[OPEN][TEXT] khaara threat update: signs and symptoms

[inject]

I have information regarding the Khaara. Read attached form.



> Analysis of the disease contracted by the base in the months previous was undertaken with regard to the available information on the Khaara. Using these methods it was possible to conclude that the disease is in fact related to them. Similarities between samples of the disease in the lab and the Khaara on record are comparitive to a human to an ape - they share a common ancestor.

> Evolution in bacteria occurs over a much quicker time than in complex species. With this in mind, a century, perhaps two, can be hazarded as the amount of time it took this strain to develop. In that time, it adapted to the local environment by relying on the local species for survival rather than conquering.

> They are a collective. The samples reacted to each other in their culture dishes and grew as one entity.

> Distance is no barrier. A dish placed as far away as the other side of the base continued to grow in the same pattern as one in the labs.

> The illness makes local animals stronger. The Khaara samples weaken as it rearranges the animal DNA. It forces a rapid evolutionary process. The animals become violent. Key signs of infection, therefore, are aggression, weakness, and mutation. The illness can be spotted by previously detailed strengthening aspects.

> Both can be contained with enzyme blockers. Repeated booster shots are a must for treatment to be effective.

Now if you excuse me, I'll be going for a drink.

Comments

[splinten]

You're always where the party's at.

How often do we need to repeat the boosters? I need to give the Mountain Island set enough to go by for keeping themselves safe.

[inject]

I'm the life and soul of entertainment.

I would hazard monthly. If it proves to be more I might need to ask your brother for his time powers in extra synthesis.

[splinten]

Try not to let him overtax those skills of his. That said we might be well-advised to look into expanding our resources for this kind of thing.

[inject]

I'll give him a boost if he asks for it.

I'll log the issue onto URSULA's database and look into making resource gathering a main issue for the following months.

[armoured]

[That's all fascinating.

He has no idea what most of it is about, but he devours the information all the same with a growing concern. So there's a virus on the loose here, and a dangerous one it seems.]

I sthere anythinf I can doto help? I have experienc ein a lab.

[Argh, this stupid text function.]

[voice]

[inject]

[ The texting doesn't seem like a good indicator. Valentine switches channel. ]

And what experience would that be?

voice

[armoured]

[Oh thank goodness.

The relief is palpable in Al's voice when he switches, though the childish pitch probably isn't entirely inspiring either.]

My brother is in the military, so we spent a lot of our time looking around the various research labs. I'm not a medic by any means, but I do know a lot about chemistry and alchemy, so perhaps I can offer some help.

[inject]

[ Ah. The voice was incredibly young. Valentine wasn't wholly deterred; some of the best were young. Patty came to mind, for one. Closer to the present brought Dirk to mind, too. ]

I haven't worked in alchemy before. It's an archaic and redundant art where I'm from. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume otherwise for you and your brother. [ She didn't sound condescending so much as flat; she was just informing him of the difference in their research fields. ]

You're welcome to come to the labs for the time being. I'll lay out the existing documents.

[bonomial]

Shell, what's next in the list of discoveries? It's like this planet just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

If the Khaara are related to the Jellyshroom sickness, is there some way to figure out whether the common ancestor is from Iniidae or somewhere else? I was working under the impression that Iniidae's lifeforms were always native to the planet, but doesn't this potentially throw a monkey wrench in that hypothesis?

[inject]

Bacteria can evolve over a much slower period of time. It's entirely possible that the Khaara are an invading species who left when they found the planet unsuitable, and the remaining strand became what they are now.

That said, it's also entirely possible that the Khaara were originally a native species.

We simply don't know enough.

[bonomial]

Where I'm from, bacteria don't even have any kind of consciousness, so this is completely new. There weren't any signs of consciousness in the Jellyshroom sickness bacteria... how the heck did it happen in these alien guys?!

Or

[There's a long pause, as something very strange occurs to him.]

is it possible it's an emergent property?

[inject]

There were when I grew them in culture pots. I knew what I was looking for at that point.

[naughty_nurse]

How fascinating! I'd be more than happy to provide the shots.

[inject]

Saves me having to do it for everyone.

[naughty_nurse]

Thank you so much!

[YOU MADE HER DAY]

[inject]

[ Someone wanting to feel useful? ]

We'll arrange a date for both the illness boosters and the Khaara if and only if they become necessary.

Those are being kept under lock and key.

[showybusiness]

Do you need your lovely and sexy assistant's assistance again, gorgeous?

[inject]

[ Oh god it's him.

Well, why not make him useful. She could tune him out if he got annoying.]

Well, you could give me a backrub.

[showybusiness]

Oh, no, I'm not available for those services. I'm too important to do that.

[onethousen]

[ forgive this child for what she more or less kind of understands out of this, because what it comes out as is: ]

Could they be a reason why the Emperor and the Dragon got sick?

[ more just if they were relatively new but adapted in a fast time, and had started that a hundred years ago, which is vaguely around when the Emperor got sick... who knows. all she's seeing is "this makes people sick and is those alien bacteria" and wondering if that, too, could be part of what had hurt the old creatures in the deeps. aggression, weakness, mutation. who knows. not her, that's for sure. ]

Or the Emperor, at least.

[inject]

It's something to consider. Coming to conclusions like that so soon isn't advisable. We need more proof.

[onethousen]

What counts as proof?

[checkoutmyttk]

[The fuck??? This universe sucks.]

Wait what disease? people here got sick? [He's assuming it was before his time because she said months ago, but still. Now that it's apparently related to the Khaara, he would really like to know what the hell happened.]

[inject]

Yes. Read URSULA's documents. I wrote something up about it and it's publicly available.

[checkoutmyttk]

[He groans, of course, more reading.] I'll look it up, thanks.