The Collectors Grotto (Part 2)

Posted on Mon Dec 12th, 2016 @ 6:58pm by Reessem Nubohn KIA (*)
Edited on on Mon Dec 12th, 2016 @ 6:59pm

Mission: Mission 2 - Contagion
Location: Deck 3 - 'Grotto'
Timeline: MD 07 :: 14:00
960 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

A man burst to life on the screen above the group. He was older than most people had ever seen with waxy skin. He looked ill, coughing and wheezing “They will never find my stash… never in a million eons would someone thing to look in a space that I made my Engineer completely strip out. They are going to walk past it everyday and never see my collection of beautiful and deadly things. If they do it will be there funeral. I hope they almost do find it because they will never be able to enjoy it.” He chuckled again which started off another coughing fit as the group watched intently the former owner of the ship.

“I have spent years with the most deadly and mad… yes insane geneticists devising a failsafe for my beauties. They will never enjoy my work… no my life. This has been life and they will never get to use any of it before they die.” The man continued to talk.

"I think someone has a little possession problem," Humili pointed out, eyeing the video warily. "But it also looks like he fell victim to it..."

"I don't think so." Reessem murmured as she brought up the video log information. "This video looks like it was film a few days before the ship was found abandoned with no one on board. I wonder who he is?"

"Someone who knew what was on the ship. He's coughing, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had fallen ill, or had what was going around. That illness was not natural, or it doesn't seem so." Humili crossed her arms over her chest. "Does the video go on?"

"Nope that is it. I don't think so. I think he is dying of old age." Reeseem sighed gently as the video cut off and nothing else came up from the encrypted files. She sighed and returned to the papers that were still scattered around them. The Caitian smelt something, faint scent of citric. Stardust was puzzled by this smell as she looked around as those looked at the screen, she was using her nose to determine who smelt like Oranges. Yet, when none came up smelling of citric. The caitian lifted up a piece of paper and smelt a every faint citric scent upon it.

"Oranges" she stated aloud with joy.

"Oranges?" Reessem looked at the Caitian confused before looking at the rest of the gathered group.

"What you can't smell the citric acid on this?" returned Stardust looked over to whom talked to her and handed the paper she had just sniffed. Caitian's nose can pick up scents better then most if not all, humanoids.

"I think there something hidden in these papurrrrs." she said "Like a story with in a story or possible a lead to cracking this crazy man's puzzle. If I recall my American history class, Purrrsident, then General Washington used a trick like this to pass secrets to agents spying on the British through out the war of Independents."

"What like codes?" Reessem asked not convinced. Why would it be left on paper, it wasn't versatile at all.

"Yeah codes. But, with codes, we need a Key to figure out what it reads," returned Stardust with a smile.

Humili gave the paper a scrutinizing look, as if it were an illegal substance, or worse, salt. "We should figure out how to read it first. Maybe we could pop out the text in the science labs? I hear old labs on ships like this were notoriously good at finding bits of information on Klingon pre-22nd century artifacts."

"Wow really." returned Stardust happily realizing that old computers and other science related stuff could do such a thing "I didn't know that"

"Absolutely." Humili nodded. "I've had little experience, so what I know is purely out of hearsay, but it's better that we have these leads than anything else. It should help Doctor Mott refine the cure, and help us figure out how this illness survived so long."

"I will send him a copy of all the data as well, I found a dozen files already that could possibly help us out, I am working on flagging them by importance it will take me a bit to write the coding for it." said Arrhae without turning from the terminal.

"And I think we should leave you to it." Cheerily, Humili stood, stretching her arms above her head. "I think most of us have our duties now. We should 'get to it,' so to speak."

Stardust nodded her head to the work comment Humili statement 'You want me to leaned a hand anywhere. I'm rather good at understanding languages and numbers. Also, Humili, I got an answer to why this bug survived for so long."

Humili's loftily eyed the Caitian, as if silently asking what she meant. Pathology was clearly not her strong point, but it didn't hurt to learn.

"A Tardigrade type of bug." returned Stardust "basically it just waits dormant, shut down itself to purrrsevere it's life. Until one adds warmth and water and whatever the Tardigrade needs to live. At least that's what I recall from science classes some years back"

"A good point, but I believe that would be something to bring up with the Doctor," Humili pointed out, before gesturing the others to the door. "Shall we? I'm sure Arrhae doesn't want us fluttering about like this."

OFF::

Humili Planita
Hydroponics Operator
SS Mary Rose

Reessem Nubohn
Administrator
SS Mary Rose

The Collector
Former Ships Owner
SS Mary Rose

Arrhae D'Vex
Security Personnel
SS Mary Rose

Raza 'Thor'
Weapons Master
SS Mary Rose

Stardust
Administrator
SS Mary Rose