Lost Era 06_ Catalyst of Sorrows - Margaret Wander Bonanno [71]
Sekaran was in essence the senior physician for all of Tenjin. His headquarters, at the heart of a dome in the central government complex, was as busy in its own way as the myriad mercantile domes it serviced. Here Sekaran and his multiplumaged staff monitored the health of every citizen on the planet, though visiting tourists, he admitted, were more difficult to track.
Selar studied the readouts scrolling down the clearsteel walls of the medical complex, her practiced eyes searching for something commensurate with the specimens she and Crusher had thus far identified.
“Probably not at all what you’re looking for, but you did say you wanted everything,” Sekaran went on. “It popped up unexpectedly two seasons ago-anything transmissible is unexpected here, because the atmosphere is filtered more carefully than even on a starship. We simply can’t let something contagious get loose inside even one of the domes, because they’re all interconnected by the travel tubes. As a result, we’ve become so accustomed to the filtration systems that we’ve been spoiled. Even a common cold could kill some of us.”
“Understood,” Selar said, studying the specific dataset Sekaran indicated. “You did say the entity was a carcinoform?”
“It was quite bizarre,” he said. “People turned up at clinics complaining of chills and fever but, on examination, were found to have a rapidly forming cancer that started in the lungs and metastasized to the rest of the major organs. Tests showed no evidence of unusual bacteria or viral infection. Yet people in close proximity-family, coworkers-would ‘catch’ this from each other as if it were a flu bug.”
“When you say rapidly forming…” Selar began.
“Days. Often in less than forty hours of onset of symptoms. I’ve never seen anything move so fast in my entire career. Germs are supposed to do that, but not cancers. And cancers are not supposed to be contagious.”
If Selar was shaken by this information, she gave no sign. “I believe, Dr. Sekaran, we can abandon our parameters of what is ‘supposed’ to happen where this entity is concerned.”
“So you think it’s related to the bug you’re trying to track?”
“Possibly. I will need access to this data in order to run more tests.”
“If your medscanner can interface with our system, you’ll have it,” Sekaran said.
Back on the ship, it was clear from the aromas that Sisko had found his eggplant. Albatross’s galley was barely big enough for him to turn around in, but, having gathered all the ingredients he needed on Tenjin, he was making magic there.
“Step right up, ladies and gentleman,” he announced, spooning something savory and steaming over plates of fluffy white rice. “No replicated rations tonight. This evening’s main entree is freshly prepared, completely vegetarian, and guaranteed to please the most demanding palate.”
“What is it?” Selar asked, inhaling appreciatively before taking her plate to a nearby console where she could work on Sekaran’s data while she ate.
“Eggplant ratatouille,” Sisko explained, watching for the nods of approval as each one tasted his masterpiece. “Baby eggplant sauteed in virgin olive oil with finely chopped Vidalia onions and fresh garlic, then blended with carrots, plum tomatoes, three kinds of bell peppers, a few new potatoes, some zucchini, cilantro, cayenne, and, well, a few secret ingredients of my own, and simmered to perfection.”
“Excellent,” Selar remarked.
“Indeed,” Tuvok concurred. “All of this from ingredients gathered on Tenjin?”
“Not counting my own secret spice blends,” Sisko grinned. “I have my own herb garden on Okinawa. And I never go anywhere without some. I sure hope I haven’t violated the Prime Directive by comparing recipes with the Tenji,” he added with a wink, “although the restaurant did call itself the Interplanetary Café, and I could swear the sous-chef with the blue feathers had a distinctly Cajun accent…”
He stopped himself and blinked at Zetha, who had