Subject: USS Grail: "Unexplored Spaces" - "Antidote, part II"

[Alfonso Barnechea Rey] Sorry for the delay, Alphonso

<<Stardate: 47307.18-09:45>>

<<Sickbay>>

Epic Terrakian and `Doc' Trellor entered the Sickbay and easily found Dr. Ramin. Dr. Ramius was nearby. The two men exchanged nods, but Ramius indicated Ramin with a toss of his head.

Epic approached the doctor. The man got right into it.

"Captain, there is a situation that you must be aware of."

Epic nodded for the doctor to proceed.

"I have detected a sort of bacterium that has affected some of the crewmembers. The thing is the infected officers were all wounded by disrupter blasts. After exhaustive study I have found those bacteria were implanted with the blast. I can confirm my theory."

Then Oku approached his sterile desk. "Please come in Captain. It's safe."

Epic nodded and followed

Oku pointed to the Romulan disrupter with his index finger, and drew a circle with it around the strange device it had attached to it's side.

"Where did you get the disrupter?", Epic asked with concern. Such an obviously dangerous weapon, especially considering its contaminants, should be under lock and key.

"I found it down the main aisle of the USS Indiana before we left. I had to be sure it had bacteria in there before I revealed my findings."

"I've been testing Terran and Jupiterean antibodies with no results. I will be needing your Betazoid ones, so if you'll agree to give me a few milliliters of your blood..."

Epic gave the doctor a shrewd expression. "Actually, Doctor, I am half Terran, though I'll certainly comply. When you do the pre-acceptance physical for Captain Trellor over there, test his blood. He is a full Betazoid."

Ramin nodded as he went about the task of collecting Epics blood. The doctor talked while he worked. He approached his desk and sampled the Captains blood.

Then Oku grabbed his tricorder and scanned Capt. Trellor's body. Nothing unusual. As the physical test required a blood sample, Oku took the chance to get one from Trellor, and immediately tested it, for anything unusual. He also used it for an immediate antibody test on the bacteria.

"Please Captain. Join me to the screen.", Oku said anxiously.

"Please watch here. The green gauge represents Capt. Trellor's B-cells' antibodies. The red gauge represents the amount of bacteria. "

Three minutes later nothing had changed. Neither gauge had moved one micrometer.

"Now" said Oku "look at this simulation. I've been simulating Romulan antibodies killing the bacteria, with positive results. In order to test it for real I need some Romulan blood. I've checked the roster and found that there is a half- Romulan officer. He has been called but hasn't reported yet. If we don't test Romulan antibodies LIVE, those people will need more than life support devices." Oku pointed to the other room where the wounded lay, unconscious, with the life support equipment.

Epic nodded and slapped his comm-badge. "Lt. Talarak. Report to Sickbay immediately. You have no other considerations save responding to this order. Terrakian out."

"So Captain. What are your orders?", Ramin inquired. Oku was looking at the Captain with those eyes that said. `Please let them live. Please help me.'

"Doctor. Is there any evidence of contagion? Are only those directly wounded affected?"

"In a sense, yes, the wounded are the ones who are the most in danger. But I have been testing bacterial airborne growth and detected two or three out of the containment field number 3. They are inside a number four, which surrounds the former, but I don't know what those babies can do. In the meantime, I strongly recommend to evacuate the sections adjacent to Sickbay, 30 metes away, and on this deck, the upper one and lower one.

"Drs. Ramin and Ramius. If this situation is not resolved to your satisfaction, I empower you to cooperate with Security to enforce any protocols you deem necessary. I will alert Security to this possibility as soon as I leave. "Is that all?"

"Aye, sir."

Then the two officers left, heads down and slowly. Oku was sweating because of the tension, but happy for the calling of Taralak. He hoped the Romulan-Human officer would be there soon.

Then he returned to his work when he felt a presence. He turned around. He saw a man in a white dress, white-bearded. The man smiled at Oku. Oku gazed at him. Then a voice called Ramin:

"Dr. Ramin, please update me"

"I'll be glad to" replied Oku, looking to nowhere. When he turned again to look for the sage, he was gone.