From:		alligator1
Date:		10 June 1996 23:21
To:		U.S.S. Lafayette
Subject:		RE: Briefing Room

<Lt Lectron, Briefing Room>

	It was amazing, McRae had been in sick bay since she had arrived on station, and as far as Lectron knew, she had no access to the information he had been working with.  Yet, she hit some pretty major things that had taken him hours of research.  And she was so damn calm--even though he knew she was winging it.  An excellent job on her part.
	When McRae finished her briefing, Beata sat at the head of the conference table, maybe a bit perplexed.  Lectron waited for the ok to begin his briefing, but the silence lengthened.  What was wrong with Beata?  Must be overwhelmed with his new position.
	When nothing happened for several minutes, Lectron cleared his throat and said, "sir if you are ready, I will add what I've been able to find in my research."
	Beata seemed surprised at this but nodded his ok.
	Lectron stood up and proceeded.
	Last night I got a download from Slater's Planet.  It appears the indiginous population--the Sliders, have some kind of problem with their morphing capability.  The morphing is a genetic thing, and their cells are completely replicated into a new form during the morphing process.  They can only accomplish the change every 8 hours or so, due to the energy demand of the process.  That is except the pre adolescents, which can still morph upon will.  I don't know how they differ--it may have something to do with the lack of certain hormones that are present in adults.  The thing  affecting them allows one morph, but if a second morph is tried, the individual gets sick and slowly withers away--almost like the Aids epidemic on Earth in the late 20th century.  Whatever is happening, I think it has something to do with their cellular energy storage capacity--something is affecting that capacity, and a second morph puts such a stress on the individual, it leads to immune breakdown.  We all know that humans use the ATP moleculeas, the cellular storehouse of chemical energy.  This molecule is made up of amino acids, ribose, and some inorganic phosphate groups.  When the bonds are broken with the phosphate group, energy is released and we have energy for living.  The energy conversions take place within the cell--the mitochondria.  If you remember your organic chemistry from the Academy, you will also remember that it is hydrogen that makes things happen with ATP--it is hydrogen that provides the electrons needed to bind the inorganic phosphates to ADP to make ATP.  This is an area that we need to look at.  In addition, we need to look at the enzymes, because they speed the oxidation and synthesis process.  In fact, I think the enzymes might be a better choice because the chemical reactions in the Sliders seem to happen faster than anything we know as humans.  Without the enzymes, it would be impossible for them to morph.  Anything that affects enzymes or the chemical reaction forming ATP is going to be our culprit.  I have severe doubts that what is happening is happening by chance.  A million years of chemistry doesn't just change overnight.  There is something new in the environment, and we need to find out what it is.  "That's all I have sir.  Any questions?"  
	Lectron sat down.  Beata didn't seem to be too impressed, but he was an ops type.  He probably hated the fact that he couldn't shoot the enemy--chemistry was too little to shoot at.  But on the brighter side, if this whole thing was caused by an outside agent, then Beata would probably get his wish.  Wonder if I will live through that phase?
	Lectron looked over at McRae, and she actually smiled at him.  Maybe she isn't as hard as I thought.  Wonder when I'm going to get a chance to talk to her face to face.  She wasn't striking, but she did have a way about her.  And that damn scar did make her look kind of sexy.