MISSION Meet with Senesky Ambassador Kahurie to discuss ecological problem and possible Starfleet-assisted solutions.
OUTCOME Starfleet personnel developed good understanding of Senesky dilemma. Ambassador Kahurie returned to Senesky Prime while we deliberate proposals and follow-up. USS Reyga remains in orbit for further study of situation.
KEY PERSONNEL
CAPT Kermit, J., CMDR Sedai (USS Reyga)
CAPT Lesyak (USS Aspasia)
CAPT Timoreev (USS Attar)
CMDR Warner (USS Dragon)
LCDR Hāajah
ENS Vemok (USS Mariner)
NARRATIVE
Starfleet task force gathered in USS Reyga conference room to await the arrival of Admiral Kahurie, who beamed aboard from Senesky Prime and was escorted promptly to present. The Seneskyās issue in a nutshell is thus:
Seneskii culture and industry developed in tandem with the domestication and proliferation of their native megafauna species, the Stormback. This gentle giant historically provided them with a source of renewable natural raw materials that carried them through all of ancient and near-modern history/development. The megafauna is the prevailing symbol of their cultural identity, even though they have become less dependent on it for raw resources, needing only primarily the pergium fuel component.
Gallicite is an essential nutrient in the Stormbackās diet, needed for overall health and production of pergium.
Senesky Primeās natural gallicite deposits are running low and projections indicate they will face shortages and declining herd health if they do not eventually acquire more sources. Though the native civilization might survive a transition, it would be a devastating blow to their spiritual identity if the population starts to decline heavily or go extinct entirely.
Senesky has tried to establish mining operations in the outer reaches of their solar system, where significant natural gallicite deposits are found on the various icy bodies, but these facilities have consistently been disrupted and destroyed by pods of Stellar Stormbacks, a cosmozoan variant of the terrestrial Senesky stormback.
Ambassador Kahurie requests Starfleet assistance in determining how to safely establish mining operations, with all due respect to the stellar stormbacks, or otherwise present a solution to the gallicite shortage.
After the Ambassador returned to his planet, discussion ensued between present personnel on avenues of investigation to pursue. CAPT Kermit issued an order to move Reyga out to the outer planets to see if we could engage safely with some stellar stormback specimens; we located a pod of ten individuals in the orbit of Senesky-G and proceeded to undertake some rudimentary experimentation with their behavior and perception.
RECOMMENDATION Continued exploration of possibilities continues. Personnel have been encouraged to submit their formal proposals of solutions and considerations as addendums to this report.
It seems probable, as per CAPT Kermitās suggestion and LCDR Hāajahās concerns, that a two-fold solution is necessary here: one short term to stem ramifications from a gallicite shortage, while also having one long term and sustainable solution.
ADDENDUM After studying the available information on the Stormbackās stellar navigation capabilities, I believe I have come up with a decent solution that will mitigate harm to their normal migratory patterns while allowing for safe operations to resume.
Using a net of radiation emitting buoys around the mining facilities, it would be possible to disrupt or alter the natural electromagnetic fields of the stellar bodies where the Gallicite may be found. This could in essence create a turbulent traffic lane that the Stormbackās would avoid, or possibly even create a navigational black hole that they would perceive as dangerous to enter.
With sufficient shielding there should be little to no risk near the facilities. When the Gallicite has been harvested the buoys can be rendered inert to avoid any long term impact on the Stormback population.
ADDENDUM FILED BY
CAPT Timoreev, Andrej A.
LCDR Sumida, K.
This is an addendum to the filed report, containing suggestions on possible solutions to the Senesky problem.
As already suggested by Capt. Timoreev during the meeting, it may be possible to find a technological solution to the problem. Thanks to the data relayed by the U.S.S. Reyga, the Xenobiology Department of the U.S.S. Attar, in collaboration with the Engineering Division, has further developed a plan along the same lines.
While the details are enclosed in the attached file, it is necessary here to highlight at least the main points of the envisioned line of action.
PREMISE
The premise of the plan is that it would be possible to shield the mining activities from the attention of the Stellar Stormbacks in order to make it possible for the collection of gallicite to be carried on undisturbed during a short-term time frame.
During the first survey carried by the U.S.S. Reyga, it has already been noted by Capt. Kermit the possibility that the Stellar Stormbacks may emit specific kinds of emissions during their eating process (i.e. the process that subsequently leads to the conversion of pergium into gallicite). These emissions, or better the lack of them, may be what prompts the Stormbacks to attack any kind of mining activity. In other words, it may be plausible that what the Stormbacks achieve by attacking is to protect their own feeding grounds from those that are not recognized as members of their own species, i.e. not emitting their same type of emissions.
Further study is needed to determine whether this hypothesis holds true and, if so, what kind of emissions the Stormbacks actually produce. In order to explore both possibilities (i.e. the presence of specific emissions, or lack thereof), the following plan is developed along two concurrent lines.
PROPOSAL
The risk of inflicting damage (lethal or non-lethal) to the Stormbacks was one of the main concerns that has emerged from preliminary discussions concerning the possibiltiy and opportunity of adopting specific shielding techniques to protect the mining activities from attack.
This risk was taken in full account during the elaboration of this plan.
In case the emissions are identified, probes will be modified in order to cover a perimeter around the mining activity. These probes will coordinate with the computers of each unit/asset employed for mining, in order to allow them to emit the same kind of emissions, while also creating a series of fake signals - simulating a Stormbacksā herd.
In case no emissions are identified, the probes will still be modified and deployed to create a perimeter around the mining activity. Yet, in this case their purpose will be to create a āsphereā of tetryon or verteron particles. This āsphereā will basically hid the sources of pergium from the Stormbacksā view, allowing their mining unhindered.
RECOMMENDATION
In order to carry out this proposal further study is needed. In particular, it should be determined the existence, and nature, of the emissions released by Stormbacks. Also, it is necessary to ensure that their metabolism would not be adversely affected by the release of tetryon or verteron particles.
We suggest the immediate deployment of one or more ships with the necessary scientific capabilities to continue studying the Stormbacks and their etology.
//SIGNED//
Lt. Cmdr. Kanae Sumida
Xenobiology Department,
USS Attar
//COUNTER-SIGNED//
Capt. Andrej A. Timoreev
Commanding Officer,
USS Attar
The USS Aspasia, in coordination with the USS Reyga, conducted a series of scientific surveys and surface operations regarding the āStellar Stormbackā herds. The primary objectives were to establish a behavioral profile of the species, investigate their metabolic conversion of gallicite to pergium, and acquire mineral samples for further study.
2. Summary of Activities
Captain Lesyak directed the Science Department to perform a comparative analysis between Stormbacks and known cosmozoans (Cnidarian Jellyfish, Gekli) and terrestrial cetaceans. Results indicated that while Stormbacks share ābulk feedingā traits with whales, their digging behaviors and lack of interstellar travel make them a novel discovery.
2.1 Metabolic Research
Coordination with the Horta Mining Association concluded that the Stormbackās conversion of gallicite to pergium is a biological process (likely involving a lithotrophic microbiome) and is not practically reversible or scalable for industrial use.
2.2 Surface Operation (Senesky-G)
A shuttle team utilized EM-camouflage to mimic Stormback signatures. The team successfully landed 500 meters from a feeding pod. Utilizing phasers on low-power cutting settings, the team acquired several gallicite mineral samples. Observations confirmed that the creatures are sensitive to the physical/electrical disturbance of mining rather than the mere presence of outsiders.
2.3 Xenobiological Interaction
Petty Officer Tannik attempted a Vulcan mind-meld with a specimen. The creature appeared disinterested and non-hostile, eventually lumbering away.
2.4 Controlled Variable Testing
Four probes were deployed to test herd reactions. Probes mimicking Seneskii EM signatures were ignored, but a probe featuring an active drill head was immediately attacked and destroyed. How are Stormbacks able to perceive the disruption of their feeding grounds still remains unanswered. Field scanning of gallicite veins did not show any interaction between the mineral veins and the EM field generated by the herd.
3. Current status
USS Aspasia remains in the orbit of Senesky-G until further notice and under Yellow Alert. No particular recommendations in light of Seneskiiās diplomatic request can be offered at this time.
ADDENDUM As other officers have focused their proposals on solutions for the short or long term shortage of gallicite, this proposal will present a different angle that is centered on addressing the long-term concern that the venerated Stormbacks are nutritionally dependent on a rare and finite resource that will become more and more difficult to acquire as time goes on.
I understand that previously the Seneskii have spent some of their recent history researching a synthetic replacement for gallicite, though these efforts were quickly abandoned without any results. I would propose that it is not necessary to synthesize gallicite wholly, but only the components which provide the particular nutritional benefit that the Stormbacks require. To take this one step further, however, I would suggest that it should actually be feasible to examine the Stormback genome and engineer specific alterations to modify the nutritional requirements specifically to make a synthetic alternative more compatible, thereby moving the species in a direction of being fully independent of gallicite and onto more easily acquirable alternatives.
Without prolonged study of Stormback genetics, I cannot say for sure if this course is feasible to pursue. But the theoretical evolution of the domestic Stormback suggests strongly that the direction is logical. Given that the terrestrial Stormback is theorized to have descended from a cosmozoan ancestor, then they have already evolved to a point where their dietary needs have drifted significantly from their origins; they are able to intake vegetation for the majority of their daily calories, and the actual benefit of gallicite (conversion to pergium) is already minimized given that domestic Stormbacks no longer leave the ground. If the genome were to be further nudged to no longer require the massive energy benefit that gallicite provides (which is the challenging part to synthesize), then a cheaper substitute should be entirely attainable.
I understand that given the cultural significance of the Stormbacks, the Seneskii reaction must obviously be considered with great care if this proposal is to be offered to them, but given the potential long term benefit, I would have felt remiss in not presenting it at all.
