From:		alligator1
Date:		18 May 1996 04:06
To:		U.S.S. Lafayette
Subject:		RE: Crew Quarters

<Lt. j.g. Lectron, Crew Quarters>

	As Lectron entered his quarters, he walked straight to the replicator.  "Give me a Mayorian Still Ale."  The brew materialized, and Lectron grabbed it and took a big gulp.  Why did I save the Captain's message?  How can I decode it?  Lectron knew from his academy training that breaking a code was a difficult thing--almost impossible.  But, given enough time, it could be done.  Should I even try?  I can't resist--that is what makes me what I am--hard problems that can't be solved.
	Sitting at his terminal, he tapped in his security code and pulled up the Captain's message.  Would the computer understand what was happening?  There was a chance the computer would note the addressee and notify the Captain.  Was it worth it?  
	A few hours later, he wasn't any farther along in deciphering the message than he had when he started.  Enough of that, the computer had notified him that the genetic information was downloaded from Slater's Planet.  He decided to get on that--his other task seemed insurmountable.  
	The shape shifters on Slaters seemed to have a standard DNA code--with a few kinks here and there.  The shape shifting had something to do with the reorganization of the DNA code--something similiar to what happened to humans when they manufactured new cells.  The DNA code in the nucleus unzipped and the RNA made a copy of the DNA template for reproduction.  Except in Slater's population, what took humans a few hours, happened throughtout the body in a few seconds.  One would figure that the energy drain for something like that would be impossible, but it seemed that the Slater's stored immense amounts of energy in each cell--much more than was needed to sustain the everyday demands of life.  However, the shape shifting wasn't a process that could be done in short time intervals.  A Slaters could shape shift but the reversal had to wait for 8 hours--and sometimes more.  The metabolic demand was just too much. 
	The data showed that the disease wasn't really affecting the initial shape shift, but the return to standard form.  Any return to natural ended with illness, and in the severe cases, death.  The deaths were excrutiating--the person just withered away--almost like an Aids patient of the late 20th century.  It was like the immune system and metabolic process were just being shut down.  I need to understand the chemistry of the energy storage process--that has to be a key.  Something is happening after the initial shape shift, and it has to do with the strorage and immune cell function.  
	Lectron read on--it seemed to him that the Slater's folks could just stop the shape shifting until this whole mess was cleared up.  But it wasn't as simple as that.  The shape shifters did it as a matter of course.  It was kind of like a stress reaction in humans.  When faced with a difficult situation, the Slaters would just unconsciously shift--it was as natural as smiling on a human planet.  No wonder they were asking for help.  But all the medical stuff on the Lafayette wouldn't help--only and understanding of what was happening--that was the key.  
	Lectron's eyes felt like sand paper.  He needed sleep--but so much to do.  He decide to take a nap--a few hours.