Captain’s Log, Stardate 41398.8 (2364-May-25 | 2330 hrs)

Posted on 27 May 2021 @ 3:41pm by Captain Philip Demarcus

We’ve just departed the Federation colony at Zenii Kappa V. Three days ago we had to divert here in response to a distress call sent out by the inhabitants of the newly established outpost. Apparently when configuring a pair of new power generators, the colony’s technicians failed to anticipate an adverse response from the planet’s native plant life. When the generators were activated, aquatic flora rapidly infested the entire colony complex and released a poisonous gas which sickened many of the colonists, who were forced to take refuge in a remote residence at the edge of the settlement.

Upon our arrival in the system, I tasked Commander Jaya Raj and Lieutenant Commander Zekru Krelossi with leading a pair of away teams to the surface to investigate. Our hails had gone without response since we first received the distress call, and as we had no access to the colony’s internal security systems I wanted to gather a more complete picture as to what the nature of the emergency was.

Both teams quickly became aware of the plant infestation, which Lieutenant T’Char determined to be a form of allergic response on the part of the massively sprawling vines. On entering the primary colony complex, each team separately discovered one of the offending power generators, and through careful coordination between Lieutenant Sesenek and Ensign K’Rosu on one team, and Lieutenants Kilrai and T’Char on the other, the two devices were shut down. Immediately the vine infestation began to wither and recede from the colony.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant S’Roiti had located most of the colony’s inhabitants in the remote residence. He and Commander Raj were successful in re-activating a retractable bridge to the housing unit, and made contact with one of the colony’s administrators and began to organize medical aid for the afflicted colonists. As the immediate danger to the colony had now been averted, I ordered the emergency response teams to return to the ship, while Medical and Engineering personnel remained behind to coordinate the recovery of the colony.

After spending a couple of days in orbit of Zenii Kappa V we were able to confirm the re-orientation of the new power generators to utilize a non-toxic energy field that would not provoke another allergic reaction by the aquatic vines. Most of the colonists had only minor injuries and illnesses as a result of the vines, and the more acute cases had been treated on the Boston. With the situation on the surface coming to a satisfactory conclusion, I authorized general shore leave on the colony’s surface before we left orbit, of which much of the crew availed themselves.

Unfortunately this resulted in us taking aboard a passenger whom I’ve been attempting to avoid all evening. Lieutenant Kilrai’s father was apparently visiting the colony at the time of the incident in order to prospect a potential new franchise of his restaurant group. The Boston is now ferrying him and his accumulated seafood samples to Starbase 617. I’m hoping in the few days it will take make the transit to Starbase 617 that Mr. Kilroy will have his attention focused on his daughter and serving some admittedly appetizing seafood concoctions to the rest of the crew. I think for the next few days I’ll opt for some quiet meals in my Ready Room, and with Hannah and the girls, however...