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Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Lt. Arven Leux | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy: ATTN @Lathaniel

Arven was finishing up his rounds and was eager to finish before 0900, and his last patient was the most interesting, Kino Jeen. Arven didn't have much experience with joinings, hardly any in fact, as it was he'd never even applied to be joined and had little frame of reference for that part of his culture. Part of his heritage had honestly been neglected and ignored, and here he was with a patient that had been joined.

So Arven moved up with a gentle smile, taking a spot at Kino's bedside, and he looked her over with a curious eye, wondering just how different things were for her now. That remained to be seen, and he'd figure that out relatively soon. So it was with a slight cough that he attempted to get the attention of the other trill, hoping that he wasn't waking her unnecessarily. If she were in deep slumber, then he'd wait and do paperwork. But it seemed like she wasn't too conked out.

"Good morning, Petty officer. I hope that you're doing well. But I'd like to hear from you. Physically you're doing fine, but I want to hear how you're doing. are you ready to get out of here, or do you feel that you need more time?" His questioning was polite and gentle, his tone of voice calm and even. He really did care about how Kino was doing, not just the health of the symbiont but the health of her in general. He always took the whole body approach, and now that mattered more than ever since he technically had two patients on his hands.

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #1
PO2 Kino Jeen | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] @Tae 

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Lying on her left side, her legs drawn in close to her cybernetically enhanced and patched up body, Kino was not sleeping but merely in a state of relaxation. The symbiote had sent her through some interesting and quite confusing dreams. Memories of lifes that were not hers had intertwined with her own rather brutal ones. And even though the "other" memories inside her were mostly positive, she also remembered their deaths, which had her running in circles and ending up back with her memories of Eliska. But the symbiote know well how to take care of her and thus provided her with more calming and happy emotional memories in order to get her to relax, or so it seemed.

When she noticed the Doctor approaching her, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head. Her mismatching eye colors on display, she focused on the other Trill and a smile appeared on her face. It was nice to see another person, especially a Trill. And a man? Kino was slightly confused. She had never cared much for males, which was widely known. But something inside her was triggered when she saw the doctor sitting so close. Something nice and tingly. Stop it! She scolded herself and - not allowing the other memories to step onto the stage for the moment, she shrugged the feeling away.

The voice of Leux was nice, as was his smile. Kino listened and was relieved to hear that everything went well. "Thank you..." Her voice was raspy and she had to clear her throat before continuing. "Thank you, Doc. That's good to hear. She replied and without her intent, her right hand made it's way to the Doctor's thigh where it softly squeezed his muscles, just as if to make sure he was real and not just another foreign memory.

"I'm still confused, Doc, but I guess that's normal, isn't it? I mean, there's another being inside me, connected to me. That's confusing, right?" She realized that she was not making much sense and tried to put her words in a clearer context. "I have memories which were not there before. Memories of whole lifes. I think you're right, I'm physically fine and I don't want to stay here and keep you and your staff busy for no reason." She smiled and slowly sat up, stretching and looking down at herself at the same time. "And I need to get back to the gym. I'm starting to develop love handles." She grinned and reached for the glas of water someone had set her up with earlier.
Lt JG Sorek Morgan
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PO2 Kino Taer
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Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #2
Lt. Arven Leux | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy: ATTN @Lathaniel


Arven didn't much mind Kino squeezing his thigh the way she was doing to him, every patient was different, and with what the Petty officer had to be going through, maybe she needed the touch for some reason. So he gently lays a solid and calloused hand on top of hers, his touch gentle and polite. Even laying in the medical bed sorting out her mind, she still had a bit of a sense of humor. And Arven cracks a grin at the love handle comment.

"Medical leave for a week minimum, probably two weeks. I want you to make appointments with the counseling staff while you literally sort out your head. I don't know what the joining process is like, and I don't know if you ever studied or applied to be joined. I can tell you that I didn't, so I'm guessing here. Physically..." Arven smiles at that and winks to the woman, the charming and relaxed gesture he used to help put people at ease.

"I want you to come in for general health checks every two days while you're on medical leave. As far as the love handles, though, Petty Officer. So long as you hit the gym with me, so if something happens, I can be there, then I'm okay with you resuming your activity. Besides, going to the gym is good to clear the head and get things straight; that's generally what I do." Arven smiled again to Kino, and stood up slowly, though he kept hold of the woman's hand, clearly providing the help to see the woman get up from the bed.

"Before I discharge you, though, I want to see you walk around the room. I need to make sure that your sense of balance hasn't been screwed with too badly." His tone of voice was polite and calm all the while, the violet eyes casually flitting over his patient, looking for any signs of discomfort or problems that would land her right back in the bed.

Once the patient had preformed the task, he was eventually granted medical leave.

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #3
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

The hell am I doing, Kino's dark brows furrowed as she accepted the offered hand, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the muddled confusion in her braincase. So many memories, she groaned, running a hand over her face. Everything was overlapping, life after life, blended together like the instruments of a band out of time with each other. It was beyond words, beyond expression, but just before she felt the unmistakable physical symptoms of overwhelming mental paralysis, she remembered that this wasn’t her first rodeo. Jeen had experienced this awkward, chaotic awakening before. With that realization, Kino practically visualized the bioelectric circuitry of her brain recalibrating; the individuals synced, the parts clicked into place, and the melody of her reformed self gained strength. Four lives, four deaths, and everything in between – now part of her.

Tits up, Kino - you’re fine, just…one thing at a time, she growled at herself as she leaned on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning over the bay. The repairs to medical had progressed while she was out; one could hardly notice the patched bulkheads, repaired consoles, or newly installed carpets from the fire-damaged bloodstained wreck the Klingons had left – but she did. A surge of anger and guilt flowed into her then, as she pushed off the edge of the bed.

Fucking Klingons, she vented a long breath from her nose, then turned to address Dr. Leux over her shoulder. “You can stop hovering Doc, I’m not gonna fall out,” she grumbled, “just…distracted,” she added, tapping two fingers to her temple before walking over to the replicator on the far side of the room for a fresh uniform. Muscle memory took over as her artificial limbs moved in perfect synchronization to the commands of her nervous system, the low pitched purrs of servos and actuators blending into the background hum of the ship.

She spoke as she keyed in her sizes, impatient to get out of the itchy medical gown, counting off with the fingers of her free hand over her shoulder. “Light duty for a week. Counseling. Check ups every 48. Pretty sure I don’t need a babysitter to work out, but you’re the Doc,” she shrugged. As the light of the replicator waxed and waned, painting an already pale face even paler, she considered his lack of experience with the joining process. “As far as the joining? I was the same. Knew I wasn’t a proper candidate – never would be – so I never wasted time with it. I was a rebel, a troublemaker, a shithead,” she sighed at the utter foolishness of it all; what seemed now to be a waste of so much potential. Damn, I feel…old, she huffed with dry amusement.

Mismatched eyes lingered on the folded uniform before her as she reached to grab it. For a moment, she felt Kaylon’s life ebbing away, fading to darkness, then saw herself holding his bloodstained chest, the pips on his collar colored by scarlet and green energy. All of it, in a blink of the eye. “Fuck,” she swore under her breath as her eyes squeezed shut, pulling the garments out to hug against her chest.

It’s fine, everything’s fine. I’m alive, and it’s gonna be fine, she told herself, blinking back tears, biting her trembling lip. This is normal. It will pass. Just…egress the fuck outta this AO - then you can fall apart.

She cleared her throat then swiped her face free of tears before turning back to Leux. “So,” her voice trembled, prompting her to swallow her emotions. “Am I good to go Doc,” she breathed, ready to leave this place and it’s memories behind. “Or am I s'posed to dance next,” she asked dryly, managing a small smirk she didn’t feel.

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #4
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Dumedion
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"Doctor," V-Nine said, approaching Doctor Leux and the patient Kino Jeen, whom she had personally tended to after she had been hurt during the Battle of the Apertures. Now, she had been joined to the Jeen symbiont after the death of Kaylon Jeen, and she once more woke up in the Recovery Ward. To begin with, V-Nine's attention was squarely on Leux. "Your presence is required in Surgical Suite 02. Your patient, Crewman Feroni, has had post-surgery complications."

"I see." Leux turned to Kino. "I am sorry, I need to leave. I will ask Doctor Rez see to you in my stead, settling the matter of your coming days of recovery. V-Nine, will you remain with this patient for the time being?"

"Of course," V-Nine said, bobbing her cranial unit in affirmation, while Leux ran off towards the surgical suites on the other side of the sickbay complex. After watching the organic leave through the sliding doors, V-nine directed her lens towards her old patient. She let out a giggle and raised an admonishing finger in the woman's direction. "So, you just keep ending up here, don't you? Tsk Tsk, you need to learn to take better care of yourself!"

Emitting a short laugh through the speaker mounted on her cranial unit, V-Nine leaned against the edge of the biobed with her metallic hip and folded her arms beneath her platform's chest plate. "I jest, of course. I have downloaded your medical journal. It seems you decided to play the hero and save the Jeen symbiont!" She gave the organic - or well, mostly organic - woman a double thumbs up. "That is very altruistic of you! I am impressed that you would volunteer even though your service record makes no mention of an evaluation by the Symbiosis Commission. Did you even know what you've gotten yourself into, or will you... what is the human expression... 'play it by ear'? I'll just make a scan..."

Intrigued, V-Nine listened to what the Trill had to say, while collapsing her thumb and index finger and beginning to scan her. She wanted to make sure her records on joined Trill physiology didn't clash with that of the patient. Doctor Rez would, of course, have more in-depth knowledge than she did, but at least she would be able to make sure there were no subtle physiological issues after the joining as far as she could determine. Rez would likely be along soon enough, but V-Nine was pleased to talk to the woman again. "Oh, and how are you finding your cybernetics? All working according to your preferences?"

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #5
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

Kino held her smirk as she nodded to Leux, offering a murmured thanks before the Doctor left. She was in the process of laying out her uniform on the bed before her when the surgical droid entered, pulling the smirk on her face to a grin with its antics. Poor thing needs to get out of sickbay more, she chuckled, pulling her trousers up under the loose medical gown.

The quip about her being a hero gave her pause, however; she fixed hardened eyes on the droid's circular lens before pulling the medical gown over her head. She didn’t bother covering herself or cease moving as V-Nine scanned her. “I didwe did, what we had to do,” she answered flatly,  regarding the symbiont. “Without Valyn, Ashby, Dr. Rez,” she shook her head as she pulled a bra on, “there were a lot of heroes that day, Vi,” she chewed her lip, taking a breath. I owe them a beer, or a dozen.

But yeah, I’m wingin’ it,” she continued, pulling the golden-yellow undershirt over her head, “trying to anyway.” Improvise, adapt, overcome; hoorah, she thought dryly. She liked the droid, overall; it seemed to genuinely care for people, and didn’t deserve her ire. “It’s good to see you again, V-Nine,” she nodded with an honest lopsided grin. Silly ass droid.

At the mention of her cybernetics, Kino shrugged as she tucked her shirt in. “Everything seems to be running optimally,” she paused, cocking her head. Eh, might as well fuck with Vi a bit, she figured, since she was stuck there awhile longer anyway. “But every so often when I first wake up I notice a…sensitivity,” she formed the statement into a hesitant question, as if she wasn’t quite sure how to describe it. “Feels like someone’s trying to shock my clit off, but…in a good way? Not sure what that’s all about, but it seems to have settled down,” she shrugged again, appearing utterly nonchalant – but cackling in her head. Ah, it’s the simple things in life.


Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #6
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Dumedion
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"It's good to see you too!" V-Nine vocalised when her former patient said something to the same effect, even if the barebone social cues she picked up aboard the Theurgy since she came aboard suggested that the Trill might have taken what she'd said about saving the Jeen symbiont in a different way than she'd intended. The white-haired organic didn't say much to suggest she'd said something amiss, however, just pointing out that there were other heroes that day. V-Nine knew this, of course, not having suggested Kino was alone in that particular regard. She spent a couple of nanoseconds analysing whether or not the Trill was just trying to be humble, or if there was some other reason why she tried to shift 'the spotlight' away from herself, as the Federation database described the phenomenon.

Without more data, she did not reach any definitive conclusion, so she simply dumped the analysis from her working memory buffer and focused on what her former patient said next.

"Oh, dear," she said nervously, not having any reason to doubt the veracity of the claim that the Trill made about her cybernetics. She stopped the scan - which had not yielded any findings that would suggest something was amiss - and began to wring her metallic hands nervously. The only factor that mitigated the alarm somewhat was the aloof mannerisms of the patient, which suggested that the odd workings of her artificial nervous system in her lower body wasn't a major concern, even if a pulsing nerve stimulus was a clear malfunction. "The solution and components I picked for the restorative surgery of your genitals underwent several simulations prior to the procedure, and none of the simulations showed any kind of resurging - electrical or otherwise - input, and the timing of said input is perplexing. Your body's state of consciousness - prior or post - should not factor into the runtime of the components!"

Turning her cranial unit back and forth, reflecting the manner in which her program searched for an answer in her memory banks, V-Nine eventually reached the obvious conclusion. "I... I think I have to run a level one diagnostic on your components, and I dare say the optimal solution to pre-empt any lingering issues would be to wipe all the software and make a complete reinstallation of the subroutines that control the nerve input and the interface protocols that relay those to your organic nervous system."

Resolutely, V-Nine closed her hands into fists and stood tall. This was a matter of her pride as a surgical android, and this kind of malfunction simply couldn't mar her spotless service record. "So... Off with your pants, dear, and get back on the biobed. These calibrations might take the whole day. Hop to it!" Wirelessly, she accessed the Main Sickbay work schedule to book the impromptu procedure. To her dismay, she saw twenty-nine collisions with other undertakings she'd planned for. "Oh dear, I need to reschedule all my appointments..."

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #7
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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Unable to keep the smirk off her face while the droid tried to figure out how to correct the issue, Kino couldn’t stop it from spreading to a full blown grin as she gave her duty jacket a tug. Ah, poor thing fell for it. The grin turned into belting laughter after V-Nine resolutely ordered her to drop trow and ‘assume the position’, as it were, to which the Trill responded by shaking her head and waving her hands back and forth in the universal sign of ‘stop, abort, cease fire.’

It was a joke, Vi,” she managed between laughs. “Was just a joke – I’m fine, my hoo-ha’s fine, everything’s fine,” she chuckled. “Don’t cancel shit,” she smiled, shaking her head. “Was just a goof,” she shrugged, tilting her head apologetically at the flustered droid. “Thank you for your diligence,” she grinned, “if I have any issues, I know who to see,” she nodded.

Walking around the empty biobed to stand before V-Nine, she offered the droid a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Sorry for the amusement at your expense. It’s just my way of dealing with things. Really, I’m good to go, thanks to you, Dr. Leux, and Dr. Rez,” she nodded again, still smirking. “Although there’s a lot going on up here,” she gestured to her head with a sigh, removing her hand from V-Nine’s shoulder to cross her arms under her small bust. The more she dwelt on everything added to her mind, the more unfocused her eyes became. “It’s like…I’m me, but…more of me,” she mused in a half whisper, brows knitting.

Blinking rapidly to refocus, Kino huffed a breath of weak amusement. “I hope this shit calms down – I never imagined what it would feel like to be joined. Shits crazy as hell,” she frowned, then grinned. “I actually followed what you were saying there for a second,” she laughed; regarding the potential corrective actions to the ‘malfunction’ of her cybernetics. Then her face clouded, almost as quickly as it had blossomed with mirth. “I remember so much,” she whispered. “All of it...life after life, fuckin' gone in a blink,” she chewed her lip, then blew out a deep breath before humoring V-Nine with a small smile. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” she mirrored the droids earlier stance, leaning one hip against the biobed. “So, how are you?

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #8
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Dumedion
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While she was about to admonish the Security officer for almost making her cancel the medical care of other patients because of her antics, V-Nine cancelled it since no harm had been done. It was perplexing that it would be the manner in which the Trill 'dealt with things', said 'things' not being entirely clear until she spoke of what was transpiring in her organic mind after her joining.

Granted, V-Nine had no means of knowing how the patient would be feeling since she had naught but observational data and logged accounts from other Trill in the medical database, but working with her own frame of references, she could make an approximation.

"I am operating under normal parameters," she said with a giggle and folded her arms under her chestplate, knowing fully well how her phrasing sounded to an organic and yet chose to say it like that anyway in jest, "unlike yourself. For you, 'fine' might be overstated at this point, isn't it? Because I would assume you feel a bit disoriented. The collective memory engrams of several lives have been added to your own. Just the mere access to all that organic data storage must be overwhelming. Moreover, according to records, joined Trill are not entirely themselves any more because of this... upgrade. It has been referenced in the manner of being more than you were, and yet the same, because the current host of the symbiont is the 'hardware' in which the collective memory buffer is booted. It is your master program that select and execute the organic software stored in your specific symbiont upgrade."

"Well that is certainly one way to put it," said a voice behind V-Nine, whom turned to acknowledge the arrival of Doctor Rez - having arrived at the biobed with a smile on her face and a shake of her head. "Us joined Trill usually have personalities that are a synthesis of the two beings - host and symbiont - and can access the memories and skills of previous hosts. Since I have a faulty joining to my own symbiont, I do not experience what you are feeling now... Kino Jeen."

V-Nine recalled how the Trill way was for the host to change her last name in accordance with her symbiont, and if what Rez described was any indication, the tradition held factual merit. She already knew that Doctor Rez' situation was unique, having lost a lot from the lives of her previous hosts since the joining to Edena Rez - her predecessor - had been flawed. To hear the Asst. Chief Medical Officer bespeak it, however, made the fact more tangible.

"The patient is expressing a wish to leave sickbay, Doctor," V-Nine said, folding her hands behind her platform and turning her cranial unit towards Kino. "The Petty Officer has already shown full capability of movement and my scans say she is ready to resume light duties to begin with, but you know better what she may need beyond that."

"Time, I would say," Doctor Rez said kindly, running some blonde tresses of hair behind her ear and checking the medical journal for the patient. "Time to come to terms with her new situation, and how the symbiont affects her outlook in life. Even if many memories of my past lives escapes me, I know I still wasn't feeling myself any more, even though I was still my own person. For example..."

Rez chuckled and shook her head, as if embarrassed to speak of something banal. "...I used to be a brunette, but since I am a Doctor, I was affected by the memories of Kiya Rez. She was a doctor as well, and the first Host of the Rez Symbiont. Incidentally, she was also blonde, so I found myself wanting to change things up a little bit."

With a more serious expression, Rez then directed herself fully towards the Petty Officer. "I am here, if you need to speak in the days to come, when you find yourself ungrounded and unsure what you want. You may find your priorities shifting, your outlook in life altered, and it can be disorienting. I takes time, but whenever you want to talk, there are others aboard who can help guide you. You may find the most important answers on your own, of course, but for the rest? Just message me, and we can talk, and compare experiences, okay?"

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #9
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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She didn’t respond to V-Nine beyond shuffling her feet, which seemed utterly captivating at the moment. In truth, Kino felt a bit like her younger self, caught doing something extremely stupid by her equally stupid father; of course, in her confused state, she could be mistaken – it was difficult to differentiate one childhood from all the others. The android didn’t seem upset though, but alarmingly perceptive; hitting the proverbial nail on the head regarding how Kino really felt – or at least close enough to the truth to make her uncomfortable.

Kino didn’t bother denying it though, lifting her eyes to V-Nine’s ocular node. “Clever girl,” she murmured with a smirk, just before Dr. Rez entered. The last time she’d seen her, Kino was just...Kino; struggling with the wounds of body and soul but still fighting the good fight – even if she doubted how much more she could give before breaking entirely. Then she found Kaylon, and everything changed.

Listening to the pretty blonde gave her comfort though; she didn’t feel alone, even if her memories told her that this awkward confusion would pass. The Doctor was right, she needed time and space to think. Dr. Rez spoke of feeling ungrounded, of being unsure what she wanted; Kino didn’t have an answer to that just yet – her jaw clenched as she quickly swiped the tear running from her organic eye. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying. Fuck sakes, she shook her head.

Thanks Doc,” Kino sniffed, smiling weakly. “I uh...I appreciate it, really, and everything else,” she nodded, taking a deep breath. “Sorry,” she laughed, gesturing with her hands at herself. “Bit of a hot mess,” she sniffed again, clearing her throat. “I’m sure it’ll be fine...but I’ll take you up on that offer all the same,” she managed to mumble, unsure what else there was to say. Then she remembered waking up with Dr. Leux, and started chuckling despite the tears in her eye. “I can relate – I used to like guys. Pretty sure I tried taking a pass at Doc Leux when I woke up,” she grimaced in embarrassment, “he shrugged it off pretty well, though.

As she ran a hand over her face with a drawn out sigh, Kino felt the full weight of it all settle on her shoulders, casting all humor aside. She held the memories of over two centuries in her head and a separate sentient life in her body. Fuck, she swore, as her eyebrows knitted. “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do,” she spoke aloud, to herself more than anyone, then shook her head with another sigh. "There's so much more at stake than I realized...if...we never make it back...," her voice trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought as her eyes hardened. "This is some heavy shit, Doc."

Re: Day 02 [0745 hrs.] A joining of minds and worlds

Reply #10
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Dumedion
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"I know," Rez said, and stepped past V-Nine so that she may put her hand on the patient's shoulder. The blonde Trill gave the short-haired one an encouraging smile. "I know. Take your time and remember. Ruminate on what you know, and try to keep in mind that whatever the old hosts may have done, said or thought... they were not what you have become. They were not what Kino Jeen is now, even though their lives may shape yours from this point onwards. Finding symbiosis with past lives isn't done overnight, even though the immediate changes can feel overwhelming."

V-Nine piped up. "May I suggest occupying yourself with some kind of activity?" she elaborated after getting a look from Doctor Rez.  "My database on Trill suggest that tasks that do not require high resolution thought processes may stimulate recollection of the symbiont's memory engrams. Physical exercise might be a good option. Running, swimming, or resistance training?"

"Why that may actually be a good idea," Rez said and chuckled, shaking her head, as if surprised that V-Nine would suggest such a thing. V-Nine, on her part, found it perfectly within her operational parameters to diagnose and deduce a successful treatment method. Especially when the Federation database held more than enough information to assist in her tasks.

In the end, Rez turned to Kino. "I look forward to seeing how you find yourself, Kino Jeen. You are free to go, but stay in touch, beyond your check-ups?"

- FIN

 
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