Medical Mystery

Posted on Sat Mar 1st, 2025 @ 11:17am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis MD
Edited on on Sat Mar 1st, 2025 @ 11:18am

Mission: Training Cruise
Location: Sickbay

"An Iconian virus?" Dr Samantha Howard's eyebrows reached for her hairline before slowly receding again. "The Iconians have been extinct for thousands of years. How can a virus end up in my coffee?" She asked, her mind already running through the ramifications of such.

Shon threw her hands up. "At the moment Sam trying to run the evolution of a two hundred-thousand-year-old virus seems impossible but, we will do it. I suspect the virus has mutated and, it is actually a combination of .... well, we know that a virus particle is a genetic material housed in a protein shell and has responded to your human DNA."

"I get that the virus is old, but what I don't understand is who put it in my coffee?" Sam headed to her office and found this morning's brew still sitting on her desk. She established a quarantine field around it. "Running a scan of the vicinity in case there are airborne contaminates that could infect others. We need to know how far it has spread."

T'Pau scanned the nearby replicator. "It would appear that the virus originated from this replicator. We will need an engineer to check the biofilter to ensure nothing else is able to be transmitted." She arched an eyebrow in traditional Vulcan fashion. "We may wish to have all replicators temporarily disengaged to avoid the possibility of others being infected by contaminants."

"I'll inform the bridge and Engineering and also quarantine sickbay until we can be sure there's no further spread of this virus" Sam instructed and informed the rest of the sickbay staff of the quarantine. "Now we need to find a widespread way of tracking this virus. Is it airborne? Particle borne?" She mused before turning to Shon and the two cadets. "You are all experts in this field."

Viviana scanned sickbay with her tricorder, narrowing the scan field and perimeters to scan for the virus. "It isn't airborne. I would suggest it is likely being created in the replicators during the creation of food stuffs and infects during ingestion, similar to the way one might have been infected by bacterial infections on 20th century Earth." She closed her tricorder and walked over to her senior medical officers, "I believe it safe to say that you were purposely infected through your coffee. Whether they knew you drink a beverage on duty, or it a coincidence is a question we may need to solve."

The doors to sickbay opened and an engineer entered. The ensign asked, "You requested an engineer. What do you need?" he asked frantically.

"Dr. Howard has been purposely infected by a virus in some attempt to incapacitate her. We have determined it originates from the replicator in her office. We require your engineering expertise to determine how this was accomplished" T'Pau stated dispassionately.

The Engineer looked as though stepping into Sam's office was akin to stepping into the plague itself. She smirked a little at the expression. "I can assure you this is not an airborne virus; you are safe to enter. What's not safe is the coffee in that replicator"

The Engineer took out his tricorder and scanned the unit. "Well, it appears somebody has tampered with this replicator unit. I am reading some sort of material discriminator attached to the pattern transmuter. It likely is designed to replicate your virus whenever anything is replicated in this unit. I can remove the device fairly easily. Will take about 10 minutes. If you don't mind removing that coffee. I don't want to cause an issue with whatever medical procedures need to be maintained. I can upload this to the engineering mainframe so that we can check all the other replicators once the current crisis is over."

"Quite efficient" T'Pau noted.

"I'll move the coffee so you can get to work. I'd very much like to see this device once you remove it" Viviana followed up.

Shon walked over. Cadet T’Pau I want you to follow up on the replicator problem, I will inform the captain. Viviana, I want you to help me replicate a pattern of the virus. The most important thing is to find a way to treat Commander Howard, then find out why this virus has been planted.” She tapped her comm.

=/\= Dr T’ghann-Travis to Captain dh’Klar=/\=

Shran was in his quarters slowly getting dressed while his children and spouses looked a bit frantic over the ship being attacked. He hadn't informed them that this was just a live action battle drill to test the cadets. He hit his comm badge, =^= How can I help you doctor. =^=

"Wait what? I'm still infected?" Sam looked up, having thought that the injection she had been given had been the actual cure rather than the high blood pressure medication. Her vision had cleared, and she had assumed she was better. Oops.

"I feel fine." Sam shrugged before grabbing a tricorder and running it over herself as though she needed to prove it to herself. "Damn" she whispered as it appeared very clearly in her bloodstream.

"This is your baby Shon, you're the viral expert. I'm happy to assist you until this thing kicks in."

Shon nodded. I want to create a contained viral nest. I want to grow the virus and then reduce it into its contaminant parts in an allantoic cavity isolation tube. Sam all I will need is a small sample of brain tissue for this, just a needle biopsy."

Viviana are you happy to help with this, I need someone who can set up a lab containment biosphere?"

Viviana nodded.

"Good," said Shon. "T'Pau can you please set up for a sulcus biopsy?"

The Vulcan Cadet shook her head. I have not set up for this before Doctor, I will have to watch."

"Sam, are you ready for this?"

Sam nodded and hopped up on the biobed. Aware of what the procedure would entail. Over the passage of time there had yet to be a more exact way to extract fluid from the brain than aspirating with a fine needle. Which also required a fine hole in the bone to allow the needle passage. With modern medicine it was painless, sterile and effective, rapidly healed using dermal regenerators and bone knitters. Still, the thought of someone sticking a needle into her brain was somewhat disconcerting.

"I trust you Shon" Sam murmured as she lay down and forced her body to relax.

Viviana decided it was best for her to ask her question rather than not. "If I might ask doctor, why are you using a needle biopsy? Surely, we can get a better sample in a less invasive way with a bioprobe and a laser scalpel."

"What are you talking about?" Sam frowned, confused as she had been previously. Another round of delusion was setting in, and she couldn't trust her senses again. "Just sedate me and do what you need to. Nothing is making sense at the moment."

"Just lie down doctor. I believe you are experiencing more delirious behavior" T'Pau said walking over to Sam and gently moving her to a biobed.

Shon stood Cadets, "Hands off, i will be performing the procedure, you may be brilliant, but you are still cadets, this is my boss and my good friend." she was annoyed. "Sam I'm going to sedate you now. Trust me I will look after you." Sen injected Drexellian a new sedative without the respiratory effects.

T'Pau gave a slight raise of her eyebrow after being chastised. She hadn't expected to have such an emotional response from a fellow Vulcan. She pulled out a tricorder and scanned Shon. She motioned for Viviana to come over to take a look. "I'm afraid doctor that you are in no condition to do anything. You are infected by the same disease."

The medical staff looked around with concern, having now heard their top two doctors were compromised. The Gamma shift doctor was off duty and would have to come into a quarantine environment to perform further tests unless those in Sickbay could sort it out for themselves.

"OK, we test everyone. We ascertained it wasn't airborne so either these two were targeted or it's transmitted in a way that we missed." The head nurse announced and stepped forward. She looked at the two cadets "I'm assuming you are both nearly completed your studies and would be up to date in the latest viral theories?"

"I'm already a medical doctor, fully versed in all medical procedures and theories" Viviana replied. "I can handle this virus. Lock sickbay down. Let's get all patients that can be moved out once they are cleared. T'Pau, you work with the medical staff to clear the patients. I will focus attention on Cmdr Howard and Lt Cmdr T'ghann-Travis."

T'Pau nodded. "Understood."


TBC