A M A T T E R O F P R I O R I T Y
CAPTAINS LOG STARDATE 2093.5
The Marie Curie is the first of the Warp 2 Colonial Medical Frigates. A week into our five year mission to visit all the colonies and deal with their medical problems we recieved a distress call from the Alberta colony in the Deneb system. Fleet Admiral Halin ordered that we prioritize Deneb.
It has taken seven months at maximum warp to reach the Deneb system. My Chief Science Officer has informed me that there is an unusual element being ejected from the Star.
"I don't know how to explain it Captain." CSO Franklin turned to stare at me from his science station with a confused look on his facr. "It looks like someone has dumped antimatter into the star."
"Is it going to be..." The last thing we need is exposure to an unknown radiation type seven months from earth. "...a problem?"
"Uncertain." He turned back to look at the readings and again looked back at me. "The populace of Alberta colony have been exposed to it for far longer than we will be in the system."
"Any sign of..." Oh God...please dont let it be antimatter radiation. "...symptoms?"
"Nothing in the..." Franklin brought up the colony medical records. "...Medical records about radiation exposure."
He paused and tabbed through the colony medical records.
"Incidents of treatment with medication used for early onset of Arthritis..." Franklin looked up from the files with concern. "...have been climbing for the last eight months."
"What?" There is no way the colony has that much in stock."Where did they get that much to treat the whole colony?"
"Not the Colony." Franklin looked at me with the the look of someone concerned as to what was going on. "Just the Planetary Governor's grand-children."
"Any other children showing symptoms?"
"The medical records for all other children show..." CSO Franklin contemplated what he was seeing in the data. "...higher levels of obesity and increased calcium levels in urine apparently due to increased cheese conaumption."
"Cheese?" The kids are eating more cheese? "Why cheese?"
"Lets see... School records... Here it is... a memo dated Seven months ago... School meals..." Franklin nodded, his concerns confirmed. "Daily Cheese ration ordered doubled by education department."
"They are masking the symptoms by dosing the kids with higher levels of calcium.."
"The Governor of Alberta Colony..." Communications Officer Nadia Hanover interupted our conversation. "...is on comms."
"Captain Kitt Yancy..." I had some questions for the Governor. "How can we be of assistance?"
"Ah... Apologies Captain," the colony Governor seemed exhausted. "My grand children have fallen ill and are in need of transport back to earth for specialized medical care."
"So how many passengers are we looking at?" Captain Yancy considered the Governor for a moment. "I think we can accomodate a few family members for moral support.'
"Twelve including me." It was a lot of family. His entire family. "I'm retiring to spend time with my family."
"I'm sorry Captain," CSO Franklin interupted the conversation. "...but the Priority has now changed."
"Ah... my apologies Governor," leaving communications open I turned to speak with my Chief Science Officer Franklin. "Franklin?"
"Critical levels of antimatter radiation detected in the most recent solar flare data." That was unexpected. "The Colony is being exposed to above safe levels of Antimatter radiation, and its climbing."
"How bad...." I felt a sudden pang of guilt. "...are we talking about?"
"I recommend we immediatly put the ship at the sunward lagrange point..." Franklin reduced the volume of his words. "...and use the ship warp field to shield the planet."
"The Medical drop pod will need to be deployed before our immediate departure.." we would be trapped here if anything went wrong. "And the Marie Curie will need to remain out there until evaccuation ships can arrive."
There it was. We wouldn't survive this mission.
"And if we evaccuate all the children?" The plan where we survive formed in my head. "Deploy them with the med drop pod on a habitable planet in the nearest star system then come back with the ship to shield the colony?"
"Nearest world is a month away at maximum warp." Two months... that didnt sound too bad. "But returning would be meaningless."
"This colony will be dead..." Franklin was grim faced as he spoke the words me. "...before we can load the children."
"The crew on the ship will..." Franklin understood where I was going with this. "...need to be split into two five month shifts."
"Option three..." The planetary Governor interjected. "You come pick up my family and we leave."
"Option four- we just turn about and leave?" I laughed at my suggestion and looked at my communications officer. "Nadia, Comms off."
That man was a genuine arsehole." The clock on the wall behind the Governor. It said it was nine AM local time. "Option five:.."
"School's in." I said as the fifth option smacked me in the face. "We could land the medical drop pod near a school and have security load the kids and teachers at gun point and launch the pod back into orbit to the ship."
"And then we run." Franklin nodded and repeated my words. "And then we run." Nadia repeated the words... "and then we run."
I took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Queen Elizabeth...?" I pulled the old worn Australian penny from my pocket as Franklin laughed at the idea of a coin flip. "Heads- I take the first five month shift."
