Spring has started and with the spring, the yearly health check is offered by the U.M.R.C.’s own medical department. Of course, everyone in the 3ast century has a health insurance and so also the poor janitor can visit the med lab. Janitor: “Oh, it must be the pollen and the climate. My bones hurt every year this time but the last weeks it’s horrible. Headache, costiveness, head cold, ohhh...it’s my age, my wife said. I am already so weak?” Chase: “Don’t worry. We’ll find the reason of your problems. Modern medicine can heal everything. I guess, it could be the new frog flu running over north america. We have medics for that. To be sure, i take a blood probe...”
Later... Chase: “Martin, would you please take a look at this? The janitor came to me because he felt ill. The blood test looked bad. At first i assumed a new case of frog flue but to be sure i made a second blood test. And then saw this...” Dr. Martin Koch watches the screen: “That can’t be possible...” Chase: “What should we do?” Dr. Martin Koch: “Isolate the janitor, immediately. And then call the governmental department for medical affaires. I’ll go and call Johnson and the staff leaders for a meeting.”
Dr. Koch: “These objects belong to the most developed micro- and biotechnology i’ve ever seen. Hundreds or thousands swimming in his blood and attacking every cell. Maybe, let us call them Microsterions, maybe they are as dangerous as Ebola, SARS and the spanish flu together. Everyone of them react like an individual virus. There’s nothing i can do with ordinary medicine.”
Olivia Johnson: “Can’t you fight it like a normal virus? I mean if these things are partly biological...” Dr.Koch: “We can’t decode the alien materials so instead of antibiotics fighting their biology we should search a technical solution. But our battlefield isn’t space, it’s our body.”
Mark Devine: “Then let’s just destroy them. We could use nanobots to hunt every Microsterion one by one. The main problem would be, that nanotechnology can’t be controlled from outside, we need to programm them. A tactic to defeat them.” Dr.Koch: “Could work. But we must get all of them. If one of the series or even just one single object survives, they could develop a defence against the nanobot’s tactics like a virus get imunity against old antibiotics. ” Captain Josh Carnway: “How big is the threat? I mean are there more infected?”
Dr.Koch: “...It’s an epedimy. Chase and i are still testing the staff. The MED is quarantined but i’m sure, we’ll discover more victims soon. I sent the information to the government and health services. If i want to find a cure, i need greater amounts of this virus-objects for tests. We must not miss any objects existing. Aside, we can’t do anything than isolating the U.M.R.C.” Cpt. Carnway: “And now? Do we catch an object and take it from it?” Olivia Johnson: “We’ve daily contact to Mysterion things. Everyone could be patient zero. It’s impossible to say specifical, where these Microsterions came from.”
Dr. Koch: “Not sure. The virus is new. And the first patient i have is the janitor, he never entered a dangerous testfield or laboratory. It must be a person, who brought the virus recently to earth. And there’s no other similiar encounter since we’re know Mysterions. I’m sure, that a specific object produces the Microsterions or owns them in its system. The crew of the Mewton is completely tested and healthy, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t tranfused the pathogenic germ. Mr. Carnway, was there any curious object on your missions, owning a huge part of biotechnology? Maybe a medical Mysterion, an experimental battle mech or one, who could need this virus to survive in an unusual environment? Anything that kind of?” Cpt. Carnway: “I’m not sure...wait! One remembered me of an insect. That worm at the jungle planet! Yes, it could be what we’re searching...”
Olivia Johnson: “Ok. Carnway, you’ll return to Alpha Centauri II. We need a probe of the substance. The crew isn’t infected, so you can leave. Dr. Koch, continue your tests. We must know how many patients we have and quarantine them. The Center is closed for everyone. Let’s hope, we have enough time. I’ll talk the president.”
While the Mewton starts, the MED lab finishes its research... Chase: “The tests are complete. 23 infected persons split in the Medlabs 4,5 and 6. We’ll take 3 patients here. One is collapsed and lies in a stasis box. The viruses seem to react unique on different persons.” Dr. Koch: “I’m already working on antibiotic nano cells. Mr. LaGros programmed them to detect the hostile organism and attack, but we need a fitting weapon. We have to defend ouselves before the patients come into this room. Here. Take the protecting suit...” Chase: “Ehm, Martin... I also tested myself. I have it, too. But i’ll do my best in the quarantined floor as long as i can. Promised.”
Dr.Koch: “The third guy is going weeker. We’ll lose him, i fear. And the quarantine was too late. 34 hospitals in Des Moines, Davenport and Sioux City contacted us with over 700 victims with similiar symptoms. Too many in that less time, in some weeks the half planet could be infected. If one of these quarantine zones fails, it will be out of control.” Chase: “To say something positive, i was able to confined the virus into 3 different Microsterion objects, 363-365, not more. We just need a cure for each group of them.”
E.D.H. officer: “Stop! E.D.H. This is closed area. Nobody enters without permission.” Antonio DeRomantico: “Earth department of health? What? My girlfriend is in there! Olivia Johnson, please, let me in!” E.D.H. officer: “Sorry. Turn around or i’ll shoot you down.”
Antonio DeRomantico: “Olivia? Are you ok? What’s going on there?” Olivia Johnson: “Everything’s fine...now. I can’t talk, it’s top secret but don’t worry. We have the situation under control. Antonio,...i ehr...”
Meanwhile, Carnway’s team enters Alpha Centauri II.. A shuttlecraft is started.
In Iowa, more and more people show symptoms and get quarantined. Time is running out... Olivia Johnson: “The others become worse. Chase said, the course of disease is unregulary. The janitor is still alive but on some, the Microsterions are more agressive.” Mortimer Bishop: “Don’t worry. Mr. Carnway will bring what the doctors need and then you’ll be healed. Everything becomes well, Olivia, trust me.”
Olivia Johnson: “Yes, Dr. Koch and Frank have already produced some nanocell-prototypes but he said, he needs more probes to train them. If we cure only a part of the virus in the blood, the others will be immune. Carnway may come, but i’m not sure, if quick enough...”
She’s pointing to the dead man in the stasis box sadly.
Calak: “I have a theory, the strong subspace signal, object 362 sent the last time, could be a warning that it’s infected by Microsterions. Possibly, they’re also a threat for them. The Mysterion version of flu.” Cpt. Carnway: “Or a trap to infect someone. I believe, it uses them to change the planet’s environment in some way. But you’re right with the Code. This way we found it the last time. Lieutenant Vega, do you receive anything on that sequence?”
Lt. Vega: “Yes. Definately.”
When Carnway’s men tried to get one of the noxious spikes, a second object arrives.
Back at the U.M.R.C. ... Chase: “Oh god, his body is decaying while he’s still living. And i can’t help...” E.D.H. officer: “Chase, right? I’m professor Carlston from E.D.H. . Can we speak Dr. Koch?”
Chase: “No. He’s in the technic department programming nanobots.” E.D.H.: officer: “Oh. Too bad but we have to take the operation. Recent cases were detected in Illinois. The plague seems quicker than we could build up quarantine zones. Oh, and my pity for you situation. I heard you’re infected.You should come with us.” Chase: “Thanks. But i’m ok. I’ll stay on this floor helping the other patients. I...”
Chase: “What happened? Did you hurt your security suit? Doesn’t seem so.” E.D.H. officer: “He’s infected. The Microsterions are able to break through our materials.”
Chase: “But that means...” E.D.H. officer: “...the quarantine is useless. The virus could’ve spread all over the state. And maybe for hours. On this speed, in a few days, the whole planet will be ill. And without cure, one month and over 9 billion people are dead.”
Lt. LeGonze: “Object 545. First appearance on Arachnia prime. The Insectoids lost its trace. They fight each other. Why are 2 Mysterions fighting?”
Calak: “Possibly they’re angry, fighting about the ground or they’re as ill as our friends on earth. Then, it’s desperate crazyness.” Cpt. Carnway: “Doesn’t interest me, take the chance and get that spike!!”
Lt.Vega: “Look here. Sir, it’s one of the U.F.O.lien minibots. It has broken up a Mysterion spike before it died. The scanner shows it’s filled with a large amount of Microsterion substance.”
After a few minutes, the L.S.S. Mewton is rushing towards earth.
As soon as possible, a first series of nanobots is produced and programmed to fight all 3 Microsterion models. All is prepared... Dr. Koch: “If the objects find out what we’re doing they’ll change their behaviour. The nanobots can’t correct their programs. We only have one try or i have to start from begin again. I hope it works. Chase, control her life signs...”
Jennifer: “Oh, i’m feeling refreshed.” Dr. Martin Koch: “The Microsterions are destroyed. I’ll need an hour to regain the nanobots from your blood but the procedure works. Now we can heal everyone. The menace is over.”
Mortimer M. Bishop: “Olivia, i’m so lucky that you’re alive.” Olivia: “Antonio? I have to call him... Dr. Koch, great work. Please, store some of these nanobots for the case, that we’re facing a similiar situation in the future again.”
Production notes:
-This was what Hollywood would call a low-budget filler episode reusing some former sets. Not much happened but i still wanted to have it in this season and it wouldn’t fit between the next ones. BTW, welcome in our second half of season 2. Careful readers could guess what’s coming next because the final episodes won’t be stand-alone stories.
-If you wonder, why the series has slow down, the last settings are more effort than i hoped, but i’m working hard on updates.
- After some rewriting of my original series ideas i’m proud to say, that The U.M.R.C. project has finally gain compatibility to be official part of the GGW Universe so there can be many more crossovers. As the last episode explained, it’s the 31st century of an alternate timeline based on 23rd century universe. The official wiki for its background is up and under construction: ggwu.wetpaint.com
-Want to enter this series with an own Mysterion or a crossover with your space faction? Discuss about future storylines, praise me or making critics? You can still do here: Mysterion Lovers
Last but not least, a rest picture from my storyboard which wasn't used in the episode:
Quoting A Member Since December 7, 2007, Jake Parkinson
Very interesting episode! I have come to a conclusion on why the two mysterion fought each other. The blue one was perhaps, not really a mysterion, but a mysterion mimic, created by the insectoids. Great work.
Oh, i like speculations. All i can say, open questions will be solved in future, also "unimportant" events. Like in all good series, there's a bigger plan.
Very interesting episode! I have come to a conclusion on why the two mysterion fought each other. The blue one was perhaps, not really a mysterion, but a mysterion mimic, created by the insectoids. Great work.
