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Charlie, you bring up a good point about the dalek.
As you know, one was found during out previous mission and you could say that it provided strength to a species that was out to destroy a peaceful species. But that dalek was in a suspended state within its metallic container. I do believe that specimen is retained somewhere, but at this time I do not know its whereabouts.
You are correct about the inability to reason with it or to instill any sort of what we call caring or emotion in it. But your theory about gene therapy is quite a valid one. Because we have a "do no harm" policy, we can't just randomly find a peaceful compassionate intelligence, locate its source of goodness and then splice those genes into a dalek (I suspect kindness and empathy are multifactorial and therefore subject to multiple loci).
Maybe the best way to proceed is to obtain a specimen from the dalek the Federation has in captivity ... looking for the tiniest bit of DNA in its surroundings (certainly it must shed the tiniest bits of itself, even through its metallic shell) and DNA map that creature. Then, identify a possible species or two as a DNA donor, ask its leadership if they are willing to participate, and finally identify the location of those qualities that are lacking in a dalek—kindness, empathy, reason, and loss of extreme vanity. Encapsulate the "magic pill" and using the dalek's vanity, trick it into ingesting the treatment. Tell the dalek the pill will give it additional powers such as mindreading or immortality, or the ability to go invisible to attack and destroy a "lesser species" ... that's the good thing about narcissism!
This may indeed be a worthy project for a group of dedicated unafraid scientists.
Hmmmm, I think being an agnel cat give a little bit of an advantage with the virtual varmints, but not a big one. these guys can be pretty tough. But I will take them all on.
Harley, how about you and I team up, sort of like Jenny and Cammi did. I do have a slight handicap being blind in one eye. I might need a buddy to watch that side.
Patrick and I can team up too, but I want him to think out his moves by himself and not rely on me. So we will probably do some alone and some together.
After reading my chapters, I decided to take on a virtual varmint. During my lifetime, I had not met other animals outside of other pets, and animals I had observed outside my house, and I did not know what to expect.
I decided to program my scenario to surprise me. I stepped inside the holodeck and, although I am a cat who can see in the near-dark, this dark was pervasive and apprehension surrounded me.
Suddenly a crack of light appeared high above me as if a window was opening and the light became brighter. I saw I was in a lovely garden outside a house. It was early morning. My apprehension almost left me as I took in the beauty of the scene. Where was the virtual varmint? Then I saw it...a tiny, lovely hummingbird hovering at a beautiful red trumpet-like flower. I went over to it and observed a moment. This couldn't be it...this bird was too lovely!
I spoke to the bird, "Hello, tiny hummingbird, I mean you no harm." The bird turned and flew closer to me. Suddenly and without warning, its tiny beak opened and it rushed at me, not just pecking, but stabbing me with it's beak! I jumped back, shielding my face, but it was too fast and kept attacking! How was I to stop its attack?
I suddenlywent limp purposely rolling over on my back. I made myself vulnerable and watched as the bird stopped its attack, looking at me with eyes that seemed more than avian. As it made a beeline for my stomach. I suddenly grabbed it in my paws as it zoomed down and stood up ON the bird. It yelped for a moment, then disappeared as the scenario ended and I saw the stark walls of the holodeck appear around me.
I have read my chapters! I was excited to start the scenario! Magic said he had programmed the holodeck to surprise him and I thought I would do the same.
I went in quietly so no one would hear me. It was OK. No one was there. I was in a wooded area and there wasn't much light. I walked through the brush wondering what was going on. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, a squeak. Looking behind me, I saw an army of mice! And leading them was a giant black rat with pointed nasty-looking teeth! I stepped back a bit...all the mice had dangerous looking teeth too!
I can take on mice and even a rat with the best of them, but golly gee whiz...this was an army...and they were after me! I swallowed hard and backed up. The rat leaped on me, grabbing onto my tail! The mice followed him and swarmed all over me! I would squish one and another woud take its place!
They were pulling out my fur and biting hard. The rat was chewing on my tail! I wanted to call for help, but there wasn't anyone to call to! Then I started to concentrate on the rat and tried to ignore all the mice. I forced my tail up and down and slammed the rat to the ground over and over. The mice stopped biting and I gained more strength as I realized the rat was their leader and without his direction, the mice didn't know what to do!
I kept pounding the rat and finally he let go....I turned and grabbed him with my paws, flinging him through the air into a small nearby pond. I ran over to see the rat sinking slowly in the water, no sign of life. The mice looked frightened and scattered. I looked at myself, bleeding, my fur ripped out and I felt a big gash on my nose. As the scenario ended, my wounds disappeared and I stepped out of the holodeck, still a little shaken, but happy at my first victory.
I encourage teamwork in Black Ops training! It shows an ability to work with others, to access each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Even though we've had virtual varmint around for awhile as an entertainment tool, it sure takes on a new flavor as a psychopathic challenge, doesn't it?
Did you all enjoy Matt's chicken enchiladas for dinner?
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