Diagnostics
Posted on Mon Nov 22nd, 2021 @ 12:48am by Lieutenant Leah Bailey & Lieutenant Commander Savin & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki & Lieutenant Resigned & Jerant van Rijn
Mission:
With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Ithaca II
Timeline: MD-02 1230Hrs
2232 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure
Assembling the team was in Michael's opinion the most important step in cracking a case. Right now he knew he would need Savin to help with the psychological part of this case. However, as far as diagnostic medicine went the pickings on the ship were slim. He asked Lieutenant Bailey from the Science Department to join the team, as he knew it was always good to have an old fashioned scientist on the team. His orders were to meet in Transporter Room 1.
A few moments later Ki found himself with the equipment he needed in the transporter room as he awaited the rest of the team. A small amount of impatience washed over him. Ki was unsure if it was impatience or excitement over the prospect of having an incurable disease to cure.
Savin nodded towards the Asian man as he walked into the transporter room, with Jerant close on his heels. The Betazoid looked a fraction nervous as he hadn't been on any away missions in quite some time, and as civilian he wondered on how much of a leash he would be this time. "Doctor," Jerant greeted as he stepped forward and then off to the side. It was his usual place, being somewhere between Savin and any 'others'.
"Greetings doctor," Savin almost echoed, "are you ready?" He could easily sense the hint of impatience but as he didn't know the cause, he didn't comment on it.
"Yes we are just waiting on the last member of our team to arrive and then we can get going. The sooner we get down there the sooner we can figure this out." Michael said. "I am glad that you chose to join us. As I said on the bridge your expertise in people skills will prove to be invaluable. One of the keys to curing the incurable is to learn how it spreads. Dealing with the general public will help us learn this. Contact tracing is what it is called, when you trace who the infected came in contact with and not only how they spread it but how they received the pathogen."
"I do know how spread works doctor," Savin smiled pleasantly, "like you, I do have a medical degree. But what safety precautions are we taking for ourselves?"
"Full bio suits are going to be implemented. No contact with anyone from the planet without wearing a suit. Our control building will be a clean room. No one from the planet is allowed in. The clean room will also be provided with its own atmospheric equipment so we will not be breathing the same air that is on the planet. That is until we can figure out what the heck is going on here." Ki replied.
"Sorry I'm late!" Leah charged into the transporter room feeling flustered. "We don't seem to have a department head at the moment, so nobody told me I was supposed to be here at this time." She juggled a science kit and a secondary pack over her shoulder. "Sorry...sorry..."
Jerant pointed and Savin turned to face the woman, reaching to take some of her equipment from her. "Let me take that," he offered.
"No problem Lieutenant I am glad that you could join us." Michael said with a soft smile.
"Yes. So, what do we know about this virus problem they're having? Is it something we've seen before or is it something entirely new?" Leah asked, stepping up onto the transporter pad.
"Something new that presents as if it is a number of known pathogens. It is possible that this is a mutated form of something that we have known about for years." Michael said as took his place on the pad next to the equipment. Now that they were all gathered it was time to get the mission underway. "Energize..." the transporter effect took hold of Michael and everyone else. When it resolved Michael found himself standing next to everyone else in what looked like the lobby of a great building. This was the clean building, only people known to have never come in contact with anyone or anything on or from this planet were allowed here.
Savin glanced around, noticing just how sterile the room looked. "Could they not at least have used some colour?" he muttered, taking a few steps to get a better look around than before.
"Pretty standard design," Leah shrugged. "They don't go for aesthetic over practical in these parts." She hefted some of her science kit and looked around as a pair of Cardassians arrived. One looked to have some sort of surgical gown equivalent, while the other looked like some grim security type.
There was a transporter shimmer in the background and as it faded Bolingbroke materialized.
He nodded to Savin, Ki, Van Rijn and Bailey, looked around and found a place to stand quietly while they conversed with the Cardassian Doctor. His eyes ran over the Inquisitor with professional curiosity.
"You must be the Starfleet team. Doctor Garin. This is my associate, Inquisitor Varin."
"Inquisitor?" Leah echoed curiously.
"Indeed." The tall, brutish one responded with a faint smirk. "To ensure the security of the Cardassian detachment in this facility." Reading between the lines, one could only assume he was there to keep a more ruthless eye on things for his superiors.
"I am Dr Michael Ki, this is Dr Savin, Lieutenant Bailey and Mr Van Rijn..." Michael said as he hefted a medical kit onto his shoulder and motioned to each person in turn. "Dr Garin can you bring us up to speed."
"Naturally. The symptoms present similarly to Edenan's Syndrome; acute fever, light sensitivity and muscle weakness. However our records have never seen something affect patients so quickly and so severely. Our early cases did not show too many additional concerns, but the regular treatments were somewhat ineffective."
"What were you using?" Leah inquired.
"An array of antibiotic stimulants," Garin replied. "Our supplies here are not so...modern...but they should still be effective."
"What can you tell us about the patients?" Savin asked, looking directly at Garin, "age, gender, general health prior to infection. Are there any linking factors? What about their mental health, or even general happiness?"
"The first patients were Metis." Garin said it with a mild disdain. "The symptoms spread to our service personnel a few days after they first presented, at which point we began to take it seriously. No linking factors that we can immediately tell, but it appears the spread is proximity-based."
Jerant turned his head as he sensed something, then gave a minute nod towards the obscured security chief. He turned back to the conversing parties before him, making it seem as he was just taking in their surroundings without betraying the newcomer's presence.
Savin couldn't hear the disdain in the man's voice, but he could sense some of it. "What can you tell us about the initial symptoms and the course of infection?" he asked, "and what of the mental state of said patients? How were they, mentally speaking, curing the course of their sickness?"
Michael listened intently. Thus far Savin was hitting all of the right questions. There was really nothing for Ki to do save listen. This was the sign of a good diagnostics team. So far so good he thought
"They were-" The doctor was about to speak when the inquisitor interrupted sharply.
"The Metis were as belligerent as always. They've always been inferior to true Cardassian soldiers; unable to withstand much discomfort." The statement chastised Garin a little, as though reminding him that he wasn't to be too talkative.
"Indeed. Typical presentation was within a day, infection persists for several after. Death can occur without treatment within two weeks," he explained.
"Is Edenan's syndrome normally so severe?" Leah wondered, looking at Ki and Savin for an answer.
"I do not know," Savin answered honestly. "What is the difference between you ad these..Metis? Are they not Cardassian as well?" he asked, briefly glancing at Jerant to make sure he wasn't missing anything here. He hadn't missed the interruption, and had observed a change in body language from their hosts.
This line of thinking had perked Michael's ears. Savin may have hit on something without knowing it. "Tell me has the syndrome effected the Metis more severe than the true Cardassian soldiers?" He did not like it but he used the same wording as Garin. Ki wondered if there was something different in the DNA that may cause the syndrome to act differently.
"Not noticeably," Garin shrugged. "I hadn't really noticed, at least."
"The Metis are naturally inferior. Of course they would be affected more severely," Inquisitor Varin declared.
~Typical Cardassian superiority complex on display~ Bolingbroke thought to himself at the back of the room, keeping his face impassive. The plight of the young girl with this Inquisitor's boss still bothered him.
"How are they inferior," Savin pressed, casting Jerant a sideways glance to make sure he had understood right, "and what makes a true Cardassian soldier? How are you different? Is it appearance, genetic deviances?" He paused a moment. "Mental capacity or development?"
Ki knew what the Inquisitor meant and he didn't like it. The fact was there were no differences, this was simply put racism. However, it was not something that could be discussed openly and Michael knew it. For the moment he tried to figure out a way to convey this to Savin, but failed. Making sure that Jerant at the most could see him Michael spoke. "The superiority that Garin spoke of is simply put racism. It has nothing to do with this situation." Seeing as questioning Garin was getting them nowhere fast Ki decided to take a different tact. "Is it possible to see the patients first hand right now?"
Jerant nodded that he had conveyed the message, though Savin was well aware of Ki's feelings on the matter. Making sure Savin had understood, Jerant then turned his head towards the figure in the shadows. ~What slave girl?~ he asked, knowing that speaking telepathically might not really be appreciated but since the man clearly didn't want to be noticed, the Betazoid had no alternative. As a telepath, catching some thoughts just really couldn't be avoided. And the sense of bother was too present to ignore.
Bolingbroke looked around, momentarily startled at having the voice appear in his head. It did not seem unpleasant, just unexpected.
~Don't you knock?!~ He thought back, trying hard not to be annoyed at the invasion of privacy.
Jerant offered an apologetic shrug. ~Sorry... Some things can't be avoided, and it feels like you didn't really want them to know either.~ He gave a covert nod towards the Cardassians. ~What slave though? Anything the doctor or counselor should be aware of? I don't think they noticed you're even here.~
Bolingbroke thought that was odd since he'd made eye contact and nodded to the Athena's Medical Away Team when he arrived, then realized his mental intruder had probably read that too.
~Yeah l guess a six foot uniformed and armed Security Officer beaming into the room does kinda go unnoticed~ He thought sarcastically ~ Just who is this anyway?~.
~My name is Jerant, I'm the counselor's interpreter.~ Jerant shrugged again, though it might be missed in his suited form. ~it's my job to make sure he doesn't miss anything in terms of communication. Which is why I'm in his line of sight.~ Jerant knew Savin was focused solely on the conversation with the Cardassians, and the counselor seemed unaware of his assistant's conversation with the security chief.
~Ok, now l know who you are~ Bolingbroke made eye contact with Jerant, he was aware the deaf Romulan had an aide and interpreter, although he'd not met him directly but now he had his voice in his head. That was a little strange.
~No need for anyone else to be bothered, the girl's just another unnoticed victim of galactic politics, like many thousands of others... ~ Bolingbroke surprised himself with that one, he never realized how cynical he had become.
No victim deserves to go unnoticed. Maybe the counselor can help? Though Jerant had no idea if Savin would be able to, he was after all, assigned here to this team to help, and not anywhere else.
"Come. Let's show you." Garin pointed towards a nearby structure, as the Inquisitor seemed to fix Dr Ki with a steely expression of withheld anger.
"Thank you and we will need any and all medical records pertaining to this outbreak." Michael said as he fell into step with Garin. The fact that Garin seemed angry with Ki was not lost. Michael was in fact rather happy with it, he also didn't care much what Garin thought of him.
Savin fell into step beside Ki. "What was that all about?" he queried softly.
"I have no patience for people who believe they are superior to others in any way. Racism has no place in the galaxy as far as I am concerned." Michael whispered back and then smiled. "In fact I am to cure this outbreak and prove that what cures one can cure all. Which would mean that there is not much difference between Cardassians and Metis."
