Search for the cure: Part 2

Posted on Sat Apr 13th, 2019 @ 12:28pm by Lieutenant Galatea Polaris & Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D
Edited on on Sat Apr 13th, 2019 @ 12:28pm

Mission: Negotiations and Apothecaries
Location: Science Labs

She sighed. "Alright well let's get working. Since you are in a suit you might be able to work in Lab four and I will stay here. This way you can work unencumbered and we can use a holo communicator to converse.

“Good idea Doctor that way you can’t accidentally infect me but we can keep an eye on each others work. As soon as you start to feel worse you beam yourself back to sickbay for treatment.” Anthony said medical doctor or no, the only person able to legally remove the Captain from their duties or otherwise he is not having this doctor die on his watch.

She smiled. "Excellent and I will have to convince the good doctor to help us. You might not want to be here for that."

“Okay I’ll just be next door working on the virus and trying to find a cure.” Anthony said before he added “Remember the doctor still needs to have his own choice.”

She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes the best choice is necessity." She smiled at Anthony. "Keep well my friend."

“In your department I am sure that is right. In mine that is blind choice, though science is deeply rooted in blind choice and chaos. All matter has at least two directions it can take with completely different endings.” Anthony said “One friend down in the dumps is bad enough one dead the other in a suicidal rage because she died is not a place I want to go so you work hard on that cure.”

She smiled. "I will send me a holo when you reach the secondary lab and I'll introduce you to our friend."


=== Twenty Minutes Later ===


"Polaris to Edwards. Ready to establish holo link?"

“Receiving Doctor Polaris ready for the link.” Anthony said.

She entered the code and Anthony appeared as if he were standing in the room. She, in tern, appeared there along with her guest. "Anthony this is Doctor Stephens. Stephens, Anthony."

The man didn't look happy.

"Welcome Doctor Stephens I hope that you're able to help get this solved." Anthony said noticing his displeasure he thought I don't think this is going to work but Galatea knows him best.

Stephens blustered "What do you think that you are doing."

Galatea smiled, "Doctor you are going to help us find a cure and save the crew."

He snorted, "What makes you think I'll help." He looked over at the holo.

Galatea shrugged, "Do or don't. I might add I was infected. Just thought you'd want to help both you and me feel better."

Stephens glared he looked at the Holo...."Is she serious?"

“Yes Doctor Polaris is a very good Doctor but it seems she forgot unknown science 101, which said as a medical scientific explorer for god’s sake wear a moon suit, and has indeed become infected.” Anthony said, to say he was disappointed with Doctor Polaris would be a minor understatement, but he felt the same way about himself when made a silly mistake.

Stephen's eyes bugged out. He knew that he too was now exposed. "Well played witch."

Galatea smiled, "Get to work."

All three set about working. Minutes turned to hours.

Stephens who was spitting mad turned to the hollow. "Doctor Edwards I might have an idea. This is adaptive so how about we give it a way to adapt its way out of potency?"

Anthony wasn’t sure, it wasn’t normal science but what Doctor Stephens said made sense. “Okay I’ll bite Doctor. Propose your theory.”

"If we were able to trick the virus into thinking the immune system was adapting we might be able make this thing less lethal. Maybe even figure out a way to reverse those infected."

Anthony thought about it for a while and said “It has its merits. How do you propose making the adaptation to make the virus think it is being worked out number one and number two How do you expect to isolated it so it doesn’t adapt.” As he said it his console beeped at him.

He sighed, "I have to think on that. We could use some help on this one. Let's shut the holo down and we'll think on it and meet back in one hour on the holo."

“Understood Doctor. I will keep working on it from here too and I will see you in an hour.” Anthony said and cancelled the holographic imaging from his end.


========Science Lab 3===========

Stephens took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked over at Galatea who was sitting up against the wall with a PADD in her hand.

"I think I have an idea." She typed something into the PADD. Just before she could hand it to Stephens a call came in. "Seleya to Polaris."

Galatea tapped her combadge. "Go ahead."

Seleya explained what was going on and what she'd heard.

Galatea and Stephens exchanged looks. "That makes sense. Can we get a sample of blood?"

Seleya acknowledged. "I have already routed a sample to your lab and Doctor Edwards."

Stephens sent a note to Edwards updating him that a vile of blood containing what was suppose to be the antidote is on its way.

Galatea stood from her chair and slid to the ground. She noticed Stephens looking at her. "Getting dizzy."

He sighed, "And I can't convince you to trade the floor for a bio bed?"

She smiled, "No. But I had a thought." She quickly explained just as the sample got to the lab. Stephens received it and noted the young medic's eyes drawn to Galatea.

Stephens tried to bring a comforting smile to his face. "She just got a bit dizzy. Nothing to worry about. Tell Doctor Seleya that we'll get her information. I think we're onto something." He booted the medic out and started on looking over the vile hoping that Edwards would do likewise with his sample.


========Science Lab 4===========

Meanwhile in lab 4 Anthony had been working hard on both getting proof that it was engineered. He almost had his finger on it, but it kept sliding away from him.

While he was working on it and every time is slipped through his fingers he put it aside for a bit and worked on the other half of his role finding a cure. Though that would slip away from him too. Like it was well advanced of their technology.

Then he got an idea. What if this is a virus that’s been engineered by a species so far behind us technologically that our technology won’t find what we are looking for. Then we’re buggered.

As he came to that discovery Stephens called again.

========Holo Coms===========

Stephens sent a coms request to Edwards this time requesting that he appear in Holo rather then Edwards. He was ashen grey with a look of determination on his face when he materialized in Edwards' lab. =/\=Sorry for the change of holo plans.=/\= He said his voice drawn. It had been two hours since they spoke.

Anthony had been working hard and hadn’t noticed the change or how much time has passed as he often did we when he became involved in scientific projects that he only particially understood. He was shocked when the call came in as he expected it was only twenty minutes later. =/\=Go ahead Doctor Stephens. I think I have some news too.=/\=

"There is a sample on its way to your lab. It's from the ambassador's assistant. She had a dose of anti virus but is still sick If we can analyze it that would be great." He sighed, "I've come to the conclusion that this might have been absorbed as a scent." He rubbed his eyes His face was drawn. "What've you got?"

Anthony thought for a while and tapped something into his console in Science lab four and then said “Eureka, aerosol as an infection source, that is the final piece of the puzzle. I expect it was or is a genetically engineered virus. I say that because as a non biology chemistry major I didn’t spend much time on infection control but I seem to remember the only time a carrier of something came down with it was when it was engineered. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong doctor as it is your field of expertise.”

"Well done doctor. You and I may find a cure yet." He sighed, "I will inform Doctor Seleya about what we've found." He thought a moment. "With you and me working on this we'll find a way to turn things around. That I promise you." He wondered if he should say something. Perhaps now was not the time for it.

“Well it has only been a few hours. Since Doctor Polaris brought it to me, however I certainly hope we are quick enough, it seems you have more need to have it cure than I. Especially now that you have been exposed to. I was hoping Doctor Polaris and I would get it before she stared showing signs and we needed extra help. For the record I disagree with her not warning you about bring an isolation suit.” Anthony said with a smile.

Stephens seemed to stare into the distance. "She did what she thought was best. She did what she could to secure my help and to be honest she did the right thing as I would not have helped. Starfleet and I are not....friends. She was a remarkable woman. I would have liked to have known her a bit better."

“Well let’s get ourselves a cure then and then you can both start getting to know each other better. I think now that we have a source blood sample that will have expedited said cure down to hours rather than weeks or months.” Anthony said.

Stephens sighed. "Doctor Edwards. I have refrained from saying anything...Doctor Polaris...she passed away not long ago."

It struck him hard and he immediately thought of his freind hunter and he said “Hunters going to want to kill me. They were just starting to work out their differences.” He would have time to grieve after they had a cure, maybe even help Hunter grieve too.

"I have not told anyone else...just yourself and doctor Seleya. Things needs to function normally. It was her wish." He looked around. "Alright let's get this thing prepared. I want a healthy crew then we can go about other things."

“My thoughts exactly. That is the only way the ship can continue.” Anthony said. It was time to finish this, time for grieving would come after this was finished. “I don’t know about but I have been at this for a while and I am still not infected So I think it is time for some lunch. I promise it won’t be long.”

OFF:

Lieutenant Galatea Polaris
Chief medical officer.

&

Lieutenant (jg) Anthony Edwards Ph.D
Chief Science officer