-HIGH ALERT- Attention All Crew

[notlewis]

This is Dr. Sera, and I'm afraid we have a bit of a situation on our hands.

About fifteen minutes ago, one of the crew members... well, for lack of a better word, he mutated into a creature known as a Tyrant, and he is currently on the loose through the ship.

I know some of you are very powerful and the temptation to save the day is there, but please listen to me. It is VITALLY important that you all DO NOT APPROACH HIM. He cannot control himself and has the potential to cause some serious damage. The Science department is working on a method of bringing the situation under control, but in the meantime, DO NOT TRY TO BE A HERO. DO NOT ENGAGE HIM IN A FIGHT. STAY OUT OF THE WAY.

I will answer as many questions as I can as quickly as I can.

- Dr. L. Sera
Chief Science Officer


[Screened to Leon]

It's Steve. He got away before we could stop him.

But there might be another way.

Comments

[ms_pepperpotts]

Noted. Is this sort of accident normal?

[notlewis]

Uhh... for the ship, or for this particular crew member?

[ms_pepperpotts]

Either.

[notlewis]

We've had a number of exciting things happen on this ship, yes.

This is the first time it's happened to this crew member. I've... been working to ensure that it wouldn't, but something went wrong.

[ms_pepperpotts]

How wrong?

[notlewis]

Worst case scenario wrong.

[ms_pepperpotts]

Arc reactor exploding worst case scenario?

[notlewis]

Perhaps not that bad, since it is one monster and not a large-scale explosion. But it's not the most agreeable kind of monster either.

Just stay out of his way. We'll get this under control one way or another.

[ms_pepperpotts]

I'll do so. It isn't as if I can organize him to death, or anything.

[notlewis]

Well, he is a teenager. I wouldn't say it's not possible at all.

[ms_pepperpotts]

A teenager? Were you experimenting on him?

[notlewis]

No. We were trying to reverse the effects of someone else who did.

The medical and science departments have been working with him since he woke up here.

[ms_pepperpotts]

My apologies. I misunderstood.

I see. He came on board after being experimented on? Oh dear. The poor boy.

[notlewis]

It's all right. I understand the context is a bit... odd.

We had been keeping it fairly quiet to protect him, and I'm sure that is going to hit the fan the second things calm down a bit.

[private]

[ms_pepperpotts]

Give me as much information as you can, and I can see what I can do to lessen the impact of this. I'm good at making things look better, since you have good reasons for keeping this quiet.

[private]

[notlewis]

Leon knows all about it, as do a few select other people... the boy's name is Steve Burnside and he's infected with the T-Veronica virus. It's fairly non-contagious, which is why he was allowed to live like the rest of the crew.

It's also triggered by stress which, I'm afraid, might have contributed to this situation... but he was getting worse and may have died if we didn't try to intervene.

The kid himself is kind of an ass, but he's had it rough, as I understand it.

[private]

[ms_pepperpotts]

And he's a teenager, which likely is also part of his personality issue. Very well, thank you, I shall try my best to help smooth this over once he's been contained, which i assume is the point?

[private]

[notlewis]

It certainly doesn't help.

We would... like to contain him. The chance is slim, but it's still a chance. If he cannot be contained, there is a weapon called the Linear Launcher which was developed for the express purpose of dealing with Veronica mutants...

[private]

[ms_pepperpotts]

Let us hope that he can be contained, then. What does the weapon do?

[private]

[notlewis]

It's an electrified plasma cannon. It fires a charged bolt of energy. I found that the Veronica virus responds very poorly to electricity-- the current can disrupt the virus' natural regenerative abilities, which causes the virus to fly into overdrive trying to compensate. This results in a massive, uncontrolled mutation that can end in the organism exploding, or at least enough important parts of it being damaged that it dies.

It's... messy.

I found, though, that a mild electrical current interrupts the regeneration without triggering that defense mechanism. Then a suppressant can be injected that will stop the virus' progress. That was what we were trying to do to save the boy when... something went wrong.

[private]

[ms_pepperpotts]

That does sound messy and I hope we do not need such drastic measures.

I see then. I'll be sure to mention that fact when I make my case.