A consult
Posted on Wed Jul 7th, 2021 @ 6:48pm by Lieutenant Nevada McKay & Commander Sthilg
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sickbay
956 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure
Nevada felt sick to her stomach as she paced quietly outside the Doors to Sickba, her skin slick with sweat as she tried to Rationalize her story in her mind. She'd been having No luck In Getting her Runaway Nanoprobes Back under control. And now they were self replicating in her blood stream. With a deep, shaky Breath she Strode through Doors, An Old model PADD clutched tightly in her hands as she Strode with purpose towards the Chief medical officers Office, trying to avoid attracting the attention of the Nurses and Other Medical staff who were Milling about.
" My dear what'sss wrong with you." Came the voice of the gorn as he saw the lieutenant walk into his office. He wasn't sure, but he could tell she was clearly in pain.
"Oh...uh..just stressed Commander, I was actually hoping to Get a Consult with you, about a Patient I've been...Working with Down In the science wing," The Human said with polite, if wary Smile. "If you've got a moment to discuss it of course," she added quickly.
" Off courssse come and have a ssseat." The gorn said knowing she was lying as she really wasn't good at it. " Ssso tell me what'sss wrong with your patient."
Nevada seemed to relax as she slowly sat down across from him. "Thank you," She smiled and nodded. "Patient has been Helping test A Prototype Genetic Repair system, Utilizing Tiny amounts of a Propitiatory Made Nanoprobes, The Probes Are Designed with a Wear out date to prevent over saturation." She Started listing out without looking at Her PADD. "Patient Recently Was inflicted with an anomalous Shock that Altered...or Corrupted the programing within the Probes causing them to Self Replicate."
" How bad exactly is the ssself-replication? Could we be dealing with a grey goo ssscenario." The gorn replied concern in his voice. Having read the briefing Starfleet had come up with for a worst-case scenario for a nanobot self replication. Something he hoped he'd never live to see.
"Right now, they Are Holding at a Blood stream concentration of 16%, Which is far above the Protocols .01%, and have held there for several weeks, long enough that I think we can safely rule out a Grey goo Scenario, though Its Not impossible, since The Nanoprobes aren't responding to control computer input anymore." Nevada said quickly.
" Ssso no kill sssswitch?" The doctor gussed. " Are they weak againssst radiation or electrical magnetic pulsesss? "
"They have a Vulnerability To Extreme Doses of Omicron Radiation...though the odds of the patient surviving the Dosage needed...well, its a flat zero." The Medical Researcher sighed.
You poor girl Sthilg thought to himself as he nodded along. " And have you tested them against EMP?" He asked
"I've personally tested them for Low End EMP, No effect, though that was By design," She Winced. "Theoretically the Magnetic field of a magnetar could disable them, but At that Point We'd Have bigger problems to consider for the patient."
The gorn searched his chin slightly as he thought. This wasn't his specialty, but he had some ideas. " Could we infect them with a virus to shut them down?" He proposed?
"A computer virus was the first thing I tried to trigger a shut down, And it kinda worked, but Individually infecting Each nanoprobe before the System manages to Update itself is...well There's a reason I Didn't have the Probes set up as a Hive mind...mostly because I wanted to have no chance of A bor probe outbreak," she said quickly.
Sthilg continued scratching his head. " There is an idea I've heard off. It may jussst work, but I've never tried it before."
"I'm open to suggestions," she said quietly her posture remaining almost uncomfortably stiff.
" I have a friend who'sss a very powerful psychic being and her kind can manipulate things on the atomic level. Ssshe could try and manipulate the probesss ssso that i could extract them all before they could ssself replicate." The gorn expalined. " I'd need to run it by her first of courssse."
A Twisted look of distrust flashed across the womans face. "The patient has had multiple bad experiences with Telepaths...but I'll run it by them." she said quickly.
" Well when you do make sssure to keep them as calm as posssible to avoid stressing them out. Would you like sssome herbal tea?" The doctor enquired.
Nevada frowned and tilted her head to the side. "That obvious is it?" she asked nervously.
" I've been tending to the sssick sssince before kirk walked the galaxy my dear." The gorn replied warmly. " I'll ask around for a few cybernetic friendsss of mine sssee if they can come up with sssomething."
The Nervous expression quickly faded from her face, as a look of age wizened cynicism replaced it. "Well, I'll appreciate your discretion On this consult, I may not be As old as a gorn, but I've got pretty much the rest of the crew beat out by at least three decades," she said as she folded her arms over her chest.
" Doctor patient confidentiality isss in full effect. Thisss will ssstay between the two of usss." The doctor replied reassuringly.
"Thank you," Nevada sighed as she adjusted herself and offered her PADD over to him. "My notes...And the Last six months of Readings, And the Design of my Prototype Nanoprobes.
" Thank you. Keep me informed on anything that changesss." The doctor replied calmly as he gave her a reassuring shoulder grip. " We'll beat this my friend."
"I'm not concerned about beating it," she said with a chuckle her voice strained with pain. "I'm Concerned about getting tossed in a Penal Colony again..."
" That'sss not going to happen. " The gorn said reassuringly.