Contamination ( novel ) " A murderer is loose on the USS " Enterprise " ! Contamination is a Pocket TNG novel – # 16 in the numbered series – written by John Vornholt . Published by Pocket Books , it was first released in . Summary . During an emergency drill , Worf leads a security team to Engineering ; just to keep things interesting , Geordi La Forge has locked the main doors , causing a small additional delay while Worf ' s technical expert overrides the controls . Geordi says their response time was excellent , but Worf is dissatisfied , asking whether the turbolift s can be sped up during a real emergency . Geordi says he can prepare a test run , but " " you ' d better get a security team with strong stomachs . " " Drs . Emil and Lynn Costa are part of the science team working on the micro - contamination project . Highly celebrated scientists married for nearly 50 years , they were credited with perfecting the transporter biofilter before joining the " Enterprise " to pursue any project of their choice . When Lynn deletes a sizable amount of important research collected over the last four years , she is pressed to undergo counseling with Troi , revealing a deep depression and a fear that her husband plans to divorce her . Soon after , she is found dead in one of the starship ' s cleanroom labs . Though it appears that she suffered from an accidental toxic gas leak , Worf ' s investigation reveals clues that suggest a premeditated murder . He questions the rest of the science team , including the Betazoid project manager Dr . Karn Milu , Vulcan Dr . Saduk , Antarian Dr . Grastow , human intern Shana Russell , and of course , his primary suspect , Emil . Worf ’ s investigation comes under a deadline when Lynn ’ s death is officially classified as an accident and Emil announces plans to depart the ship at its next port , Kayron Rock . He tasks Wesley with surreptitiously questioning Emil , his former tutor . Despite interference run by Grastow , Wesley overhears Emil and Karn arguing shortly before Karn is also found dead . Shortly thereafter , Emil boards a shuttlecraft departing the " Enterprise " for Kayron Rock with Picard , Riker , and a delegation of Kreel diplomats aboard . Midway through the shuttle flight , Emil panics and produces a hand phaser , shooting one of the Kreel aides and then destroying the helm controls . As the shuttle drifts into an asteroid belt , the " Enterprise " has to move quickly to rescue them , and Emil is taken into custody . Troi discovers an encoded message hidden within Milu ' s belongings and uses a Betazoid meditation technique to decipher its cryptic contents – " " Lynn is the queen hag , Emil is a naughty jester , Sadok is the heir apparent , Grastow is a footman , Shana is Jasmine . " " She is poisoned by a device hidden in her food replicator before she can fully understand the message or inform Worf of her discovery . At Kayron Rock , Emil is subjected to a hearing to determine his involvement in both murders . He reveals that he and Lynn discovered a unique sub - microbe on Vagra II , undetectable by conventional sensors or biofilters . They studied it in secret for years until Karn learned of its existence and wanted to sell its tremendous weapons potential to the highest bidder . Those are the records that Lynn deleted , but Emil claims innocence in both deaths . Aside , he grabs Worf by the arm and swears that the real murderer is still aboard the " Enterprise " . Investigating Troi ' s fragmented notes on the coded chip , Worf learns that Shana is actually Jasmine Terry , the daughter of Megan Terry , a former associate of the Costa ' s . Twenty years earlier , Megan had been heavily involved in the biofilter project and was having an affair with Emil . He promised to leave Lynn for Megan if Megan surrendered her research , but he reneged on his offer , dismissing her from the project and his life and leaving her ( unbeknownst to him ? ) pregnant . Megan died in disgrace and Jasmine jumped on the opportunity for revenge offered to her by Karn Milu . Karn sought her help in securing the sub - microbe files so she left school , changed her name , and joined the micro - contamination project . However , she put her revenge against Emil ahead of Karn ' s plans and then killed Karn when he threatened to expose her . Now confronted , she threatens to kill Worf but is subdued when he tricks her into riding a turbolift with him and suddenly ordering the high - speed test . By the time the lift reaches Engineering , Worf and Jasmine tumble out , her unconscious . Worf tells Geordi to cancel his request for faster turbolifts , before passing out . Jasmine is arrested and remanded to a penal / treatment facility . Emil is cleared of the murder charges , and the Kreel offer him a teaching position at Kayron ' s Rock – a very genteel form of house arrest – as recompense for his actions aboard the shuttle . The Kreel , who once chafed at the Federation ' s refusal ( under the Prime Directive ) to give them transporter technology , have come to realize that they must develop the knowledge and expertise themselves , and having Emil to instruct their young students will be an excellent start . The rest of the science team is disbanded . Saduk accepts a posting to restart the sub - microbe research from scratch by securing another sample from its source . Troi recovers , and both she and Worf receive congratulations from Captain Picard .