FASP-23

Posted on 16 Oct 2018 @ 5:42pm by Lieutenant JG Aeryn Zal

2,206 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Empty Creche
Location: Biological Sciences Laboratory, USS Redemption
Timeline: ED1 1030

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity Aeryn Tigan was able to make use of the biological sciences laboratory without fighting for space or equipment. The Trill enjoyed being able to run several experiments at once without reprisal from one of the other scientists in her department. What was even better, the Trill realised, was that she could make as much mess as she wanted and nobody was there to tell her to tidy it up.

“Thank you Commander Rhyan,” Aeryn said out aloud, thankful that Rhyan had ordered the entirety of the biological sciences department to take a well-deserved days rest after curing the Hadronus virus. And although she suspected that the order was also applicable to her, Aeryn chose to spend her day off researching the second virus that the commander had revealed to her the previous day. After he had divulged the information to her, Aeryn had thought of little else; she wouldn’t have been able to rest even if she wanted to.

‘As good an excuse as any to help the commander out,’ she thought.

The second virus was a fascinating entity, even when compared to the virus that the Ee Hybrid had released into the atmosphere of Hadronus. There were significant differences, and as she studied the two viruses alongside the makeup of the original Ee virus, Aeryn was slowly learning more about each of them. The key to her research focused on the differences between the viruses, rather than the similarities that a genetic researcher would generally target.

When she and Commander Rhyan made the link between the Hadronus virus and the Iconians, the cure for the infection was almost easy to deduce. The Iconians were masters of space and time, and that mastery extended to their manipulation of DNA as well. How they were able to phase part of their genetic code out of the normal space-time was beyond Aeryn’s comprehension, but recognising that the Ee Hybrid had utilised the same techniques to shield the viral-RNA of her pathogen had been the key to unlocking their cure. Unfortunately the same techniques had not revealed a similar phase shifting of the second virus.

“You are a completely different entity entirely, aren’t you?” Speaking to herself was a habit that Aeryn intended to address at some point in the future. Her colleagues often did not appreciate her outspoken eureka moments.

The lieutenant stepped up from the molecular sequencer she had been perched in front of and walked towards the incubation chamber on the opposite side of the lab. Within the shielded chamber were a number of reactions on going between samples of the second virus and derivations of the Hadronus anti-viral agent. She glanced briefly at the readout screen on the side of the chamber and sighed. Nothing. Not one of her modified agents appeared to have made any difference.

Aeryn moved from the incubation chamber and made her way to a third workstation. This station was set up as a simple computer interface, used by most of the researchers to access medial and scientific databases. The Trill knew that her current research methods were yielding no results, and that meant a new approach was needed. She pulled up a nearby chair and set herself down. She knew this was going to be a painstaking search operation.

“Computer,” Aeryn said to the terminal in front of her. “Show me a molecular schematic of the virus included in the file: Rhyan-Theta-One.”

“Accessing.” The electronic tones of the computer responded. Within a few seconds the screen in front of Aeryn erupted to life and displayed a three dimensional computer generated image of molecular RNA. By now the representation of carbon as a black sphere, oxygen as a white sphere and sulphur as yellow was beginning to haunt the Trill in her sleep.

Aeryn studied the schematic for a few moments, secretly hoping that inspiration would suddenly hit her. But unfortunately no such inspiration came. “Computer,” she said again, “scan the virus with algorithm: Tigan-Beta-Four and show me the results”.

The computer responded, coldly. “No changes detected. Inter-phasic RNA sequences not detected.”

“Okay, okay,” Aeryn said back to the computer, not really caring that she was continuing her habit of speaking out aloud. She allowed herself a moment to ponder the problem and then asked more of the computer. “Computer, overlay the Ee, Hadronus and Rhyan-Theta-One viruses over one another and match for similarities.”

Although she had tried this particular trick before, Aeryn decided that revisiting some of her earlier assumptions about the second virus was required. Rhyan’s own research had highlighted the origins of both the Hadronus and second viruses; they were artificially modified variants of the Ee virus that the Redemption had discovered on Romulus a year earlier. Unfortunately the cure to the Ee virus did not seem to work on either of the modified viruses. At least, not until they had unlocked the key to the Hadronus virus with its phase shifted RNA. But the second virus had no phase shifted RNA.

‘Why was that,’ the lieutenant thought to herself, choosing to keep that question in the back of her mind as she continued with her basic investigations of the second virus.

“Comparison complete,” chirped the computer, overlaying all three viruses one the screen in front of her. As both she and Rhyan had ascertained before, much of the viruses were identical to one another. But significant differences still remained. So where did the differences come from?

“Computer, remove all common elements between the viruses. Display the viral remnants adjacent to one another.”

The computer began removing whole sections of the viral RNA from the schematics on the screen until three separate and distinctive segments of RNA code remained. Aeryn studied the remnants closely. From what she could tell there was minimal evidence of the original Ee virus left. That supported her theory that the other two viruses were created using the original Ee virus as a vector for the additional RNA tacked on by their creators.

Progress.

“Computer,” she said again, “remove the remnants of the original Ee virus and leave the other two remnants on screen.” The computer obeyed.

“Right, Aeryn,” the Trill whispered to herself, “what is it that Commander Rhyan and I are missing?”

Aeryn studied both RNA remnants closely; nothing about them was similar. But why weren’t they similar? Was it because the creator of the Hadronus virus was not the same creator of the second virus? Possibly. Probably. But if the Ee Hybrid was not behind the creation of the second virus, who was? Rhyan had not told her who was infected with the second virus; all he had told her was not to ask any questions in that regard. Without knowing the motives behind the creation of the virus, how was she supposed to figure out who created it and how?

She sighed again. Her eyes hurt from staring at the computer terminal and she gave serious thought to giving up and taking Rhyan up on his offer of a day off. As a sense of futility gripped Aeryn, her mind wandered from research on to other things.

The first image that entered her mind was one of Commander Rhyan looking at her with disappointment in his sad, Vulcan eyes. She didn’t know why, but from the moment that she had met the commander she had sought his absolute approval. Her career aspirations notwithstanding, she simply wanted the commander to like her. But were Vulcan’s even capable of liking or being disappointed in their subordinates? Aeryn got the feeling that Rhyan was not like any other Vulcan she had previously met, and that was part of the attraction she appeared to have for him.

‘That’s enough,’ she thought to herself, cutting the image of Rhyan from her mind. Then suddenly it hit her. “Cutting,” she shouted out aloud, once again glad that she was the only person in the laboratory.

“Computer,” she said hurriedly. A sense of excitement began to well up within her. “Scan the Rhyan-Theta-One virus for evidence of all known gene-splicing techniques.”

The computer responded with a question. “There are forty-three thousand, six-hundred and twelve known methods to splice DNA and RNA. Current search time will be twenty-six hours and thirty-seven minutes. Please refine your search parameters or indicate if you wish to begin the search as requested.”

Aeryn thought for a moment. If she knew more details about the person infected with the second virus she might have been able to narrow the search down quicker. But she did not have that information. What she did know was that the virus was RNA based and that Rhyan obtained the sample on Earth. The second virus was also created using a specimen of the Ee virus, of which the only known samples are in the custody of the Ee Research Institute on Earth, and the Romulan Science Directorate on New Romulus. So, if the virus was found on Earth…

“Restrict the search to RNA splicing techniques performed by Starfleet or Federation institutions only. If unsuccessful, expand the search criteria to include known Romulan techniques.”

“Processing,” stated the computer. Aeryn’s heart was racing as she watched the computer cross-analysing archives from the Starfleet medical database with the RNA fragments on screen. Her heart nearly stopped altogether when the computer stopped analysing and displayed a molecule she was not familiar with on the screen. “Match found.”

Aeryn’s eyes darted across the computer screen, absorbing all the information that was being displayed. Her concern at the speed of success with the search was only intensified when she read the displayed information about the RNA splicing molecule. “Computer, confirm the origin of the splicing molecule currently displayed on screen.”

“RNA editing tool, RASP-23, was created at the Starfleet Science Institute on Andor in 2375. RASP-23 was created to aide researchers on Andor solve the reproductive crisis affecting the Andorian species. The only known specimens of RASP-23 are confirmed to be on Andor.”

“Are you sure?” Aeryn felt like she was going to be sick when she heard that the tool used to create the second virus could have originated on Andor. She had to be certain about the facts before she reported back to Commander Rhyan.

“I do not understand the request. Please restate,” responded the computer.

Aeryn was not in the mood to start playing games with the Redemption’s computer. She rephrased her enquiry. “Could any other RNA editing tool have been used that could leave the distinctive markers present on the Rhyan-Theta-One virus?”

“Negative. Search is currently incomplete but cursory data would confirm RASP-23 as the only likely Federation or Romulan origin of the markers left on virus Rhyan-Theta-One.”

She couldn’t begin to fathom the significance of what her eyes and ears were telling her. At best, someone within Federation space created the second virus; at worst, the virus could be traced back to Andor, one of the Federation’s founding worlds. If people were already infected with this virus, the fallout could be highly destructive for the Federation. Did Aeryn bring her findings immediately to Rhyan, or did she continue her search for a cure and then bring both to him?

The computer terminal in front of her continued to flash, with connections between molecules highlighted where the RASP-23 gene-editing tool had been used. Watching the red and yellow molecular bonds flashing, another idea came to Aeryn. “Computer, last request I promise. Remove the highlighted bonds in the RNA fragment from virus Rhyan-Theta-One and analyse the sub-fragments for any similarities to known viruses.”

“Processing,” the computer once again stated. Aeryn had a hunch that was soon to be proven right. The computer further broke up the RNA fragments on screen, separating them into seven separate pieces of genetic code. Each piece was then highlighted and compared against known pathogens in the medical database. Once again, the computer did not take long to come up with its answer. “Analysis complete. RNA fragments matching Tarkalian fever, Andorian pox and Klingon immunodeficiency virus identified.”

“Got you!” Aeryn exclaimed, slamming the terminal in front of her. She had finally cracked the mystery of the second virus. Problem was, it still wasn’t a cure, which is what Commander Rhyan was searching for. Still, knowing the origins of the Hadronus virus had quickly led them to the cure for it. Perhaps history could repeat itself again.

The Trill pushed herself up from the computer terminal and returned to the incubation chamber. She pressed a few buttons on the control screen and instantly the contents of the chamber were vaporised. It was time to take a new approach in her search for a cure. With renewed hope, Aeryn set about a completely new approach to her research: she knew the key would lie with the three pathogens incorporated into the viral structure. With a little time, and some crossed fingers, she might be able to given Rhyan the answer he so desperately needs.

OOC: I feel like I am on a bit of a roll. Tidying up some loose ends from the last episode, which will lead on to other things in this episode.

 

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