Disclaimer: CBS/Paramount still own everything Star Trek.

Author's note: I apologize for the extreme time lag in posting to this story. My inspiration seems to be in deep hibernation for the winter. For this chapter, I'm falling back on an old writer's trick to spark inspiration...change the point of view from which the story is being told.

Maluse, the chief healer from Adigeon Prime, looked around at her colleagues, "Have any of you possibly done anything to cause artificial genetic stimulation in the workers on the station?" The glares she received from her team in response to her question were well justified. "I'm sorry, of course you haven't. However, the undeniable truth is that the denizens of CS12 are suffering from the sudden onset of artificial genetic stimulation."

Her second in command had been deep in thought, but spoke up, "How, what could be causing it?"

Maluse saw the same question reflected in her team's eyes, "I have no idea, none whatsoever. Any thoughts people?"

Again, Sharlot, her second in command spoke, "Does it really matter, doesn't the mere fact it is occurring put everything we're doing here in jeopardy?"

"Obviously it does, but I would like to determine if it is caused by something we may have done" at the looks of outrage with which she was being attacked, she went on in a placating manner, "I mean, it may be unintentionally caused, as a side effect for example, by some of the things we're doing here." She knew it was an extremely remote possibility, but felt they should investigate it.

The most junior member of her team voiced what was on everyone's mind, "We've been doing this type of experiment for a long time, and nothing like this has ever happened, right?" There were nods of agreement all around, even Maluse was tempted to outwardly show her agreement. "As strict and careful as our protocols are, I think it's impossible that on this particular mission our work has suddenly and for no reason whatsoever started affecting the genetic makeup of people who aren't even the main subject of study."

Maluse flopped into her chair, grateful to be back on their ship, however briefly, and able to sit in a comfortable chair. The chairs on the research station were inadequate to her species' stature. "True enough, the question still remains, what is causing these anomalies, because I think we are all agreed, we're not causing them."

Everyone was quiet for a moment and Sharlot voiced a nagging suspicion which had been in the back of his mind since the moment he learned of the genetic manipulation, "Maybe something we released in the storage area has seeped through to the other side of the station…" He let the thought drift away.

Again, Mersh, the junior team member spoke up, "Isn't that impossible, I mean was not the main reason we felt safe subjecting Dr. Bashir to so many pathogens because of the complete isolation of one side of the station to the other, thereby negating the possibility of bystanders being exposed?"

Maluse spoke to the young Mersh, "You're quite correct Mersh, you're also not taking into account that Sharlot had to bring up that point. If he hadn't, then we aren't being thorough, every possible cause needs to be discussed and dismissed in turn."

Mersh blush deep purple with embarrassment at his commanding officer's rebuke, "Of course, I'm sorry."

She didn't smile or try to mitigate the young man's embarrassment, he needed to feel the sting of her subtle reprimand, otherwise how would he learn? "Now, back to the point, I think we must rule out the possibility that contagions got to the other part of the station. Mersh, when we're done here, you'll survey the modern portion of the station, room by room, for contagions."

He didn't object, he knew assigning this tedious task to him was another way Maluse was reminding him he hadn't yet earned the right to openly question his superiors on matters of procedure.

For the rest of the meeting, Maluse handed out assignments to the rest of her team. They had to get to the cause of this new concern. The mere fact that genetic manipulation was happening threatened to ruin all they were doing on Cold Station 12 in studying Dr. Bashir's reaction to the pathogens.