Spiders
Posted on Thu Nov 25th, 2021 @ 5:53am by Samantha Prescott [ADMIN NPC]
Mission:
Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
Location: Captains Cabin
Timeline: MD 5 - 08h00
700 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure
Samantha stared in shock. She stood stock still looking at what had been once an ornamental tree. Eucalyptus variant, according to her tricorder. And the tricorder was also showing the name of what had Samantha affixed to the spot.
The once ornamental tree was no longer small and cute. It had grown, almost like it would in nature. As had its Residents.
[Species identified]
"Go ahead."
[Dolophones conifera. Commonly called the Australian Wrap around Spider or Leopard Spider. Wrap-around spiders belong to the Dolophones genus, and there are 17 species that are endemic to Australia and parts of Oceania. This spider is also listed on the Endangered Species list as of 2375.]
"So how did a colony of them get here?" Samantha began to back away from the now infested tree.
[Unable to determine. ]
Typical. Samantha had been on a recon mission looking for spare parts which had been misplaced in the habitat ring. And had stumbled onto a colony of spiders. For the love of all things, why did it have to be spiders?!?!
[They belong to the Araneida family of orb-weavers, which do wield venom, but it’s not particularly dangerous to humans.] The computer supplied.
"Oh that's comforting. Not" Sam took a breath."Computer do a scan. Please scan Habitat Ring for other colonies of these spiders."
[Working]
[Three more colonies found.Shall I list their locations?]
“Download them to my PADD computer, I shall send the locations to the Command team.” Sam said softly.
Then she paused. “Computer, search prior crew records. Look for spiders as personal pets.”
[This search will take some time.]
“Estimated time?”
[3 hours]
“Do it. And I will start looking at ways to remove our friends." she was not confident. And she had a sneaky feeling that the planet was not going to be a viable option. Maybe there was an Arachnologist on the station.. Or if not on the station, somewhere close by that they could call on and get them here fast. 4 colonies of Wrap Around Spiders was not a small thing.
As she looked for non lethal methods of spider removal, the computer continued it's search into if there had been these on the station as pets. [Entry found. Lieutenant Harrows, had a license to own a mated pair of Dolophones conifera]
“And where is the Lieutenant now?”
[Lieutenant Miles Harrows, Science Officer from Earth. Deceased.]
Brilliant. And his pets obviously got out and started their own family and those children had started their own families, so on and so forth! Samantha wanted to scream. How bloody irresponsible of that... officer and his family. What the hell were they thinking having such... arachnids on a starship.
And then there was the fact that she could not just purge them with poisonous gasses and such. Again brilliant. So she sent a communique to the Command Staff. She had found the mess, maybe they would have an idea on how to clean it up.
To: Captain Garrett Lovejoy, Commander Gary Taylor
From: Samantha Prescott
RE: Infestation of Endangered Species in Civilian Living Quarters
Captain, Commander,
This morning I stumbled on a colony of Dolophones Conifera in one of the abandoned Crew Lounges. Commonly called the Australian Wrap around Spider or Leopard Spider.There are four colonies in various Civilian quarters, their locations are attached to this message. As well as information on the Spiders. - They are not poisonous to Humans, but for other races, who knows. They all seem to descend from a mated pair, one Late Lieutenant Miles Harrows had prior to his demise. These creatures were listed on the Endangered Species List in 2375, thus normal methods of eradication are not permitted.
Suggestion: We locate an Arachnologist as soon as possible. Someone who can collect these animals and rehome them on Earth. Also, suggest forcefields be put in place to... contain these colonies.
While Lieutenant Harrows is now deceased, his...of care for these spiders, seems to have reinvigorated their population.
Regards
Samantha Prescott
That sent, she carefully began to back away from the tree and it's residents. “Computer, put a forcefield around that tree and lock it down.”
[[ACKNOWLEDGED]]
