Review and Analysis

Posted on Tue Oct 11th, 2022 @ 2:27am by Lieutenant Dr. Daniel Brasken

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 11 at 0745
1388 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

Dana arrived at Sickbay a few minutes ahead of her shift time, smiling warmly as she checked in with the Gamma shift crew regarding any arrivals during the previous evening, not that there seemed to be much going on. She offered a warm smile as she walked across to Daniel’s office and popped her head around the door.

“Knock, Knock.” She stepped just inside offering up a PADD. “Last night’s report, not that there’s much to report.”

Daniel looked up from his desk and rubbed his eyes a moment before reaching for the PADD. "Come on in and have a seat." He motioned to one of the two chairs in his office on the other side of the desk and glanced at the notes. "Nothing you saw out of the ordinary or worth worrying about?"

Dana took a seat offering a warm smile. “Nothing out of the ordinary to worry about.” She absentmindedly scratched her around the implant web on her right hand, from time to time her implants tended to inflame the skin around them. “Would you mind taking a look at this for me..” She held up her hand. “This happens from time to time with all my implants. Topical creams work for a while, but I’d like something that would work better.”

"Hmm..." Daniel vocalized softly as he narrowed his eyes to view her hand.

“I have functioning nanites that have been reprogrammed to maintain my internal implants. They assist with healing where the contact points are in my skin, but not anywhere else around it.” She offered a smile. “I daren’t allow the nanites much more Operation than that, if I do I could start sprouting new implants all over the place, and that could endanger the ship and crew.”

"That sounds more like an allergic reaction than reaction to the joining of cybernetics. Perhaps these nanites are taking something from your body to make their repairs and your body isn't adjusting properly?" Daniel stood and moved around his desk, grabbing his tricorder as he went to start a scan. He reached for her hand to move it gently into a flat, hovering position in front of her and then moved the tricorder probe around it a few moments before then moving to scan the rest of her body.

"Mmm...mhmm.." Daniel snapped the tricorder shut and replaced the probe. "Those little helpers make cursory scans a bit difficult to trust. Perhaps if we get a full scan like our other cyborg from earlier?"

Dana nodded. “That’s fine, I’m used to scans. It’s probably about time my scans were updated anyway.”

With a nod, Daniel pulled the arc from it's storage place in the bed and waited for Dana to lay back before placing it over their feet. He went to the wall console after initializing the device and started the scanner crawling up the bed slowly towards her head.

While the scan progressed, Daniel brought up some files on the nanites and some videos of simulations of them working. "The metal composite that these are made of is not something that we have ever come across that I'm aware of. That probably explains why they can exist in your blood stream without triggering any reaction from your immune system."

Dana nodded. “The Borg are a species that believe assimilation of worlds is the only way. They have no mercy, they will assimilate everything they come across no matter the species. I was once covered head to foot in implants, which I’m very glad to say were able to be removed. The rest were too intertwined with my body systems to be able to be removed, at least not without damage to me in the process. Trust me being part of a hive mind that powerful wasn’t a pleasant experience, I hope we never...ever....have to face them.”

"Understandable goal, considering our own empire. The aesthetics of that though just seems far less pleasant." Daniel
removed the scanner and replaced it in the storage compartment. "Nothing against cyborgs per say, but I just prefer the look and feel of skin than metal. I don't understand why the aesthetics are always ignored...I blame engineers." He smiled at her before turning back to the displays to watch the current status of her dermal layers interacting with the implants. "Ahh, there we are."

Daniel picked up a PADD and brought it over to show Dana. "See here? The metal components are designed to be unnoticed by your immune system to avoid rejection, however, you seem to be having a reaction to the electrical signals themselves."

“Really?” Dana looked at the readings curiously. “So how do we solve the problem? I can’t deactivate my nanites.”

"Well now, if this isn't a teachable moment I do not know what is." Daniel smiled and held out the PADD to Dana. "How might you insulate yourself against the signals?"

Dana took the PADD, she wasn’t normally lost for answers, and her lack of finding a solution was clear to see as she tapped the PADD in annoyance. “I don’t know! Years as part of a huge collective of minds, and yet I can’t...” She paused to calm herself down. “It’s so frustrating!”

"Take a breath, close your eyes and think." Daniel took a seat and watched her closely before continuing. "There are technically two ways to approach it. Deal with the symptoms indirectly or with the cause locally. So the symptoms are itching and inflammation from an increase in electrical signals through your body. You can treat yourself to stop the reaction or insulate your body from the source. A biological dampening field, as it were."

“Like an inhibitor of sorts, almost like an antihistamine?” Dana looked at Daniel curiously.

"Exactly like that. Though instead of blocking things from aggravating the H1-receptor, would insulate your veins and red cells to negate the signals from agitating your nerves and triggering the more intense response." Daniel shrugged and touched a few commands into the PADD to bring up a few medical papers. "Several medications for generalized pain disorders or epilepsy used modified toxins to insulate against this type of things. I would suggest reading up on these papers if you would like to perhaps find your own solution?"

Dana offered a smile. “I may well be a nurse, but I’m not a doctor. Though I guess it wouldn’t hurt to do the research, I’d prefer to run it past you once I’ve decided on it though.”

"By all means. I just figured you would want to expand your horizons. Knowledge of things outside your day to day can only enhance your ability to do your job." Daniel watched her reaction to his comment. She may be a nurse, but that did not mean that was the extent of her ambitions and he wanted to see where she stood.

“I’m always willing to learn Doctor” Dana smiled warmly. “You don’t move up the ladder onboard ship without ambition.”

"Very well. Then I expect to hear back from you within a couple days on your initial findings. I do not expect a solution or I would assume that you were neglecting your duties." Daniel smirked slightly to make sure the comment wasn't as sharp as some might read it. He enjoyed being a teacher when the time permitted. It allowed him to become important to his subordinates and so long as they didn't step out of line and need discipling he was even happy to be pleasant about it.

“Understood” Dana grinned. “I’ll do my research in my off hours, or when it’s quiet. No neglecting my duties I promise.”

"Good. Then you are dismissed unless you want to discuss something else?" Daniel quirked a brow questioningly at her.

Dana shook her head. “No Sir, thank you for all your help.”

Daniel gave a nod and waited for Dana to leave his office before pulling up data from another patient and activating the door to close. The privacy mode engaged and he was alone with his thoughts as he started running simulations while at the same time thinking through how he might solve the nurse's little annoyance.

OFF