The trouble with Pollen

Posted on Thu May 15th, 2025 @ 4:55pm by Captain Kelly O'Connor & Lieutenant JG T'Pruk & Lieutenant Prudence Devin & Lieutenant JG Axel Heskin & Lieutenant JG Cara Ross & Lieutenant JG Eliza Kovaks

1,960 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: Science
Timeline: 2296/03/13 1600 hours

The door slid open to the science department, a tall man with frosty white hair stepped inside. He looked around, to take a better look at what there was here. Unlike the first time he had arrived, it didn't seem empty, for he heard some movement, coming from somewhere. "Hello is anyone here?"

Pon farr was upon her. She knew it and Brian would know it too. Her emotions were barely bottled and for some reason that she could not fathom, it felt like it was getting more difficult than normal to even hold that at bay. The Vulcan came out of the back and curtly asked, "I am here. What is it that you seek?" There seemed to be some strain behind the Vulcan's speech.

Eliza was keeping a low profile until Cara's emotions were back under control. When she heard the unfamiliar voice, she popped her head up from behind the computer console and waved a greeting.

"I am Lieutenant Axel Heskin, I am the Assistant Chief of Science. Wasn't certain if anyone was here so, I made my presence known." She took a look around at the area. "How are things set up? Do I have an office?"

T'Pruk answered, slight irritation entering the Vulcan's voice. "You would have to check with Lieutenant Ross. She would know the details, sir."

Axel noticed that there were flecks of fine white dust or powder coming though the ventilation ducts. "What is this?" he asked brushing it off his shoulders, then rubbed his fingers together. It baffled him. "Haven't the ducts been cleaned out as of late?"

He noticed that more had drifted down upon surfaces. Axel ran his finger along where there was other dust or was it powder? Taking a sniff, there seemed to be a slightly floral scent to it almost like honey suckle? Or was it hibiscus? He will have to check. He sneezed. Taking up a sample to analyze it. "Okay let's see what this is about." He turned to the others. "See what you can come up on diagnosing this."

The Vulcan looked at the self-proclaimed Assistant Chief Science Officer, tilted her head, did a silent calculation, and said, "I concur. This is not normal and it appears to be interfering with some of our other tests and instruments. Perhaps we should vent the labs?"

"That would be wise. And we should put up some containment fields so we don't compromise any ongoing experiments," Eliza said.

"Make it so!" Axel spouted out. He frowned, as he rubbed his face, feeling the stubble upon his chin. He wondered where the Chief of Science was at.

Thinking that this may end up needing the attention of Medical as well. Tapping on his combadge "Lieutenant Stallworth and Lieutenant Devin, please come to the Science Lab, This is Lieutenant Heskin Assistant Chief of Science."

Nary a moment had passed since the call went out to medical before the doors to the Science Lab swung open again. But instead of the requested medical presence, the Chief science officer skipped into the room. She'd shed her maroon jacket at some point since leaving the bridge, but was otherwise still in uniform, with the sleeves of her tunic shoved up to her elbows, her hair in a messy red tail, and her eyes on her tricorder, not paying any sort of attention to what was in front of her.

"Oy, have ye lot had a chance to review the logs I loaded from th'bridge yet?" She asked in a singsong voice, still not looking up from the tricorder, dancing past Axel without a glance toward one of the unlit lab stations.

T'Pruk actually rolled her eyes and responded, "Sir, we have a bigger concern with this stuff getting into the lab equipment. We cannot do anything until it is contained."

"Aren't they getting the request to vent the science labs from this place? " Axel frowning at what seemed to be lack of coordinating among crew. He itched at the back of his neck to where some of the white pollen drifted there. "Can I get a copy of your report? That would be useful."

Eliza went to the computer and looked to see if the report was there. She smiled. "The report's been logged. Has anyone actually told the computer to vent or are we just talking about it?" She was starting to feel a little tetchy.

Silently cursing herself, T'Pruk replied, "Nobody has vented yet. I was attempting to cover or otherwise save other lab projects."

Prudence frowned as she walked in, looking around for a moment. There was a hesitancy in her step as she crossed the threshold, but it was when she saw the people already in there. "Doctor Devin," she introduced herself, noticing the movements of the others. The tension was palatable. "What is going on?"

Uncharacteristically, the Vulcan sarcastically and harshly answered, "Do you not see the pollen flying about?"

"I'm just going to isolate everything but the main science lab," Eliza said to no one in particular. She was stuffed up now and it was harder to breathe. Did none of them realize this was pollen and some people had allergies? While she hadn't before, there could be no other answer to why she felt like she'd just come down with a head cold.

She stood. "In fact, I'll do it from there so I can vent the labs properly." She carefully moved around the others to keep as much space from them as she could. "If you'll excuse me." She really wanted to get out of here. There were far too many people crowding around and the pollen was too thick.

Once she reached the doorway, Eliza hurried as quickly as she could to her favorite lab. She'd start there first.

Prudence looked around at the others as if they had lost their minds. She had been in sickbay, head down and working. Her eyes went to the sarcastic Vulcan. "Then why haven't you all put in quarantine procedures, this is a starship, we don't have pollen season!" she exclaimed, bringing a hand up to cover her nose and mouth for a moment. Well hell's bells and buckets of blood, this was just...great. Just great. "You have to inform the Captain," she said, her voice barely audible.

The Vulcan answered the Doctor, "I believe that quarantine may be too late. If this got through the vents, then it is everywhere on the ship. I could inform the Captain, as you desire."

With that, T'Pruk called onto the bridge and said, "Captain, this is Ensign T'Pruk. We have a problem in science. Pollen has appeared through the vents and it may have gotten to the entire ship."

Uncharacteristically, the Captain spoke in an Irish accent. "Oh, yes, I'm well aware of the pollen. Our laundress has given me quite the scolding about it. I'm sure it is nothing and if it is, you'll figure it out. O'Connor out."

T'Pruk raised her right eyebrow and asked everyone, "Did that sound like our Captain to you? Musical and cheerful?"

"There is something different about this pollen." Axel stated, feeling a bit dizzy, "I think we need to figure out how to do some sort-- some sort of something to combat the effects of this. Gosh this is muddling my mind. " He reached over and keyed in a venting request. "Can we come up with some sort of antihistimine to combat this?" He looked and realized that there was one less person. He then opened up the report someone had put in.

"Maybe we need to make the air a little bit moister to take the pollen down." Axel offered up.

"There is logic to your thoughts. Humidity would make the air heavier and force pollen down. Would that not, though, potentially start pollen seeding if it found fertile ground, such as in the gardens or hydroponics?" T'Pruk asked.

"The surface of that planet is tropical, and to prevent s-s-seeds to germinate. It has to be colder than what it is down there. M-maybe make it snow on the ship or, or flush the ship with a sort of fog. Snow might be better or make it colder than what it is on the ship. I feel though that maybe snow would capture the seeds and keep them from germinating. It will possibly make things a bit messy." Axel thinking that his idea was perhaps crazy as so many things could be affected, and it might even make a lot of work.

Prudence already had a headache. This was not helping and as she looked around, she couldn't control her emotions. "I'll go and get some antihistamines going, and maybe some blankets if it's going to snow," she said, her eyes narrowed a little. "Let's hope this alien pollen doesn't end up with us all growing vines out of our skin. Honestly, how long has this been going on without anyone actually actioning it. The Captain knew! Useless, absolutely useless bunch of wantwits..." her eyes widened as she realised what she had said, as some tiny voice in her head told her that she wouldn't usually berate people like this in a situation. But the annoyance, alongside an itching feeling under her skin, was growing. She turned and walked out, to get to sickbay to get some hyposprays going.

Eliza secured the door to her lab and began to run an analysis of the pollen that was now being tracked throughout the ship. It was unsightly--mostly because it was so much larger than regular pollen. There had to be a way to get it off the ship so she could breathe normally again. She could start with getting rid of it, then find out why it was here to begin with. She didn't think the planet was this bad when they first scanned it. To be sure, she looked back at the readings. No. There had been no sign of this pollen before.

Okay. First, get rid of the pollen. Second, get rid of the reaction to the pollen--but that would be for medical. While they did that, she could research how to lessen the pollen on the planet. Maybe. Hopefully.

She sat back and closed her eyes, thinking... Then she sat up. Yes. She ran some calculations, then nodded. She could do this. Well, the computer could do this.

Twenty minutes later, all the pollen was beamed off the ship and into space.

Then she opened a comm channel to the chief and assistant chief science officers. "This is Kovaks. The pollen's gone. You and the doctor can figure out the rest. Eliza out." Then she put her head on the desk. She needed a nap.

Axel felt a sense of relief called to Assistant Chief Medical officer. "Make an antihistamine and send it though the ventilation system to counteract the pollen effects, for the whole ship."

"No, I thought I was just going to let everyone sit around with runny noses and headaches," Prudence's voice was tense as she spoke. "That was sarcasm," she amended after a moment's silence. "Devin out."

Axel looked at who was left in the science labs, which consisted of him and T'Pruk, and maybe Lieutenant Rose. "Okay so... there is our cue. Maybe we can call it a day and we get ourselves decontaminated?"

T'Pruk's eyes widened. I need to check on Brian. I can't let him be affected and we need a cure. "If you will excuse me, Sir. I have something urgent to accomplish."

Axel gave a nod to T'Pruk," By all means." he stated then winced as he was feeling a headache coming on. It was time for him to leave as well.

 

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