Posted by Lieutenant Fey Kastil (Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim - GLaDOS visits sickbay

Posted by Lieutenant Commander GLaDOS (Chief Science Officer) in Side sim - GLaDOS visits sickbay

Posted by Lieutenant Fey Kastil (Chief Medical Officer) in Side sim - GLaDOS visits sickbay
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
GLaDOS checked her PaDD to make sure it contained all the prevalent information. It wouldn’t do to show up at sickbay with the wrong PaDD. She was glad her personal maintenance was not as intensive as it used to be, and she now only needed monthly check-ups to ensure her biological and mechanical components were not rejecting one another. The data and materials from Light-Mirror her had helped with that.

She glanced down at her arm and almost smiled. So much of it was real arm now. More each week as she peeled away layers of metal to make room for the growing tissue. With a small intake of breath, the CSO entered sickbay. She almost laughed at the… Environment the CMO had set up. It felt like her old office on the Viking. Designed, intentionally or not, to intimidate. It made her feel almost welcome. She placed the PaDD on a chair, and patiently waited for someone to approach.

Lt. Cmdr. GLaDOS, CSO

The Doctor came out of her office in a fresh lab coat and a small stasis container. “I’m glad to see you, I do have to inform you that your medical records were not delivered so I hope you brought a copy. I’m afraid I’ve not had much opportunity to work on Borg physiology, is there anything specific I should know before I begin?” The woman was only slightly taller than GLaDOS and was mostly sinew and bone. She had taunt muscular structure that clearly didn’t get whatever it was that affected her bone structure as they didn’t reach the points they were supposed to really well. The sharp angles and unusual proportions made her an oddity, but she was in fact human. It was clear that the rumors that circulated about her were most likely a misperception based on her freakish appearance. A very…human…trait when it comes to things that look that extremely out of place. The other notable difference is while her bone structure is a genetic mutation caused by radiation, her eye coloring is chemical scaring likely from a lab accident.

Her team, on the other hand, consisted of a Vulcan, two humans, and a Denobulan, each busy with some chemistry projects they have going on. A scan of the beakers would reveal quantum signatures on the chemicals that are in flux between pairs of chemical sets. When a new element is introduced to one chemical mix, it’s added to the others via a form of quantum entanglement. A unique method of conducting larger-scale experiments with minimal waste.

• Doctor Fey Kastil

The doctor was certainly an interesting individual. GLaDOS instinctively scanned her, the eye picking up details a biological eye could not. She did not give it much further thought though, moving on to important things.

GLaDOS held the PaDD out towards Dr. Kastil. “I do not send my medical records over main channels. This PaDD contains everything you need to know.” Once the doctor had received the device, the CSO continued. “You are not to connect that device to the main terminals or store the information in your regular database. Due to my… unique physiology, I require monthly examinations, the details are explained. I would like to request a junior officer be assigned to that duty, as I have no wish to take time out of your schedule. As necessary as my check-ups are, they can be performed by any medical officer.”

Doctor Kastil accepted the PaDD and read over the information briefly before looking up to the CSO. “I was not aware that your medical records were going to be such a protected secret. Will we be able to keep this data pad and allow any medical staff to access it?” The doctor hadn’t prepared for this, she wasn’t aware that reformed Borg were being kept that deeply under wraps otherwise she’d have requested a database that wasn’t network connected and had stricter access protocols. Another shortcoming of having to leave ahead of schedule.

“I am a high-ranking member of a highly secretive organization, of a unique species with unique physiological components, and these aspects provide a special… weakness. That could be exploited, and that is not something the ARU wishes to happen. Hence, the classification. The PaDD may remain in sickbay, but cannot be accessed by any medical staff. Only medical staff who need to be directly involved in my medical care are authorized to read the classified bits. If an unauthorized user attempts to read it, it will self-censor down to basic information only.”

This made sense and there was no point in arguing it further so the Doctor let it go and continued to listen to the reformed borg.

The first thing Kastil would notice about the PaDD she had been given was that it was encoded with a layer of ARU encryption. It took a moment to scan her, then the device was unlocked. The PaDD certainly contained a lot, and required quite a scroll down to read the entire thing. It would take more than a few moments to absorb all the information. It contained details regarding the specific biology of GLaDOS’s species - a species long thought extinct, all assimilated by the Borg. Details that GLaDOS and the Federation shouldn’t know, especially since it contained data on organs that GLaDOS did not possess. That detail was included later, in a section detailing what exactly was missing from the Science Chief’s body. Large patches of internal organs, her leg, half her arm - although the data on the PaDD reported the natural arm stopping around halfway between the shoulder and elbow, and GLaDOS clearly had natural skin down right to her elbow.

Doctor Fey frowned at the records, clearly these were out of date and today’s exam would have to update them. “Theses are woefully out of date, how old are they and what is the average rate of regeneration of your organic components? How far are your organic components expected to regenerate?”

GLaDOS looked down at the arm. “Ah, yes. I am hoping to reconstitute the entire arm, but I am unsure if the process I am using will be sufficient for the complexities of a hand. I believe it has been about two months since that particular scan was updated.”

Doctor Kastil pondered on this for a moment and shook her head, “We’ll come back to this, but I want to know more about the process you are using. I may be able to help accelerate the process or it may enlighten me to new methods of limb regeneration in the event of an amputation.”

GLaDOS nodded slightly. She wasn’t sure that it would work for most people, as most people didn’t have the tolerance to pain that she did or the specific biology of her species, but it was worth a try.

The next section of the PaDD was specifically about nanoprobes and how to deal with them when taking tests. And how to test for levels in the blood, something the PaDD explained must be done weekly, while a more thorough examination must be completed monthly. And what results meant that GLaDOS’s immune system was dealing well with the microscopic invaders, and what meant that the former Borg needed immediate medical attention.

There was also information regarding the mechanical side of the Cyborg’s maintenance, but it was marked as ‘for the engineers.’

Fey raised an eyebrow at this and tilted her head curiously. “Our Denobulan, Feira, specializes in medical cybernetics. Would you mind if she was involved with the mechanical maintenance? It might help to maintain your biological/mechanical balance and it ensures that there is a doctor present should something to wrong.”

It seemed that GLaDOS’s very existence hung on a delicate thread, a valance between keeping her mechanical and biological parts in good working order, while also making sure neither half killed the other.

Lt. Cmdr. GLaDOS, CSO

The doctor put the PaDD down for the time being, that was going to be a lot of reading to do later but for now she needed to get the basic stuff out of the way. “So how are we feeling today? Any problems or excess pain anywhere?”

• Doctor Fey Kastil

“A medic who specializes in cybernetics would be helpful, if you wouldn’t mind letting me steal her every so often,” GLaDOS said with a slight smile. It was hard to tell GLaDOS’s emotional state via her voice, as it was a generated voice, but her face usually gave slight hints.

The Doctor waved a dismissive hand, “Not at all, in fact I’ll put her down as your primary care physician with me as the alternate. Perhaps we’ll learn more about your condition as we go.”

“I am not currently experiencing excess pain. There is a tightness around my prosthetic attachment point,” she gestured to her leg, “But that is normal. My last self-test of my blood revealed the nanoprobe levels are getting a little higher than usual, which worries me. I think it may be a result of my arm reconstitution project. They are not pleased.”

GLaDOS, CSO

The Doctor examines her scan of GLaDOS carefully, trying to make sure that the current information is correct in her medical records now. “So how does one safely check on your nanoprobe levels and what should we do if they are too high or low?” The Doctor waved over Ensign Feira so she could also be a part of the conversation. “This is Doctor Feira, I’d like her to hear this as well.”

• Doctor Fey Kastil

“The checking process is simple as a blood test,” GLaDOS explained, nodding to Dr. Feira. She reached down to the exposed portion of her leg and triggered the small compartment there, opening it and freeing up a small device. The device was brought up to her regular arm, and when she pressed it against her skin there was a slight sound, and a tiny amount of blood filled the small chamber of the testing device.

A few whirs and swishes later, and the display showed a .12 percent increase in Nanoprobe levels from last test, a total of 3.04% higher than average. “It keeps track of my previous levels of nanoprobes, and warns when it’s getting dangerous.”

“As for how to deal with it… That’s a little harder.”

GLaDOS, CSO

Doctor Feira takes notes on where the testing node was and how to access it while Doctor Kastil considered things for a moment. “Are we talking something akin to ancient dialysis? Exchanging your nanoprobe blood with probe free blood? How do the nanoprobes work, can they be reprogrammed or given a shut-off command?” The doctor was unsure how to proceed on this at the moment, but she was developing ideas as the conversation went on.

• Doctor Fey Kastil

“I’ve usually used something similar to Dialysis, yes. Blood out via one IV, through a mechano-filter that kills off the nanoprobes, and back in through another IV. Most people would go one arm to another but,” GLaDOS lifted her Borg arm. “Not exactly an option for me. We usually go in near the stomach for the out, and back in on my natural arm. Perhaps in a few months I will be able to have an IV on my right arm as well.”

“The other method consists of trying to reprogram my mechanics to…” She paused for a moment, almost freezing in place. Her bionic eye shutters closed, and her natural eye snapped closed as well. Her breathing halted. Almost five seconds passed before GLaDOS sprung back to action, taking a deep breath. She quietly let out an expletive. “And that’s why I don’t think my particular method will work for other people to regrow limbs…” She muttered to herself, natural hand reaching over to her Borg arm and grasping the intersection between skin and metal, wincing as she did so. “F. That hurts.”

She looked at Kastil and Feira. “Ah, where was I? Reprogramming the Borg components. We make them think there’s more nanoprobes than there actually are. It doesn’t last nearly as long as the blood scrubbing. But it’s a lot simpler and easier to do, so that’s what I have been doing whenever I need to for the last little while.”

• GLaDOS, making up Borg medical care as she goes along

This is when Feira speaks up, “I understand reprogramming the components may be limited in practicality, but can we reprogram the nanoprobes themselves? Not the components, but the tiny machines that are used in the assimilation process itself?” Doctor Kastil thought on this for a long moment and shook her head, “Not here in Sickbay that is for sure. We don’t have the technological equipment to work with nano-scale machines.” Both doctors look to GLaDOS to see if she might have the ability to do that kind of reprogramming. Doctor Kastil, on the other hand, prepares the scrubber that GLaDOS was just describing, no point in avoiding an opportunity to run through the process now.

• Doctor Fey Kastil

“The nanoprobes are produced by certain sub-mechanisms within my bionic organs. The organs are maintained by the nanoprobes. It is a cycle,” GLaDOS explained. “Your idea might be possible, but it would be difficult. Nanoprobes are notoriously resilient. Why do you think the Federation has yet to stop the Borg?”

She let out a small sigh and leaned back on the biobed, closing her eyes for a moment. “Would that I could just rid myself of all of this. It may work to reconstruct the arm, but my internal organs may not be so easy. How does one replace half of a heart?”

GLaDOS, CSO

Doctor Kastil leaned back slightly to think on some ideas for a long moment. “Depends, how do you feel about cloning and how intact are your base genetics?” Doctor Feira clapped excitedly at this idea. “Oh I do love a good ethics debate.” The doctor rolled her eyes at the Denobulan scientist that was getting excited for what she felt were the wrong reasons. “Replacing organs will be easier than you suspect, regrowing damaged or lost organs is something Starfleet has been doing for a while now. We can’t do full limb replacement like you are attempting to do but once your limbs are back, the organs will be easy enough. The next major question being how much Borg do you wish to retain?”

“As for why the Federation haven’t beaten the Borg, that would be because of poor tactics on our part, powerful technology on their part, and a lack of desire for compromise on both our parts. Hence why the fight with the Borg is still ongoing.” The doctor and her counterpart fit the scrubber to GLaDOS and start the process. “How do we safely dispose of the extracted nanoprobes?”

• Doctor Fey Kastil

GLaDOS chuckled lightly. “A large part of my neural processing has been taken over by the Borg systems, which are maintained in part by scattered components all over my body. I have been working for the past few years to determine the exact balance, what components could be replaced and which are… more essential. I do not relish the idea of losing my mental faculties just because I replaced the wrong mechanical component with a biological one. I have determined that the components in my arm were not connected to neural function, which is why I started with that.”

She flexed her arm slightly, staring at the connection between skin and metal. She ran her hand along the connection. “If you are curious as to how I am doing this, I can show you in my quarters. I have a set up. When on the Viking, I and the ship encountered… a different world. It was a parallel universe where everything about the Viking was… better. They were the flagship of their Federation, and my Mirror was a diplomatic officer, an Ambassador from her civilization. She gave me some of her - my - pure genetic material and a method that her - our - species had developed to do such a thing as regrow a limb. They’d tried it on humans and it… didn’t work out. It concerns certain aspects of our ancestral biology. We evolved from a species that could regenerate limbs, so it is as simple as causing those genetic markers to re-activate.”

“As far as disposing of the nanoprobes - isolate them in a Radiation Room and douse them with 20 kJ of Omicron Radiation for a minimum of sixty seconds or more, then incinerate them. It is overkill but it is better than infecting the ship with Borg.”

GLaDOS, CSO