driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Dr. Crusher
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now

[The first thing Beverly becomes aware of is how cold she is. Something must be wrong with the environmental controls. She rolls over on her side and opens her eyes. Time to call Geordi-

Suddenly she sits up in alarm. This is not her bed. These are not her quarters. And this is certainly not the Enterprise. A big picture window on the other side of the room, open to the familiar view of a star field flying past, tells her that this is a starship of some sort, at least, though the design is not like any she’s ever seen before.

Reflexively, she taps the place on her chest where her combadge would normally be located. Upon discovering its disappearance, she clutches at the empty space on her uniform. Take some deep breaths. One, two. Okay, what’s the last thing you remember? They were all in Will’s quarters, playing poker, and Deanna was triumphantly revealing a royal flush, then … nothing.

Standing up, she begins to search the area for anything that might give her a clue as to what’s happened. That’s when she finds the communicator, sitting on a small table near her bunk. Tentatively, she turns it on, ignoring for the moment the disconcerting fact that she knows exactly how this device works, despite its obvious differences from Starfleet communicators.]

Hello? If anybody is listening, this is Dr. Beverly Crusher of the U.S.S. Enterprise. I am trying to get in contact with my ship. Please respond.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, Captain ELN-1470, I don't want to keep you from your duties.

You're not whining like most of the others.

Try not too be too hard on them. It is rather alarming to get pulled out of one universe and into another, especially if you've never had it happen before.

Well, it never happened to me before, either, but you don't see me attempting brain surgery on myself.

Everyone has different reactions to stressful situations. I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind.

Likely the augment is fused with my cortical stack anyway.

If I ever find a way to remove these ... [the word is still uncomfortable for her] augments, I can take a look at yours as well. Even if it is fused, I have some experience in biomechanics and cybernetics.

You can't interfere with it!

[ She is shocked. ]

That's everything I know.

[Realizing that she's crossed a line, she holds up her hands in a conciliatory gesture.]

I'm sorry. I promise, I would never attempt anything like that on you without your explicit consent. I won't mention it again.

[ It just scared her, that's all. She hugs herself. ]

...all right.

[Great. Good job, Beverly. This talk of implants, on top of everything else, has frightened her more than she would care to admit. She bites her lip, debating whether or not it would help to explain that.]

I am...

[She takes a deep breath, changes course.]

If you don't want to talk to me anymore right now, I understand.

What? Why? You seem efficient and competent.

[ This is actually a high compliment. ]

And interesting.

[Now she is slightly confused.]

It's just that I thought I had ... ["Frightened" may not be the most diplomatic choice of words here] insulted you.

[She smiles.]

I am glad to see that is not the case, however. I find you very interesting as well. You remind me of some friends of mine.

Really?

Who?

Well, there's Commander Data, who's the first android to serve as an officer aboard a Starfleet vessel, and Dr. Selar, whose species values logic and reason and learning above all else, and maybe especially Hugh, who like you, is both a biological and mechanical being.

Hugh?

Yes, Hugh... [She pauses, not sure if she's ready to explain the Borg right now.]

Hugh is a cyborg. We helped him rediscover his individuality after it was taken from him.

What do you mean by 'individuality'? Did he have his own brain?

Physically, yes. But he was forcibly added to a ... hive of cyborgs that share a collective consciousness. When we first found him, he had no sense of himself as a singular, autonomous person.

[ She's making a face. That sounds awful, even though there are some similarities with ELNs networked to their ship.

She's always been too individual, anyway. ]

[ELN's expression is a very appropriate reaction when it comes to the Borg.]

I know. He did manage to help free some others in the collective later, but... there are countless numbers of people still under their control.

Well, I'm not like that. The majority of my genome matches human.

Hugh was once fully human. What happened to him... I am glad you have not experienced such a thing.

A large measure of individuality is necessary for the purpose of the ELN line.

ELN line? Are you manufactured, then?

Re: video

pocketpal - 2015-03-27 16:31 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-28 20:16 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-29 06:37 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-29 18:51 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-29 18:57 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-29 20:08 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-29 20:26 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-30 00:57 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-30 01:00 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-30 01:44 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-30 01:50 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-30 13:39 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-30 16:48 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-03-30 23:40 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-03-31 18:00 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-01 01:05 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-01 01:15 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-01 01:20 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-01 01:32 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-01 01:53 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-01 01:58 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-01 15:24 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-02 16:12 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-02 16:49 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-02 16:54 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-02 18:02 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-02 19:11 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-03 00:37 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-03 16:17 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-04 01:04 (UTC) - Expand

pocketpal - 2015-04-04 21:10 (UTC) - Expand

dancingmd - 2015-04-04 23:21 (UTC) - Expand