Tuesday, April 28, 2015

X is for Xenology (Star Morphs A to Z Challenge)

Not much longer...
"Xenology" is a kind of catch-all category that can be seen as a bit of a misnomer as it does not refer to non-human sentient species - unless they are unknown to your intrepid crew.  The typical mission of the Xenology department is to study unknown plants animals and other species.  Their main purpose, however, is to contain and control unknown pathogens and diseases, as the enclosed environment of a starship presents the worst-case scenario for an outbreak.


1. Locker Room:  This changing area has more than the ususal amenities, it also includes an decon-chamber and incinerator.

2. Office/Breakroom:  There are a couple of cubicles here and a small dining area for the scientists who routinely pull all-nighters.

3. Examination chamber:  The chamber is hermetically sealed with it's its own dedicated life-support system. The chamber includes a full lab integrated with multiple drug fabricators and testing equipment.

4. Air-Lock/ Clean Room:  This room is the transition between the open areas of the ship and the quarantine zone.  The entire chamber is irradiated with UV, sprayed with disinfectant from overhead nozzles, and stocked with hazmat gear for the scientists that work therein.  There is an incinerator for used items here as well, and three dedicated service drones that are permanently assigned to work in the potentially contaminated environment.

5. Observation Room:  When ever possible, the organic scientists stay in this area and direct the service drones remotely, reducing the chances of contamination.

6. Supply Room:  The large amounts of disposable and specialty gear needed to safely work around the potentially deadly viruses and diseases in the Xenology Department require large amounts of fresh supplies to be on hand at all times.  This room is restocked as often as every four hours when the lab is in use.

7. Lift: There is nothing special about the lift itself, but it is able to open onto the outer corridor as normal or be diverted to open directly into the air-lock, so that samples can be moved directly into containment with minimal chances of contamination.  The lift would then be dropped to an Underdeck zone immediately for service and disinfecting - or in extreme cases, incineration. 

1 comment:

  1. Great choice for X. I like how you have the whole ship planned out here. It's very neat to see that much detail. Great post! If you have time you should stop by and check out my X Post.

    ReplyDelete

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