[darkbio] Trials and Tribulations (Tremaine, Varga)
- From: "Jamie Lawson" <ayeshalan@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: darkbio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:56:00 -0700
"Trials and Tribulations"
Ensigns Varga and Tremaine
2006.07:17
Logan and Toni were sitting on either side of a large console in the
Lovell's main lab, not far from the isolab where the alien microbe
samples resided. All the data they had gathered so far had been
copied to the computer banks in this console. All the two of them
needed to do was collate and compile it, and they should have a
complete genetic map of the microbes, which could be used by both the
transporter crew and the sensor teams.
Toni worked several of the touchpads on her side of the console. "I
think we're close," she said to Logan. "How is it looking from your
seat?"
Logan was absentmindedly staring at his console, so lost in thought
that he didn't even hear Toni speaking to him. His mind was still on
what had happened the other night. He hadn't thought of James in very
long time -- why did he think of him now and how was Magee able to
calm him down? It was all very confusing to him. He thought he was
over James' death. He had moved on, or so he thought. Finally after
what seemed an eternity he heard Toni's voice.
"Huh, what? Did you say something to me?"
"Earth to Logan, are you receiving?" Toni chuckled softly.
"Seriously, though, are you all right? Had to repeat myself twice
before anything got through at all."
"I'm sorry, Toni. I just had a very bad night last night and I can't
seem to concentrate. I'm not sure how much help I am going to be
today. You'd probably be better off without me here holding you back."
Staring off into space again, Logan looked as if he had lost his best
friend. In reality he had. He just hadn't gotten over it like he
thought he had.
"Naah, it's okay. We'll get through it together. Sorry you had such
a hard time. Anything you want to talk about?"
"Thanks. I don't know why it hit me so hard. I thought I was over it,
but evidently I wasn't. You remember James, don't you? I don't even
remember if you met him or not."
"Only briefly, but yeah, I did. He was a real sweetheart."
Logan hesitated before going on. He didn't want to bother Toni with
his problems when they had so much work to do. "I don't want to bore
you, Toni. Why don't you tell me again what you have done and I will
do my best to help."
"All right, but you owe me some talk over coffee when we're done with
this, okay?"
Logan looked at Toni. "I may take you up on that talk after we finish this."
"I need you to run a cross-check on the map we've got so far, help me
confirm the data is solid," Toni said. "It's been tricky because
there's one sequence of the genes which seem really, really prone to
mutation.It's almost like they're looking for something to change
into. I want to make sure we've got the correct base form."
"Is there any way we can take that one gene sequence and remove it
from the picture and see what happens? While we are at it, why don't
we extrapolate on the computer what would happen if we let that gene
sequence do what ever it is that it is so determined to do."
"It looks like if we extract that sequence, we don't have any kind of
a viable life form left," Toni said. "It's pretty key to the whole
... little microbe."
She muttered under her breath, "We gotta come up with a name for this
thing." Speaking up again, she said, "I do like the idea of trying to
run some simulations on it though ...see what would happen if we
offered it something to wrap itself around, like the growth medium PK
and Leadul have going."
Thinking for a moment Logan came up with an idea. Although not a
regular or normal idea it would...he hoped...solve their problem with
this stubborn sequence.
"Why don't we take a drop of my blood and let the troublesome squence
attach itself to the droplet and see what happens? We will of course,
have to keep it contained, just in case anything should happen."
Antonia's eyes opened wide. "Whoa ... you want to see what it would
do with some of your own blood?" She shook her head and then looked
back down at the data in front of her. "Of course, it will be hard to
run simulation when we have absolutely no idea what this little thing
is going to do? Total guesswork."
She sighed. "We might have to do something like that just to get a
starting point. But we should probably check with the boss first."
Logan looked at Toni, "Where is your sense of adventure and
initiative? If nothing happens then we won't be letting anyone down,
but....if we are successful just think how good it will make us look."
Standing, Logan went off in search of a petri dish and a needle. When
he returned he looked at Toni. "Well, are you ready to run the
program? I don't want to donate my blood for nothing."
"All right," she said after a minute. "Let's get your sample and then
get into the isolab with it quick. Let's hope the boss doesn't send
us home without a suit, after this ..."
--
"The weather's fine but there may be a meteor shower..."
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