Clean Up Crew
Posted on Thu Apr 30, 2020 @ 3:44am by Captain Maritza Soran & Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant Alanna Wells
3,302 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission:
Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: DS5/Engineering/Science lab
Timeline: MD01 2000
[ON]
The Odyssey had used its transporters to bring Soran together with her senior officers in the Engineering Lab. Wireless power transmitters and cabled generators were being installed in key areas by the crews of other Starfleet vessels stranded inside the main bay, unable to depart until the huge doors could be rolled open. They were looking at the lumps of sickly yellow crystal that various groups had found, including the dense chunk that Lovok had pried off an EPS junction box.
"Well," Soran said, looking at the samples. "I've never seen anything like this. Anyone else? Ideas on what can kill it? Lovok has already found out that phasers are only temporary at best, and probably counterproductive in the long term.”
Caleb peered at the crystal, shaking his head. “Cain’t say Ah’ve seen anythin’ like this,” he admitted. “Do we know what it’s made of?” he asked. “If it’s crystal, could we try sonics on it?”
"We need to discover the chemical composition, and then we can either break it up on a molecular level or dissolve it," Alanna said. "It shouldn't take long to analyze it. Knowing that phasers have little effect gives us a baseline to start from. Sonics could either disrupt it, or feed it. I'd rather look at this scientifically than start shooting things at it to see what works."
“Maybe some scans first to see what it’s about before we poke at it? Perhaps even start with an old fashioned drill, which might pierce its shell or affect it through vibration frequencies?” Hartmann offered. He was no scientist, but that at least sounded good enough to get real ones thinking.
"Enough talk. Power will not last long," Scaliontis said, and turned to the science chief. "The lab is yours. I suggest the actual analysis get started. If you need any engineering specialists, just say so and I will request them to join us here via the Odyssey's transporters. Though I think this should be carried out in a science lab, not an engineering one," the Romulan said, as he gestured to the console table with the samples all secured.
Alanna nodded. "I agree. I have a secure lab we can use. Once I get the basic makeup, I will want your help in testing the possible solvents. We can start with a small sample for testing, then come back here, if you wish."
"Let me just tag the samples so the Odyssey can lock onto each one individually. Which one did you want?" Scaliontis asked, gesturing to the console table's force field that covered the crystal samples. The force fields also separated the samples from each other to prevent them from connecting and making larger clusters.
"I think a fail-safe where dropping the temperature to zero, or below zero, to prevent the crystals from growing would be good to set up as well," Scaliontis offered to the Science Chief, since he recalled he and his staff using phasers on the crystals caused a bad reaction, so the opposite could be helpful.
"Cold should have no effect," Alanna said. "This looks more like it's borax than boxite. It's also non-ferrous."
The Romulan Chief Engineer hoped that the Science Chief would elect the largest cluster that he secured, as there was enough there to perform a wide range of experiments on. He kind of gestured at the largest cluster when he did gesture with a semi-smile. He began to think of how to administer those solvents she mentioned without putting anyone in danger.
Though the crystals didn't harm Molok when it touched him. Oh, I should check on him, Scaliontis thought, as he had multiple trains of thought driving through the main station in his mind.
“Ah guess Ah’ll leave ya’ll to it, then,” Caleb said. “Don’t be afraid ta comm if ya need anythin’. Keep us updated.” With that, he tipped an imaginary hat to Lieutenant Wells and walked for the exit.
Alanna nodded to Commander Ryan, then turned to Scaliontis. "I'll take whichever you prefer. Up to this point, you have the most knowledge on how the crystals work."
"Oh, I forgot." Scaliontis tapped his combadge, thankful that they had communications now. “Lovok to Molok.” He spaced, as he realised he didn't ask which science lab they'd be going to, and smiled apologetically at Wells. "Forgive me, but I also failed to ask which lab you had in mind for this research, Lieutenant?" he asked
“Molok herre, sirr,” the Caitian replied.
“Please tell me you saved that crystal stuff that touched you.”
A sigh came from the other end. “I can't rremove it, sirr. It still doesn't appearr to have caused any damage though.” Molok sounded very confused as he spoke.
“You have no idea how glad I am for that. Stand by, as I want you to join us -- give me a second on where,” Scaliontis said, as he looked at Alanna.
Maritza frowned. That was an angle she hadn't considered. Bio-contamination. Couldn't get it off. That didn't sound good. And if this thing was unknown to the filters, then they wouldn't automatically screen it out, even if they were working.
"Can we reduce the EPS system to zero without freezing the rest of the station?" she asked. She knew the current body count would be at least double digits, but if this stuff was poison. that could go up a lot. Nipping it in the bud with a cryoblast seemed like a good idea, and then they could drill or sonic blast it at their leisure.
Scaliontis frowned as well. "I was going to suggest we limit this plan to sections as we clear the stuff out, then heat it back up again as we went. That way we'd not kill what power we have, as some portable generators are connected to the EPS," he said. "Though hopefully Lieutenant Wells can come up with a cure that we can mix into the plasma that--" he turned to the Science Chief. "Perhaps we don't need to actually kill the crystals, but coat them with something to dislodge them from the conduits so we can direct all the crystals to a single tank and kill them all at once?" he asked, with a semi smirk at how awesome his idea was. Though many things can go wrong, they would have to deal with those if and when they happened.
“It’s a thought,” Lieutenant Hartmann chimed in. “All the coatings I can think of that would have a charge necessary to affect the crystal would be extremely dangerous, highly reactive, or too damned corrosive to attempt.”
"Don't freeze them," Alanna said. "If this is what I think it is, it won't stop the growth any more than the phasers did. It's a crystal. We'll take it to Lab 377. I will have a portable generator there. All we need is to contain the lab while I play with it." She suspected that if she could find the right pitch, frequency, and resonance, she could take care of the problem fairly easily. It would just take the right implementation...
"And what do you think it is?" Maritza asked. "Under the circumstances, I think speculation is valid."
"I think this is a borax crystal," Alanna said. "It has a more solid center with layers and edges as it grows. Heat and cold won't affect it, but if we find the right sonic frequency, we could cut the crystal or even shatter it. If we use the wrong frequency, we could accelerate its growth, so testing in a secured and shielded area is vital. I also want to check electromagnetic pulses to see if that could help."
"When we shot it with a phaser, Lieutenant, it grew at a rapid rate, so I have to argue the point that heat doesn't affect it," Scaliontis stated. “Molok, meet me in Science Lab 377, via Odyssey transporter,” the Romulan added, since the comm channel was still open.
“Aye, sirr,” the Caitian engineer replied, and the channel closed.
Scaliontis walked over to the sample he secured and gestured to it for the Science Chief. "This one would be good to experiment on." He was ready to get started, though he was fully prepared to join any of his teams working to extract the crystal stuff from the EPS conduits. He wanted to see how the Science Chief got individual samples ready for testing. The Romulan also wanted to see how the sample on Molok got dealt with so they could be prepared for it should anyone else get touched by the crystals.
"That works," Alanna said. "Let me get the lab ready. Can you bring the sample up?"
"Sure." Scaliontis said. He went about looking for a cargo container.
"Alright." Maritza said. "We've also got to find the source. Ideas?"
"I'll see if there's anything we can find when we analyze the crystal," Alanna said, heading for the door.
"Be quick, Doctor, otherwise we're just treating the symptoms."
Alanna nodded. She knew that if this wasn't done right, the crystals would spread, and they'd be in a worse state than they were at that moment. She moved quickly to the lab so that she could set up the protocols to shield the room and do the necessary testing. On her way, she called ahead for supplies to be brought to the lab.
She prepared a level nine forcefield for the lab, and two containment fields for storage and testing. Once everything was set up, she set up a series of tests to be run on the crystals before they started experimenting. "Wells to Lovok, I'm ready for the crystals."
Back in the engineering lab Scaliontis had just safety -without getting any of the crystal on himself or anyone else- secured the large sample into a cargo container just as the Science Chief's voice came over his combadge. "Lovok to Wells, one moment. Lovok to Odyssey, one and a cargo container beside me to transport to Science Lab 377 along with another engineer with the ID of Molok. He should be in Main Engineering."
"Acknowledged Lieutenant, standby for transport."
Moments later Scaliontis, Molok and the container materialised in an open space inside Science Lab 377. "Molok can you help me unpack the sample and put it where Lieutenant Wells wants it?"
"Sure chief." Molok said then waited for Alanna's instructions as did Scaliontis.
"On the tray, please," Alanna said, indicating the spot on a table. There were several microscopes, cameras, and sensors set up. "I want to do a microscopic analysis first, then we'll begin the experiments."
When the crystal was in place, she put up the forcefield, then began to run the scans, carefully watching data and images flash across the computer screen. "It's not borax, it's silicone," she said. "But it has all the physical markings of borax." She began a comparative analysis. Microscopic images of the crystal were transferred to a holographic display for closer inspection.
The crystal began to expand with the lights and scans. "Computer, cut lights," Alanna ordered. The room darkened, illuminated only by the images on the screen and the holographic display.
The images and data continued for almost an hour. When the computer beeped that it was done, Alanna smiled. "That will take us months to dissect. Any questions before we move to phase two?"
It took a few moments for Scaliontis' eyes to adjust, and he stood where there were no consoles so he wouldn't be in the way. Molok stood next to him. "Oh, didn't think light would be a factor to its growth. Good call."
Since Molok was a Caitian, his sense of sight was much more reliable in the dark. Romulans had a little more than Humans, but not by much. His eyes shimmered in the display’s light. "Do you have robot arms that we can use to physically snap off sections?" Molok asked.
"Does oxygen have an affect on the crystal? If so, we could starve it when we secure more of it, and light," Scaliontis inquired, the light of the hologram illuminating his face, Molok's as well.
"Oxygen doesn't affect the crystals," Alanna said. "They don't breathe." She turned to the Caitian. "Yes. We'll need smaller crystals for testing. I want to start with heat and sound. I'm pretty sure the right frequency will shatter the crystals, but I don't want to test it on the entire mass."
She then activated the robotic arm and snapped off three crystals. The main crystal shuddered and then doubled in size. The three shards also grew, but the arm managed to put them on modified petri dishes. "Now we know it doesn't like that," she said.
She started with one crystal in a separate containment field and sent electric jolts through it. The crystal grew. She set up another test. "Computer, block sound within the field," Alanna said.
Alanna activated a sound device. The monitor registered the vibrations, pitch, and tone as the sound modulated then rose in pitch. The crystal vibrated, grew rapidly, then, when the tone hit three octaves above middle C, the crystal shattered. Alanna cut the sound and watched for several minutes as the crystal did nothing. The science officer watched the data, then copied it to her database and padd. "That worked. I'd like to monitor it for a few days to make sure it doesn't continue to grow, but it looks promising." She smiled at Scaliontis. "This does not mean you have to wait. It does mean that I want to keep testing. Now, let's try heat."
She set up another test with a second crystal shard, lowering and then raising the temperature to monitor the crystal's reactions. At some temperatures it grew slowly, at others it was more rapid. When the temperature reached 2,000 degrees kelvin, the crystal began to glow. At 2,275 degrees, it melted. "Fascinating." Alanna grinned, happy as a child with a chemistry set. "We'll keep monitoring that one, too."
And since she had a third shard, Alanna set it up in another containment field. This time, she tried radiation and gas to see if anything would affect the crystal. Some of the radiation and gasses made the crystal grow faster, but none seemed to stop its progress. "That should answer more of your questions," she said to the others. Then, out of curiosity, she dropped the temperature to 0 degrees kelvin. Then she lowered it to -100 degrees kelvin, watching the subatomic particles on the monitor slow. "Now, computer, 2,275 degrees kelvin." The crystal exploded, sending tiny shards everywhere. She backed up the data, then put the image of the crystal shattering on the 3D projector in the middle of the room so they could watch it in slow motion. The main crystal seemed to shudder in reaction. "I wonder if there's some sort of symbiotic connection between the shards and the main crystal?" she asked. "Mind if I keep the larger piece to monitor it?"
Maritza touched her own combadge. "Good work Doctor, Mr Lovok. Any ideas on tracing its point of origin, in case it does grow back, we need to rip it out by the roots?"
"As the crystal is destroyed, I suggest we measure the size and density. That will show us where it started from," Alanna replied.
"It's all yours, Lieutenant," Scaliontis said to Alanna then tapped his combadge. "This is Lovok, the only two scenarios I can think of, Captain, is either it was already in the plasma that we manufacture, or someone on board put it in the system," he said. Personally he felt that it was an act of sabotage. Well, he couldn't help it, for treachery and secrecy was once his way of life.
Maritza had come to that conclusion as well. "I don't see how our manufacturing would have been contaminated. But we'll have to get LCARS up to check the logs. I suspect your latter instinct is correct. This is an external contamination. Though without evidence, we can't say if it was treachery or otherwise." Maritza's thoughts flashed to Raddon. He'd been gouged badly by the Xicadia situation. Would he take it out on her station?
Scaliontis gestured to Molok. "Don't forget about Molok's problem. Some of the crystal powder is stuck on him," he added. He had directed the science chief's attention to the patch of black powder on the Caitian's arm. It seemed to have solidified since he last saw it back in the jefferies tubes.
"That's right." Alanna had forgotten about the dust in her study of the crystal itself. She took a sample of the solidified powder and looked at it. "This is something Medical may want to look at. I'll run some tests, but they may have a better idea how to treat that."
"But you have a better idea of how crystal works, though Medical can help with how it is affecting him," Scaliontis said.
Molok grunted next to the Romulan.
"I'm rright herre, sirr," Molok said, annoyed.
Scaliontis chuckled and squeezed the Caitian's shoulder in a manly fashion. "Right," he said, and looked back at the Science Chief.
"Okay. I think I have something," Alanna said. She went into a cabinet and looked around until she found a small sonic torch. She tuned it to the right frequency and grabbed two sets of headphones. "Put these on," she said, handing one set to the Caitian and another to the Romulan. Then she found a smaller set for herself.
She activated the torch and carefully sliced off the hardened dust until she got as much as she could without causing damage. "How's that?" She looked it over. "You'll still need to go to Medical. The only way I can get it all is to take off layers of skin."
This news kinda made Molok lose colour in his face a little, after both removed the headphones.
Scaliontis saw that most of it was coming off, but it did look like some had been absorbed into the Caitian's skin. "I'll take him, then return to engineering to look into making use of sound. If you come up with anything else, send it to me."
Alanna turned to Scaliontis. "You either send sound through the conduits and hope it doesn't damage any systems along the way, or you transport the crystals into space and hit them with a plasma beam, phasers, or anything that's hot enough to destroy it. Now that you have the exact composition of the crystals, I suggest the transporter. Less clean up and less of a chance to miss pieces. I'm sure Operations will be happy to help with that."
Scaliontis looked at Alanna. "Lieutenant, if you are not to busy later, please do join the clean up teams. The more the better and faster this will be done." He smiled as he looked at the crystals, he kinda had a plan forming that they could use localised sound blasts to break down the gremlins, a nickname he just decided to use, for the crystal seemed to love 'eating' energy and consuming everything in its way, into smaller clusters so they could flush the EPS into an empty tank to clean it. He gestured to Molok and then tapped his combadge.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I have my own cleanup to deal with." Besides, she had a feeling he wasn't going to listen to her advice about removing the crystals the easy way, and she didn't want to deal with any he missed.
"Lovok to Odyssey, two to beam over," Scaliontis said, and grabbed Molok's shoulder as the transporter beam extracted them from the Science lab.
[OFF]
Lt JG. Scaliontis Lovok
Chief Engineer
Commander Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer
Lieutenant Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space FIve
RSS Feed