A Strange And Deadly Mix

Posted on Mon Sep 18th, 2017 @ 10:53pm by Lieutenant Valeria Mordin

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Main Science Lab
Timeline: June 15, 2399 @ 10:30 AM

T'Pral was analyzing the lab results carefully... It had been a strange source of energy that initially showed on the sensors, and she took it upon herself to ask Lieutenant Martin in Operations to transport and quarantine some of it aboard. It emitted energy like nothing she'd ever seen. It emitted a strange orange glow and when exposed even to so much as light, the glow intensified. They had to travel by shuttle just to get a fair chunk of it as to beam it aboard would have likely caused an explosion in the transporter room. And yet, they'd seen nothing like it before. Even in the Alpha Quadrant, there seemed to no comparison.

She stepped outside of her office, watching over the crew analyzing it. "Lieutenant Damian... Do we have any further information as to that sample's particular composition or elements?"

"Unfortunately I don't have anything to add right now..." Charles answered. "Lieutenant Walker is running several analyses on the samples we have so hopefully we'll know more soon."

"Understood. Ms. Walker... Where are you on your analyses?" the Vulcan asked.

"I should have some results in a few minutes, Commander..." Walker said, not looking up from her work.

====== 5 minutes later ======

Walker looked up from the sample of the substance she had been studying, then carefully stepped away before turning to address T'Pral. "After examining this sample I've come to a conclusion, Commander," she began,then shook her head slowly. "But I don't think you're going to like what I've discovered very much."

"In what way, Lieutenant?" T'Pral asked. Walker appeared rather concerned by her finding.

"I'm still not sure just what this is..." she said, indicating the sample she had been working with, "...but based on the tests I've run, it appears to be extremely volatile. In fact, I would say that in a large enough quantity, it could precipitate an explosion that would be capable of disabling this ship."

"Fascinating. And deeply troubling." T'Pral replied. "We should continue our study but with sweeping precautionary measures. It would not be to our advantage to cause the destruction of this ship over curiosity."

From the opposite side of the lab monitoring the continuing tests of the substance, a young officer turned and approached, her long ears had since perked from the topic of discussion, "We should monitor the substance to see if any particle emissions or radiation wavelengths being emitted are having an effect on nearby matter." she warned. "Substances that are that inherently explosive sometimes have the terrible habit of turning nearby material into more of itself through electron cloud collision and neutron swapping." then she paused. "Apologies, I'm a relatively recent addition to the team. Valeria Mordin." she introduced herself.

"On the contrary, Ms. Mordin." T'Pral asked. "Your input is welcome. And a logical approach. Your species, Ms. Mordin, is native to this quadrant. Have you ever heard of this particular sort of energy being used as a weapon or propulsion fuel?"

The rabbitess gave the material an odd glance, "It doesn't strike me as familiar off the tips of the ears, and I'd like to consider myself at least passingly familiar with the more readily available forms of explosive." a pause, "Boring childhood on a farm. You find things to do in what free time you have. I'll have to consult the League Archive back home for a more complete answer, and for that I'll need to contact the Buoy network. Shouldn't take longer than a few minutes to establish the connection. With your permission."

"Proceed." T'Pral said. "I am rather interested in what this might be. Report your findings back either to myself or to Ms. Walker."

"Whatever it is, we'd best handle it with extreme caution," Walker said. "I would suggest locking it in a safe somewhere when it's not being examined but, hell, I don't know of anything short of a neutronium shield that would be capable of containing an explosion that this stuff could cause. I do know this, though - wherever we store it, we need to keep it in a cool place because evidently it is heat-sensitive. I had two micro-grams of it in a thermal scanner and the heat from the scan exploded the sample." She shook her head at the memory, then muttered "Damn near blew up my scanner..."

"Your concern is justifiable." T'Pral replied. "Perhaps we could arrange storage in an empty torpedo casing for the moment. But I do agree that we must keep it out of harm's way. And did you say even your scanner affected it?"

"Yes ma'am it did," Walker confirmed. "I was attempting to conduct a spectrum analysis which as you know is standard procedure. I was in the process of applying heat to it and was increasing the temp at a rate of 2 degrees c per minute. When it reached approximately 40c above ambient temp, it spontaneously exploded. Luckily there was only two micro-grams or instead of just superficially damaging the inside of it, most likely it would have destroyed the spectrum scanner."

"I have never encountered something as volatile as this. I will inform the Captain that we will place it for safekeeping and further study. We may have to transfer it somewhere that has more adequate facilities. I do not believe even our strongest force field would protect us from a potential explosion."

"There are no truly adequate facilities." Valeria commented as she returned from one of the wall comm consoles, "I was able to contact the Buoy network, and I sent a copy of Ms. Walker's results to be compared to our central archives and there was a match. The material is known as Detrium Polyvolitite, though the more casual term is Firedust."

The rabbitess handed T'Pral a PaDD containing a copy of the record from the Ts'usugi archives, though her bodily posture kept Ms. Walker involved in the conversation. "It's reactive in any amount, reacts to heat and pressure, and has an exponential scale of explosive reactive force. It forms more of itself though high gamma bombardment, knocking atoms apart via neutron fission to form more of itself."

"The only safe location for it is in the near vacuum of space." she pointed out. "We stopped research into the material after a near disaster with the substance."

T'Pral raised an eyebrow with deep concern. It could not remain aboard the ship in any circumstances. "We will have to enact the strongest containment protocol we can in hopes of not damaging the ship, or worse. Options?"

"Store it in a canister. Jettison the canister." Valeria initially suggested. "If that's not a viable option, outfit a shuttle with any modular science systems we have and study the crystal from that location. Have a scanner constantly measure the radiating output of the sample, and if it begins to jump initiate an emergency beam out of the observing crew."

"Agreed..." came the response from Walker and Damian, almost in unison before Walker added "And if it's a volunteer you're needing for a shuttle mission with this stuff then you've got one. I've learned first-hand just how destructive and unstable this stuff is and I can be ready to be extricated from the shuttle in a nanosecond."

"There are some risks. However, it's clear this cannot remain on board to either study or be disposed of. It poses significant problems for us all." T'Pral said. "We are likely to depart for a mission soon and will not have time to jettison it. It would be to our advantage to find a canister and begin securing this."

"Then what?" Charles asked. "Put it on a shuttle as was suggested and tow it behind the ship with a tractor beam?" He knew that Karen had just volunteered to monitor the stuff if necessary but he was not at all enthusiastic about putting any of the science team in that sort of danger if there was any alternative.

"We can separate the sample into smaller collections and secure them in separate container units." Valeria offered, "It will multiply the number of items we have to monitor, but give us longer before they reach any form of critical mass. To keep from setting them off through scanning, we can monitor the crystal's progression by weighing the containers." she smirked, "Yes it's a passive scan, I'm aware." she teased.

"Consequently, the less being transported at the same time, the less probability of significant damage or harm to the crew." T'Pral said. "Are there any objections?"

"Not from me," answered Walker.

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Damian.

"Very well. Begin the process of placing this... fire dust... in secure dark canisters. I will inform Captain Ross that we will need use of a shuttle to jettison it once we are en route to our final destination." T'Pral said. As much as a Vulcan could, she liked the term 'Fire Dust'. She would if nothing else say it was a logical choice for a name. "Your efforts are appreciated in this research. You all have my thanks."

"All in a day's work ma'am..." Walker said with a grin. She turned and headed out of the lab, in search of the needed canisters, all the while thinking about the plan she had for one Charles Damian when their shift was ended. If all went well, she would be a satisfied, hopefully very tired, woman by tomorrow morning.