Private Comet Quarantine

[Stevru Klamat]

Medbay, Mining Colony 121, Comet XX-121, Edge of Wild Space

His hands held tightly to the to the Mon Calamari's clammy skin, pinning him down as he convulsed on the table. The doctor desperately attempted to insert a breathing tube, their action slowing as the patient's pulse began to slack off, finally trailing off into a single, solid tone on the medical monitor. Stevru watched the light go out of the alien's eyes, and felt a bit of the light go out of his own. His jaw set, and he stepped away to look out at the rest of the ward, a dozen dozen more of the aquatic aliens laid out on beds and makeshift litters. Reflected in the window, he could see the doctor gently close the Mon Calamari's empty eyes with a gloved hand.

"Don't get too attached. You know what needs to be done if we don't solve this."

"I understand... I just... Is this The Way?"

"This is Our Way."

____________________________________________________________________________

They couldn't handle this on their own, that much had become frighteningly apparent. What had started as a rash of respiratory illness amongst the miners had turned into a plague which had ravaged the mining outpost. He'd wanted to keep this in the clan, one problem, one cell. But if they waited any longer for a miracle there wouldn't be anyone left to save. He'd communicated with their cell on Coruscant, a rare and risky maneuver that had risked blowing the cover of their operative there, but real time communication was essential. They'd combed through a list of geneticists, anyone who could make sense of the targeted plague that had taken the outpost by storm. Only one name had seemed likely, Alanys Tald, a GA Scientist. The idea of cooperating with the government, even in this limited sense, had caused the bile to rise in his throat. But people were dying, and needs must.

Hence why he was waiting in the landing bay of the mining outpost, a cigarra hanging from his lips, giving off smoke that made the CO2 scrubbers whine. He was dressed in a dark grey jumpsuit, which carried the emblem of the NGO they were using for cover, Rimward Horizons, along with a blaster in a shoulder holster and a stun baton on his hip. He looked like private security, which was the intent. As the bay opened, air held in by the permeable shield, he stepped forward.

He'd extend a hand in greeting, trying his best to look like a human being, pushing a businesslike smile onto his lips that didn't reach his single remaining eye, cybernetic staring unblinkingly as it always did, lens as dark and black as space itself.

"Soren Briggs, Rimward Horizons. I'm a security consultant, but I'm the only one we could spare to meet and debrief you. Nothing to shoot in an epidemic. I'm no scientist or doctor but I'll do my best to answer your questions, ma'am."

Alanys Tald

 

[Alanys Tald]

Alanys made sure that her suit was airtight. No room for any sort of breaches caused by torn fabric or accidents. One of her staff members checked their equipment on the suits ensuring air filters were working at one hundred percent efficiency. They didn't know what was the nature of this plague. Whether it was airborne, in their supplies, or perhaps worst case scenario, a targeted attack. However when she was asked to come in to help alleviate the suffering of these people, Alanys couldn't refuse. Her and her small team of scientists, along with some medical specialists were enroute to this remote mining colony out in Wild Space.

As the shuttle touched down in the hangar, Alanys walked out with her team. She and the rest of her team wore all white hazmat suits, with the Galactic Alliance symbol emblazoned on their shoulders. With them they carried various medical and scientific equipment, and one droid was seemingly pushing a small loader filled with crates. They were labled rations.

Alanys extended out her hand to shake Soren's "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Briggs. I am Alanys Tald. I'll be heading the efforts of my team here to help you and your people. Any and all kind of information you can tell me is most appreciated. If you can perhaps tell me when did this all first started. It might help us narrow the origin of this plague." Alanys then gestured to the crates "Rations for your people, in case this plague is in your food supply. I was able to requistion enough to last you until the next supply ship comes in."

Stevru Klamat

 

[Stevru Klamat]

LOCALE:

Decontamination Cordon, Mining Colony 121, Comet XX-121⠀

GOAL:

Fighting a Plague⠀

TAGS:

Alanys Tald

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The Galactic Alliance. The memory of his clan was long. They recollected the laissez-faire liberalism of the New Republic and it's predecessor, the Galactic Republic. How matters beyond their boundaries would warrant outcry, but not action. As far as he was concerned, the Alliance was the inheritor of this democratic softness. Though... the presence of Doctor Tald and her people here did challenge his perceptions somewhat. But only somewhat. They'd been denied by a dozen specialists by the time they'd received her reply. Good people good systems did not make. And good people, often, did those systems break.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'll have some of my people come for the rations. Follow me, please."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But she didn't seem broken. Not yet. The shake he gave her was firm but not ungentle. As his hand slipped from hers, it went to his belt to produce a sturdy looking datapad from a holster. Gesturing with her to walk with him to the plastic blister that served as their quarantine cordon, he thumbed slowly through a number of readouts and bits of data on the pad.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Roughly two weeks ago we received word that a number of the Mon Calamari miners within the colony had fallen ill with a respiratory illness. Coughing, weakness, general suppression of the respiratory system. A lot of the interior of this comet has been returned to it's liquid state, so the working theory was that it might be a pathogen released from somewhere within the ice."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Thumbing further through the data, he paused on a screne, it displayed a single, unbound strand of RNA. Subwindows popped open around it, providing inset close up images of it's nucleobases and overall structure, a laticework of complex proteins.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"The other working theory was that it was an outbreak of Mon Calamarian Nerveshock, exhibiting a novel symptomatic response in the form of depression of the respiratory system via the central nervous system. That was until we found this."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He gestured at the RNA on the pad.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"The doctors tell me it's called negative-sense RNA. Which means it can't just bind itself into the host cell, it must first be processed by a... RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase before binding into the host cell. Which means, roughly, without the presence of the RNA Polymerase... it's inert."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Swiping at the screen again, he lifted the pad to her as the air within the blister was evacuated, and replaced with air from the other side of the cordon, then braced as a wave of cold washed over them as the CO2 sterilization system kicked on. Thin flecks of frost formed on the his hair and shoulders. If it bothered him, he didn't seem to show it.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't understand the science of it. But the doctors tell me that means it needed to be... switched on, so to speak. We didn't really have time to grapple with the implications of that, given that that was right around the time people started dying. Also right around the time we realized that Mon Calamari were the only ones getting sick."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The other side of the blister opened, exposing a passageway hewn into the ice of the comet. It was lined with makeshift cots, stretchers up on crates, industrial repulsor trollies retrofitted into hospital beds. They stretched down the hallway, and beyond sight as it curved into the deeper confines of the comet. Coughing, wheezing, and pained groans and moans filled the air. Nearby a patient gurgled, gasped, and went still. He paused at the side of the litter, then drew the blankets up over their face.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"We don't know how to stop this, Doctor. All we've been able to do is watch."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The look in his eyes could have been mistaken for sadness when he looked back at her, but upon closer inspection, the set of his jaw made it clear. It was one of quiet fury, an unfathomable rage that set his shoulders tense, and hands gripping for something to do.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"We're hoping you and your people will be able to do something to change that."

 

[Alanys Tald]

Alanys did her best to follow along, taking a look at the tablet she was given. At least the people here seemed to have found a cause for why their Mon Calamari workers were getting sick and dying. A missing RNA polymerase that is causing parts of the host cell to become unresponsive and inert. Thus possibly leading to the cascading failure of the respiratory system within the Mon Calamari. If this is only affecting one species, its unique to their biology. That does make Alany's job much more easier that she didn't need to treat all of the people on this station. However this only raised more questions. What was causing this deficiency? Was this environmental? A bi-product of generations of procreation? A natural occurring thing that just happened?

She took a good look around the room they were in. She heard the coughing, the groans of pain, seeing the outpost staff trying their best to alleviate the pain. Alanys walked over to the Mon Calamari that recently passed placing a hand on the side of the stretcher. She gripped it gently before then looking back to Briggs. "My team and I will work around the clock to ensure that these people are cured and saved. I am going to need fresh samples from..those that are alive. It will help me better understand this and see if I can make a cure. I will also need to know the areas where the Mon Calamari constantly work and live in. My team will conduct tests to see if we can rule out some other possibilities."

Alanys nodded "I..will also require medical records of all Mon Calamari staff here, and any other documentation you might have."

Stevru Klamat

 

[Stevru Klamat]

⠀

Location⠀ Entry Corridor 1, Mining Colony 121, Comet XX-121
Objective⠀ Assist the Doctor
Tags⠀ Alanys Tald

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A single, dark eye darted one way, then another, roving the surface of the comet ice the wall was made of as though tracking something within it. As she was thinking, so was he. They'd been prepared to write the rock off. To guard the one remaining entrance until all of them died. He'd expected to feel some relief, now that backup was here. But instead, he felt only an even more oppressive weight on his shoulders. Was he really more daunted by dealing with the government than he was at the prospect of watching all these people die? Yes.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His eye flicked in her direction as she spoke, and he pivoted on one heel with machine-like precision.

"Absolutely."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Even as he was speaking, he was already busy typing away on his datapad. He sent the message with a final stroke of his finger, and there were several distant, overlapping chimes as it copied itself to everyone on the message chain. His singular eye moved rapidly over the display as several more chimes of acknowledgement came from his device.

"Should have the samples you need within the hour. I can escort you through the worker barracks, but I'll need to suit up to give you a tour of the mine. Vast majority of it is underwater. Easier for the Mon Cal to work that way."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Tapping a few more things on his pad, he forwarded the pertinent records to her. Looking up from the pad, he clearly considered her a moment, his eyes, both the human and cybernetic, seeming as though they were looking through her rather than at her. His eye narrowed, before his expression lapsed back into stoic unreadability.

 

[Alanys Tald]

"Understandable, honestly my sisters and I also do prefer to work in underwater environments as well." Alanys gave a light chuckle just trying to bring some joy into this bleak situation. After all, its better to think optimistically rather than fall into despair. Alanys felt that these people could use some positive feelings in these trying times. But Alanys waited for Briggs to suit himself up and then escort her through the worker barracks to get to the mine. She did wonder about how he got his cybernetic eye,but felt that it would better to ask once the cure is found. Alanys took this time to do quick check ups on any of the Mon Calamari workers in their bunks, gathering data on their conditions.

Once they reached the mine, Alanys sent some of her team down to collect samples of the water and possibly the ore they were digging up. Once everything was collected, Alanys and her team would be in the station's laboratory, running tests on the samples they taken and also the ones provided. Briggs was allowed to monitor thier every move if he wanted, Alanys and her team being very transparent about their intentions. Hours would pass by before Alanys pulled some data off of a reading, her eyes narrowing in concern. She motioned for Briggs to come over, speaking to him in a hushed tone.

"Good news, it seems that this virus is not naturally occuring. Meaning the water, the ore, the food are not the origin of this disease. However as you can see here" Alanys swiped her tablet's screen to show four pictures "The two pictures on the left are my blood cells. The right ones are from your Mon Calamari workers. As you can see here, when the virus is introduced to both blood samples, mine are fine and in fact you can see the virus being targetted for destruction. But in the Mon Calamari ones, you see what you already told me. The failure of the RNA polymerase."

Alanys sighed "My team and I are fairly certain that this isn't a genetic diease either, but rather an artificial one. Someone made this to target your workers. There are signs that point to this virus being made in a lab. Now..my team can work on a cure. It will take time though because lab made viruses can be engineered to resist most forms of treatment."

Stevru Klamat