Ensign Mercedes Carpenter Assistant Medical Officer USS Chimera NCC 96899 = Morgue Mercedes looked at the two Vulcan bodies laid out on the examing tables before her in the small morgue. She walked closer and studied their bodies up and down. “Computer, begin post-mortem log, Stardate 240411.20, examining officer Ensign Mercedes Carpenter.” The computer produced a beeping noise that meant it had started recording. Mercedes walked over to the bed of the second subject and reached down to the panel on the side of the bed. She activated the surgical support frame and as it extended to cover the body, programmed it to perform a biomolecular scan. Walking back to the first body, she began to perform her exam. “Subject A is a fully developed Vulcanoid male, species Homo Eridani; age is approximated at 42 years. Hair colour is brown, eye colour is dark brown. Height is 6’5” and weight is 156lbs. Complexion is pale with a slight green hue. Identity is as yet unknown. “On visual examination, all limbs appear wholly intact. Contusions are prevalent on the neck and thorax. Those on the thorax are elongated in shape and appear to have been inflicted by another person. Contusions on the back of the neck surround the primary nerve targeted for a Vulcan nerve pinch. However, in typical cases where a nerve-pinch had been used, only one bruise would be present. At least five separate bruises are present, indicating that whoever inflicted it, was either uncertain if it had been effective, or had repeatedly attacked the nerve as a result of possibly rage.” “Biomolecular scan on Subject B complete,” the computer interrupted. “No anomalies detected.” Mercedes activated the surgical support frame on the bed of the first body to perform the same scan, and then moved over to Subject B and began to examine him. As the minutes began to tick by, she continued her examination. What she discovered confused her. From what she could determine, Subject A had been attacked by Subject B, almost in a frenzied manner. There was no indication that Subject A ever defended himself. The rest of the examination provided no unexpected results. Their internal organs were of normal size and mass; the skeletal frames revealed no abnormalities; lymphatic and nervous systems showed no degradation or hyperstimulation; brain size and mass was normal at 1600cc, without any hemorrhaging or damage present. Mercedes stood back and wiped her brow. She forgot how tiring autopsies could be, especially comparative autopsies. Walking over to the sink to wash her hands, she ran the procedure through her mind trying to find if she’d missed anything. She couldn’t find any physical evidence why what happened had happened. The problem had to be with the shuttle… unless the blood results and brainstem fluid analysis revealed anything more. She hoped Andersen would have some more conclusive results. She finished cleaning up and then left the morgue to call the orderlies so that the bodies could be placed back into cryostasis. =