Ask Naboo Transparency and (Near) Humanity

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Spoiler: OOC Note

For all those with Senator characters wishing to participate, please ask me first and let me know so I may tag you, thank you!

This was a big moment. It was one fraught with risk and peril. She had been raised around politicians all her life; her Mother had garnered favors and rubbed shoulders with those highest on Paqualis III. She knew all too well that those that walked with the guise of solidarity but secretly schemed for their own agendas. She was very likely walking into a den of wolves, but... she promised. She had to be clean, and honest, with those in power to provide the best step forward.

Unlike the last time this was a closed forum, all comms and external communication devices were banned. This was a private, closed Forum with the members of the Galaxy's finest representatives, and the docket was a loaded one. One was labeled about the approval for human, and near-human, trials. The other was an unmarked mystery until it would be addressed.

She stood tall, waiting patiently until the delegates would arrive. She herself could have easily gone for elegance, but she wasn't here to dazzle or impose. She was dressed in a simple black blouse and slacks, with her armored coat and white hair kept free. On the desk before her, she had her datapad and a single datastick, but little else in the way of technology.

As they would arrive, she would make sure to stand tall, bowing to each at their arrival. Once all would be settled, she would firm her shoulders, her voice calm, light amongst the Forum. "Delegates, members of the FWA, the New Republic, the ISC, and the Order. Thank you for your time. First, I would like to address approval for the inital phase of sentient testing for Anabolic Myohypertrophic Stimulator, or the AMS virus. We have collected sample strains from the Core, Mid-Rim, Outer Rim, and Outer Territories, and wish to discuss the possible implications of testing with this virulent disease." She would pause and then tilt her head. "The second item of addressing will be brought to attention after the first."

"I have concerns," she continued, "regarding the lives of those who will be tested for the efficiency of a plausible vaccine. We do not know yet of any side effects, but it would be preferred to have safeguards in place for those that would volunteer to risk their lives."

@Wit @Isen @Nefieslab @Sreeya

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[Soygun York]

Well, this was it. The moral implications of what was being proposed were quite significant. In order to test a vaccine or a cure, you had to infect test agents with AMS. And that, no doubt, was a huge leap of faith. It was also dangerous. It wasn't just dangerous for the person being injected, but for those who the infected might contact and infect as a result.

York turned on his microphone and asked the most basic questions that simply had to get out of the way. "Doctor, thank you for joining us today. I know that there will be no easy answers, and I want you to realize that the people sitting in these seats understand that. There are huge risks, moral dilemmas, and medical queries that I don't know that anyone is prepared to answer with certainty. I don't envy your position, but I am thankful that you are willing to put yourself in it."

York would pull out a sheet and look over some of the basics of the situation, and use it as a cheat sheet of sorts to ask the very basics. "So, here are a few quick questions so we can get clarity. One, how effective are the clinical trials on non-sentients? Two, who are we allowing to volunteer, and are we compensating them? Three...we have to assume that any vaccine will not be perfected in the early going. This means that test subjects would be...infected. What do we do with the test subjects and what safeguards will be in place to ensure that those who could potentially become infected are safely confined away from others?"

@Killa Ree @Wit @Sreeya @Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

While Emryc Thorne may have been away for his health since the incident on Denon, he hadn’t left his seat vacant. A sharply dressed twi’lek woman had been an integral part of the ISC since the beginning. She had helped drive the campaign forward and had been appointed in place while he was gone. The woman had covert Imperial ties, and she also had a pulse on the Syndicates.

Sharp, amethyst eyes took in sight of Doctor Morata as she spoke. The gaze then flicked over to Governor York and his questions. The woman, known to them as Alaina Tiran, considered her words carefully. Perfectly manicured nails drummed against the desk where she sat, the hawk-like gaze coming to rest on the white haired woman.

“Pending that the trials thus far have been successful, or you would have come here to waste our time, have we considered the use of prisoners slated for execution?” She asked after a moment of pause to follow up on York’s question, “Perhaps the recent Sith prisoners the Free World Alliance currently holds? I can’t imagine a reason to release them back into the galaxy.”

Her tone was nonchalant and matter of fact. Nevertheless, she would hear all perspectives on this before making any judgment calls.

@Killa Ree @Isen @Wit @Nefieslab

 

[Caliban Drast]

Caliban was not comfortable with the line of thought that was proposed by Thorne's representative. Forcing prisoners to volunteer for these trials, while he understood the thinking behind the proposal it was too cold and inhuman for his liking. There were moral implications, and this was a line he was not willing to cross. But she did raise a good point, and one he agreed with her on.

"Doctor," he said with a look towards the Twi'lek representative speaking for Thorne, before turning towards the Doctor, "I second Representative Tiran's concerns. The standard procedure in the development of such a vaccine is fairly standard across the Galaxy." He glanced down at the paper passed to him by an aide, containing a report prepared for him from his epidemiology expert. "The exploratory stage identifies antigens that are most successful at combating the effects of the virus. Only after the successful conclusion of the exploratory stage would the development proceed to the pre-clinical stage, involving tests on cell cultures and animal subjects." He returned the paper to his aide with a nod of thanks before returning his attention to the doctor. "That was a report put together by the chief epidemiologist in employ of the AMS task force, a woman whose words I take very seriously on this matter. How favorable were the results of the testing which form the basis of you desire to proceed to clinical trials? I understand time is against us, but there still needs to be some adherence to scientific standards. Would such tests not give us some idea of the potential side effects of the next phase of testing involving sentient beings?"

He did not touch on the proposal of using prisoners, but it was at the back of mind. He was sure it would come up again, but for now he did not want the discussion derailed by moral arguments. There were factual discussions that needed to be, and could be, concluded before they opened up that can of worms.

@Killa Ree @Sreeya @Isen @Nefieslab

 

[Queen Parnelli]

The single biggest, most important, vote of the Galactic Senate's existence was relating to the biggest health crisis that the Galaxy had ever seen... and she hadn't heard from Emryc at all. On a purely pragmatic level, she didn't like how it looked that their chief representative wasn't here in person for such a vote. However on a personal level? She was self-aware enough to admit that she was worried about him.

The practical and pragmatic side was was sorted easily by why he was away. But that exact same reason was why she was so concerned. Still, she was a politician through years of practice and dedication and she would not let her attachment to one man ruin her famous composure or have her remain silent on such a key issue.

No matter which man it was.

Talking about sentient volunteers was never an easy topic and the mention of using prisoners of war...? Emilia leaned forward in her seat as she eyed Alaina Tiran with something approaching softly hidden disdain.

"Any movement to sentient trials should be approached carefully. Care should be taken to not abuse prisoners of war, however, no matter which faction they belonged to." she argued before turning back to the Doctor in question with a nod, "Please doctor, answer Senator's Drast's questions honestly. We know that you are here today in your honest attempts to help save billions of lives."

And make a profit off of it, she was certain but she was enough of a realist to know that was perfectly commonplace in medicine.

@Wit @Sreeya @Isen @Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

The first one to speak had been Senator York. She had been advised that he would be direct and to the point, so she offered a slight nod. However, at the words of Alaina Tiran, she stared directly at the Twi'lek, her features a smooth, almost expressionless mask. Internally however, she had to resist the urge to grind her teeth.

Ah, yes. Using prisoners of the Sith. Sounded like a brilliant idea on paper... but the real-life applications would be a disaster.

She allowed the representative Caliban Drast to speak as well, once again not immediately replying as he listed off an AMS 'expert'. Unnamed, unresourced. She would have preferred an actual name or designation given for this word of a woman a senator trusted, but of course, he was implicating that she perhaps wasn't following galactic protocol. The immense pressure of creating a vaccine meant she had the ISC and the FWA breathing down her neck, yet he had to speak to her about rules?

She drew up to her full height, instead pressing a button for the holo display. The room dimmed, and blue flared to life.

"Senator Drast. With collection samples from the Core, Inner Rim, Mid-Rim, and Outer Rim, each displayed already strain discrepancies and mutations unique to one another. One of which was ease of transmission, and adaptations to species. Cellular testing with the strains from the Core to the Mid-rim proved successful, with three test subjects, LFD5, LFD3, and LFD2 proving less-than-satisfactory results." Amber eyes leveled in his direction, as the image shifted. "And with testing branching into non-sentients, four reported with less-than qualifying results. However, for kath-hound trials, the common noted side effects were nausea, fever, and general tiredness lasting for a two-to-three standard day cycle period, in which when exposed to the virus proved to have strong immunity. However, each injection site produced a white ring around it; we are still testing to determine if it's simply a side effect or something greater."

She stared him down again as the holo shut off and the lights brightened once again. "The results look favorable, but I called this meeting out of caution, and approval for the next step."

However, at the Queen's words, she offered another nod. "I would be reluctant to use prisoners, simply for the fact that AMS is known to heighten aggressive behavior, among other side effects. Containment would be difficult. Compensation could be necessary as well, provided if they have families who could sue in favor of abuse. I would request that those for the initial trials be given a disclosure act, with the option of compensation for their families. I intend to treat my control groups as humanely as possible."

@Nefieslab @Sreeya @Wit @Isen

 

[Julia Hipori]

Flicking through the notes provided for today's session, Julia circled a few items, underlined here and there, picking out various details that may be of greater interest to her Governorship. Lahsbane was a bizarre outpost, more of a remote 'orbital body' than a planet, but, nonetheless, it afforded her a seat at this table, and for that, she was thankful. She was not attending the session in person, as was commonplace given the current health concerns the Galaxy faced, and so she watched the proceedings through her vid-screen, and listened intently to what the others had to say.

One of the major concerns was the capacity for the trials of the vaccine to go wrong, and the process itself to do likewise. Ultimately, people undergoing the process would need to be infected themselves, some of them may not survive. This in itself was not a major concern to her, after all, sacrifices had to be made, but for others at the session, it was a major stumbling block - just who would they test this on? The suggestion from Aliana Tiran was one that Julia could get behind but seemed to stun some of the others.

Doctor Morata, the expert in this session, seemed to be most concerned with the humane treatment of her control groups. Understandable for one in her profession, and manageable for those with the capacity to see past such hindrances.

"Doctor Morata...." Julia began, before realising she was on mute. She paused, tapped the mute off and began again "Doctor Morata, your concerns have merit, we all, I am sure, want to ensure the professional and secure containment of the control groups, as well as their humane treatment. Security must be at the centre of this drive, so if I may I, what considerations have you made for the tests to be done remotely, for example here on Lahsbane, one of the remotest orbital bodies in the region. Is there a possibility that the vaccine samples could be shipped here, and then administered in a controlled, and remote, environment, for example, one of our disused orbital stations?" Julia asked.

 

[Soygun York]

York stood again to talk. "I understand we want to treat those who are part of the trials humanely, but we can't allow the test subjects to be free. We can't take the risk of putting them on an isolated planet on the assumption they won't find a way to get ship-bound somewhere else. Once they are injected with the virus, they have to be in a cell, period. This virus, while deadly, gives....the animated deads for lack of a better term, super strength and speed and aggression. We can't allow these test subjects to walk around freely, even with others who are part of the clinical trials. If they turn, they'll kill the other test subjects, and then they'll turn. And then we will get no meaningful data from the others."

He sighed and shook his head. "It sounds awful, and it is. But this is a bad situation, one that is threatening the very existence of sentient life in the galaxy. If the responsible thing is to keep the test subjects isolated and locked up...maybe using prisoners around the galaxy who are serving life sentences is the most pragmatic choice. They're already locked up, and we already have access to their medical histories."

York sat. He knew that would not be popular, but at the same time, York figured they were beyond playing politics and they needed to handle this threat for what it was. And if the vaccines didn't work and the criminals died from it, well, that was less of a financial burden on the penal systems around the galaxy.

@Nor'baal @Killa Ree @Nefieslab @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Queen Parnelli]

Emilia was beginning to see the writing on the wall even though she disagreed with it personally. The use of prisoners to test the countermeasures to a deadly virus was a 'tempting' and 'obvious' answer to some. But the process itself would involve injecting living sentient creatures with their trial version of vaccines before literally injecting them with a bioweapon.

The results from the kath hound trials were promising; while not as complex an organism as a humanoid, they were living creatures and their cells reacted accordingly. They had several reports of animals being infected by AMS and reacting the exact same way as humanoids so if a vaccine on them worked, even with side effects, then it stood to reason it would work on humanoids as well.

Though testing would be very much preferred first of course.

Containment of prisoners deliberately infected with the virus would be a further cost and added security risk. That Hipori immediately jumped to inviting any and all potentially infected people to use her location as a 'safe space' was slightly alarming. Did she not think about how that isolation could come back to, literally, bite her and her people? They were isolated - who would come and assist them if there were so separate? It was a risk that didn't need to be taken.

"And what of those prisoners held under a lifetime sentence for political reasons?" she countered York's suggestion, "Let us not lose sight of the fact that if we use prisoners or prisoners of war we are injecting them with a vaccine that has had some success in trials but the process then requires us to inject them with a bioweapon."

Emilia shook her head slightly.

"Yes we are scared for our people and for the Galaxy as a whole but if we sanction the use of bioweapons and other medicines on prisoners, we set a dangerous precedent that could potentially be abused in the future. Instead..." she turned her attention to the Doctor in the room instead, "Have we considered cloning as a viable alternative? My bio-engineering knowledge is not degree level but it is my understanding that we should be able to clone various organs and tissue from many different species, test the vaccine and virus within them and know that it would be effective in those species since we used only their genetic material. We wouldn't need to grow them to full size or even to the point that they have active brainwaves; just enough that their organs function as they should so they'll react appropriately."

@Nor'baal @Killa Ree @Sreeya @Wit @Isen

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Curiously, the holo-image of the Senator of Lahsbane had something else to offer. But again, it was an idea that, though perhaps filled with good intentions, was on another path to hell. And there was a reason why there was the phrase 'the path to hell was paved with good intentions'. She regarded the woman calmly, and she nodded once, seeming to agree. However, her words were crisp, clear.

"The concern for having such tests remotely sounds ideal, but what if there is a critical security error? One misplaced walking specimen, an accidental bite, and the effects of a remote study are amplified. I would not want to put any more people at risk, Madame Senator, especially with the consideration given me." Her concern was valid; the fact that it had spread in the first place was carelessness for error; she had to work as best she could to avoid such errors as well. Plus there was that one senator that had publicly reached out to her on the Holonet with a shipment of specimens; the risk of it spreading in a remote planet were great. And she was reluctant to ship out trial vaccines to a world she knew nothing about. The risk of pirating would be great.

However, it was the Queen's own words that arrested the Doctor's attention next. Cloning wasn't something she had considered, but the answer was obvious. Though her own people, the Arkanians, would be impossible to work with unless, in dire straits, there were other people who would perhaps be more amenable with saving the galaxy. With a cost, no doubt, but was it not the Kamino peoples that were known for their cloning technology before the Empire rose to power? She nodded once, tilting her head towards the woman.

"The use of cloned material would lead to less error as well. Though the use of prisoners is a commendable idea," she glanced to Senators York and Drast, "I hesitate for the risk not only of prisoners' lives, but the guards, and the possibility of spread in prison populace, not to mention containment. But biological samples, cloned from species, would not only not put more sentient lives at risk, but it could also be much more easily contained and controlled for vaccine testing."

As it was, however, there were more items on the docket, but time was ticking fast. She was anxious to begin testing, and once human and near-human trials would be complete, she could bring up the rest of her concerns.

"I concur with the Queen for the ideas of cloning, and would like to reach out to experts of the cloning field to provide a humane way to test without putting more of our people at risk, prisoners or not. Do we all have an accord?" A slight smile touched her lips as she regarded the group. No doubt there would be those to debate the issue, but she would hear them out first before departing, to hear what they would have to say.

@Sreeya @Nefieslab @Isen @Wit @Nor'baal