Settling In & Lab Work

 Personal Log:

Dr. Kathleen Friedman

On board the USS Phoenix

Stardate:  87724.9

 

Luckily I found my lodgings quite easily from the console just outside the Ember Lounge.  At first I thought that the rooms would be small but I am pleasantly surprised at the outlay; just a smidgen larger than my apartment back on earth. Small sleeping area with a bathroom attached, a slightly bigger room that doubles as a kitchen/living room/dining area. It will not take much time and effort to change the bedroom into a work area.

I am tired. After the sleepless days cooped up in a shuttle that was on the edge of exploding, the tense hours spent on searching fruitlessly for a way to escape, the elation when we were found and then the horrible fearful minutes caught in the boundary of the anomaly before we were beamed out. There was no way that I could have taken an hour or two to revert to my original state to catch some much needed rest. Believe me; it’s hard work keeping a form intact when a moment’s slip can mean isolation at best, death at the worst.

Enough of that. I am happy we all survived. Even though I deplore the way that some people celebrated our rescue. Really? Getting drunk? Why? When there are perfectly good imitation liquors available without getting soused. Maybe it’s just me, but getting drunk…that’s the surest way of losing control.

Colliding with Commander Riker… What the heck was I thinking? I am never that unaware of my surroundings! But still… The man looked absolutely yummy in his torn parisi clothes. My olfactory senses picked up on his scent; fresh and tangy, like the forests back home after rain.  I slapped myself mentally. Give it up, Kathleen! You know your secret has to stay just that: a secret! The surest way of being discovered, is getting involved with someone.  So stay away!

Better get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day. I have to inspect the labs where I will be working, meet the staff and maybe get some time to go on that promised tour. I mentally mark the items off my itinerary. Get information about the planetoid the ship is on its way to, send a request through to the Captain’s office to attend the briefing even though I wasn’t chosen for the landing team, make sure my project is safe and ask to have it moved from storage to my room…

I was still thinking about everything I have to do when I felt myself relaxing, my natural fur appearing slowly while I curled up in a bal, my tail wrapping around my legs, when I drifted off to sleep.

 

******

 

 

Stardate:  87730.4

My feet pound on the burning ground, my mane streaming behind me. I growled ecstatically when I spied the white patch on the rear of a big Kanto buck. I leaped over a rock, roared, and then the race is on! The buck’s hooves flew over the uneven ground, changing course every few steps to evade my claws. Within seconds I was in striking distance. I gathered my muscles together for the final jump, my canines elongated. Midstride, the insistent call of a meck-meck bird broke my concentration.

“What the…”

The strident peeb peeb of the doorbell pulled Kathleen out of her dream. She sighed. It was the first time in a very long time that she had one of her favorite dreams; of hunting and getting her prey. She really needs a bloody steak or two and not the replicator kind.

She got up and pushed the release button.  Even on a ship, she has the extra security to lock her door. It’s not regulation but whatever. It makes her feel safe. Making sure she is in full human form, she opened the door.

“Doctor Fallon. Why are you breaking down my door at this ungodly hour?” Kathleen gave her a stinky glare hoping against all hope that she will disappear and give her an extra hour in bed.

“Morning, Doctor Friedman! It’s another beautiful day! If you can be ready in ten minutes, we can do breakfast and then start our day! I can wait to work with you!” The enthusiasm of the woman is making Kathleen by tired just looking at her.

She held out her hand to try and stop Fallon’s babbling and facepalmed with the other in the best Picard manner.

“Hold it!” Kathleen turned around and ordered a coffee from the replicator. “And make it strong!”  With the mug in her hand she turned back the woman who can scarcely stand still. “What is it with you? Don’t you know better than to wake people up with such a ruckus?”

She had the grace to blush. “No, I mean, yes, Ma’am, but it’s already 0730 and you did ask me to report to you at 0700.”

“Oh, sh…” Kathleen took a big gulp of the scalding hot coffee. She forgot the sweetener again. “Come in, Fallon, I beg your pardon, it completely slipped my mind. I only got to bed two hours ago. I started unpacking my equipment in Lab 3 and as usual, forgot the time.”

“Sit. Can I order you breakfast? It will be much faster to eat here and then go directly to the lab. Or rather, help yourself; I am going to get dressed. This,” she lifted the mug of coffee, “is my breakfast.”

Fifteen minutes later Fallon stared at the equipment Kathleen unpacked the previous day.

“Don’t get me wrong, Doctor, but isn’t this equipment a bit outdated…say like a few hundred years? If I am not mistaken, this is a spectrometer and that an electron microscope and isn’t that a vacufuge?”

Kathleen laugh. Not many people are able to recognize such outdated equipment. “Yes, that’s right and quite a few others as well. I haven’t unpacked it yet because we don’t need the separators and the rest of it. At this stage, I have quite a few samples we have to input on my computer, not the central unit, then we have to manually compare the codes with the sample before we can number, vacu-seal and store the sample. Simple, really.”

Picking up one of the storage bins, Kathleen laid out procedures.

“Before you start, you have to get sterile and put on that hazmat suit. I can’t afford to let the samples get contaminated. Some of these DNA were hard to come by and some experiences I don’t want to repeat. I’ve set aside this area as a sterile unit.” She showed Fallon where the computers and scanners are set up behind a localized force field. “Be careful before you go through the shield. You can get hurt if you don’t wear one of the suits I prepared. Everyone carries a code that will allow you to enter. Anyone else will get a big surprise if they enter unauthorized.”

 

Stardate: 87733.19

 

“Hey Lieutenant, I’ve been inputting these codes and scanning microscopic samples for nearly a week now, so, when are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Fallon gestured towards the last case of samples, huffing with frustration when the bulky hazmat suit’s sleeve nearly knocked some of the samples to the floor. “I can recognize the four base DNA codes A, C, T and G and the backbone of a DNA sequence, the sugar Repisol, but that’s about it. Giving the scope of the work involved, I would have thought that you would have at least five more scientists working for you.”

Thankful, and yet slightly irritated with the question that should have been open knowledge to anyone with at least a small bit of scientific knowledge, Kathleen lifted her arms over her head and stretched. Working bent over a computer console, identifying microscopic elements with outdated equipment are really starting to take their toll on her overall wellbeing.

“I tell you what, Fallon, let’s finish what we are busy with, pack up and take the rest of the day off. We can order a nice big meal for a chance and I can regale you with brain numbing information about what we are busy with. I, for one, am so sick of smelling my own sweaty body in this suit, a breath of fresh air will be just the thing.”

“You know just how to make a woman’s day complete, boss!” Fallon started to input the last few codes while the scanner whirred in the background. With a flourish, she pushed the save and then the shut down button of the computer. “There! Race you to the shower, boss lady!” She laughed.

Kathleen can’t help laughing at the picture Fallon is making. Instead of a graceful jog, the heavy suit gave her the movement of an ungainly fat duck waddling around. She can’t think why this woman is so up and sparkly all the time. No matter what was thrown at her, she will get on with the job with a smile and resilience not many people possess.

Kathleen took her time entering the last few codes of the new program she are installing into her PADD. Hopefully this time there won’t be any mistakes. Yeah right. It didn’t work three hours earlier and the chances are good it won’t now, either. If only she can find the darn problem and…

“Come one, Doctor Friedman! Time’s a’wastin’! as my dear old grandmother would say! I am sure whatever you are doing, will keep.” Fallon’s came out tinny over the suit intercom. Too many layers in the suit.

Too many layers…

“Coming! Sheesh, it’s not that we are in a ship and lounges can just get up and disappear, you know!” Kathleen transferred the codes to her other PADD. Maybe she will have a few moments to work on the problem…

===

Savoring the last bite of nearly raw meat, Kathleen thought of the good times she had as a kid on the farm where she grew up. Before her brother left. Before her mother succumbed to the darkness in her and left this reality behind. When meat was something that came from an animal and not something that was made by a machine arranging atoms and molecules to an approximation of what she are eating now.

She sighed and put her fork down neatly on the plate. It’s hard to imagine that everything they eat and used to eat and drink was manufactured on the same principle. Pushing her plate aside, she picked up her milk, took a sip and looked up at Fallon who has been staring at her silently, waiting for her to finish.

“All right, where do you want me to start? I think it will be better if you ask me what you want to know and I will try to answer as plainly as I can.” Kathleen slouched back into her chair.

Suddenly serious, Fallon leaned forward. “I know what I am doing, but I don’t know why I am doing it. I also have to mention that I’ve looked at our orders, which, by the way, we don’t have. You’ve kept me so busy and because I admire and respect your work, I tried to keep up with you. I also know that you work another three hours after the working day has ended.  Yeah, my first question is: Why?”

Kathleen smiled at her unfamiliar serious face.

“What we are doing is no secret, but it’s not common knowledge either. I did tell you to not discuss what we are doing with anyone else because even at this day and age, regulations are strictly enforced.” Gesturing towards Fallon, Kathleen continued explaining. "What I am doing, well and you... by just working with me, is so on the edge of criminal intent that even the smallest bit of negligence...” Kathleen then gestured as if she were slicing her throat with her hand.

“Are we contravening any regulations, Lieutenant? If so…I am not very comfortable working under such circumstances and I will have to report…”

“Oh no! That’s not it at all! Believe me: Star Fleet knows exactly what I am busy with. Like I said, it’s not a secret, but it’s not something to talk about at all. In a sense, I am just continuing work that my ancestor started over 400 years ago. But Star Fleet is, with reason, not happy about it, because in the wrong hands, we can have another Kahn or even worse, on our hands. In any case, most of the information is freely available on the central computer, though you do need a specific clearance to access the information.”

Fallon let a relieved sigh escape. “Then…I am still confused. If Star Fleet knows, and the information is available, what exactly are we doing?”

Kathleen took a sip from the glass of Draylaxian Whiskey. So darn expensive but totally worth it.

“I need to give you some background information for you to understand what this is all about. If I get a bit too longwinded and technical, give me a slap up the head, will you?” Fallon looked shocked. “Just call a time-out, OK?” Kathleen laughed.

“When my ancestor was a child,” she gestured towards Fallon, “crime was the order of the day. With a corrupt government, little or nothing was done to curtail criminal activities. It reached such heights that the few honest law enforcements officials was so inundated with cases, that most of it slipped between the cracks. And with laboratories understaffed and overworked, it took months before any DNA, blood or fingerprinting could be analyzed. Even if they caught the perpetrator, the jails were so full, that only the worst of the worst were sentenced, the rest were usually let go with a small fine or just a slap on the wrist.

“She was a first year student at the local university when her father died suddenly of a heart attack and she had to choose between her studies or taking over from her father. At that time, women in that country were still nothing more than cheap slaves. They were the property of their fathers and brothers and ultimately, their husband. If they were lucky enough to own property, that property were claimed by her father or brothers if it became known. A girl didn’t leave her parent’s house to go to school or to work. When she worked, all that she earned were given to whoever was the head of the family at that time, although there were laws that gave women equal rights.

“So I guess she was lucky, in that that she was an only child and she inherited her father’s property.  She had to go to court to legalize her claim to the business because her father’s brother wanted to claim it for himself.  After that, she decided to run the business and even expand it, while continuing her studies online. By then she already changed her major from Family Medicine to Human Sciences, specifically genetics.

“It’s not long after that, that she was a victim of a horrendous attack from which she nearly died. Like the wont, law enforcement couldn’t arrest the people for various reasons. Prominent family, so law enforcement that worked the case, were bought off, probably the judges and who ever may have been connected to the case. To add insult to injury, all the pathological evidence turned out to be corrupted.

“Instead of bowing before insurmountable odds, she decided to start this project that even now, centuries later, isn’t up to date yet. Instead of just gathering DNA, she went a few steps further. We all know environment and heritage play a big role in DNA evolution and expression. She used all available sources to gather existing DNA fingerprints, sequences and their history. Who they were and where they lived. Then she went a few steps further. She wrote scientists all over the world and even the law enforcement agencies; she didn’t let names like FBI or CIA or M16 or even the then KGB and after the FSB scare her off. She stated her intentions clearly and in most cases, where pleasantly surprised by their cooperation. She was soon enough inundated with DNA samples, fingerprints, sequences, analytics, histories, you name it, and she got it.

“It was when the soil, air and water samples and analyses  arrived in droves, that she found out the tiredness she was suffering from, wasn’t just a lack of sleeplessness or inadequate diet. She had cancer and the prognosis wasn’t good. That times, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy where standard treatments for most types of cancer. Unfortunately, or as she later put it, fortunately, she was already in Stage 4 and all those treatments became moot. Instead she was put on a hormone treatment to slow and if she were lucky, to stop further growth.

“She then decided to research into gene therapy for cancer and within a few months, came up with something that may just work. When her theories were put to the test, even with the first try, the probability score came back above 80%, which in that time, were good enough for human testing. But she didn’t want it to be ‘just maybe’, she want a ‘for certain’ score, without the testing. And she did it. With the help of other scientists, they improved her idea from a maybe cure to a certain cure.

“Even then the authorities that had to approve testing denied them medical trails by just arriving at the laboratory and demanded all the research and samples to be, either handed over to them, or  destroyed.  Apparently quite a few local and International laws were broken by their research. The scientist in charge decided to destroy everything they had, naturally under supervision of the state agents. What the agency didn’t know was that my ancestor wasn’t affiliated to that lab and that she had all the same research and even the samples of the adapted genes. Even to this day, you will never find her name on any of the medical cures or instruments she had a hand in developing. She used to say that she was good with research and theory, but it needed more than just one brain to make something work.

“Anyways, she decided to use the adapted genes on herself. She was already close to dying. It wasn’t that she had six months or even a month, it was will she still be alive the next day. The first treatment was relatively successful, but she wasn’t happy with the results. She wanted a total cure and just modifying the cancer carrying genome, wasn’t an option. She had to replace the whole cell; she wanted her body and the adapted genes to ‘step back’, to be what it used to be before it went all haywire. And it worked. It took her another year, but it worked.” Kathleen took a big swallow of the whiskey. “Not bored yet? You haven’t said a word!”

“Oh no, Doctor! It’s absolutely fascinating! Your ancestor must have been quite a lady. To do all that, she must have been a genius!”

Kathleen laughed. “Quite the contrary. She wasn’t near genius level. She had a hard time learning anything. I have her journals here, if you want, you can borrow it sometime. Hers was quite a journey.” Downing the rest of her drink, she stood. “Well, for the other part of my story, we need to go to my room. There are a few things I need to show you that will further explain what we are doing.”

===

“Don’t think that she did all this on her own. According to family lore and her journals, she made friends all over the world with a broad spectrum of scientists. She was still a first year student when she attended a conference by a famous researcher and head of genetics in a notable university in the then United States. By default, he introduced her to his colleagues and friends, with whom she kept up a correspondence with most of them. She even noted that she wouldn’t have received the reaction to her request without his and other scientists’ recommendations.

“In the end, she could pinpoint with a near perfect accuracy where every person was born, what his parentage were, his environment, etc. Her program worked so well that even with the test samples they sent, she could profile the individuals correctly. Even their current diet!”

With that, they arrive at Kathleen’s living quarters. After entering her security code, she invited Fallon inside.

“Would you like something to drink or eat before we start?”

“Just a cup of tea, no sweeteners, black, thank you. Wow, I really love what you have done to your place!” She did a double take. “What? Is that a doggy bed? It’s enormous! You do know we may not have pets on board.”

Kathleen had to laugh. Her expression boarded on comical, the consternation on how big the animal was to fit in that bed.

“No, that is mine. I like the form. It’s not a bed but not a couch either. It’s like being cuddled. For some reason I can’t sleep on a normal bunk or bed.”  She handed Fallon the tea. “I know you are wondering why I am not using my sleeping space.”

“Of course I am! It’s not that we are short on space. I’ve had smaller accommodations on other ships. I am surprised on the level of comfort on the Phoenix.”

“That’s for sure!” I laughed.  “You should see some of the places I had to sleep. There isn’t much space for passengers on a cargo haul. I once had to share space with cattle!” At her disbelieving stare, I continued, “I know, I know. Live animals, this day and age? When replicators can do nearly everything? Apparently it was some ambassador or other to Cardassia. He can’t stand the milk from the replicators and for some reason the cattle keeps on disappearing, so every once in a while, he ship some from his family farm.”

“Here, hang on a moment.” She quickly punched in the codes to release the force field.

“There is such a thing called voice command, Doctor.” Fallon smiled, waving towards the terminal on Kathleen’s desk.

“My voice was already recognized the moment I invited you inside. But this thingy,” she patted the small keyboard, “is my baby. It won’t recognize any other code or security override. Even if you cut a hole from the room next to mine, the force field will hold. These keys aren’t just keys; they are also scanners which scans my fingerprint and my DNA. No one else but me can access it.”

“DNA and fingerprints can be copied.”

“Not mine, I assure you.” Kathleen ushered Fallon into the room. “Sit, please.”

Fallon sat on the chair that was indicated, right next to the desk.  Entering another code, the desktop turned opaque and a part of it slit open while a screen and scanner rose out of it. “Wow, nifty!”

“Fallon, really,” Kathleen couldn’t help laughing, “You have the strangest way of saying things! But I do agree; this desk is something I am really proud off. This is my database. Here you will find the entire DNA from nearly all known species. Apart from that, soil, water and air analytics, environmental and race statistics and histories even readings from the atmospheres at several levels of every species’ home planet. With this, I can tell you with a small margin of error, precisely what species where in a room or ship, from what planet, in most cases, which planets he, or she, visited recently. It can even show me an approximation of how the person looks. All that, with just a microscopic speck of biological matter. It can even tell you how long ago that person was there.”

“But that’s not possible. You need a cell that’s still living. Everyone knows that. And…no way! It can actually show you what a person looks like?”

“Allow me to demonstrate.” I picked up one of the modified gel packs. “Do you recognize this?” I handed to her.

Fallon squeezed and folded the pack. “Yes, of course! It makes a great face mask. I use it a lot.”

“Not anymore.” Kathleen noted as she placed it underneath the microscope. “You see that?” She inquired as she pointed at the faint red dot in the middle of the pack. “That is an ion with a negative charge. You press it to activate it. It acts like an electrostatic precipitatorwhich will attract every dust mote and any kind of matter drifting in the air. When I collect samples, I wear protective clothing so that I don’t inadvertently transfer my own cells to it. Then, when its capacity is reached, it will send an electrical charge, not unlike a defibrillator, through the gel. The gel consists mainly of sugars, iron, proteins and plain old water. Well, not plain, but you get my drift. This gel,” Kathleen prodded the bag, “is still the original recipe made up by my ancestor.”

“Now, to further demonstrate…” Kathleen broke out a sterile paper strip and held it an arm’s length away from Fallon. “Just breathe normally and shake your head a bit.” When Fallon complied, Kathleen picked up the gel pack again. “If you look closely, here,” she indicated a small opening covered with what looked like gauze and then that too were sealed, “this is the intake point. When I remove the seal, nothing will happen until I press the ion switch, for want of a better word.”

She removed the seal and placed the strip of paper over the intake valve. She then placed it under the microscope again.

“For this, we need maximum focus.”  She fiddled with the controls. “That should do it. Let me transfer the graphics to the screen.”

"Look closely," Kathleen urged Fallon. "Watch the top, right here." She pointed at the whitish mark near the centre at the top. "In a few seconds you will see...there! You see that? That brownish stain is what I collected from you. Some of the vapor of your breath and loose skin cells when you shook your head. Now for the fun!"

"Awesome!" Fallon moved her chair closer to the screen. "Just from breathing and shaking my head, you can analyze my DNA structure? It seems impossible! I've never heard of something like that!"

Kathleen tried hard not to laugh. It seemed that that was all she can do whenever Fallon opened her mouth. The woman is a real treasure! Fallon never thought before opening her mouth, she just let fly.

"Seriously, this machine can do that, and more." Kathleen pointed again at the screen. "Look here, you see how the stain suddenly divides? This is how it was programmed to separate the dust and biological matter. You will notice that this line," she pointed to the one far left, "isn't that dark and shouldn't progress beyond the first indicator...there it is! That means this is dust, sterile, with no definitive markers. Meaning that there are no pathologic indicators and..." she stopped talking suddenly, deep in thought.

"I knew it!' Kathleen exclaimed after a few minutes. "I wonder if I can do it..."

"What, what?" Fallon exclaimed.

"Well, you know that every ship as its own smell, it's own signature vibration. Not two ships smell or sound the same. Now...IF, and that is a big if, I can add codes to the program that can differentiate between the different sounds and smells, like…"

 "Giving it a nose and ears!" Fallon interrupted.

"Exactly!" Kathleen thought for a few seconds. "But that may not be possible... I have to look into it."

"Well if you need help, I do have a bit of...look! What's happening now?" She pointed at the screen where colors burst in the center of the pack.

"That, Doctor Fallon, is the charge going through the pack to activate the...let's call it the food, for the cells. Watch closely. See there?" She pointed at a brownish flake to the right of the screen. Wait, let me bring it closer..." She fiddled with the microscope and then with the screen.

The brown blob took on the particular form of maybe a dozen cells clustered closely together. Not meshed, like it would have been if it was alive. Slowly but surely they watched while the cells slowly expanded and the nucleus came into view.

"That's what we are looking for! Now watch..."

Too fast to follow, the nucleus burst open and thousands of brilliantly colored strings danced over the screen.

"Don’t' be fooled with the color. I only added that so I can differentiate between the different sequences. It still fascinates me how the original program can take that little bit of matter, decode it, and relate all that information to us in something we can understand." She watched the screen animatedly.

"It looks just like the lights my grandmother strings over a tree once a year..." Fallon murmured. "This is really something special. To think that little bit of colored lights contains all the information about me."

"That's true. Did you know that every living thing, from the driest bit of tampa grass, to the biggest bird, the most poisonous snake, all animals, fish...we all share exactly the same DNA. And it's just one little string that decides which one it is. See how the colors are arranged in different sequences? Every one of those bits has a function. Every cell in our bodies has the exact same DNA, with one exception in each cell grouping.

“Those in your hair have the coding for your hair color, the same with your eyes and skin. Every cell get the message to act just so. That goes for your squint or your slightly crooked tooth and even if you will have an ingrown toe nails somewhere in the future. We call that incorrect coding, but it's not. It's what makes us uniquely us."

"This was what fascinated me. Though I didn't study it, I did attend a few classes when I was able and I did do a lot of research. It takes a very dedicated person to follow this field in Science." Fallon commented.

"For me it was just doing what those did before me. Every one of my ancestors where scientists. Genetics.  Everyone did their bit to expand the database; to add new species and to add more differentiating  categories.”

The image on the screen changed again.

"Ah, look, here is the bit where the machine tells us who you are." Slowly columns  formed on the screen. Kathleen pointed at one. "This one says you were born on a ship..."

"WOW how....?' Fallon gasped.

"Oh that's the easy one. Artificial gravity usually leaves a mark behind on the bone structure and the overall muscle density of a person. It doesn't matter if you lived on earth most of your years, the first two to three years are definitive. When you where conceived, you received DNA from both your parents. This is just a demonstration for you, maybe we will get the chance to do this the correct way with another species, but today I won't analyze your DNA further back, to your parents."

"I can see that they were both born on a planet and only went into space as adults, when their body patterns, so to say, were already set. You, born into space, shows the same DNA, but with one difference."

Kathleen enlarged the screen more.

"You see this green genome? In relation to the others, it's a bit darker, not so shiny. That usually happens when DNA had to adapt to suit the environment in which you were born. If it didn't, you would never have been able to walk on any planet with gravity never mind the fact that the ship you were born on had artificial gravity."

"But we can continue this lesson some other time." She glanced at Fallon whose face were nearly plastered to the screen. "In a few moments, the computer will give as a 3-D version of what you look like, just by analyzing your DNA." Kathleen playfully jabbed her elbow in Fallon's ribs. "From your dead cells."          

 “Great! Can the image be printed?”

“Sure! But remember, you can’t tell anyone about the origins of the print, am I clear?” Kathleen insisted sternly.

“Never! I will just tell them I was playing around with my computer. Any way, it’s not like I had any time making friends, as yet.”

Kathleen gave her shoulder a little squeeze.

“Don’t worry, you will. You’ve been on this ship only for a couple of days and then most of that time, cloistered in the labs, working your fingers to the bone. Oh, here it comes!” She pointed at the screen.

Fallon stared in fascination as a perfect model of her replaced the colored jumble on the screen.

"It still sounds and looks too good to be true. But here I have the proof right in front of me." Fallon lifted the finished copy of herself. "Just perfect, exactly identical, even the mole on my cheek."

“…and still it’s not the end. Let me show you why Star Fleet wants to keep this project confidential. Look what happens after your image has been shown.”

Fallon looked at the screen where her image moved to one side of the screen. Instead, all the DNA strings and sequences, the genes and genomes, all re-arranging themselves under, what she can discern, a blank double helix.

“What is happening now?” She asked Kathleen.

“Something that wasn’t intentionally programmed, but actually several codes gave this,” Kathleen motioned towards the images now in a fixed position. “This is actually a blue print for designing a humanoid with specific traits.”

She flipped through pages and pages of DNA images while the shell above it, awaits further instructions.

“I’ve tested it out of curiosity and I was shocked at how easy is.” She added a few of the colored strings to the helix. “This one for white hair and this one for colorless eyes.” She ticked another. “Add this one for a scaly skin, this one for a ridged forehead, that one for poison glands, talons…oh let’s add some intelligence, too.” She moved a few more. “This one makes it a male, and this one gives it wings, this is for weight, height, strength, endurance…”

After a few more, she pressed the execute button.

Fallon stared in horror at the image forming on the screen.

“Saints save us!”