The Eco-Immunity Factor

Posted on Fri May 1st, 2015 @ 11:42pm by Ensign Moriloth

Mission: Now Boarding.......
Location: Starfleet Office of Personnel
Timeline: Prior to Joining the Crew

[ON]

Integrating different Federation species into single starship crews was, is, and always would be a challenge. Starfleet's director appointed a team to give the final go/no-go on a new human subspecies. Attending the final approval meeting were the xenological specialists: biologist, physician, psychologist, sociologist, academy officer, and team leader.

The lead commenced the discussion, "Today, we consider Starfleet graduate Moriloth. Do we proceed by assigning her to a starship?" He looked to the biologist, "Doctor, who is this girl? Her profile isn't clear. Is she human or is she not?"

"The final consensus is, Moriloth is an human subspecies, an offshoot race."

"Another test tube race? She's eugenic?"

"Well, in a natural sense. The planet which her colony settled ecologically reacted against them."

The lead's eyes widened, "A sentient planet? Not another Solaris, is it?"

The biologist shook his head pensively, "Not an higher sentience. Rather, it was a collective bio-ecological reaction to alien presence. It is somewhat analogous to plant allelopathy on Earth. The planet's... I'll call it a eco-subconsciousness, continuously attacked the colonists, specifically their brains."

"To take them over?"

"No, it wasn't that intelligent. The attack was a continuous, destabilizing invasion into their minds."

"Well obviously it didn't kill the colonists. Did they develop a resistance?"

The doctor explained, "They adapted. I suppose that fully disciplined Vulcans might be able to resist the influence for a time, but these human colonists didn't possess that ability. Rather than fight against the hyperstimulus, they incorporated it into their brain functions. In a fashion, they 'became' what was attacking them."

The leader shook his head, "Well wait a minute. How does a mental nurture turn these people into a subspecies?"

"They have new DNA, Sir. Their nuclear DNA is still completely human. Their mitochondrial DNA is also unaltered. There is, however, new mitochondrial DNA. It's origin is unknown. It could have been infused by the attacking ecosystem. It could have been engineered by colonial scientists. We don't know. Moriloth's people ceased recording historical logs."

"Can this new DNA be bio-filtered out by a transporter system?"

"Not without killing them. We've run tests, and cells with the new code removed don't survive. Somehow, the new biochemistry is too deeply integrated. It's... a DNA addiction, if you will."

The leader exclaimed with raised brows, "Whoa..."

The doctor added, "This mutational will be passed on to future generations, but without the nurture effect from proximity to the planet, the... 'behavior' is not likely to manifest."

The leader sat back and looked to the psychologist, "Okay, let's talk about their 'behavior'. I've heard nothing but deep concerns about this girl."

The psychologist gave an affirming nod, "Not to invoke alarmist terminology, but it's the most stable form of insanity I've ever seen."

"What?"

"Moriloth daydreams, constantly. If she needs someone to talk to, she conjures up a persistent imaginary friend. In layman's terms, this girl has a holodeck in her head."

The leader shook his head, "Then how could she possibly function in life? How could any delusional mind serve on a starship?"

The psychologist smiled, "That's the amazing part about her and all her kind. Somehow, some way, they are able to retain their grasp of reality. Their delusions don't displace reality, they add to it. I expected Moriloth to fail completely the practicum tests, yet she successfully navigated all scenarios. Bottom line is, she's just uber-odd. Somehow, with help or naturally, her colonists were able to successfully adapt."

There was long pause. The leader looked to the sociologist, "Crew chemistry, can she fit in on a ship?"

The woman smiled, "Can we fit violent Andorians and Klingons in? Can we fit in emotionally isolated Vulcans? Argumentative Tellarites? Of course we can, Sir. Go for it!"

The psychologist shook his head, "I'm worried. Moriloth can be volatile, reckless in the extreme. I don't know if this is just her unique personality or if it's part and parcel to her subspecies."

"She loses control?"

"I... would say not. It's volitional."

The sociologist smiled again, "Any worse than a Klingon female?"

She received a wistful frown, "No."

At length, the committee leader sighed and nodded, "Very well then, Cadet Moriloth is hereby cleared for starship duty. It looks like she's a gifted helmswoman, and that's what we're short on at the moment. Doctors, I'll leave it to you to find a compatible ship assignment.

"Very good, Sir."

[OFF]

Ensign Moriloth
USS Victory
Pegasus Fleet