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Topic: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No (Read 6224 times) previous topic - next topic
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Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

[ Ensign | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae @Ellen Fitz

The pert, upturned nose wrinkled at the orders that lined the screen of the PAD.  If someone had told Kizra that she would find herself delving into a project of such nature, she would have simply shaken her head and moved on.   There was, however, in black and white, the orders succinct and clear, and whether she liked it or not, she  would not defy them.  First, she was a 'low person' in rank.  Ensign.  Not only that, she was a new Ensign, for though she had technically been on the Theurgy's manifest for six months, only two of those days had been spent conscious.  Well, all right, a week and a half. 

"Is this...correct?"  Kizra's gaze shifted from screen to the officers that had joined her in the science lab.  She lifted the pad, indicating the device generally, but the data that had been given to her specifically.  Hazel eyes flicked from one person to the other, then returned to their original object of study.  No, she had not read incorrectly.  They were, indeed, discussing Thalaron radiation.  Only a couple of years prior, it had been a substance of theory, ideas fathomed but ever confirmed until, of course, someone proved of its existence, and in the most horrible way possible.  Bans had been enacted, but as with all things, such declarations could and would be ignored by certain subsets of the population. 

The last few days had been a whirlwind of information overload.  Diving as deep as she could, Kizra ready everything about the events that had occurred during her time in stasis, and even then she wondered if she wasn't still trapped in some horrible, extended nightmare.  Subsequent experimental tactics had proven that she was indeed not, and she'd a series of small, thumbprint sized bruises for several days to attest to it.  She might again fall into the realm of desperation and then another row would appear upon her arm to remind her of what was real and what wasn't. 

And now, that was perfectly real as well.  Thalaron was a direct threat, despite the supposed attempts to keep it at bay.  Romulans blamed Starfleet.  Starfleet blamed the Theurgy.  And Kizra?  All she had to go on was the word of the officers on the ship contrast against the news reports that blasted over the public communications.    And what did she think?

Frankly, she had no idea.  She was frightened.  She was angry.  She was obstinate.  She was so many different things that Kizra couldn't simply choose one emotion and allow it to be the representative emotion, because the truth ones she was a broiling mass of many.  Her mind harkened back to all the thoughts and memories of previous hosts but nothing, absolutely nothing, came close to this, for this was well and truly madness. 

Perhaps that was it.  Perhaps she was mad, lost in the depths of insanity, trapped by her own intricate hallucinates and forever cursed to live through them.  Except Tos kept her grounded, and she knew all too well that some might even consider insanity to be a much happier state of being. 

"And we're supposed to try and find a way to protect the Theurgy from Thalaron radiation?"  Which in turn would be shared with their allies.  If they succeeded.

That was a very big 'if'.

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #1 –
Crewman Nara Nueva| Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] ATTN: @Elyria @Ellen Fitz

Nara's orders had gone unnoticed, and the Crewman shuttled from assignment to assignment and lab to lab. The scutwork on a starship was never-ending, and so little of her work taxed her mind. Her day had started early, and she looked forward to resting seven hours into her shift. So when she found herself in the Chem lab, it was with tired eyes and a large cup of coffee with four shots of espresso in it.

Ensign Tos's statement almost didn't register until she picked up the PADD with her orders. But she didn't even need to read them. Spotting the binder of her handwritten notes, she about shit herself when the importance of her superior's statement made it through her skull.

Nara pointed a possessive finger at the binder while taking a long draught from the steaming mug in her hand.

"This is my work, what I could remember from my time at the Daystrom Institute Particle physics lab. I guess that we're doing this, then? Working on Thalaron Radiation shielding?" she looked to the shorter Ensign as a smile made its way over her lips, a gentle smirk playing on her features. Finally, she'd get to prove her usefulness to the ship and Starfleet. It looked like the gambit played with her department head had finally paid off or was in the process of paying off anyway.

The Centaurian scientist took a few moments to read through her orders, as sparse as they were, before she glanced over to Kizra, a smile on her face.

"Let me know how I can help; I'm sure you'll find my expertise quite valuable on this particular matter..." She was about to say more when the doors to the lab opened again, and an odd Alien walked in, the tall creature strange to her eyes, one of the Savi perhaps? Why were they here? And she spotted a man with pointed ears, either a Vulcan or Romulan, though based on the forehead, he seemed more liable to be a Romulan.

"Ok, so we're a motley bunch then. I'm Nara, a specialist in High Energy physics. What about the rest of you?" The question was polite and curious, wondering how best to utilize the resources she'd been paired with. But there was a bit of pride in her voice. Clearly, she wanted to take charge of this project.

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #2 –
[ Hirek tr’Aimne | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ]  @Eirual  @Tae

He’d never met one of the elusive Savi before though he’d heard plenty about them. Some tales had been told without exaggeration, depicting them as a complex race with its own set of morals that could be perceived negatively by those uninitiated into their culture. Other tales had been far more exaggerated or laced with heavy bias and it was a swirling of those two that had Hirek staring at his turbolift companion with a neutral expression.

“What is it you wish to ask me?” The Savi male questioned, eyes forward but keenly aware of Hirek’s study nonetheless.

“Your name.” He gave a nonchalant shrug and turned to face the turbolift doors. Hirek stood almost arm-to-arm with the Savi, curious if the alien would recoil from touch or proximity. “Mine is Hirek tr’Aimne. Bioengineer, among other things. If we are working together, even if in brief spurts of time, I figured calling you something other than ‘you’ or ‘Savi’ would be helpful.”

The Savi shifted just enough to keep from brushing against Hirek once the doors opened, earning a knowing smirk from Hirek. He followed the alien down the corridor toward the chemistry lab where they’d both been summoned.

“What led you to presume we would be working together?” The Savi was careful not to answer Hirek’s question or use his name. Curious.

Hirek laced his fingers behind his back and walked with quiet ease at the Savi’s side, “You have the look of a scientist about you. And there’s also the fact that you indicated the same level as myself on the turbolift and even now we’re going in the same direction as the Chemistry Lab.”

The Savi remained moodily silent even once the doors opened and they entered the lab in unison. There were two other women in the lab, Nara the high energy physics specialist introducing herself first. Hirek placed a hand over his chest, inkling his head to both women.

“Hirek, bioengineering specialist. And this is my friend-“

The Savi couldn’t have looked more bored to begin with and yet, standing in the lab beside him, facing down his fate in the guise of these two women, the alien seemed to somehow look more diminished in spirit than ever.

“Cardigyn, engineering specialist.” The Savi sighed out his name as if he wished it would plague them all and end his misery.

Smiling to himself and his newfound friend, Hirek resumed his affable to stare to the women in the lab, “Cardigyn and Hirek. Now, what are we working with?”

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #3 –
[ Ensign Kizra Tos | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae @Ellen Fitz

Kizra finally tore her eyes away from the PADD and set her Incredulous gaze upon the woman who had approached her.  The woman who had approached lovely, brown hair of a lighter shade than her own and pleasant features which, at that moment, wore a veil of weariness that could not be hidden.  Kizra had no opportunity to comment upon the fatigue that was so obvious, and even if she had she would have refrained mentioning the observation even if she had for it would have been rude to do so since she had just met the woman, for the woman jutted a finger toward some sort of book.  A *real* book.  Not a digital offering that one could access through a PADD, but a physical manifestation made from paper.  *Real* paper. 

Who still used paper?

Evidently this woman did, because, as she had said, they were her notes.  And judging by the thickness, there were a lot of them.  Kizra blinked, still trying to get past the idea of paper, and glanced back up only to be greeted by a smirk.  “That is what it says.”  She offered simply. 

Kizra turned her attention to the screen on the closest console.  Stepping forward, she slid into the seat, long slender fingers making their way over the surface as she input characters. 

“We’re going to need a lot of help, and yes, if you are an expert, then most certainly.”  For though Tos had two scientists as a host, the specific specalisations had been very, very different.  The parting of the doors distracted her as another stepped into the lab.  That one was an unfamiliar humanoid, and she paused for a moment. 

"Let me know how I can help; I'm sure you'll find my expertise quite valuable on this particular matter..."

The woman didn’t say anything further for her attention was turned away from Kizra and set upon the door which opened to reveal a strange person.  This was a species she was not as familiar with, but had come across during her time catching up with everything.  Not that she felt particularly well versed in everything that had happened…

Another accompanied him, and there were a couple of species he could be, so Kizra elected not to make an assumption.  The other scientist spoke up again.  "Ok, so we're a motley bunch then. I'm Nara, a specialist in High Energy physics. What about the rest of you?"

“Hirek, bioengineering specialist. And this is my friend-“  It was the man with the pointed ears who spoke, but paused as he looked to the Savi to provide the name.  Kizra wondered if it was out of politeness or whether he didn’t know.

The Savi didn’t look like he cared.  It was with a sigh that he answered Nara’s question.  “Cardigyn, engineering specialist.” There was such a deep level of…Kizra wasn’t sure she could put a name to it.  Woe?  Distress?  Annoyance?  There were times she almost wished she were an empath to get a better read on the emotions of others, but then she imagined that such a thing might be overwhelming and maybe it was better just to not know. 

“Cardigyn and Hirek. Now, what are we working with?”

“Thalaron.”  Kizra stated and handed the PADD out toward the two men.  She was still rather incredulous at what they were asking them to do.  “Evidently Crewman Nara has some extensive research on it.

One slender hand motioned toward the handwritten notes in question, another surprise that hadn’t quite faded yet.  “I suspect you all know that like other types of harmful radiation, Thalaron radiation causes apoptosis, though the cytotoxic effects are accelerated and spur a complete and also accelerated degradation of DNA structure.  Our task is to find a way to protect the Theurgy and her crew from such effects.”

Her gaze shifted to fall from one to the other, then back to Nara.  “Having the computer scan and convert your documents to a digital format would greatly increase the speed at which we can review them.”  Handwritten was all well and good she supposed, but it was a much slower method of processing information.



Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #4 –
[ Crewman Nara Nueva, Cardigyn, and Hirek tr’Aimne | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae  @Elyria

Nara nursed her drink for another pondering moment. Kizra had a point about uploading the documents but there was also the fact that once uploaded, her years spent working on this would be readily accessible to anyone on the ship with an inclination to peruse it. What was stopping some upstart from taking it and running with it? Bastardizing her work and screwing it up because of their ineptitude, and then she gets caught in the crossfire of idiocy when they inadvertently blame her for the screw-up? 

The Romulan moved closer to Kizra while Nara contemplated the suggestion as the Savi engineer glared at Nara’s notebook as if it were the source of all his irritation.

“Paper notes?” The Romulan raised a single eyebrow, his gaze also falling on Nara’s notes. “How quaint.”

Nara rolled her eyes. There was no guarantee the Savi or the Romulan could read her scrawled notes or Kizra for that matter. She sometimes wrote in shorthand and often tossed in diagrams and scribbled pictures to reemphasize her written notes. With a sigh, Nara set aside her mug and grasped her notebook closer to her chest as she rose from the chair. There was no reason she couldn’t upload with some added security measures, restricting access, or potentially putting a timeframe on the file for automatic deletion later.

“Very well,” Nara commented over her shoulder as she headed for the console that could scan and upload, “I can convert the ‘quaint’ into the ‘expeditious.’” There were so many things she would rather do with these notes right now, but if this was a way she could prove her worth, and reward Ives for his “investment” in bringing her aboard, then so be it. Glancing at the bemused Savi, Nara called out to him while she worked at the console. “So Cardigyn, do the Savi have any secrets about thalaron they’d like to share with us?”

“It is a type of radiation.”

Nara heard the Romulan chuckle and looked over her shoulder to see him smirking in the Savi’s direction, “Your power of communication is riveting, dear Cardigyn.”

She set her lips into a thin line, unsure if she found the Romulan amusing or if the Savi’s obvious reluctance to help them was amusing.

“It destabilizes the hydrogen bonds in organic molecules.” Cardigyn continued speaking as if Hirek hadn’t interjected with his snark. “Leading to rapid desscitation in all organic material.”

Nara nodded, turning back to Kizra and gesturing to the console, “Notes uploaded. Only I have access.” She turned back to the console and pulled up the notes, not bothering to explain why she wouldn’t grant access to the rest of them. If they were going to use her notes, then she should be present. Simple as that.

“So then we need to create a barrier to protect the hydrogen bonds.” Hirek commented. “We just need to determine if it is something we can apply, ingest, or project.” He nodded, as if to himself and his own throught process. “Very well.”

Cardigyn moved to stand next to Nara, eyes moving over her shoulder to stare at the screen, “I was instructed to suggest that you experiment with EM emissions.”

“Any other suggestions you’d like to share or were instructed to share?” Nara felt Hirek standing just behind her, taking a position beside Cardigyn, but standing just a bit closer than the Savi. Perhaps the Romulan had zero personal space boundaries, but Nara certainly did, and having him breathing down her neck. Nara swallowed her annoyance, however, and shifted in her chair before the console to start at Cardigyn, waiting to see if he indeed had anything else to offer before they collectively dove into her notes and compared insights.

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #5 –
[ Ensign Kizra Tos | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Ellen Fitz

The hesitancy of the woman to upload her work to a digital format baffled Kira.  Science was meant to produce information and results that could benefit all personkind.  In that particular case, it would benefit all Theurgy kind for anything to help deter or even prevent the horrific effects of Thalaron radiation meant lives would be saved.  To have someone so reticent in engaging in open communication about scientific matters was so contrary to what science was supposed to be about.  Perhaps if it were classified, she could understand, but this was a matter for anyone who had knowledge that could be valuable. 

The Romulan’s sarcastic comment didn’t go unnoticed and Kizra cast a sidelong glance at the man.  Quaint.  That wasn’t the word she would use.  Neuva’s visually expressive manner at the commentary also did not go unnoticed, but the Trill elected to remain silent in the wake of both.  It was no time for an argument, and she had learned some battles weren’t worth picking. 

The inquiry cast toward the Savi didn’t offer any illumination either and Kizra clamped down on the frustration that was building.  Thus far, she saw a lot of antagonism and very little of anything else.  He went on to offer a bit more, but nothing that Kizra didn’t already know. 

Then came the straw that was about ready to break the camel’s back.  Nueva uploaded her notes and put them in digital format.  That was great.  But only she had access? The others continued to converse, but Kizra had to force herself to take a deep breath and it out slowly so she could speak calmly.

“Stop.”  One hand lifted, palm up, adding emphasis to the word.  Her eyes shifted from one to the other, first to the Savi, then the Romulan, and finally to Nueva.  “We can not continue any further at the present until we get something straight.” 

She pulled herself to her full height which, in comparison to the others, particularly tr’Aimne, was rather petite, but she refused to back down.  “We were asked to work together.  As a team.  Which means that all information should be readily available to all team members at all times.  This is not a classified assignment.  The threat that Thalaron radiation poses is very real.  Deadly.  By not allowing access, you are inhibiting vital research into this threat when what you’ve already done could go a long way toward solving the very problem we’re facing.  If you think it’s going to happen in this room in the next couple of hours, then I hope you come to realise how unrealistic that assessment is, unless you have already discovered a solution.”

Kizra’s expression hardened, but she managed to keep her cool for the moment.  “Friendly banter is all well and good, but sarcasm and derision get us nowhere.  We’re all in danger from this.  Therefore we need unfettered access, and while I do not expect us to hold hands and sing ‘Xinkal vok nyuz’, we must cooperate fully.  Now, crewman, please make those files available to everyone.  We’ll be working long hours, but if we need to refer to files at other times, then we need access.  All of our lives are in danger.  Let’s not waste time.” 

She took another breath and then motioned toward the console.  “We know what Thalaron does.  It seems to me there are multiple ways we could approach this.  Find something that deflects it, or find a way to counteract the destabilization of those molecules.”  She paused, then turned to the others.  “It might be best to work on both.  We know it can be contained, after all weapons have been created to utilise it.  Is there a way to reinforce Theurgy’s hull to incorporate materials that would prevent radiation from getting through? If so, we could use that as a temporary measure and, perhaps, figure a way to counteract it as well.” 


Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #6 –
Crewman Nara Nueva| Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] ATTN: @Elyria @Ellen Fitz

Nara hesitated when confronted by Ensign Tos, and the slim redhead reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, the woman's lips moving as she silently voiced a series of prime numbers instead of counting to 10. She'd been flustered and put in a situation where she was both critical and low ranking simultaneously. Her paranoia and desire to be useful again warring visibly, affecting her work and leading to the current conflict. After counting the prime sequence, she looked up, forcing a smile on her face.

"We can discuss my peculiarities at another time, in the gym perhaps.." She did need to blow off some stress after this, even after so short a time, "suffice it to say that my notes are on paper because I was denied access to my work, and this is the only way I've been able to preserve such. So for now, let us be grateful that I have done so even in this format, and let us get to work."

With that being said, she scanned in each page of her handwritten notes, the handwriting tight and precise, and at times encoded with a cipher that she'd have to decode. She was silent while she worked on uploading the notes and kept her ears open to the conversation around her. Hirek and Kizra had brought up some excellent points, and she nodded, pulling up some pages of her work that focused on propagating a harmonic frequency that should destabilize the EM wavelength Thalaron operated on.

"I believe what we're all looking for lies here, I had theorized while still at the Daystrom Institute that the easiest way to neutralize Thalaron radiation was to utilize 'frequency jamming' in much the same way we jam broadcast communications. In theory, it should work because Thalaron radiation is so high on the EM spectra that in principle, it should work."

On the screen she'd pulled up was several pages of her notes, the work incomplete, and the math had holes in it, both due to actual holes in the math and some bits being encoded for security, but it should have been clear that what math there was showed a theoretical neutralizing waveform.

"I'd theorized that we could use a specific frequency emitted by a shield generator to counter Thalaron radiation. The downside is that it wouldn't block anything else. The rotational frequency would be so high, and relative field strength so weak that you could scorch a hull with a hand phaser. But I think this is our starting point."

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #7 –
[ Hirek tr’Aimne | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae  @Eirual

Hirek ignored the power play between the women and followed a similar vein of demeanor as the Savi engineer, silently observing and occasionally sighing or poking at his clothing. Once both Kizra and Nara finished their diatribes, Hirek raised a hand as if a child in a classroom.

“We could also track backward on what the radiation does to organic life, step by step, and work to create an ingestible or physical barrier that the crew could use for further protection. For example, a granulocyte colony-stimulating protein, which promotes the growth of white blood cells, may counter the effect of radiation sickness on bone marrow. Treatment with this protein-based medication may increase white blood cell production and help prevent subsequent infections. There is also potassium iodide, which may fill "vacancies" in the thyroid and prevent the absorption of radioiodine and radiogardase binds to particles of radioactive elements known as cesium and thallium and allows for them to be excreted in feces. This treatment speeds up the elimination of the radioactive particles and reduces the amount of radiation cells may absorb. Along the same line of thought, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid binds to metals and particles of the radioactive elements plutonium, americium and curium, and these particles pass out of the body in urine, thereby reducing the amount of radiation absorbed. There is also the route of massive transfusions for those exposed and stem cell therapy.” Hirek stopped, realizing he’d monopolized the conversation and shrugged. “If we use technology only, we can all agree that there’s still a high risk of the tech failing and exposing organic life on the ship. At least if we approach this with a two-pronged approach, biological and technological, we may have our main method and a failsafe backup.”

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #8 –
[ Ensign | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae @Ellen Fitz  @Eirual

“You’re absolutely right, Hirek.”  Kizra agreed with a nod of her head.  If Crewman Nara thought that the matter regarding access to the notes was resolved, she had another think coming.  That, however, Kizra would address after they were done there.  For the moment, they would simply go over what they had and make a plan of action.

And Hirek’s idea was a good one.  Kizra flashed a small, but sincere smile in the Romulan’s direction, a silent acknowledgement of the wisdom in his suggestion before they moved forward.  But there was also the question of how they would move forward.  Kizra straightened, one hand planted upon a hip while the other rested upon the edge of a console as she glanced between the ‘motley’ crew. 

“I suppose that is an accurate saying.”  Kizra’s hazel gaze took on an almost glassy look, one minute, her eyes taking in what was right before her, the next, focusing on something that might be far and away, not quite there, certainly not right in front of her.  She blinked, straightened, then cleared her throat.  “Why don’t we divide and conquer?  Two of us workin a mechanical angle, the other to a more biological one?”

Inwardly, Kizra thought Nara was going to be a more difficult nut to crack.  The woman was a little too protective of her work, for that work really should be shared with the scientific community on the Theurgy since it regarded a major, major threat to all aboard the vessel.  Once again, she glanced over at the crewman, but she bit her tongue.  She would have a discussion, but later.  She still thought splitting them up into two teams to focus on specific avenues might be a better way to go. 

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #9 –
Crewman Nara Nueva| Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] ATTN: @Elyria @Ellen Fitz

Nara listened carefully to Hirek, and an eyebrow slowly raised. The more she heard, the more she was on board with it.

"Potassium Iodide and similar chemicals didn't show any positive resistance through modeling simulations when I was at the institute, however.." She wagged a finger, gesturing to the Romulan. "I did consider that an artificially induced virus like that granulocyte. I never spoke with any biologists on the topic then because I was only willing to break so many laws, and genetic engineering didn't seem worth it then, but why not?"

She shrugged and then looked back to Kizra, giving her the barest nod. It seemed Kizra wouldn't resolve the issue with her notes quickly, and she'd caught the Ensign's look. "We can talk about my notes later, over drinks, and I'll explain. I'll tell you the whole story. But now's not the time to go through my criminal history, ok?" She put on a fake smile and then stepped back, waiting for orders. Since Kizra was the only officer in the group, the lean woman was still somewhat standoffish, but at least they were starting to take halting steps. They needed to get working on something, and Hirek had given them options; incidentally, it was one she only vaguely had any experience with, so that probably meant Hirek would be leading the biological side of that.

"So, what are the teams on this Ensign? I don't know enough biology to be useful with his suggestions." She gestured politely to Hirek, hoping that his suggestion did have some merit down the road. To suggest something like that, though, did Hirek have a background in genetic engineering?

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #10 –
[ Ensign | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae  @Ellen Fitz   @Eirual 

The situation wasn’t completely resolved, but they had to move forward.  A job loomed in front of them and bickering would get them nowhere.  For the moment, Kizra let it slide, but she was by no means finished. Should she discover that Nara was not allowing access to information that could very well assist in achieving their goal, then she would broach the matter again.  Was or was she not a member of the crew?  Yes, she should get credit, but holding it so close to her chest was only going to stunt their progress.

Hirek ran through some quick possibilities on what could affect a biological system and Kizra leveled her gaze at the Romulan. Was he testing them?  She wasn’t a biologist, but she did have some basics in biology as well as medicine during her time at the Academy, so she wasn’t completely clueless. “Do you think applying these rather…outdated medical methods would be effective?” 

Was it a moot point, though? According to Nara, they had already done some studies with some of those substances, but they hadn’t proven fruitful.  All right, next step then.  Genetic engineering could be worthwhile, but it was a big ‘if’. 

“The problem is, would we be able to genetically engineer a resistance to Thalaron radiation?”  She tapped a finger against the console next to her and frowned. Kizra still thought splitting them into teams and working on specific angles would be a better way to go.

“Mr. tr’Aimne is a Bioengineering specialist, so I recommend he and I work on the biological approach, if you and Cardigyn would work on the mechanical one.”  The latter was definitely not a strength of Kizra’s.  Oh yes, she had the basics - all graduates had to be a certain rudimentary level of engineering, but those who had more knowledge and skill in that area were far more appropriate.  “We start there, and move forward.”



Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #11 –
[ Hirek tr’Aimne | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae  @Elyria

Hirek shrugged at Ensign Kizra’s comment about outdated methods. “Everything now exists from someone daring to take the outdated and rework it into something new or taking inspiration from the old and launching into something innovatively new.” His gaze darted over to the dark-haired crewman, and he inclined his head toward her, “Considering Crewman Nueva had pondered the artificial virus notion but never followed through based on her own research on the topic lends itself to the thought that taking the ‘outdated medical methods’ with these chemicals and engineering them through new models under different parameters with what we may assume and potentially know of the radiation, with many thanks to Nueva’s research, could prove beneficial to our needs.”

It was not surprising to the Romulan that the women in the room seemed at odds with one another. That fact reigned true even in his culture. When one pitted two alphas into the same mix, there were bound to be conundrums. That these two alphas were working on a project that could potentially save them or damn them only added to the layers of complexity and further entertained Hirek’s imagination. In one imagined scenario, the women tugged at each other’s hair, spitting insults as they rolled around on the ground while he and the Savi leaned against the wall drinking spiced tea. In another, Hirek sacrificed himself and stepped between them, and soon, the three of them were naked and writhing on the floor. And in another, likely a more accurate one, the women were linking arms, standing next to an airlock as they ejected him into space out of spite for his proving a nuisance.

“I presume we have samples of biological tissue from all current members on the ship?” He glanced at the others before continuing. “If we can manufacture radiation close to thalaron within our lab, I can expose the tissue samples to the radiation, and using the chemicals and viruses suggested, I can incrementally adjust the original structures, engineering new ones bridging present ones into new configurations, until we either find something that reduces the damages, prevents it entirely, or proves to be what I believe humans call a ‘dead end.’”

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #12 –
Crewman Nara Nueva| Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] ATTN: @Elyria @Ellen Fitz

Nara sighed and go to work, burying herself in the math of the project, letting the more biologically minded people work on that side of it. She'd work quietly and silently unless a contribution was needed. Thalaron radiation was finicky with how it acted. The particle density seemed directly linked to the amplitude used, so the math for any shielding system would need to be amazingly precise. It didn't help that she hadn't been allowed to work on this actively for years, so she was behind, even if not hopelessly. Working to defend against a particle that utterly neutralized hydrogen bonds in organic molecules was a nightmare for her.

While Nara was a diligent scientist, she even enjoyed the challenge when she got down to it. Even if her brain was twisted into knots by this, she made headway. Even with the fragments of her previous work, the modeling of Thalaron shielding would be ready for simulated testing soon, even if not today. Science was usually slow, and she'd kept much of her progress in her mind and notebooks. Now that her nose was in her work, she'd stopped with the pissing match with the Ensign, not that she'd wanted that anyway.

Looking up after working on the math for hours, she finally took a break for some water and rubbed her temples. She was muttering softly under her breath, alternating languages between English, Turkish, and Russian, her face slowly turning red with the anger she felt at Starfleet for having set her back so far.

"Days, this will take days at an absolute minimum... how in the nine hells are we going to solve this in a single fucking day?"

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #13 –
[ Hirek tr’Aimne | Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] @Tae  @Eirual

Hirek focused entirely on the cell samples and simulated radiation exposure tests he’d earlier stated he’d work on. Whatever underlying currents of emotional upheaval between the two women remained after hours of work, he ignored it. As time ticked past and he satiated his thirst with a special blend he’d created in the replicator geared toward mental enhancement and focus, Hirek found a few trails worth exploring. Though, as Nara had earlier expressed in exasperation, the likelihood of their arriving at a solid answer today was impossible. Still, by the dwindling hours of the day—a time when most would adjourn for a repast and return in the morning refreshed—Hirek had a list of promising aspects to share with the others.

Once he had their attention—all but the Savi, who had left almost an hour before—Hirek listed the chemicals that showed some promise, both in their singular form and in combination with others.

“Considering that thalaron radiation causes a double-strand break on DNA, using a single-strand break procedure to crosslink the damaged cells with synthetic DNA protein crosslinks is plausible but not thoroughly tested. I ran through a few scenarios that showed chromosomal rearrangements that increased in a linear-quadratic function under the high dose rates we presume we will have to administer. Of these, a handful could rewrite the biological characteristics of neoplasm cells and repair the cytoplasmic membrane, leading to the regulation of the mitochondria and ribosomes. I noted that of this handful, a smaller number could work for a homologous recombination, with another sub-set working for non-homologous end joining, as both would be beneficial depending on the host DNA structure. Granted, each crewmember’s DNA has its own microenvironment to work with; there is no way to globally alter the biological behavior of all DNA in response to the radiation. We will need to individually test each DNA structure, doubly so for hybrid crewmates, and run through a series of tests. Otherwise, chronic DNA damage will trigger apoptosis or cell senescence and eventual death.” Looking up from his notes, Hirek offered both woman a contented smile. “No solid answers but a satisfying start on the biological side of things. I will begin another series of tests with these smaller subsets tomorrow, working to match up each species' DNA with the best type of treatment and dosage. Needless to say, this is treatment at its best. Not the answer to longevity when faced with thalaron radiation exposure. We will assuredly need technological protection alongside this if we hope to live longer than a few hours or days at maximum after potential exposure.”

Hirek passed his notes off to the others for their review. Rolling his shoulders to ease their tension, he gave another satisfied sigh before adding, "I'll be in the early hours tomorrow and continue to run the tests. Glancing at the women a moment, he nodded toward the door. "If there is nothing further, I will adjourn and see you both again tomorrow." Having already saved his notes on the console where he'd been working, with a backup set sent to his quarters to glance at through the hours of his "off time" in case he had further ideas, Hirek had no worries about leaving the notes with the women as he gave them a polite bow and exited the lab. Best to leave them to work out their differences without witnesses.

Re: Day 15 [0912 hrs] We Don't Talk About Thalaron, No, No

Reply #14 –
Crewman Nara Nueva| Chemistry Lab | Deck 17 | USS Theurgy ] ATTN: @Elyria @Ellen Fitz

In the time that passed after the initial headbutting ended Nara had gotten to work reconstructing as much as she could from memory while working with the others to go down new paths of discovery. This wasn't an ideal way of doing science for her, working towards a specific goal instead of just working the math and seeing what popped out eventually. This was trying to find a way to recombine hydrogen bonds after they'd been dissolved. It was like trying to reverse electrolysis by applying an external force while it was happening. Could it be done? Yes, but it was pointless while the molecules were being reduced to base atomic components.

With a weary sigh, Nara began searching databases for anything that could recombine the destruction of DNA molecules or rejuvenate cells. There was bound to be something she'd missed while she was toiling away working as a clerk at the embassy. She idly picked through articles and research papers as she worked on the math. Little caught her eye, a fair bit of quackery that could be debunked with various factors, everything ranging from sample size to author bias, even a few that didn't have any peer review. Eventually, she came upon some personal logs from the crew of the Enterprise-E where quite a bit had been redacted. But there were multiple accounts of 'rejuvenating effects' observed while in orbit of a 'ringed M-class planet'. Those were rare. Rings usually meant common asteroid strikes. She grimaced a little at that and put in a request to her superior officers due to her lack of clearance. The message typed, sent and forgotten.

"To: Lt. Vanya
From: CM1 Nara Nueva

Subject: Cellular rejuvenation

Lieutenant, I am working on the project to neutralize Thalaron radiation and have come upon a potential lead. I've encountered several Highly redacted personal logs from crewmembers on the Enterprise-E that make mention of rejuvenating effects while in orbit of an Em Class world with rings. I do not have sufficient clearance to access further information on this matter. I hope that you will either authorize access or see to it if you deem it a lead worth pursuing."

And with that Nara got back to work running the math and numbers on what she could actually do. After a solid 14 hours in the lab with eyes burning from fatigue and stomach rumbling with hunger, the redheaded woman collapsed, passing out on her work console.
 
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