Making an 'Antihistamine' for birds

Posted on Tue Jun 17th, 2025 @ 2:54am by Lieutenant JG Axel Heskin & Lieutenant Prudence Devin

1,567 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: Medical
Timeline: The day after

Axel awoke from his sleep, looking around bleary eyed. He needed some coffee to clear the cobwebs from his head. He had a note attached to his nightstand as a reminder. To go see the Assistant chief medical. They had some Avians to find a cure or a way to deal with that ghastly pollen. Thinking about how horrible the Avians had to deal with that, it made him frown. A quick bite to eat, dressed in a timely manner. Another cup of coffee, Axel then made his way towards Medical seeking Doctor Devin. Will she be there?

Doctor Prudence Devin was indeed in medical. She wore the trouser uniform, her hair swept away from her forehead and clipped behind her ears. Those that knew her, and there weren't any on the ship that could yet call her more than a colleague, would have spotted the tension in her which wasn't usual. The slight frown, the pinched mouth, the focus on the screen...it showed that she was focused. In a way she hated to admit she hadn't been since the Academy.

The door to medical swooshed open, Axel walked in carrying two beverage mugs. One contained tea the other contained coffee. Both freshly brewed. He was directed to where Doctor Devin was at.

"Greetings Doctor Devin." Axel's voice somewhat quiet, he felt if he were to talk louder it would echo in his head. "I don't know if you drank coffee or tea, something to help clear the head." raising up the two enclosed mugs.

Prudence looked at it, then him, before she reached out for it. "Thank you," she said, a little puzzled, but regarded the man calmly. Her calm grey eyes studied his face, taking in his features as if she was trying to place him, before she lowered her gaze in favour of watching the mug she had taken. "I drink both," she added, realising the silence had stretched.

"One for now and one for later." Axel commented softly. "Yesterday ,seemed almost like a very bad dream. I'd like to thank you for coming up with the way to combat the attack of that pollen." He paused having caught her puzzled look in her eyes. "Ah yes, I am Lieutenant Axel Heskins, Assistant Chief of Science. I had er, called you into science to find a way to deal with the pollen." his face turned a light shade of red. "I was a bit bossy yesterday. and I do apologize for that."

She looked at him for a long moment, trying to recall, before she remembered. "Ah. Yes," she said, giving a nod. She had not exactly been polite either and she hadn't expected an apology. "Too late for it, I've already forgiven you," she raised an eyebrow, a small smile on her lips. "As long as you forgive my...temper. It was all a bit...chaotic."

"I forgive you as well. It was rather wild and I just couldn't keep my mind focused. Anyway, uh... " he hmmnned for a moment. "Have you met these avians before? I haven't but how about you?"

"No, I haven't," Prudence said as she looked at him before she motioned to the computer. "But I have gathered all the biological information on the species as I could. They're interesting. If you look at their DNA, their evolution has had a very...extreme expansion over the thousands of years. Almost as if suddenly some switch was turned on and they changed. Most likely, biological response to environmental factors. Natural disaster and such. On Earth, birds can develop within a few generations to completely change their wings to avoid new dangers."

Axel nodded as he drew close to where he could see the computer screen. "And now from what I am gathering they are facing this--Pollen output which over rides normal behaviour as sort of, a culling? It must be more horrible for them on that planet with what we had experienced for a very short time."

She nodded as she thought about it, taking a deeper beath. "It would break down their society," she observed softly. "Or change it so much that it would not be recognisable." She ran a hand over the back of her neck, clearly thinking about it. "The challenge isn't necessarily developing medication for them to use, the challenge is to find something that they can make themselves until their bodies are able to process the pollen in a more positive way. And distribution."

"I wonder if there are some herbs or even a fruit they can eat, maybe even seeds they can eat in order to naturally combat this pollen. A natural antihistamine. If only we could get a sample of their blood or some sort of dna matter. A feather even? Our away team they had contact, wonder if they had somehow picked up a feather? Or even the laundress may have found something like this." Axel thinking about possible ways to gain some dna.

"We don't need that," she said as she looked at him, considering something. "I managed to get my hands on some scans. And I got the sample of the pollen..." she moved over to the computer. "I analysed the pollen when I came up with the cure for the ship. It's the Fenokline-T in it that triggered everyone's...rather strong reaction of it. For humanoids, it affects mostly the central nervous system, mildly. Oh and the...brain balance. Plus your usual symptoms." She looked over at Heskin with interest...or more, to try and get him interested. "Now, based on all this, the avians are affected in a similar way, yet their physiology makes it...more intense. Their air sacs become inflamed, the mucosal lining gets...hyperactive. And they go..." she paused to find a word to use. And gave up. "You know, on Earth, you can get histamine induced psychosis in birds."

"I am wondering if that is what is happening with the avians on that planet. Histamine psychosis." Axel shuddered at thinking of that. Such an overload for the avians to deal with. Okay now what can we come up with, to combat that?"

"We make antihistamine," she said and looked at him, smiling gently. She was already thinking about it. Had been thinking about it. So..." she gestured to the console, taking a slow breath. There was tension in her shoulders and neck though. She might be acting calm but she was masking the nervousness of someone who did not have this as her specialism. "I started using the ship's medical database to cross reference known avian-compatible neurotransmitter inhibitor. I was...wondering about using this Tellarite avian tranquilizer, changing it to make it safe for sentient species. That, and using what I learned when I was coming up with the cure for the ship's crew symptoms, we can use this to bine the compound with the Fenokline-T receptors...do you think it would work?" she pushed herself aside to let him see the screen, so he could check her theory...and the simulations she had run on it.

Axel looked at what Prudence had come up with, his eyes lighting up. "Prudence, I mean Lieutenant Devin.. This is brilliant. Now just need to figure out a delivery system for this to happen and help the Avians to not deal with this torture they've been dealing with. That is so inhumane."

"Well...we need a planet wide delivery system, that can hit all...now, I am not fancying our chances sending security down with phasers set to stun and us running after them like a bunch of cadets on a sugar high, clutching hyposprays..." Prudence said drily before she frowned, reaching to pinch the bridge of her nose to force her headache to behave. "Maybe drones though. We want distance on this, but also being able to get the highest percentage we can get."

"The idea of security running around with hyposprays. its like trying to herd cats. Now drones. that is a great idea. We do need something that will dispense the antidote planet wide--" he stared at the screen once more, frowning slightly and rubbing his hair, "How about using dispensing satellites to seed the clouds with the antihistamines, and adding your idea of the drones which will make them mobile. What do you think?" looking towards Prudence.

She looked at him with surprise and realised that was why she was in sickbay and this bright young man was in science. His way of looking at things and brainstorming was superior to hers. She could recognise it and take it in without feeling less about her own knowledge. "Would work a lot better, more efficient. I'll need to synthesize this to be able to tolerate it though...it'll take some tests, simulated and in a controlled environment," she said, giving him a small nod before she reached for one of the mugs he had brought. "Sounds like we have a long shift ahead of us. Let us tackle it head on...you figure out how to make that bit work, I'll get you something to put in the dispensing satellites. Deal, Mister Heskin?"

"It is a deal, Doctor, let me get us a refill, and we'll get to work. " Axel was rather impressed with Prudence, her ideas were innovative, creative and just how her mind worked. "I feel we make a great team."

 

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