Pacifica Plant Plot Resolution | PARTY POST | In The Botany Lab, Deck 10

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"Enterprise's Head Botanist Keiko's log, Stardate 46172.364,

"My time on Pacifica was quite rewarding, and with the permission of a number of the locals, I have several new samples to study going forward.

"The first is a green herb they call Seajade. The Seajade seems to thrive in salt water, rather than fresh, but turns an astounding shade of teal in brackish water. It is used by the natives for cleaning impurities out of fresh water, which unfortunately kills the plant. I will be researching a way to increase its ability to live in water other than pure salt. I have been given several samples as well as some cuttings as this plant is rather common on the world.

"The second sample is called Dancer by the natives. It is a beautiful flower that for some reason is less common than the Seajade. The locals were somewhat evasive when asked about the properties. I noticed that some Dancer blooms were available for sale in the marketplace that serves off-planet guests, but no full plants, and no Dancer was sold in the main markets that the locals seemed to frequent. I questioned a scientist who studied me oddly for several minutes, then packed me a sample from her own lab, but asked that I not say where I got it. I was concerned at first, however I no longer am. I have also purchased samples of the cut plant as it is sold to tourists, to compare them. The bloom looks like a winged woman performing a ballet. It is quite lovely.

"The third sample is called Beachrunner. It was originally thought to be a weed on the world, and was removed wherever it was found for hundreds of years until about sixty years ago when a botanist from Oceanus IV discovered that it had curative properties when applied to the site of a burn caused by UV exposure. It is now one of the primary exports of the Genendo Botany Lab, which takes in enough money from the sale of Beachrunner alone to self-fund all of their research. While our technology can do the same, I bought some to study and will share my samples and my findings with Doctor Crusher.

"Computer, end log."

"Keiko's log, Stardate 46172.799,

"I have been working with these samples for hours. I have replanted all of the whole plants and have had my assistants working on properly labeling them with the information I was provided. The cuttings have been arranged and labeled for study. My hope is that Dancer, at least, will prove a fitting candidate for replanting in the Arboretum, however the evasiveness of the locals is making me hesitant. The more I think about it, the odder they seem to have been acting about it.

"And they aren't the only ones. Maybe I'm just tired. I should be tired, but I don't seem to be. I feel fine; happy, in fact. But it does seem as though everyone else has had either a little too much to drink or a little too little sleep. I understand that we are all excited to have had the chance to visit the planet and to gather samples, and it is exciting work studying them, however...

"I will be contacting Doctor Crusher if things do not change. There had been an incident on board the ship on Stardate 41209.2 where a widespread infection caused crew members to act as though they were intoxicated. We are all now inoculated against that, though, so whatever is happening now, while similar, does not seem as drastic or as quick to build. I will be setting this file to auto-send to Doctor Crusher if I have not canceled the command by 0800 tomorrow. I do not feel as though I am infected, of course, or I would have quarantined myself and my staff. It is always possible that they simply imbibed too much while on leave. Normally I might have an issue with this, but we've all been dealing with a lot recently, and there was a wedding. So long as everyone is sober and accounted for tomorrow, I will let it go. I'm in too good a mood to be angry, anyway.

"I have been working with Beachrunner mostly, though the others have been focusing on Dancer. I want all eyes on that one to unravel the mystery as soon as possible. Miles came in about an hour ago, and was so taken with the beauty of it that, rather than asking me when I was returning for dinner, he took one of the blooms to put up in our quarters. I almost stopped him, but he seemed so happy, and it was one of the ones from the tourist market. If there is some reason they should not be spread about, it is probably too late already. And he thought I would like to have it there. I have a wonderful husband.

"The only issue we have discovered so far with Dancer that could account for anything is the scent. When kept in an enclosed space the scent grows quickly to an almost unbearable level. It is pleasant, but too much of even a good thing is still too much. One of the techs has opened the vents and rerouted the ventilation system to circulate the air. Miles said even the corridors smelled nice as he came in.

"I am going to work some more on Beachrunner tonight, before I look over the Dancer notes to prepare them for the report to Doctor Crusher tomorrow. You know... one of these blooms would look quite lovely in her hair. I wonder why I didn't think of that before.

"Computer, end log."

It has been one full solar day since Keiko's last log was made, and in that time things aboard the Enterprise have grown truly unusual. The ship is well out of Pacifica's range by now, returned to open space, but things are not back to normal.

News of the Botany Lab's breakdown has spread by this point, as any are invited to help manage the issue.


[OOC: Party Post! Come get your top-levels and scenarios below! This post signifies the end of our February plots with some cool-off time before March begins. Hit up the OOC comm if you have any questions.]

Comments

[ Infect Your Characters ]

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Keiko usually keeps the botany labs open to everyone, though the more volatile plants were locked away, and few people who weren't crew had access to them. But the new plants from the surface — Dancer, Beachrunner, and Seajade — were not locked away at all. In fact, Dancer sat in its pot at the center of the main table, and someone had cleared away lab tools to decorate the area around it, highlighting the pretty plant, building it a stage to dance above.

There were other clues that the lab was not quite... right. While the doors are generally unlocked they're not generally left open. The doors remain wide open, spilling a delightful scent into the air. It's quite strong here, and the more you breathe it in the better you feel.

The botanists and lab technicians are all acting oddly. Some are dressed down into far too casual clothes to be working in, all laughing and smiling, some even singing and dancing. The only thing they don't seem to be doing a whole lot of is working, and with the ship in the state it's in... well, that can't be good.

[OOC: Tag in here to be affected if you aren't already, and to notice just how odd everyone else is acting. You can also use the plant's effects in your own logs, if you want to carry over a thread here into your own posts. All effects should clear within a few IC days, as naturally as getting over a bad allergy.]

Infected -- Deanna Troi

[ships_counselor]

The frivolity and relaxation in this area of the ship is a bit odd, but Deanna had come on a mission. She had. She remembered that. She had something to ask of Beverly. Or was it she'd come down to tell her something? Whichever it was, she'd been first distracted. By the people in the lab, and then further distracted by the gorgeous flower on the main table, which looked like it had the makings of a shrine around it.

That should have concerned her deeply. It really should have.....but the flower was gorgeous, wasn't it?
It reminded her of the flowers of her home world, only too recently seen again, if for too short a time really and truly.

The rest could wait. A few minutes more. Deanna reached out a hand and stroked the delicate, beautiful petal softly.

Infected -- Aeryn Sun

[do_your_duty]

Aeryn couldn't entirely remember how she'd gotten to this part of the ship. She'd been headed to the gym for a workout but there'd been this strange assortment of people all crowding the hallway between her lift and where she was headed first. Not that everyone on this ship wasn't frelling strange, but stranger than normal. People she was certain had never been seen even once in these cycles out of uniform wandering, arm in arm, in states of dishevel and laughing ease.

Whatever it was, it was annoying. It was. It really was.

So, why was she tipping her head, a small crinkle between her eyebrows, considering it still?

Cash Gillingwater | Infected | OTA

[startedtheflamewar]

On Pacifica, he hadn't really noticed anything. Pacifica had been full of distractions. Distractions who had come with him from the ship and all that the planet had had to offer. Which was plenty for a guy still recovering from near-starvation and unknowable threats. On the ship, though, Cash has been learning everything that he can. Memorizing the layout, trying to get a feel for how the thing is run. It's instinct. Confined spaces still make him tense.

But then... he finds just... isn't. In fact, he feels pretty great. He doesn't even look both ways when he exits his room, finding he needs some fresh air while Luke is out and about, which means that someone could bump into him. This from a guy whose first concern had been something lunging out and trying to eat him, his first day on the Enterprise. He doesn't even bother to strap one of his guns to his person. A smile on his face, Cash goes for a leisurely walk at first before ending up at Ten Forward. He hums She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain as he strolls, ordering a glass of his favorite -- whiskey -- before he settles himself at the bar. Why limit his options? He's in the mood for talking.

Cash glances at the nearest, unfortunate soul and smiles brightly. "Afternoon."

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Despite feeling like everything might be okay for once in a very long while, and despite his quickly improving mood, Luke has still been suffering many side effects of trauma. The nightmares are neverending and he jumps at every loud noise and sudden movement. Confined spaces make him nervous and he often finds himself searching for the nearest exit of every room he's in.

That is, until today.

Who needs a lightsaber when you're feeling so safe and relaxed? Luke doesn't even bother with his utility belt today, nor does he worry about where Cash has wandered off to. Luke is sure he's around somewhere.

Relaxing with his boyfriend does sound like an awful lot of fun, though, so Luke heads for the most likely place he can think of: Ten Forward. He quickly spots Cash and maneuvers up behind him, sliding both hands around to cover his eyes. "Need a hint?" he mutters close to Cash's ear.

[startedtheflamewar]

His boyfriend is so relaxed that hands over his eyes, from behind, don't make him jump in his seat. In fact, he doesn't even move. Cash just smiles and taps his fingertips on the top of the bar. Back in Denouement, and when he'd first arrived on the ship, this would have been something to make his back go ram-rod straight and his fingers itch for his guns.

Which are back in his room for the first time in a while.

"Hmmm, no, I've got this," Cash says, pretending to be thoughtful and mull over a few options. As if he doesn't have that voice memorized. "Let me guess. You're a hand model. You've got nice hands."

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Cash's response, pretending to guess at just whose hands are covering his eyes, makes Luke grin broadly. He even lets out a quiet, tiny chuckle that ruffles Cash's hair at the nape of his neck.

"You're very sweet. But wrong," he answers before gently kissing a spot just below his ear, caring very little for who sees them.

Ten Forward isn't packed but there are a decent number of people around. Luke feels so relaxed that he might do any number of things in front of so many people. He does like to keep an air of innocence, though. The tone of his next sentence sounds anything but innocent, however, uttered warmly against Cash's skin.

"Two more guesses before you lose." The way he says the word 'lose' makes it sound like losing might not be such a bad thing at all.

[startedtheflamewar]

Normally, Cash doesn't like losing. Nobody does, he imagines, but he's spent a lot of time in dodgy establishments where losing means saying goodbye to a body part — or worse. Losing is synonymous with don't.

But he's the most relaxed he's been in... well, he doesn't really know. It was probably some other occasion with Luke, although any moment in Denouement had had an undercurrent of danger along with it. No one could let their guard down for long. Letting it down at all was a bad idea.

Here, his thoughts are completely away from that terrible place. And Ten Forward, for that matter. They're focused entirely on the man behind him, and how quickly he can lose.

"Hmmm. Okay." He pretends to consider, leaning back into Luke just a bit. "Professional Peek-a-Boo artist? Really bad mime who can only simulate a dark room?"

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Normally, Luke wouldn't have even considered sneaking up behind Cash, let alone going right for his face from behind which even any normal person might flinch at. But right now he just can't help feeling like everything is just fine. He feels great and Cash seems to be feeling great and it's all great.

He laughs throatily and lets his forehead down onto Cash's shoulder. Those guesses really tickle him.

"So very, very close but still no," he says, the grin audible in his voice. He kisses Cash's neck one more time before removing his hands and hopping up onto the barstool next to him. "A mime doesn't share your bed every night, unless there's something I'm not aware of. You should be very, very ashamed for not even thinking of your own boyfriend."

Luke leans his elbow on the bar, chin in his hand, and does his best round-eyed pouty face at Cash. He's really rather good at those, actually.

[startedtheflamewar]

He turns to lean against the bar, eyeing that expression he's getting. Luke has just the right eyes and lips for it. But it still looks ridiculous. Or maybe that's just because he feels like laughing about everything and anything right now. God, it's hard to think. How many drinks has he had? Isn't this his first?

Casting those thoughts out for the time being, Cash shakes his head. "Look, I'm sorry I never told you about the invisible mime before, but he's real shy. He just needed more time in that shrinking, invisible room of his."

There's no way Cash can keep that up for much longer, not in his present state, and he bursts out into a quiet chuckle. Reaching out, he strokes his fingers down Luke's arm.

"I think about my boyfriend a lot, you know. He's gorgeous. Ridiculously brave. Oh, and he makes real cute noises when you tickle him. I bet you'd like him."

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Luke starts losing it long before Cash does and he abandons his pouting for laughing into his hand. While he's never been a dour person, Luke's noticed how much easier it is for him to find things to smile about lately, especially this past day or two. In fact, sometimes he finds himself smiling about nothing.

But right now he has one extremely beautiful, funny, and flirty boyfriend who's rather good at getting him to smile at any time at all.

Those fingers lightly stroking his arm send fluttery tingles of pleasure across his skin and his smile softens as he glances down at Cash's hand, then back up to meet his eyes. He's quickly laughing again, though, out of shyness this time. His cheeks have gone noticeably pink and he pauses to let himself recover for a moment before reaching up one hand around the back of Cash's neck to draw him close.

He leans in too, until their noses brush. "Maybe," he utters at barely above a whisper, "but right now I'm only thinking about you." It only takes a tilt of his head to bring their lips together softly.

While he feels really, really good right now, he at least has the sense not to gross out everyone else at the bar with an over-enthusiastic display. He draws away after just long enough to leave his warmth and taste on Cash's lips, and his hand slides down his jaw, thumb brushing his cheek gently.

"How come I can't go more than ten minutes without wanting to take you back to bed?" He says it quietly enough to avoid letting others overhear, but his helpless smirk is plastered plainly on his face.

[startedtheflamewar]

His hand stays on Luke's arm, and as they part, he shakes his head slightly and takes another sip of his drink. As Luke's also fond of the contents — whiskey — he offers it to him afterward. Cash hasn't been drinking like a fish since he got to the Enterprise, but he hasn't been able to slow the habit too much. There's a dependence there that's probably not good, something he picked up to fill the void and make him care less about everything, and deep down he knows it.

Well, on any other day he does. Right now, he just likes how it tastes. How it burns down his throat. And he likes looking at his very attractive boyfriend, especially when he's so close.

"I'm not supposed to be dissuading you, am I?" Cash shrugs, grinning. "That doesn't sound too fun. If it helps, I feel the same way about you."

He leans forward to kisses Luke's forehead softly, his own movement just as brief as Luke's. He doubts anyone in Ten Forward wants a show. Although, now that he thinks about it, people have been kissing a lot more than they were before. Hm.

Before Cash can really think about that, his thoughts change tack and leave that process in the dust. And he goes with them readily.

"If this bucket of bolts could take you anywhere in the Multiverse, anywhere," he suddenly asks, "but not for more than, say, a day, where would you go?"

[ Using the Lab, Research, and Experimenting ]

[ten_fwd_npcs]

After some time passes, it's easy to tell that whatever is affecting the ship is originating here. But which one of these plants is it? The head botanist, Keiko, is feeling good — very good — and she isn't the only botanist and technician who feels that way, not by a long shot. She'll argue that she is still a responsible adult... just one that can't stop smiling. And laughing. You can't wait around for her help, especially not when she and the rest of the ship need someone to think straight.

While Keiko tries to channel that joy and enthusiasm into her research, picking a corner to study, you start looking at everything in the lab... especially those three new plants from Pacifica.

The lab is always fully stocked with all the necessary equipment, perhaps more than most Galaxy Class starships would be given how many people have an interest in exobotony here. There are charts on the wall that can be used for reference, computer terminals hooked up to the relevant — and approved for public consumption — databases, microscopes of varying kinds and abilities, tricorders, PADDs with notes left by people who have worked here, and small, fine-point beams specifically designed for taking a cutting from a plant by following the uneven structure of the cell walls rather than rending cells apart. There are small gardening tools and pots for planting and replanting, along with soil from a dozen or more planets (each labeled as to the nutrient mix and planet of origin), sample trays and petri dishes and gloves, and very nearly anything else one might want for the safe study of relatively harmless plants.

Right now, all of these tools are at your disposal.

[OOC: Tag in here to work in the labs to try and get to the root (yes, we just said that) of the problem, or use the equipment for your own terrible ends.]

Luna Lovegood l OTA

[radishearring]

Luna had come looking for an officer since she was getting nowhere fast with trying to ID a breed of frog. But she was also in a really good mood compared to when she was first pulled onboard (and even with her slow mental recovery being a factor). So she snagged a scope and went to work on trying to ID an herb sample she had snagged by accident (via her ponytail catching the end of a flower).

[ Human Lab Rats? FOR SCIENCE! ]

[ten_fwd_npcs]

Okay, did you know that when you magnify it enough the cellular structure of a piece of tutu looks just like the petals of one of the flowers? Fascinating. This is such happy, fulfilling work.

... But that aside, people have been working and researching for hours now, and some of them have come to theories about why everyone is so very, very happy. Ready to test those theories on willing passersby, it couldn't hurt to expose someone to the plants or the concoctions you've whipped up just to see how they work, right? You need a, what do they call it? Baseline.

Keiko, if her notes can be understood around her whimsical grammatical choices and flower doodles, will be watching the experiments and making notes to see what does and does not work. And she should probably step in before that one gets too... too late. Wow. Apparently skin can turn that color. Who knew?


[OOC: Tag in here with some crazy theories and concoctions to test out for general mayhem. Maybe a willing passerby will volunteer to help. ;) Feel free to succeed. Feel free to fail. But mostly, feel free to have fun!]

The Doctor Is In -- Come get your snacks, children!

[thelasttimelord]

The Doctor considers himself lucky.

While his own esterwhile, and absolutely positively affable at the moment, companions are not immune to this next flux affecting the ship, his own system, with it's furthest reachest physiology, that looks human but isn't, isn't being affected. Or if it is -- and there are seconds he suspects, just faintly it might be, while debating whether it's really just a little too hard to be annoyed and unresponsive at so much joy and levity all around him -- at an exponentially decelerated rate.

Enough that he's had time to be in this room, fully present near all the possible sources of the original cause. It's down to three, but it's been down to three new samples since they started. He's been at the lab set for a good while now. Fingers turned several different shades, but he finally turns with the last one complete. A tray that he walks toward the center where the biggest of the flowers in, and slides next to it.

There are several glasses with several different colors of liquid (with several different possible antidotes).

Because it's easier to get them to play along when he does, he calls out stepping back, "Snacks for everyone!"

[techno_galen]

Galen was not especially happier than usual. Whatever it was, his tech had filtered it out and now he was following the source. Which was difficult, since it seemed to be in the air, but he could follow the smell. Which may or may not turn out to be anything to do with it, but it was a place to start.

He'd activated his shield, even before he left his quarters, so he wouldn't get infected. The shield can't be seen until something touches it, then it glows blue at that point.

When he stepped into the botany lab he took everything in. It was more chaotic than he'd expected, but then he'd not had much experience with botanists. Clearly they liked their work.

He frowned at the far-too-enthusiastic man. "What is in those snacks?"

[thelasttimelord]

“A little of this, and a lot of that, with a small dash of everything else.”

Ten is keeping it easy, but he’s not not-noticing that this guy’s expression is blank, focused as well, who is looking at him with a very clear suspicion, nothing like the waves of far too pleased people all around them.

It’s curious making. Making him shift, bouncing, on his colorful shoes.

[techno_galen]

In other words, he'd have to find out for himself. And the trouble with the shield was that as well as not letting anything in, it wouldn't let anything out. He'd probably be fine if he dropped it, but something wasn't quite right with his sensors because it was picking up two heartbeats from this man.

Nevertheless, he dropped the shield. All anyone else would see was a flash of blue. He should only need to keep it down for a short time - short enough that he hoped he wouldn't be infected again.

He held out a hand, palm upwards. "I'll try one."

[thelasttimelord]

The Doctor doesn't stop looking the affable fool. Even if he doesn't stop considering the man. The man who drops a wall from around him, making The Doctor want to know exactly what that was. How. What kind of wall. Not impossible to feel through, but like a fine mesh through the space and the air. A hard line, and very strong, but not entirely imperviable.

He brandishes the tray full of drinks at the man. "Color of choice?"

[techno_galen]

A long history of not being very good with people means that Galen is taken in by his façade. "The blue one," he says with no hesitation. It has nothing to do with the colour and everything to do with its position: it's furthest to the right on the tray. So when he takes it with his right hand, the other man's attention is drawn in that direction. With his other hand he flicks a probe onto the man, more out of instinct now, than for any hope of it working.

He sniffs the liquid and upon finding nothing poisonous in it, tips the glass up and swallows the drink. "What do you expect to happen now?" he asks, because they're in a lab and they won't be just snacks. Which is why Galen has encased the liquid in a bubble, to better analyse the ingredients.

[thelasttimelord]

"Don't rightly know quite yet," The Doctor responds, still upbeat but there are strains of seriousness coming into. Even though it was there, again, nearly making the space between his brows twitch. Something in the electromagnetic field? There it was, again, shifting. Globes inside of globes. "Hopefully it'll show signs of helping across a broad spectrum. Too many variables to count yet. It's half the fun, really, isn't it?"

We did mention there was the teeniest smallest chance, right? Maybe it's not like the others. Maybe it's like him but more.

[techno_galen]

He sends an organelle to the liquid, analysing it. The results appear in his mind, but some of the chemical compounds he doesn't recognise. But he can't hold it there forever, so he dissolves the bubble and lets the liquid digest.

"How long do you expect it to take before I feel something?" But even as Galen is asking the question, he can already feel something. At first he thinks it's just a numbness in his extremities and then he realises: it's in his tech. It's as if it's dissociating from him.

Galen's eyes go wide. His weakening legs can no longer hold him up and his knees bend without him knowing. He crashes to the ground, his hands too numb for him to break his fall. The look on his face is of utter fear. But at least he's not feeling unaccountably happy.


ooc: Hope this is ok! You mentioned electromagnetic field and I thought this would be interesting

[ Quarantine – The Plant Edition ]

[ten_fwd_npcs]

It is the plant. Dancer. The Pretty one. It's hard to say how long everyone has been at it, but Keiko is sure of it now. Half the ship is sure of it now. Of course, that's about how many people are infected.

Keiko instructs people to round up all the flowers and bring them to the lab. They would have to isolate them, and clear the air. Besides, they would look lovely if laid out in just the right way... won't you help her gather the plants into piles that spell 'LOVE' and 'HAPPINESS'?

No, you mustn't get distracted. This is it, your chance to be a hero and save the day. And... maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to quarantine yourself for a few hours too, just until you stop trying to kiss everyone. It's lucky someone had the forethought to close the Botany Lab doors, finally.


[OOC: One small resolution thread forthcoming with Keiko and Captain Picard, to mark the end of the pollen affecting the ship. Until then consider this your last top-level to play with, and any other fallout can be moved to your own posts.]

Here have a wind god!

[god_of_wind]

Fujin hadn't been immune to the plant's effects. However as a god with the regenerative capabilities and accelerated metabolism - the effects didn't last as long as it did for some of the mortals on the ship. He had overheard a conversation that mentioned that the botany labs were working overtime trying to figure out how to fix the issue and that all Dancer flowers from Pacifica had to be brought there. Fujin didn't have a flower in his possession but he did decide that he could at least offer his assistance. Ultimately, the issue was airborne, and Air was Fujin's area of expertise.

He arrived at the Botany Lab, seeing the collected flowers and noting the scent in the air. He definitely stood out, considering his height and long white hair woven into a braid - and he obviously wasn't a starfleet officer. A distinct feature was his eyes, which glowed white - though not near their normal healthy brightness.

"I came to offer aid." The wind god stated, manner polite and soft spoken.