Terraforming emulsion
Terraforming emulsion, also called terraforming fluid or molecular fluid, was an elemental fluid discovered by Starfleet aboard an ancient generation ship in 2380. The fluid was capable of rapidly transforming inorganic material into living organisms, as well as other natural components such as rocks and water, on contact. It was believed that the crew of the generation ship had intended to use this unique terraforming technology to create a habitable environment on a dead planet for colonization.

During the mission by the  and  to tow the generation ship, an error in judgment by Captain  caused a hull breach on the generation ship. A large cloud of terraforming emulsion was released, which was drawn into both starships along their tractor beams and began to transform them on a large scale. On the Cerritos, Captain Carol Freeman and Ensign Beckett Mariner found that the affected areas of the ship were saturated with carbon polymer dust. Thus, they were able to flood the ship with parizene gas and use radiation from the main deflector to revert the transformed matter back to its original state. However the Merced, which suffered greater exposure to the fluid, had been irreparably damaged and needed evacuation. ()

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