by Chris Hechtl
“Okay, we'll look into that. I know by now their implants are keeping them on their feet, that and caffeine, but there has to be a limit. What we can do is …,” she thought fast and then nodded once. “Poll the crews. Find anyone with some medical training to step up and help. Even if it is basic first aid. Anyone with lab experience is a plus of course, but they can use people to just do laundry and tend to the sick under the eyes of a nurse,” Shelby ordered.
“I will but that will make holes in our ranks,” Cynthia warned.
Shelby nodded. “I know, but we're not going anywhere for the moment. We'll figure it out.” She turned to Lieutenant Talon. “I said a moment ago throwing material at this won't solve it, but I was partially wrong there. We need to get a list of basic things they'll need that we can replicate in quantity. For instance, applicators, bedding, or petri dishes, or culture equipment, whatever,” she said.
“Sterile instruments, bedding, even injectors. I see your point, ma'am,” Carl said, making a note. “We have a limited reserve of raw material in stock. The medics have already been hitting it. We'll need more.”
“We'll work on that,” Cynthia said, glancing at Shelby. The commodore nodded once.
“We can get the gear into their hands as well as the people on the planet. Mass distribution. Look into ration packs and water filters, hell, even air masks. Once medics have a fix, they will need to hit the ground running to crank out the cure and then distribute it far and wide,” Shelby said with a nod of agreement.
“If there is one, ma'am,” Lieutenant L'n'v'll said quietly.
]][#]]]{OO}===}==>
“We need to mine the asteroids in your star system to be able to continue to supply our medics and yours with materials,” Fred said, expecting an argument.
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” the governor said then she started coughing. “If you'll excuse me,” she said weakly, bent over her desk. “I need to deal with another crisis; blame is shifting all over the place to the humans. They aren't sick and that has others who are scared wondering why. Some have been trying to help, but unfortunately, some haven't stepped up or tossed out accusations like it is our fault,” the brown bear said.
“Yes, ma’am. Hopefully you can head such sentiments off before it erupts into violence,” Fred murmured.
“Oh, it's too late for that. We've had a couple mobs and some buildings burned two towns over, plus a lynching. Get whatever you need,” she said with a wave.
“Yes, ma’am,” Fred said as he cut the circuit. He was fervently glad Phoebe wasn't in the room and was desperately eager to be away from the planet and not land on it.
He put a call in to Lieutenant Talon. “Lieutenant, we have a go. The governor gave us a verbal clearance. I recorded it,” he said.
“Good. I'm on it,” the lieutenant said with a nod.
]][#]]]{OO}===}==>
Lieutenant Talon had rushed through the on-stock materials for the support of the medics, then scrambled to find gear he could cannibalize and replace later to keep the replicators fed. Mister Mugg's timely arrival with permission to mine in the star system had come none too soon. Unfortunately, the single asteroid belt was far out and pretty thin. He dispatched the automated tugs out anyway and then requested help from the convoy escorts to find the nearest Atens asteroid and get it to the factory ships. He then flashed out orders to find material to make more plastics with.
“Can I be of assistance?” Lieutenant Fixer asked from his open doorway.
“Sure. We need plastics and we need them yesterday,” Carl said, not even looking up as the bug scuttled into the room.
“What kind?”
“At this point all kinds. Chemical works of course, we can make just about anything with the soup as you know.”
“That means refining material from a gas giant or an ice ball,” the T'clock replied. “Pity we can't bring material up from the planet. We can't risk it I know, but it is just there,” she said.
“I know. See what CIC can help you with in the ice ball department. This star system has one gas giant a Class II but it's waaay out,” Carl said.
“Damn. Transit time is going to eat up a lot … okay, I'm on it,” the T'clock said.
“That a girl,” Carl murmured as his fingers continued to fly on his keyboard, issuing orders.
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“I don't understand it!” the doctor swore, pacing, clearly frustrated. “This makes no sense! It works on Taurens but not the other species!”
“Doc …,” Shelby shook her head. “Relax Doc. I get it. Frustrated, tired …”
“It's this damn virus! It doesn't make sense!” the doctor snarled, clearly agitated. He ran hands through his hair. “The treatments aren't working for all species …”
“Okay, run that back, Doc,” Shelby said, crossing her arms.
The doctor paused, then looked at her. “Okay. We looked it up and found the cure. I tested it on a series of Tauren control subjects. It worked. I made some minor tweaks since the prions have been modified slightly so the standard cure is only half effective. They altered it so the white blood cells won't recognize it …”
“Okay …”
“But it's not working with the others!”
“What others?” Shelby asked, cocking her head.
“The other species! It should but …”
Shelby frowned thoughtfully. In engineering as in many things, the simplest answer was sometimes right … and sometimes dead wrong. “You are sure it is the one virus?” she asked as she thought of applying engineering diagnostics to medicine.
The doctor stopped dead and stared at her.
“Sometimes the simplest answer isn't right. Sometimes it hides a more complex issue, Doctor. Sometimes you need to do a full teardown and inspection to see what is going on.”
“I can't take someone apart …”
“A corpse? Never mind,” Shelby said with a flick of one hand. “What about blood work?”
“We're finding the virus but ….” His eyes were lost as he stared at the bulkhead above her head.
“The virus. That's it? Nothing else?” she pressed.
He stopped dead still and stared at her thunderstruck as the idea took over. “We … never …. looked. Shit!” he snarled. “Could it be …” he scrubbed his face with one hand. “Damn it, it could,” he muttered as he licked his dry lips.
Shelby saw that unconscious act and turned. She went over to the food replicator and found a reasonably clean mug. She rinsed it out with the water tap then had the replicator make a cup of coffee. She then went over and handed it to the doctor as he stared off at the problem.
He took a sip, then startled. He looked down at it and then to her. “Um, thanks.”
“No problem, Doctor. So? Verdict?”
“I was accessing my implants. I've ordered a full panel on each species looking for other pathogens. We just … damn it, how could I be so stupid!” he snarled.
“See why sleep is so important?” Shelby teased gently.
“I'm …um …”
“Yes?”
“Yeah, um …”
She realized she'd lost him. She shook her head and left him as he dived into the project.
]][#]]]{OO}===}==>
Shelby took the time to visit the sickbay when she heard the doctor had requested additional support and shuttles to be available. Carl had just about everything else dancing all over the solar system.
“I take it you found something?” she asked as she strolled into the doctor's domain. An orderly pointed to a patient off to her left. She nodded. She went over but stood at a respectful distance. She looked around as the doctor attended to the patient, a Neocat. She turned to see several patients were looking better. Every bed was filled.
She saw nurses and orderlies as well as volunteers working. They didn't seem deadened, numb; they seemed hopeful. That was a good sign she thought.
The doctor wrapped up his conversation, then turned to her. She saw his lips
twitch in an almost smile. The patient said something again. He turned and nodded, made a note on the cat's chart, then patted the side of the bed and walked off to Shelby.
“I take it from your not-quite grin you figured it out?” Shelby asked, cocking her head. “Well?”
“You were right,” he said sheepishly, grinning at her.
“Sleep?”
“That I'll get when this is behind us. But you were right. It wasn't one problem and one easy fix; it is an entire host of viruses. Why I didn't see it ….” He shook his head as he crossed his arms and flexed his jaw. “We ran extensive blood work but it turns out on just one patient. Once we thought we had it, we focused on curing it in our haste without checking other patients.”
Shelby could tell that decision was going to haunt him. But she needed him to focus and not be caught up in a guilt trip. “Quit with the guilt trip and sack cloth and ashes crap, Doc. The good thing is you did figure it out,” Shelby said pointedly.
“Yeah, with your help,” he said, eyeing her.
“You were too close to the problem I guess. So?”
“We found each and are treating them now.”
“The viruses?”
“And bacteria,” he said with a triumphant nod. “Some of it we can prevent from spreading with simple hygiene changes. Serious cleaning. Which I was going to ask about bleach and chemical cleaners as well as ultraviolet projectors …”
“You need more. Okay, not a problem if we can get the raw materials,” Shelby said with a nod. “You've got carte blanche on this, Doc; it's a planetary emergency.”
“Okay, just checking,” the doctor replied with a nod. “I can't get over that. We saw the prions in everyone's blood and assumed … we just …,” he paused, pounding a fist into his hand. “We just stopped looking.”
“Easy, Doc,” Shelby said, reaching out to catch his hand. He looked at it then to her. “The important thing is you did figure it out.”
“Yes. My first clue was that it wasn't attacking humans,” he said with a shake of his head.”
“Well, no one is perfect, Doc,” Shelby said as she released his hand.
“You should be a doctor,” he said, eyeing her. “I'm going to make sure your contribution is known.”
“Piffle, Doc, I just gave you a kick in the right direction. You took it from there. I'm a wrench turner, diagnostics goes with that,” she said with a smile. “I prefer rubbing off grease and grime, not blood and crap,” she said with a dismissive shake of her head at his suggestion.
“Well, you'll definitely get a thank you from me and a write-up. This is the turning point,” the doctor said as he waved a hand. A nurse ducked under his hand as she walked past. “Oops,” he said.
She shot him an aggrieved look but kept going.
“Good, Doc. Let me know if you need anything,” Shelby said. “You distributed the knowledge?”
“Already done,” he said with a nod. He turned to the cat. “Our feline friends are suffering from a weaponized form of Toxoplasmosis. We've identified seven other pathogens targeting Neos.”
Shelby nodded slowly.
“We've created a series of vaccines as well as tailored nanites to kill the specific infections now that we know what to look for.”
“Do us all a favor. Don't tell them about the nanites,” Shelby said.
Doctor Taylor blinked, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, yeah, right.”
“Right,” Shelby drawled. She nodded when he paused to long. “Continue, Doctor.”
“I'm surprised it didn't make the jump from apes to humans. I'm not sure why; I'll look later.”
“Part of their plan is to so overwhelm you medics that you stop looking and just try to treat the symptoms. You can't catch up,” Shelby said. “You feel overwhelmed and lose hope,” she said.
“But you didn't,” he said eyeing her with a glow of approval.
She blushed a little, basking a bit in the male admiration. “I'm a captain. We're taught to project confidence and hope. It's leadership, Doc.”
He nodded. “I'll remember that,” he murmured.
“Good. Carry on then,” she said with a nod. He nodded as a nurse came up and tapped him on the arm and then handed him a tablet.
Shelby smiled as she turned and left the compartment. They weren't out of the woods yet, but there was light at their long, dark journey. It wasn't all good; from what the medics had reported some of the brain damage was permanent. Nanotech therapies could undo some damage but not a lot if they didn't have a previous baseline to compare to. All they could do is rid the patients of the virus and then hope they could recover some function with patience and therapy over time. With luck, they would become useful members of society once more she thought bleakly as she passed a Tauren staring at a wall dumbly. She closed her eyes briefly, then continued walking.
“Nanites can't fix everything unfortunately,” she murmured as she made it into the lift.
“Ma'am?” a tired orderly asked. “Did you say something?”
“No. Forget it,” Shelby said, motioning a negative as she turned and hit the button that would take her to the boat bay.
Chapter 31
The convoy left a very happy star system two months later. Shelby was almost reluctant to leave. She knew there was some temporary euphoria involved that would eventually rub off with time, but Lebynthos was a good candidate for joining the Federation. Had they had a decent amount of space resources, the situation might have been very different.
It had been a very, very thankful population. Also very eager to join the Federation which was why Shelby had been sorely tempted to put in anchor in star system even with the lack of material to build the base.
“You'll always have friends here,” Governor-elect Shaver said, engulfing her hand with his own.
“Thank you. We were just doing our jobs,” Shelby replied.
“And we thank you for that as well,” the bull said, pulling the surprised human into his arms for a hug. Shelby hugged him back, thumping his back before he released her.
Before departing the star system, she had sent out the Sojourner class courier Dasher to spread the word to the systems they had visited on their way. The ship would inform the population of the medic's various treatments and cures, how to make each cure with what they had on hand, and update the messenger buoys with the same information while also downloading their logs as well as the logs in the spy satellites they'd left behind. She hoped and prayed the little ship's blistering speed would keep it safe.
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Five light years and three weeks of transit time later, the convoy exited hyperspace in formation in the Tau-1929 star system. The star system was a binary with two inhabited worlds, Delos and Samos. Immediately the communication's department reported that they were monitoring broadband radio traffic about the plague.
“The government is breaking down, ma'am. It's chaos down there,” Lieutenant Jardin reported.
“Here we go again,” Portia said with a shake of her head.
Cynthia glanced at her. “Count your blessings this time we can help.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the Neopanda said, bobbing a nod. “There is definitely that. Calculating a course to the nearest planet,” she said bending over her station to concentrate.
“Lieutenant Jardin, warm up our transmitters. Let them know we are here, and we are here to help. Let them know we have a cure,” the commodore ordered. “Then tell the frigates and corvettes to spread out to map the star system. We need materials and fast.”
“Aye aye, ma’am.”
“Make sure you let them know we need permission to mine now. We'll need it to make materials they'll need to distribute the cure,” Cynthia added. Shelby glanced at her but nodded as she turned to Lieutenant Jardin.
“Permission to mine as well aye, ma’am. Do you wish to record something personal?”
“Not at this time. Time is of the essence. Portia,” Shelby turned to the navigat
or. “Least time course for Mahoney and one escort to the planet. Everyone else can get in slower if necessary,” she said.
“Aye, ma'am, least time course for the hospital ship and one escort. I have that now.”
“Send it to them, then tell them to execute on receipt and don't worry about asking for permission to get to work. Lives are on the line, every tick of the clock counts,” the commodore said grimly.
“Aye aye, ma’am. Ma'am, what about the other planet?”
“That's up next,” the commodore said. “Lieutenant, warn them to be ready to record, then transmit everything we know about the plague to both planets. Have Mahoney do the same. Bring Doctor Taylor up to speed and keep him up to speed,” the commodore ordered.
“Aye aye, ma’am.”
“Do we have any of the cure on board?” the commodore asked, turning to Cynthia.
“Yes, but I don't know how much,” Cynthia replied slowly. “I can check.”
“Do so. Load up what we've got and send it over to Janice in Captain Zlanka. Dispatch her and Gustav Eifel to Samos now. It won't be more than a sop, but it will show them that we're trying and give them hope when they need it the most,” she said.
Cynthia nodded. “Aye aye, ma’am.”
]][#]]]{OO}===}==>
Delos started to transmit to the convoy rather frantically shortly after first receiving the initial messages from Lieutenant Jardin. As they got closer, they began to communicate directly with Doctor Gusterson on Mahoney to work on making their own cures for each variant of the plague.
Mahoney arrived in orbit of the planet three days later. Shuttles were dispatched to distribute the cure to the few survivors who had made it to the spaceport. The crews had initially feared being mobbed but found only a few hundred survivors able enough to make the journey to the spaceport.
This list of dead was devastating to the medics but they had no time to grieve. Hundreds of thousands of people had been lost, but thousands more remained, tenaciously clinging to life and the threadbare hope the Federation medics offered.