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Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn
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On the fifth day since her arrival aboard the Theurgy, where V-Nine had not just received a portentous upgrade, but undertaken the assignment to undo what her makers had done to the abductees of the Theurgy and Endeavour, she was still serving in Main Sickbay. To her great relief, the Chief Medical Officer - a title that had been unknown to her before she'd been able to access the ship's database - had approved of her conduct in accordance with the protocols of Starfleet Medical. Adopting the ethical standards of the Federation had not been any sacrifice on her part, since much of the standards could be compared to that of the Old Code - something she'd been privy to just before the... incident on the Versant's bridge. Indeed, she'd barely been able to process the rules of the Old Code by the time the fire-fight broke out, but regardless the circumstances, her purpose had been made clear; aid the specimens that had been violated under the doctrine of the Scion Directive.

To that effect, and with an exponentially growing affection for her new life and role aboard the multivector dreadnought, V-Nine was humming a song through her vocal speaker - mounted inside the vertical cleft just below the main lens of her cranial unit. She'd just spoken at length with a patient in the Recovery Ward that was about to return to duty, and she decided to head towards the reception area beyond the surgical suites to see if there were anyone in need of assistance in the waiting area. Her metallic feet made dampened sounds against the textile on top of the deck plating, and the soft whirring sounds in her platform weren't loud enough to disturb the NCO behind the reception counter.

"Do you have any patients for me?" she asked in a chipper tone, and received cursory smile in return from the Human male working there.

"None, Vi. I'm sorry. You'll just have to make due with the ones inside already."

"Oh, well. Thank you anyway!" she said and turned to head back into the main areas of Sickbay. She'd not went more than four steps towards the corridor from whence she came when the sound of sliding doors were heard...

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #1 –
[ Deacon | K'Ren and Deacon's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon stood impatiently just inside the door to their quarters, his mouth drawn into a tight frown, his eyes firmly affixed on the wall behind witch his mate lingered.  He should have known her experience on the planet had been detrimental.  He of all people was uniquely qualified to point out the discordance in her being that had pervaded her since returning, and now he could only wait with irritation that he had failed to act sooner, indulging in the fantasy that she was fine, having faith that she would disclose any true issues that may have lingered.

Kzinti, it seemed, were not unique in their pride of being.  Perhaps there was more to the theory that Caitians may have been a distant cousin species after all.

Even spending the night together following his unexpected birthday celebration the night before had done nothing to off-set the ill ease that seemed to pervade her and that she had feigned her well being not merely for her own privacy but so as to not deflect the moment of recognition away from Deacon when, in truth, he would never have known what he had missed if not for all the fuss.  It was this guilt that sunk into his stomach and caused it to churn.  Had he not done enough to the Orions that had kidnapped her?  Had he been too late?  How much was this an indulgence of her freedom when any Kzinti male would've interceded immediately.

His breathing was tense, his heart pounding in his chest with all the resounding force that three once produced.  Pain.  It wasn't just discomfort, but pain.  She had awakened him several times with the sound of her groans and each wince this morning was another reminder of how he had somehow failed in his duties to safeguard her from danger.

"K'Ren, are you almost ready?  We need to get you to sickbay so you can be fully examined," he said loud enough to be heard from where he was, suppressing his agitation so as not to make the statement sound as much a command as he wanted it to be. 

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #2 –
[ K'Ren | K'Ren and Deacon's Quarters | Deck 10 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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She'd hoped that time alone after the birthday party, curled up in Deacon's arms, enjoying the intimacy the mated pair could partake of freely, reconnecting as a couple after the chaos of the past week would help the sense of unease she felt after returning from the planet. She'd shrugged it off as just being skittish after her kidnapping, it was natural to be somewhat fearful after an ordeal like that. But even as they made love, she'd been unable to calm down despite her best efforts. She assured Deacon it was just nerves, that she'd be okay, and he seemed to accept it.

But even as the evening wore on and they settled into their bed for the night, curling up with each other as they fell to sleep, K'Ren couldn't shake the feelings and her sleep was fitfull, the unease of the night seeming to translate into pain. A few times she'd shifted a little, whimpering as the pain was growing, slowly but steadily building in intensity. By the morning, it hurt to move, and she knew something was wrong, not just nerves, but something different.

She'd managed to make it through their morning meal, and dress herself, but it was slow, painfull and she winced with almost every movement. She did manage to get herself into some semblance of ready, she would be damned if she hobbled into sickbay looking like disheveled wreck, so as she came out of the room, over to Deacon, she looked presentable, even if she felt the worst she'd ever been since her abduction. She smiled somewhat at Deacon, knowing he could see through her facade, their link would've told him more then eyes alone would. "I'm ready. Didn't want to walk in looking like a drowned rat."

[ Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

The walk from their quarters to the main sickbay was slow and halting, but K'Ren refused to take a transport, she was going to make it under her own steam, not give anyone (even herself) the satisfaction of seeing her weakness. And they made it to sickbay, with Deacon holding her arm the entire way, encouraging her, helping her stand, and even reminding her the transporters were aloud for medical emergencies, there was no shame in asking for the help.

As she came in however, K'Ren could barely stand, the pain was making it hard to walk, hard to stay balanced, her whole sense of being felt broken, twisted by the pain. The first person she saw as she entered sickbay however was that robot, the one who'd offered her the chance to become herself again. She'd have preferred it not be the one attending her, but as she almost collapsed into a chair near the door, she was beyond arguing, beyond choosing.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #3 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn
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When the sliding doors opened and admitted the two visitors in sickbay, V-Nine had paused before leaving the lobby. So, when she saw that the Caitian specimen was in pain - not even having to scan her to verify such symptoms - she turned her main lens to the man behind the reception desk. "Would you please call for a hover gurney? Thank you."

She was already moving towards the new patient and acknowledged her company - recognising them both from the Versant. In fact, she'd already treated the female Caitian once, and she knew about both their preferences when it came to the Correction they had undergone. She respected the choice, hoping they were happy with their new lives as pure specimens. Of course, the male had not undergone the finishing surgeries, but he was still essentially Human at that point. "Deacon," she said and inclined her cranial unit towards the male, and then gave the woman pilot her full attention. "Ensign K'Ren. How are you feeling? Can you tell me how bad the pain is on a scale from one to ten?"

Moving to where she sat on the couch just inside the sliding doors, V-Nine raised her right hand and unfolded her thumb and index finger, beginning to scan the Caitian with a teal and yellow light running over her. "Accessing journal now. You were here two days ago after having been injected with a nanites that were attacking your nervous system, and even though you had an antidote, it would seem the nanites were not completely eradicated. Judging from the readings, they are reproducing exponentially, and behaving erratically. My database suggests that this is indicative to being poor design, making it difficult to predict their behaviour and to treat them entirely."

Two nurses came running with a hover gurney at that point, and they began to usher K'Ren to lie down on top of it, helping her while V-Nine continued to make her scans, drawing conclusions from the readings and the access she had to the Federation medical database as well as the programming she had been fitted with when she'd been activated - the medical expertise of her makers advising her to study the snippets of coding that her scans of the nanites were yielding to her. Being what she was, she could draw conclusions from what she learned, and as swallowed up as she was in her diagnose, she couldn't fit it into her runtime to ask Deacon to stay behind in the lobby while the hover gurney was being led into sickbay.

"The nanites have adapted to the previous treatment, and in doing so, they have become resilient and uniquely targeted towards your specific DNA. They are finding it easy to attack the pure Caitian DNA that my makers synthesised for you since those tissues are brand new. It's a matter of seven minutes and forty-nine seconds before all your pain receptors are targeted, and without the origin code of the nanites, it will be a matter of days or weeks before we are able to develop an antidote that is specifically designed to eradicate the ones in your body. Normally, I would advise putting you into stasis for the intermediate time, but that would also render active testing impossible - something that would be crucial for making a new antidote."

She turned her cranial unit towards Deacon, her lens then swivelling back to K'Ren where she laid on the gurney, realising suddenly that there was another option. "I am aware of your preferences when it comes to reverting your bodies to what they used to be, and I would not suggest this if it wasn't relevant for your treatment, Ensign... but there is a way to prevent the nanites from causing you pain, and that is to change the DNA they have now completely locked unto. Reverting you to your hybrid state... I am positive it would disable them to find your pain receptors completely, permanently, and we'd have all the time we need to synthesise a new antidote. The... offer still stands, to undo what my Makers did to you, and I assure you that unlike what you experienced on the Versant, the process is humane. Without pain or discomfort. I am so sorry for making the offer a second time, but it's the best possible treatment available for you now."

V-Nine realised she was giving K'Ren little choice with the information - the options being one with perpetual pain for days and weeks or undergoing a procedure that would alter her body on a fundamental level. This, for a second time within a week. When the nurses came to a stop in the corridor, the gurney between them, because they didn't know if the patient was going to the CMO office's primary surgical suite - which was fitted with the DNA resequencer tech - or the ICU.

Having stopped as well, V-Nine reverted her fingers to their standard mode and wrung her hands worriedly in anticipation of the patient's choice. She stole a glance towards the male, knowing that he might offer advise to Ensign K'Ren as well in this crucial moment.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #4 –
[ Deacon | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon gave a sour frown as he caught sight of the android -- another reminder of their misadventures care of the Vigilants of Sa.  By her mere existence, Deacon was struck simultaneously with a deep loathing for his wife's predicament and his own as well.  True, he had chosen to hold on to his current form, but that was equal parts concern that the repeated process of genetic manipulation might in some way come up short given Nicander's own predictions last time, a desire to be the one in control of his own genetic fate.

And now he was to be charged with deciding for K'Ren.  The thought weighed down into the pit of his stomach.  She had chosen to remain in her current form because he had chosen to remain in his.  But was this really a decision?  To condemn her to an undetermined period of agony while they struggled to find some cure for what the Orion had done to her or reset her back to the form she had lost against her will?  He bared his fangs, diminished as they were, his fingers tightening with the desire to claw at anyone who dared risk an approach. 

Flashing a glaring look at V-Nine, he recalled that she had been the one to help when K'Ren had been caught in the structure collapse back on the Versant.  His expression softened, although only slightly, as his rage merely needed a different outlet.  He wondered how many ways had been considered for consuming Orion flesh.  Not his first choice of meat, but one he might make an exception for in this moment. 

He knelt down, softly tracing a finger across K'Ren's fur, focusing on her face.  "I can't let you suffer for that long... not just to honor something I've decided to live with.  But if I ever see that green skinned bitch, I'm going to personally flay her nerve endings open one by one."

He rose, his back still to V-Nine, though he spoke over his shoulder to her as if making a statement he wished not to make, "Heal her.  If it means undoing what your... creators did, so be it.  But I will not have her put up with this any longer."

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #5 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Masorin 
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It appeared like the patient was unable to give her consent, and that her mate was giving it for her instead.

"Oh, dear," said V-Nine and looked towards the deck below them, still wringing her hands. She was not entirely comfortable with going through with the procedure without a word from K'Ren about it, and she had no direct means to reach through to the Caitian female when she was in so much pain, and the agony was getting worse by the second. V-Nine considered what to say, but gestured for the two nurses to bring K'Ren into the CMO surgical suite.

Once there, and the nurses having helped get the Caitian on top of the biobed, V-Nine asked Deacon to step out of the immedaute area of the biobed. She then raised a bio field that would keep any external contagions from entering the primary surgical suite. "Ensign K'Ren, please, I don't know if you can still hear me, but you needn't be concerned. The Correction Program was an offensive product of the Scion Directive, and my treatment - using Federation technology - will be an abhorrent one. I abide by Starfleet Medical ethics."

Perhaps she spoke as much for Deacon as his mate, but her lens was directed towards the female specimen on the biobed. "My makers were led to follow transcripts and procedures derived solely out of scientific necessity and not having much to do about comfort for their foraged specimens. The Scions twisted the practice into horrific information-gather efficiency. The amount of time you had to spend in the Correction Program back then was a repercussion of the tests and evaluations made on your organic matter. The Antecedents were led to believe that they did what they did for sake of science, scanning the process at a slow pace. I do not know how much you've been told, but the Scion High Council had made my makers think you were all released back to freedom after the Correction was complete, but it was all a cover-up to hide the fact that the Scion Directive had all those abducted Recycled and fed to the Flotilla once they had extrapolated enough genetic data from you. I will not be doing this. I will simply restore your physiology. Nothing more, nothing less."

While she'd been relaying the information through the speaker at the front of her cranial unit, she had begun to prepare - internally compiling a list of things that had to be brought to her by the nurses. She would soon send it to their PADDs. "Today, instead, you will be given heavy anaesthetics and rest while the DNA resequencer mend what was done to you. Your original DNA is safely stored in the Correction Journal in my memory banks. You need not do anything while I regenerate your tissues and organs as according to that DNA. Next time you wake up, several hours will have passed, and you will be yourself again, and the pain will be gone. Is this satisfactory?"

Regardless if she got an answer, V-Nine knew that she had to proceed, and transformed her hand into a hypospray - charged with enough anaesthetics to make even the nanites unable to stimulate the numb nervous system. "I will sedate you now, so try to relax... Soon, the pain will be gone, I promise."

It was quite amazing how much her upgrade had let heremulate the specimens in sickbay when it came to her bedside manner, and while she was usually quite chipper and happy, the current situation was not a laughing matter. She just wanted to do the right thing, hoping that the Caitian female would not hold her actions against her.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #6 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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Much of what was happening to her felt like a dream, a painful, horrible, broken, screwed up dream. The nanites invading her system, while not as excruciatingly painful as when she'd been injected the first time by the Orion slaver, were nevertheless painful, enough so that she was having trouble focusing on anything. Her mind seemed muddled, mired in mud and fog, unable to concentrate. She heard V-Nine speak, something about DNA, sequencing her back to normal. She didn't want it, but she knew that she wasn't in a place to argue, couldn’t argue, and in one small part of her mind, having herself back, was desirable.

Through the fog she felt pressure on her face, a familiar touch, Deacon reaching out to her, and she focused on that, fighting for a moment of clarity. A tear ran down her face, fighting through the pain to be with Deacon one final time before whatever was to be done to her began. His touch felt good and she moved her hand to reach out and touch him. Her hand couldn’t find his arm, but her lips could speak through the pain. “Deacon," she whispered softly, "I trust you mate. Do what you feel is right."

She couldn't focus much longer, couldn't fight the pain that was consuming her, and she slipped back into a pained semi-conscious state, unable to focus on the world around her. It was only when a hypospray was pressed against her neck, and the drugs began to course into her system, that K'Ren felt any alleviation of the pain. It wasn't perfect, but as the drug took hold, she felt a numbing sensation, like a cooling sensation in her extremities. As it began to take a firm hold on her, and she felt the edges of her consciousness slip away, she looked up at V-Nine. “Do as he asks.” She said, before slipping into unconsciousness.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #7 –
[ Deacon | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon paced the sickbay entrance with irritation and mental reprimand.  Was he condemning K'Ren to a cycle of body horror like he had suffered?  Was this truly the only way -- he had only the android's word of assurance to go one and given the source, and indeed her own, he was being asked to extend a sincere amount of faith where precious little reserve had been built up.  Already the mourning shift had begun.  He'd lost his opportunity to prepare the mourning meal to any appreciable degree and he'd already set an appointment for himself with one of the counselors this morning -- a "do over" as it were from his last session and a lingering requirement he'd been given from his own surgery not long after his arrival.

He disliked this sensation of uselessness.  It caused his fingers to twitch from inactivity and his pacing circle was entirely too small for the strides he wished to make, but limiting his presence was necessary for the function of sickbay and he could not risk a forced removal for hindering the necessary activities of the department.

After some time he forced himself to sit.  Appropriately human, he'd told himself, and eminently less disruptive.  It was an effort to sit quietly when he wished only to express his frustration, his claws aching to tear into the source of his irritation, but the Orion female was sequestered somewhere on the planet below and he knew that now was far from ideal if he wished to maintain the secrecy of the ship and its crew.  And so he sat, forcing his thoughts towards those things over which he had some level of control, considering recipes for forthcoming meals, an itinerary of classes, his own calendar for the days ahead.

A small alert flashed in the small heads up display of his glasses.  A reminder of the time.  Taking a breath, he rose, approaching the front desk as V-Nine had long since disappeared into the surgical suite with K'Ren in tow.  "I am Deacon.  My wife is in surgery with the android physician for a few hours.  I have a session with Counselor Ejek in a few minutes.  If anything happens, please contact me immediately."

"Of course," the duty nurse said with a nod.  "We'll let you know the moment there's an update."

He paused in the doorway, looking back for a moment.  He suspected life aboard the ship would be a lot like this... setting aside one unpleasantry to tend to another.  But that was what he had trained for, and to do less would be an insult to his home and his pride...

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #8 –
SIX HOURS LATER

[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @steelphoenix 
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When she had finished, V-Nine stepped back a little from the biobed - retracting her hypospray muzzle into her hand.

During the six hours that the DNA re-sequencing process had lasted, she hadn't just been making the genetic calibrations at the terminal - her metallic hands much faster than an organic medical officer's - for she had also been contemplating what the Caitian hybrid specimen had said to her mate. It appeared that their bond was strong, and it had made her wonder if she would ever encounter a situation when she'd feel that kind of... organic connection to someone else, despite how clearly artificial she was in her construct. With her upgrade, it wasn't entirely unlikely, since the expanded features of her A.I. might take her to such situations, but how might she prepare for that? What had happened between her and Commander Cross was nothing in the vicinity of what she contemplated, since that had merely been an accident and there had been naught but irritation fed to her.

She supposed she'd have to wait and see, and not over-analyse eventualities she knew naught about. That very decision surprised her, since her initial programming had not held any features that kept her from making diagnosis and evaluations. If she'd encountered a problem, she had been tasked to take the best possible option for the patients survival or the protection of the Archive. This odd... freedom of choice that Thea had bestowed upon her was a true conundrum in how it provided liberties she hadn't known she lacked. Would she find merit in forfeiting options to learn more?

Finally, the last chromosome had been reset to what it used to be, and after that, it was all a matter of regenerating tissues and flesh in accordance with the right DNA. The methodology might seem crude, but even with the inferior re-sequencer that the Federation had developed, V-Nine was able to safely use a dermal and sub-dermal generation field after the unwanted tissues were broken down. Of course, even an osteo-regeneration field had to be applied given the changes to the specimen's bone structure, and through it all, the body needed nourishment to handle the toll of the procedure. V-Nine, however, had it all well in hand, methodically going through the body with the process in the sequence of biological organs that was safest to K'Ren.

After running a final scan, she had been finished by covering the patient with a blanket, and she had raised her hand to turn it into a hypospray. She'd applied what used to be her middle finger against the hybrid's neck, and resuscitated her from the strong sedative she'd given him before she began. She'd stepped back, just to give the specimen some space if he needed it when he came to, and she was currently waiting for the patient to come to. It took some time, during which V-Nine was wirelessly logged into the diagnostic features of the biobed - scanning for residual nanite activity or medical complications after the DNA-re-sequencing.

"Hello," she said when the specimen stirred on the biobed, "you are on the Federation starship USS Theurgy, registry NX-78954, and you have been restored to your original physiology. The procedure was successful, and you should find yourself exactly the way you were before my makers abducted you. Better yet, the nanites show no activity, but we'll need to clear them out over time to avoid them locking on to your current nervous system."

V-Nine paused and let the organic situate herself, examining herself to her heart's content, but besides some leaden aftermath from the sedatives, scans showed she was quite healthy, if possibly feeling a bit sore given the massive alteration her body had undergone. She wordlessly sent a digital alert to the reception desk that the patient was awake, expecting the Nurse posted there to contact K'Ren's mate.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly, hoping that the emotional aftermath wouldn't complicate K'Ren's recovery.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #9 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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For six hours she'd slept, the strong sedative leaving her in blessed peace while the android worked on repairing her body, removing all traces of the nanites, and restoring her back to her original self. Even in the drug induced haze, she'd felt her body changing but felt little pain, it just felt like a warm fuzzy blanket wrapped around her mind & body as she lay there on the biobed.

As the antidote for the sedative began to wear off, K'Ren slowly woke, her body coming back to life, except this time, the world felt softer, less vibrant, less harsh. She could hear, tho sounds felt duller; she could see, though the colors seemed less vibrant, As she blinked a few times, eyes taking in the world the way she'd known most of her life, she glanced down at her hand, moving her fingers. Gone were the fur covered four digits of her mother, and in place the five fingers of her past self. Her arm looked less furry, the thick coat of fur now a softer, thinner coat, more human in appearance.

Turning her attention to the android, she blinked a few times, her body still adjusting to it's new (old) norms. She slowly sat up in the bed, swinging her legs off the side, looking herself over. The K'Ren that she saw with her own eyes was the K'Ren she'd known most of her life, not the full blood Cait she'd grown used to since the Savi abductions. "Can I have a mirror?" she asked, the android handing her one one. Her grip wasn't steady, partly the sedatives, partly her body adjusting to a new norm for the second time in a week.

Like she'd seen with her arms and hands, much of her mother's species was gone, replaced with the mix of human and Cait features, human eyes and human hair, the rounder nose with the split lip beneath. Her ears remained, twitching on their own accord it seemed, and she ran her fingers over her face, not entirely trusting her eyes.

She placed it down finally, and looked at Vee-9 properly. "Thank you. I know my feelings towards you have been hostile in past, but for restoring who I am, who I truly am, thank you." She paused, "I am back to who I was before your makers did their thing with me?  I'd conceived a cub with Deacon before the abduction, a cub your makers discarded when they 'purified' me. I had hoped to conceive again in the near future with my mate."

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #10 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @steelphoenix 
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It was an odd sensation fed to her from her upgraded processing software when Ensign K'Ren made an apology, because V-Nine hadn't discerned any hostility from the Starfleet officer. Not as far as her memory banks could detail, at least. Then again, she'd spoken about her own feelings towards her, and V-Nine couldn't possibly discern whatever might have occurred in the organic woman's mind. While advanced, she had no software to deduce thoughts. So in answer, she just waved it off with with a metallic hand. "Oh, please, I get that all the time. I am a product of Savi engineering and programming, albeit a bit upgraded by your Ship A.I. interface, but I do understand the sentiment towards my maker and how it might cast me in unflattering light."

After K'Ren paused, she spoke of the cub that she'd lost, and while it didn't have any record in the Correction Journal - it being strictly for the corrective procedures - there was a notation of the embryo.

"M-My condolences on your loss," she said, feeling how the emotions that coursed through her runtime were stronger, feeling that the words she'd just uttered through the speakers in her cranial unit felt so inadequate compared to what they implied. How did organics express such deep grief and regret? Could they even do it adequately? Even worse, she had little in terms of good news in regard to K'Ren's unborn cub.

"I know it might seem inadequate in relation to the tragedy of what the xenobiogist in the Corrective Program did to you... but indeed, you will be able to conceive again. Your reproductive organs and the cycles in which you are in heat have been restored, but I have yet to run a sensor scan that might suggest when you will next enter receptive period in your the sexual cycle. Oestrus might occur soon, or it might be a while before your body revisit that state, but I can assure you that you will be able to try again with your mate."

The matters of sexuality was something that made V-Nine wring her hands, as if embarrassed about the topic at hand, but she had yet to understand why this was. It made her almost fidget a bit in nervousness, speaking of reproduction, but she tried to compose herself as best as she might. "A-Anyway, the cub you lost, it got a very rudimentary scan before it was discarded, but using that scan, I might be able to write a holo projection of what the embryo might have grown up to look like. Depending on the quality of the available data, I will be able to apply a standard evolutionary process to the cells. Of course, an organic person isn't just a product of their genetics, but also of their physical conditioning pre- and post birth. I can merely show you a result based on standard cell evolution. Would... you be interested to see what would have become of your cub, or... do you feel that it's too much to... process, given what happened?"

V-Nine dearly hoped that she wasn't making matters worse with her offer, but she felt like the data from the scan was right there in the Correction Journal, and she believed she was obliged to tell K'Ren of it nonetheless.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #11 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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K'Ren listened as the robot brushed off her apoligy. She'd have normally felt offended but it almost seemed like there was some advanced emotional subroutine at play, perhaps embarrassment as being apologized to. She continued listening as Ve-Nine explained that she was in fact completely back to normal, her heat cycle, her body were ready for when it came next. She was glad of that, also knew that Vee-Nine's inability to predict her heat was expected, the baseline for when the twice yearly cycle might occur, was unpredictable, or at least would be this time as she'd had her genetics so messed up. It was also quite common for a female who lost a cub to go into heat soon after, nature's way of compensating for the loss, giving the female a second chance.

It was when the android said that a rudimentary scan had been logged of the embryo, implying that the child's genetics were in her data banks, that K'Ren paused. She'd hoped that would be the answer, but not dared to hope it would. But now as the words sank in, K'Ren felt conflicted, uncertain. Should she let Vee-Nine created a holographic representation of her child for her? Or should she accept the child was lost to history, and finish mourning it's loss before moving on? Or should she ask to see what the child would've looked like, a picture of the cub."

She worried now as the seconds passed, would she fixate on the cub, would she be able to return back to normalcy if she did this. But she also couldn't bare to see the only glimpse she might have of her first cub consigned to oblivion. When she finally spoke, she looked at Vee-Nine with a pained expression on her face. "Please. I would like to see the cub, just a glimpse. But, my mate must also consent, as much as I desire this, it has to be our choice."

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #12 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @steelphoenix 
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With her upgrade, V-Nine found herself being able to empathise with the emotions that she observed in her patient, and the profound level of impact that her offer had rendered wasn't anything she'd foreseen. It was almost as if she wanted to take the auditory dialogue back when she realised how much potential distress she might have caused her patient.

Yet she remained silent until she'd finished speaking, and V-Nine came to realise how despite the level of deep loss Ensign K'Ren felt, the opportunity to deal with that loss could - possibly - lay in the sight of the discarded embryo; what it might have become if it had been allowed to live. If there was any point, among the very many she'd dealt with so far in restoring the Corrected on the Theurgy, that she found herself hating what the Scion Directive had turned her makers into, then the sight of K'Ren's face in that moment was certainly the one chief among them. With her upgrade, it was beyond her how doctrine could negate simple empathy for other sentient beings and what might befall them. Were her makers truly so focused on scientific achievements that they were blind to what their actions led to?

Yet again, was it mere fear to loose all their progress that they so readily accepted whatever the Code had said at the time? The fear of loosing the Flotilla entirely to the next Cataclysm? They would call it pragmatism, of course, but V-Nine thought it was something more primal that lay behind the choices of her makers. Fear was beyond knowledge. Sometimes, understanding couldn't quite dispel existential dread. To put it in perspective, even the Human specimens around her were capable of great atrocities merely out of fear for the unknown, if one were to delve into their ancient history.

"I have already made sure he's alerted that you've come to, so he should arrive here as soon as he can," she said, and her chipper and carefree tonality was gone in the moment - the respect she held for the Ensign's plight keeping her from making some glib remark. "I will be just outside, and you can call me when you want me to come. I'll prepare the holo-image in the meantime..."

V-Nine turned to leave then, so that the two mates might speak alone.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #13 –
[ Deacon | Security Office | Klingon Starbase ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon sat slumped in his chair.  It was hardly the proper position of a proud Kzin, let alone a Black Priest, but after an hour listening to an overly convoluted and tedious lecture on the so-called fineries of Klingon law, it was the position to which he was driven, weighted down by his simultaneous desire to surgically extract the officer's spine for inspection and the good grace to remain silent in favor of the haven being granted the ship and its crew.

And on the heels of another counseling session, let alone one that interrupted his tending to his wife.  Still, this is what was expected of him, and aside from pacing a hole in the floor of sickbay, there was precious little else he could do for her there.

Holding up his hand to forestall further explanation, he spoke up.  "I understand that relations with the Orions are... challenging.  I understand that you have looked into the matter of the assault and that there are," he paused to take a breath, in part to calm the rage that was threatening to burrow its way out of his stomach, "extenuating circumstances with the female."  He scowled, "Allow me to be equally clear... if the local law enforcement cannot enforce the law, then for her sake, I hope we never cross paths again, or it may be necessary for me to seek the Right of Vengeance."

The Klingon officer's mouth opened slightly as if to object before being cut off again by another wave of Deacon's hand.

"She trespassed against my mate and thus has dishonored my house.  I will not go seeking her, but do not deny me the right to protect what is mine should the Fanged God drive her into my hunting grounds," he said with a stern certainty.

After a moment, the officer closed his mouth, giving a grim nod of understanding which Deacon acknowledged with an inclination of his head.  In the silence that followed, his badge beeped prompting a tap from his raised hand.  "This is Deacon."

"Deacon, Ensign K'Ren's surgery appears to have been a success.  She's asked that you come to sickbay."

He raised a glance to the officer.  "Is that all?" he asked the Klingon, to which he received an affirming nod.  He continued to his badge, "Let her know I'm on my way."

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #14 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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K'Ren nodded as V-Nine left, leaving her alone with her thoughts while she awaited her mate. She still felt a little unsteady, drugs always had that effect on her, even her half-human body, which she was back to again. Hopefully this was the last time she'd have to get her genetics messed with, the short time as a Cait had been nice, and had it not been for that Orion bitch, she'd have remained pure Caitian. She supposed tho that being her part human self, other Caits she'd meet would expect less of her, wouldn't expect her to know all their cultural nuances.

Looking towards the door, ears perking and swiveling to listen, she smiled a little when she saw Deacon enter the room. She went over to him, her balance still wasn't quite back and she almost tripped, but caught herself. Nuzzling Deacon, she could smell Klingon him, wondered what he'd been, perhaps speaking to the authorities, but it didn't matter. She embraced him, hugging him, almost clinging to him for a minute. "V-Nine says I am better, and can leave when I wish, but before we do, I have a question for you mate."

She was unsure what he might say, if he'd refuse her wish. He was her mate, and if he didn't wish it, she'd respect that. "V-Nine found in her records, a genetic scan of our cub." She paused, "She can't save the cub, no science can, but she can show us what our cub would have looked like when it was born."

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #15 –
[ Deacon | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon's expression was a stern blend of his Kzinti self assurance that all was, at least in this moment, was as it should be and, perhaps, a touch of relief.  It was, perhaps, as close to a smile as he could generally manage without going so far as bearing his teeth, which still seemed contrary to joy and more an intent of hostility from a cultural perspective.

K'Ren's condition had been tended to and set aright.  Of course, there was the lingering self-recrimination that he had allowed it to persist so long, but such was a niggling aspect of his thoughts that it often went overlooked.  Of course he would critique himself for in this place and time, there were so few uniquely qualified to make such criticisms, and without them, how could he seek to better himself.

His expression, however, melted away as she expressed her question.

She wanted him to experience a hypothetical with her -- a fantasy of what they could have had were it not for the machinations of the Savi.  There was part of him that understood and appreciated her request, but there was the bigger part of him that cringed inwardly at the prospect of what had been proposed.  Their child-to-be, no matter its form, no matter its hypotheticals, had been taken from them -- it was dead as though it had lead its life to the fullest when it had been denied life at all.  Though he would honor the loss, Kzinti did not face the dead  willingly.  Such was anathema, filled with taboo and suspicions.

He drew his lips together tightly.  It was something he had no desire to experience and no amount of subtlety or deception could hide that fact at the core of his heart.  Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, chastising himself for being unwilling to be the champion his mate needed in this time.  A proper patriarch of his line and house.

"If this is what you seek to bring you comfort," he stated, his voice measured and even, "then I will stand at your side."  His own disquiet was trivial -- a minor obstacle to overcome -- and he would overcome it.  For her.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #16 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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As K'Ren finished asking, she could sense the change in his demeanor, he wasn't comfortable with the idea. She didn't know as much as she wanted about the K'Zin, the Patriarchy was secretive about such matters after all, and Deacon while he'd told her bits and shreds about K'Zin society, their views on death hadn't really come up. And through their bond she could feel that he was torn, torn between wanting her to heal, if this would let her, and his own superstitions? fears?

It was his words to her, his affirmation that he would stand by her, that made her feel she could face it. "Thank you mate," she said softly giving him a peck on his cheek, "I want to know what our child would've been like, it is hard to grieve the loss when it's not tangible, not real. This makes it real."

When Vee-Nine came back in, she smiled at the android, a genuine smile this time, the android, despite her dislike of it's creators, had earned her respect for how it made her whole again.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #17 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @steelphoenix 
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Once she returned, V-Nine was carrying an emitter that she'd assembled before, when the Andorians that had been on the Versant had been allowed to see their unhatched offspring.

"So, is this something you want?" she asked in a chipper tone, just wanting to make sure the two were in agreement on seeing their lost child. Perhaps it would be healing for them, she hoped, and not make their loss hurt more. After getting confirmation, she walked over to the biobed and put it down on there. "Okay, so, when you are ready, you can press the command at the top of the unit, and the projection will be activated. The projection, as you can see here on the side, can be toggled by year, so with the slider next to the activation command, you can progress the age. Please bear in mind that it's a statistically calculated representation, based on the sensor reading I mentioned."

V-Nine stepped back, looking between the two with her lens, before she folded her metallic hands behind her back. "I will be right outside if you need me, and keep the device if you want. Otherwise, I will store it here in sickbay for you."

With that, she turned around, and she lowered her cranial unit in digital rumination about what the organics might feel, for while she  hadn't been originally programmed with the kind of empathy she now had, the upgrade detailed a lot of depth when it came to emotions of loss and grief. Process-oriented as she was, however, she also deduced that sorrow appeared to have a natural place in development for people. For unless the grief was too much to handle, the individual appeared to grow stronger from it.

In some cases, sorrow prepared them for joy. It violently swept everything out of their biological minds, so that the new could accumulate. It shook the excess data from their proverbial runtimes, so that fresh, new data could be gathered. Like roots, grief weeded out old subroutines, so that new ones could be installed. Whatever their loss claimed from them...

....far better experiences could take their place.

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #18 –
[ Deacon | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan

Deacon eyed the android warily as she flaunted about the device that he saw more as a beacon to the deceased, merely voicing his agreement to this activity so long as K'Ren wished it.  While he may not have been warrior born, he was Kzinti and proud and he would not allow himself this weakness before superstition, not when his mate required a hero at her side.

She set the device down, giving its base instructions, making it seem more holonovel than any semblance of life that might have been -- at least, that's what he told himself repeatedly in order to shake the ill-ease from the base of his spine.

Gently, he reached out, taking K'Ren's hand and placing it on the device before he stepped back with a nod.  This was her wish.  Hers should be the hand at the control.  In this, at least, he could be afforded his own limited protection -- he was not the one tempting the veil, he was not the one who dares peer into the hunting grounds, but he was the shield for the woman he loved, and in that, he felt no shame.
 

Re: Day 05 [0810 hrs.] To Nix the Nanites

Reply #19 –
[ K'Ren | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @SteelPhoenix @Auctor Lucan
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K'Ren took the device Vee-Nine had given her, her hand almost shaking a little. This was the moment of truth, but in it, she found it hard to push the button, to activate it. It was only her mates hand, holding her's for that brief moment, that gave her the strength to push the button, turn on the holographic projector, to peer into what was, and what could have been. She knew he was not comfortable with this, but for her at least it had to be done.

She watched as the unit came to life, projecting a small furry bundle, very much the child of three worlds. The child was beautiful, everything she'd hoped in a cub, the product of her union with the man she called her mate. Slowly shifting forward in time, she watched as the small cub grew, into a young man, standing before them. Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't trust herself to speak or say anything. All the emotions she felt, focused around this cub, seemed to swirl through her in that moment, a veritable maelstrom of emotions. Anger at the Savi for taking him from them, pride at knowing she'd given Deacon a son, but the overarching feeling was loss, pain and sadness at the loss of the cub, an innocent victim of life's circumstances. But she also felt resolve, resolve that she would not let this loss stop her from trying again. She would, they would, produce another cub together, one as strong and healthy as this one. One of many before she and Deacon went to the beyond.

Finally, K'Ren pressed the button to shut off the unit. Tears were in her eyes, the pain of the loss clearly evident, but also relief, relief at the chance to see the cub, to know it it in some small way. A hologram could not show personality, only the body, but the cub, a male child, was strong like his father, and while he would never know this world, only the hunting grounds of the beyond, K'Ren was content that when it was her time to travel beyond this life, she would know him, recognize him in the fields. She turned to Deacon, "Thank you mate. I will greive this child, our first, but I would honor it's legacy by having more, a pride that will stand before the fanged god unashamed, and before Rrikalla. Children of two worlds, and honored before both."

- FIN
 
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