use a little change of management, though."
"You like it because it does not require the extensive repairs as the Coou'Eeeilo. Nobody's crashed this one into the surface of a planet." His partner grumbled.
"We will just have to be certain that we don't let the control shattering programs corrupt the navigation this time." The pilot's assurances gave no consideration to the chances of failure. "They won't know what hit them."
"They play by the rules, of course they won't know what hit them." There was a snicker, and then pale hands touched controls.
"Hailing Protector, shuttle requesting emergency docking. We have injuries and engine damage, and assistance is necessary. Repeat, assistance is necessary." His grin was a far cry from a match for the message of distress.
"We'd best make sure we look the part." His partner reminded him.
Uniforms were ripped, the edges singed as if by blaster fire, and fluids, a mingling of some of the punished vamper foot soldiers and the wall scrapings of their inadequate base, were smeared on, giving the impression of serious bodily injuries.
Slowly, the shuttle bay doors opened.
End part 36.