SD 02/12/05 - "Meeting of Minds in the Gutter" aka "The Wrath of Ironbottom #9" All things considered, the meeting went smoother than expected.

We went over what we found on the Gutting Claw, and our progress in getting it shipshape. Indeed, Char Ritt was behind it's construction. He had ordered it built in secret here in this out of the way system in the Federation, away from prying eyes. It was to be part of his forces in his planned coup. But when he disappeared, it's crew put it in mothballs and left. So it sat there until the Ferrengi arrived. But before they could swipe anything, one disturbed a tank of Protomorph Syndrome agents.

Seems Ritt had found out about the de-volving virus and it's ability to activate dormant introns. He was trying to use it so it could activate only genes related to full sentience on Kzin females. Apparently none of the results were to his satisfaction, so he put the stuff in storage where it sat until the Ferrengi found it. Only the Damon and his Lieutenant escaped infection by baracading themselves in part of their ship. They sent a message to Ferrenginar asking for help, but we arrived before any showed up. Curious detail about those two Ferrengi, they're the two survivors from the bunch that kidnapped Lynx and Lera. Somehow, they managed early release for good behavior, and when they returned to Ferreginar, they were hailed as heroes for surviving the Kzin. They ended up getting their own ship, and made most of their money in the Federation "Gray Market."

It turned out two crewmen, one of ours and one Ferrengi, were still unaccouned for, and are presumably still out there as Protomorph Syndrome creatures. We've been trying to track them down, but this ship has endless places to hide. I wonder why Ritt had the air ducts and sewage pipes large enough for something human-sized to crawl through? Oh well, we'll get them eventually. A few redshirts are muttering that if we find Yeoman G. Rope first, we should forget about Ferrengi Mo Lessed. The Damon is a bit insistant we find him, "He owes me money!"

The Ferrengi have been a partial solution to our manpower problem. They've agreed to help out for a few credits, and access to the holodecks. This has been not too popular with some redshirts, a few who've been making comments about fumigating the rooms after use by them, but without them, there wouldn't be any spare time for the holodeck.

Of the "space herpes" as Lynx called those rodents, they have truly been pests, eating away at the wiring on many systems, particuarly long-dsitance communications. There is no way the "Gutter" will be able to make a call beyond anything in scanner range anytime soon. Efforts to get rid of them have fallen short, and our lack of manpower is not helping. What to do? Cosmo sugested evacuating everyone off the ship and conduct a Metron sweep, which would kill everything aboard. Well, at least we can do the Ferrengi ship first, and that and the armed shuttles would keep us from being completely helpless while the sweep is made. But until those two crewmen are found, that will have to wait.

I was hesitant to bring up another matter, Lynx and the injury cases linked to her. Poor Ensign Frank Norman Stein and his having to get those implants to smply walk in a clumsy, shuffling manner. That happened while she was under the Proto Syndrome. Benjamin Dover, that is a different manner. As I mentioned before, many redshirts are getting anxious. Rather than bring it up, I ordered medical tests for everyone, begining with Lynx, and sent Cosmo a PADD message to look for medical reasons she went beserk on the escape pod as Starfleet would be investigating. Lera was able to escape charges that one case due to having a Vulcan virus that caused hormonal imbalances. If Lynx can't find similar rationale ...

Simple observation suggests something was wrong. Lynx has gone from being a chronic grouch to back to the calm demendor she had before her pregnancy. Hormones? Tarra certainly didn't act that fiercely. Neither do Caitians, at least not most. Perhaps her hybrid genetics caused something to go nuts. This is something best looked into by doctors, such as Cosmos.

Speaking of Tarra, she took interest when I mentioned Ritt was trying to use the Protomorph virus as an eugenics project. She asked if there were any partial successes out there. I told her I hadn't read much of his reports. Considering what we've seen of it's effects, I don't see anything but his gunea pigs devolved into cavewomen and below. Still, there is always that possibility. Something for Lera and Half to look over in the science department.

Well, Half anyway. With the meeting over, Lera keeps pestering me again. *Sigh* The ship may change, but some things never do.

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