Palace Lobby
Sune kept his face neutral, to his way of thinking, this person's behavior was bordering on unethical. It would have been different if he had been injured and unconscious. But he was not and it was in a manner of speaking an invasion of privacy. One that he would not have done, he had hoped to get some in depth scans, but only after getting the individual's permission. He took a moment to form his words carefully.
"Doctor Jiban, in our culture it is normally proper to ask before scanning a person, unless you are dealing with a patient. However, since I had hoped to be able to perform a few scans on your people so perhaps you will permit me to return the favor.
Although, I must ask you and your colleagues from scanning any of the Nekovalkyjra. Their bodies are properties of the Star Army and as such are Military Equipment and Classified.
Now if it is permissible with you, I would like to conduct a scan of my one."
He held up the medial scanner, "This is our Portable Medical Scanner-1M, it works by means of a hypospray that injects millions of nanomachines. Which once in the blood stream provide biometric data, which this unit receives and stores. Then a dermal patch is applied which relays that data to this unit or other medical equipment. After twenty four hours the nanomachines dissolve harmlessly."
“Apologies.” She said in response to Sune, giving him a polite bow. “I got excited when I saw you come through the door unescorted.” She said as she came back up. “Ah, nano-machines used for a scan. My parents experimented with such a device…but other members of the science community brick walled them, and seized the prototypes. This device I just used on you is collection of radiation, light, and sound to collect data. It is accurate, but I hope your rad count is low. ‘But as one scientist to another, I will not deny you the same courtesy you allowed me.” Jiban said as she submitted to Sune’s scan. “I will avoid the Nekovalkyjra as requested.” It was at that point that Jiban spoke into a small communicator that was on her coat. “Avoid the Nekovalkyjra for medical scans…the biology over the second race are classified.”
Jiban was clearly excited, because she immediately started talking again. “At a glance of my scan I noticed that your muscle structure is not as dense as our own, which probably explains why your people are generally larger then my own. The plantigrade evolution of your feet I also find intriguing because we always regarded plantigrade locomotion a primitive condition for mammals on the basis that digitgrades and unguligrades evolved much later this world. Jiban would pull up the holographic scan of Sune once more as she waited for him to hypospray her. “I figure your device should be able to pierce my skin according to this your race’s epidermis is thinner than that of the Gartagen epidermis. Oh my…fascinating…may I ask you a…rather odd question?” Jiban said as her holographic scan began flashing with some words that were in Gartagen script forming above the holographic Sune’s head.
Sune adjusted the hypospray to account for the thicker skin. He also made a mental note to check into the rationale for avoiding nanotech. He wondered if it was a social, religious or cultural reason. Sune pressed the PMS hypospray against Jiban's arm and applied the patch. Once the unit was synced he tapped his Uno Sunglasses to connect them to the scanner. "While our musculature may be less dense than yours, we are stronger than a normal human of our size. We do not require a thicker dermis as our bodies heal at an accelerated rate. We have encountered a variety of species, and each has their own 'uniqueness'. It has been my experience that evolution usually comes up with the most successful design." Sune paused to look at the data that was streaming in. Certain aspects of the Gartargen he could understand, but until he had a full scan he would hold off asking for specifics.
"Of course you may ask odd questions? I am sure that some of my questions during our discourse will seem strange to you." he said in response to query.
"Are you engineered? I see several synthetic markers…such as in the case of your blood the accelerated healing. It is quite interesting, and even more so if this is the norm for your entire species.” She said asking her odd question. She would await Sune’s response and then continue on. “We evaluated our species from a scientific stand point after acquiring the civilian level data off of PANTHEON and found that for our size, we are exceedingly strong, and our bodies are robust, but your kind is still larger and this affords you the advantage. The differences in alien biology give our scientist something to investigate and to better understand how life forms on other worlds. For me, this is a very exciting time. If I had the opportunity I would absolutely love to study at a medical school to practice on your people.”
She then paused and looked at Sune. “I am sorry…I keep rambling off. You said you had questions…by all means.” Jiban said as she giggled nervously.
Sune had a brief memory flash of the other medic he served with. Konoka and this Jiban seemed to have come from the same mind set. "The Yamataian body is an engineered lifeform. It was made available to my people six years ago. It was an upgrade from the earlier Geshrin form and is considered superior to it. Although I have no first hand experience with being in a Geshrin form, and I was never born in the traditional sense. Like many of our soldiers I was manufactured five years ago, and woke up fully grown rather than born to parents."
"As for questions, I have many, I would like at some time to visit one of your places where you treat people. What we would call Hospitals, I do not know what you call yours. But as for immediate questions, why was your parents work confiscated? If you can explain."
“That is intriguing. It is as if you people have turned biology into a technological construction. It really raises the question of what is alive. Or the even more interesting question: What if something created all the naturally formed life forms in the universe.” She said as she stepped forward and started inspecting Sune. She brought her clawed hands closer to his face. “Do not mind me…just getting a look with my own eyes…I feel machines make us doctors loose touch, sure they help, but a good doctor should have no trouble examining something first hand.”
“This translator software that our CORE net work has cobbled together prevents the actual word from being seen through, but we call it a house of healing, and there is a massive one roughly three miles from this very location, I am positive I can get an air shuttle to take us there.” She said as she pulled away from Sune. Jiban immediately turned and shouted to one of her colleagues “Prep my air shuttle for take off, and see if we can get clearance to let Sune and his companion to leave the palace with us.” A younger male Gartagen responded with a “Yes doctor.” bowed and obediently scrambled off to set things in motion.
When Sune mentioned her parent’s research she grew grim. “It was a case of inter clan politics. At the time my family was clanless, even worse we were T'Sharugartagens…children of the clones from The War of Light.” Jiban then motioned for Sune to look at her skin by spreading her fingers wide and slowly bringing her arms down her torso. “This skin is not a natural occurrence, rather a marker to identify my ancestors from naturally born Gartagens. My parents were brilliant scientists, but the competing researchers had more connections, the resources of an entire clan backing them, and all the pull in the world to have my parent’s research black balled, and costing lives thanks in part to racism…and status.”
"I am not schooled in theology so I can not speak about the concept of the Divine. I fully understand about a hands on approach when treating patients. When I perform a physical examination on a crew member, I combine the results of the scanner with an actual physical exam."
Upon hearing her mention the War of Light, he sent a message back to the Eucharis so Charisma could relay this event to whomever was charged with exploring their history.
"So, because you are descended from clones rather than natural Gatagens you and others like you are ostracized? That is interesting, Does that mean cloning and clones in general are looked as inferior? Why were your ancestors created as clones if it was going to leave them with a stigma?
I am curious because I am technically a clone, a mass produced soldier, the difference being I had a different experience after creation."
“Ma’am, your and your guests are cleared for departure…and the House of healing has been notified of your arrival…the transport is awaiting your party as we speak.” came a garbled communique over her coat bound communications device. Jiban beckoned Sune and his companion to walk with her, but continued speaking.
“Ostracized would be too kind of a word. It all goes back to the War of Light. The Pygrins created us as a grand experiment, to further the cause of medicine. The Pygrins were mighty warriors and brilliant researchers, and stood as the benchmark of Gartagen society for generations. They were not perfect, but they were..noble in their own way. Noble enough to gain the envy of the Ithcalushi…the peach colored Gartagens…” She said pointing out a peach colored Gartagen to Sune. “The Pygrins were outnumbered three to one, and began mass producing us for the great war. Their clone troops fighting along side their natural born soldiers…devastated their attackers, beating the all the way back to their home cities. But the Ithcalushi were as devious as they were numerous, and drop nuclear bombs onto several of the Pygrin cities. After that the Pygrins surrendered, and my people were herded up to be exterminated. The Ithcalushi exterminated millions of us…it was industrialized, but when the war ended the Union came to its senses and halted the extermination. They soon promptly exiled us to the southern arctic continent of our world where we managed to flourish.”
“As the centuries passed, racial discrimination was outlawed, and my people were legally considered full citizens of the union. "
“Today however is a much different age, every thing is needed to bring out people into space. Every ethnic group, every scrap of metal. Clones are viewed differently by individuals. Racism still exists but is not officially our way. Today cloning is used on a limited basis, mostly to aid in the creation of organs, tissues, and making food and animals for consumption. But no the cloning of a Gartagen is outlawed, I was naturally conceived by my parents, as they were by their own parents…but the genetic marker that makes my skin this color is a trait that can not be bred out, but I am fond of it because it reminds me of my heritage, and that I should be proud of it. I like to think my ancestors were brave, and noble. I could not imagine what it must have felt like to have been flash grown, then imprinted with basic knowledge through a neural interface wire, and then handed a rifle and armor and told to go out and fight for your life.”
“My people are not perfect Sune, but we are getting better.”
"In my case it was less than that. I woke up aboard a civilian ship, with no idea who I was or how I got there. I was in a maturation pod that had been stolen. I could speak and take of myself, but I had to learn to socialize, and find an occupation. Unlike most mass produced soldiers, I found a family. The people who rescued me and helped me to learn." He paused as the emotions of losing that family came up. He did his best to keep the emotions in check, but it was clear that there was something bothering him for a moment.
"I am glad that your people as a whole are working towards acceptance, but from what you said of your parents' work. It would appear that there is still more work to be done in gaining full acceptance."
“That must have been a nightmare.” Jiban said as she heard Sune’s short story detailing his birth. She nervously began tapping her claws together as she began thinking about having such an experience. “I try not to have any strong emotions to natural born, but when I hear tales like that it upsets me…” She said as she turned to continue walking down the hall way. Sune would see that this particular hallway was constructed differently then the one he had entered the first time. It was plated with gold, silver, and a number of other precious metals and gave of the appearance of something that was meticulously tended to due to the volumes of script that was etched into the meters of endless wall.