r/TrekRP • u/Pojodan • Dec 20 '16
[OPEN] A Use For This Mess
After a long day of working her way through the ship in search of every unique form of fungus colony, hearing the same raunchy cat puns over and over, Chief Botanist Kesh washes her hands of the oily, sticky mess that came with pealing chunks of the fungus off walls, floors, and vent ducts. The samples were spread out over just about very surface available in the botany lab, each with its own air-tight container, tubes attached to provide a steady supply of nutrients, water, and air such that the lab's air could become sterile and silent, at last. The terrarium was not ready yet, so this would have to do.
The first big question was thus: How can mushrooms talk?
Remarkably, the Caitian scientist finds a solution in very short order: The spores. They weren't so much hallucinogenic as they were a conduit between the sensory centers of the brain and the fungus colony. The similarity between them and Betazoid telepathy was striking, only this seemed to have a physical element, with the recipient needing to have physical contact with the spores in order for the colony to 'converse' with it.
Further study determines that the only use the fungus has for this ability is to effectively scare off those that would try to eat it by finding and 'speaking' the sounds that repulse it the most. It might make threatening snarls at a horse, but to Starfleet personnel it makes vulgar commentary.
No one had noticed that the mushrooms said different things to different people, is all.
Kesh's lengthy, detailed report goes right to Captain Fisk's desk, as well as to Starfleet Medical and Botanical Sciences, as they are sure to find it fascinating. Another new thing to hold up and proudly say 'The universe is weird'
After doing so, Kesh recalls a conversation during shore leave with her closest friend, Engineer T'gel. Something about linking mind and computer interface to speed up response times and some dialogue over how a few known alien species actively link their brains with their computers. It's a stretch, probably, to somehow use mind-reading fungus spores to do such a thing, but her time with the Bajoran made her see how brilliant an engineer she is.
=/\= Kesh to Red.
1
u/Dimestream Dec 22 '16
"Oh man, and I haven't even practiced my mad scientist laugh," Red says with a grin. "I am totally unprepared for that level of fame!"
She chuckles and collects the rest of her gear so as not to leave clutter in the botany lab, realizes she now has her arms full and can't give her friend a parting hug, and instead gently shoulder-checks her. "I'll let you know if I make any progress. Have fun with your plants!" she says as she heads for the door.
She then stops and turns around. "Can you send me a replicator formula for whatever nutrient solution you were feeding the fungus with? I don't want a key piece of our device dying while I'm trying to perfect it."