The events in these post happened several weeks before hey There Stranger
ON, SS Raider
It was the mid-day shift on the Origin Industries vessel known as the SS Raider, and a large package had been shipped for the local doctor, care of the Lorath Commerce Board. The large metal crate and composite sit inside of the ominously spacious and brightly lit shuttle bay, the clashing heraldries of the two agencies being clearly visible. The Helashio person who was to ensure delivery of the crate was nowhere in sight, but a faint rustling could be heard from inside.
Irene Celes, the ship's doctor approached the container, perking her head to side and frowning as she noticed it was quite loud for a shipment of goods, but recalled one of the orders she had made in passing. Most of the goods were relevant to her role as Doctor on the ship, although some would be more difficult to justify. It was all coming from her account, so the ship's Captain wouldn't have much of a reason to lambaste her for spending company money. "Hmm..." The doctor pressed the keypad on the side of the container, causing it to open up and reveal the contents.
The container opened up slowly, the top rising up poles contained in each corner. On top were the various packages of ammunition and the grenade launcher. The medical drones were stored underneath that alongside the plasma thrower and the canister of Pico Jelly. At the very bottom, occupying the lower half of the container was a clear lid with a sleeping girl underneath. The assistant that Irene had ordered lay there in a flimsy white medical gown with her control collar secured firmly around her neck. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully as she lay there.
Irene began unloading the materials inside, making sure to place them on her trolley and clear a path for the container's sole occupant. Once finished, she slowly opened up the lid, and reaching inside, gingerly shook the teenager girl inside, making sure not to be too rough and startle her while she was inside such tight confines. "Excuse me... I'll need you to wake up so I may put away this container." Her voice was plain and unemotional, but tinged with a sort of distant caring.
The girl roused from her sleep, her legs twitching as she yawned softly and opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and looked around her container, revealing a datapad that had been laying under her arm. She looked up from the box at the Radider's doctor and smiled, "Good morning." She spoke Nepleslian, but from her accent it was clear that it wasn't her first language. The Helashio looked around her sleeping area for a second, and finding the pad, picked it up and handed it to the doctor. The datapad had a list of the inventory shipped, with the various notes on adjustments that had been made to the order. It also contained notes on the adoption and how the control collar operated, keeping only pertinent memories related to her duties and refreshing her personality every couple of days. There was also an instruction manual on how to change the settings and a program to operate the collar wireless, both for adjustments and to administer punishments and rewards wirelessly.
"I am Doctor Irene Celes, the person who has adopted you." Irene replied, taking the datapad from the girl and passing her cybernetic eyes over the relevant data, before remotely uploading it to her non-organic data storage. Something about the collar evoked some kind of strange sympathy in the doctor, who remembered being the subject of such manipulations of her psyche for most of her life. Although she could not justify doing so for her own conscience, a vein of logic following the extreme damages to her mind from such manipulations and the potential inconveniences of removing memories for her 'adopted' assistant could only be problematic. Setting the collar to her own remote control and removing this memory erasure... permanently, she crouched down and placed a cool hand on the girl's forehead, her lips pursed into a thin smile. "You will be working as my lab assistant and cybernetics attendant, and will aid me in my day-to-day duties in exchange for lodging, food, training and a small stipend from my accounts. If I believe I can trust you entirely, I may see to it that your collar is removed, and take you on as an apprentice."
"Yes, ma'am" the girl replied simply with a short nod and a weak smile on her face. She seemed a bit nervous, or cold. Perhaps both as she stood there in front of the doctor. "I will strive to assist you in everything you require," she asserted firmly, a determined gaze washing over her face.
"I like that you're already trying so hard, but it would be bad to let you get sick. Please keep warm with my uniform jacket." Irene said, removing the thick green garment adorned with the the Origin Industries insignia, handing it to the girl before she placed her hands on her heavily loaded trolley. "I have some clothes prepared for you in my quarters. That aside, will you be needing anything before I begin familiarizing you with your tasks?"
The girl quickly put Irene's jacket on and buttoned it up as she followed in step behind the doctor. "I only require what you need me to have," she said, an innocent honesty to her tone.
"We do need to get you a name." Cyrene said as the two moved down circular hallways to the ship's elevator, pushing the trolley with one arm and fiddling with her new M'Cel grenade launcher with the other. Although there was a time where the Lorath only produced substandard goods and focused on melee weapons, she was rather astonished by the quality and sophistication of the weapon, easily rivaling any decent Nepleslian maker. She let out a small satisfied sigh, setting it back down and glanced back at her adopted Helashio. "Does the name Farley please you? It is ostensibly Nepleslian, but should be easy to pronounce for you." She asked, as they entered the elevator.
"That will be my name, then," the newly christened Farley replied with a curt nod as they reached Irene's room. She quickly removed her clothes right in front of the doctor and dressed in the garments that had been laid out. First stepping into and pulling up the cotton panties, then sitting on the bed and putting on the dark pantyhose. Next came her bra and white dress shirt, followed by the blue Origin tie. Almost done, she wrapped the black pencil skirt around her waist, wriggling her tail into the hole and buttoning it up. Finally came the brown shoes and she was ready to go again, standing up and awaiting her owner's command.
"I'll start you off on first aid and sorting medicines, to begin." Irene explained, as they moved down the hallways down to the medlab, as the cyborg handed Farley an odd pistol-shaped device and a small booklet in Nepleslian. "This is a surgical use autonanolathing scalpel, hypospray and tissue regeneration system. For administering medication and basic first aid, this will be your primary tool." She said, pushing along through the open medlab door and setting her new equipment to the side. Her oddly resonant voice seemed to have a bit more of an echo in the room, and aside from a few loose bottles of medication, the room seemed almost immaculate. "For safety reasons, I've restricted the maximum range of your nanolathed blade, as I do not expect you to need a bone saw in the immediate future. Care for a snack?" She said, opening up a small bag of white wafer cookies filled with a slightly dry sugary icing paste.
The Helashio nodded dutifully as she accepted the booklet and medical tool. Her face watching the doctor's every move and hanging on to her every word as she listened to Irene's explanation. Farley blinked her magenta-hued eyes at the offer of a snack, quite surprised. "Yes ma'am," she said, noting the deliciousness of the treats in the bag.
Irene poured a small amount of a hot, clear green liquid from a kettle sitting on a hotplate into a pair of cups, placing a trio of wafer cookies onto the small plates beneath them. With a light smile, she tended one of the plates to her new assistant, and nodded. "Food is likely more meaningful to an organic such as yourself, but I do like the taste and warmth of these sorts of things." She said, raising the cup to her lips to take a sip of the lightly bittersweet liquid, as a small blue electric blush formed on her cheeks, formed of dancing blue lines that crossed her skin. "As a full conversion cyborg, I'll be counting on you to attend to minor parts of my regular maintenance cycle."
Testingly, Farley placed one of the white wafers into her mouth and let it sit there, savoring the taste. It was quite delicious compared to the nutrient paste she was used to. She nodded along as Irene explained to her about the details of the regular maintenance a cyborg like her required.
"AH-PHBHBHBT!" sneezed a voice outside the sanctity of the Medical Bay. Buu walked in, with a bit of a stumble in his step, and a dishcloth over his nose. "Nyhay... Irene, nyoo 'ere?" Buu spoke sickly and spotted the Doctor and here new nurse. "Ey... Oo's nyat?" He noted the the strange ears coming from her head, something that Saja had when he still knew the illiterate slave. "A nylasho?"
"Farley will be acting as my assistant." Irene said, retrieving a small container filled with a combination of antihistamines, pain medication and a light stimulant to put the man back on his toes. "Farley, this is Tadarius Buushaw Locklem, the ship's cook." The cyborg woman approached the sick man, stretching up to place her cool right hand onto his forehead. "When did the symptoms start?"
"I'se crawlin' 'round in the cargo nyold gettin' some biscuit mix f'tha Ckaptan. I'se about t'start on dinner, but I shtarted shneezin', then my nose shtarted runnin', now I'm sorta' sick." Buu recalled in a rather anguished and sickly tone.
"Nice to meet you, Tadarius Busshaw Lockern," the new nurse said with a curtsy and a polite smile. The Helashio then quickly thumbed through her booklet on the proper procedures for inserting the dosage into the medical tool and how to administer the drugs within to a patient. She wasn't sure if Irene was going to intend on having her perform the procedure so soon, but Farley felt that she should be ready just in case.
"Nyhay, you already taughh't it th'language?" Tadarius said with suprise, nodding respectfully to the Helashio and then looked at Irene.
"I had slightly more stringent requests than usual, and asked for her to be literate and dexterous." Irene nodded, checking over the feedback from her hand. It seemed the man had a bit of a fever, but nothing quite debilitating. "Can you name all of your symptoms for me?"
"Well, bit'a coughin', snyeezin, sore throat, runnyee nyosse, and my eye tiches." Tadarius said, turning his head quickly for a moment and sneezing in the direction behind him.
"Sounds like Nepleslian acute viral rhino pharyngitis. The common cold, of course." Irene pulled out the pill bottle and handed the man a trio of capsules, handing them to him. "Take these for now and return in twelve hours for another dosage. Would you like a quick dosage of nanomachines to clear our your sinuses and respiratory tracts?" She said, gesturing for Farley to come over. "It should make you feel better until the medication takes effect."
The Helashio quickly stepped up next to the doctor and patient, her NCS Hypolathe ready to administer the treatment to the cook. Farley holds it near his arm, waiting for either Buu or Irene to give her the go-ahead.
Tadarius took the pills and put them in his mouth, swallowing all three quickly. "Thanks, Nyrene. I think a good flush'd do me some good."
"Make sure you programmed them to clear out his sinuses." The doctor patted the man on the shoulder, giving her assistant the go-ahead. "You may experience an 'uncomfortable' purging of your lungs and nose for the next minute or so, but it should be worth the relief"
"Uncomfortable?" Buu asked her, a brow arched.
The new nurse nods and double-checks her device, making sure it's set right before jamming it into Buu's arm with little warning or any sort of bedside manner. She pulls the trigger, injecting him with the nanomachines which quickly go to work extracting the mucous from the man's lungs and sinus cavities.
"I suggest you hold your head over the waste basket. Your mouth and nose will... drip, quite a bit." Irene said nonchalantly, handing him a small sterile handkerchief and pointing to a nearby garbage bin. "Prepare him some tea, Farley. It should make things better afterward." She said with a gentle smile. "Cups are on the service trolley next to the counter."
Farley nods to Irene and makes her way to the service trolley, pouring some of the tea from the kettle the doctor had prepared and served earlier into a cup for the dark-skinned man. After she replaced the kettle on the hotplate, she hurried back over to where the patient sat and waited patiently until he was ready for the drink.
"Gyuh!" Tadarius wormed loudly as the man felt the needle stick in nanomachines course throw him, forcing all the excess up. The Black Cook slipped off the table and towards the bin, his metal hand snatching the handkerchief out of Irene's hand and slipping over waste basket. He squirmed a bit as the mucous and the nanomachines came dripping out. "Eaulgh!"
Irene stroked his back slowly as it passed, attempting to ease some of the intense discomfort she imagined he might be going through at that point. "Just a little bit longer, Tadarius."
The former marine spat into the trash can as his sinuses finally cleared out. He put the handkerchief to his mouth and nose, then dried it some, and finally looked up at Farley weakly. "A little better warning next time... alright?" Buu said, tossing the small cloth away into the bin.
"Yes sir," the golden-haired Helashio responded, holding out the cup of tea for the man with both hands, watching him with her wide eyes looking a little sad that she had displeased him. "Miss Irene would like you to have this," she tells him as she offers the drink.
"Well, thank you, Farley." Buu smiled weakly, taking the drink in his hands and sipping it. "MmmmMmmm!" He sighed with a satisfying moan, the tea felt very good to his throat. "Hey, this stuff isn't half bad." said Tadarius beginning to sip the rest.
"I purchased a few hundred grams of green tea while I was on Yamatai. To my understanding, this one was grown on Hoshi no Iori." Irene said with a passive nod, turning to look over at Farley. A slight smile formed on her lips as she patted the Helashio on the head gently. "Your work was good, just be more mindful of things and you'll perform to my expectations. Now then, return to your tea and cookies if you wish."
"Yes ma'am," the Helashio replied, returning to her plate and cup. Taking a small ship to taste the tea for herself, Farley then places another cracker in her mouth and lets her saliva slowly break it down on the top of her tongue.
"So, has the commander exactly 'approved' of a Helashio being on board?" Tadarius asked setting his tea to the side for a moment.
"My contract did allow for me to take on an assistant..." Irene said meekly, her cheeks flashing a lattice of blue lines. "I don't believe I've told her about Farley at this point."
"You think Tinkerbell actually reads her contracts?" Tadarius arched a brow.
Paperwork. So much Paperwork. It was like no-one in Origin Armor Works could do anything without filling out the requisite forms in triplicate. There was no way he could deal with anymore of it today. Kensuke sighed, slipping into the Med-bay, figuring it would be mostly deserted, only to see Buu and Irene in there, along with a new face. He didn't say anything however, electing to keep quiet and just watch.
Irene stood up and set her teacup aside, her face set in a cool but concerned expression. "Is something the matter, Kensuke? You seem to be lethargic and melancholic."
Kensuke smiled at Irene. Something about her calm, blue blushing face intrigued him, deep down inside. "I have too much paperwork. It's killing me."
Farley smiled happily as the cookie dissolved in her mouth, taking another small sip of her tea before noticing the new arrival. Dutifully she set down her cup and swallowed the mush in her mouth before picking up her hypolathe and returning to the doctor's side.
Buu sat idly, sipping his cup of tea, not really paying attention. Mainly, he was just enjoying the doctor's temporary remedy to his cold. He reminded himself to thank the weird lady before he left.
"The ship is telling that your biometrics are within nominal levels for a Yamataian male." Irene said bluntly, retaking her seat and letting out a quiet sigh. "Please only come here if you have genuine medical concerns." She gestured for Farley to sit as well, and tossed what appeared to be a small form ball in the shape of a blue star. "Squeezing it should work some of the stress out of your body. Alternatively, you may wish to consider a hobby to break up the repetitiveness of your tasks."
"Yes ma'am," Farley replied, sitting in a chair next to Irene's, folding her hands in her lap over the medical tool and waiting with baited breath as she watched her keeper interact with the new patient.
"Ah, Irene. I didn't come in here because I felt sick, I came in here because I needed to hide. I refuse to do anymore paperwork for the day."
"I'm surprised you refer to it as paperwork." Irene said with a disinterested nod, taking a quiet sip of her tea. "Or have any sort of trouble with it. Every requisition order I make is arranged in real time through my cyberware, and is taken care of by Roke after I make a digital signature."
"I had no idea we could do that." Kensuke sighed, then smiled at the blonde Helashio. "Who'se this girl, anyway?"
"It is disturbing for me to know that you do not know obvious operational shortcuts, head of OAW." She replied, visibly taken aback by his words. It took her a few moments to calm down, and as the cyborg did, she placed a hand on Farley's shoulder. "This is my new assistant, Farley. She will be working here in the medbay as a nurse, lab technician and receptionist while I am on-duty, and provide some private care at other times."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," the blonde Helashio responded to her introduction, standing up and giving a curtsy and polite smile to the man before returning to her seat.
The Yamataian smiled, and returned the bow to Farley. "It's nice to meet you Farley." Kensuke smiled deviously, thinking up a plan. "Irene, do you mind if I borrow Farley? We could both probably use a secretary."
"As I went to the trouble of adopting her through the proper channels in the UOC, I am her legal guardian and can refuse that request." Irene said with an icy touch, glaring at the man expressionlessly. "I hope you can understand that I am strongly opposed to that notion until I can trust that she'll be safe away from me."
"Then are you saying that you can't trust me then, Irene?" Kensuke grinned mischievously, baring teeth. "I can see why you're concerned. Farley here is just so cute."
The Helashio they were discussing silently watches, listening in to their conversation, her large eyes looking between them, then towards the first patient to see that he was still doing okay with his tea. She'd get up and find out for herself, but she didn't want to make her new owner mad by doing anything she didn't explicitly command. Farley had learned well enough the pain associated with trying to guess a master's needs.
Buu looked up for a moment, spotting Farley looking at him. He nodded at her smiling a little bit before gaining an interest in something else.
"Hrm... I do have the means for you to be with a cute girl all day." The doctor replied quietly, half lost in thought as she glanced at her newly-purchased equipment. "But my decision stands. Farley will remain with me until she is familiar with the Raider, her crew and the attached customs."
Kensuke scratched at his chin, thinking about something. "I guess, well. Some of OAW's people will be boarding the ship soon, and one of my employees is actually around Farley's age. Maybe they can spend time together."
Hearing her name, the new medical assistant turned her attention back to Irene and Kensuke, listening to their discussion about her curiously, trying to figure out if the man was attempting to purchase Farley from her new owner.
"..." A couple of bells went off in Cyrene's head. First, was that Kensuke was assuming the age of her assistant in spite of Lorath genetic engineering techniques, and second, was that he was bring aboard someone who was 'actually around' her age. "Is this person... a blood relation, or did you hire a young teenager as a member of your division? It seems... extremely odd that you would bring someone that age aboard an armed vessel."
Kensuke leaned back into his seat, his smile now more smug. "Origin Armor Works is recruiting Simon Foster on the basis that while he is an orphan, he does show some talent in certain areas that do interest us."
PAUSE
ON, SS Raider
It was the mid-day shift on the Origin Industries vessel known as the SS Raider, and a large package had been shipped for the local doctor, care of the Lorath Commerce Board. The large metal crate and composite sit inside of the ominously spacious and brightly lit shuttle bay, the clashing heraldries of the two agencies being clearly visible. The Helashio person who was to ensure delivery of the crate was nowhere in sight, but a faint rustling could be heard from inside.
Irene Celes, the ship's doctor approached the container, perking her head to side and frowning as she noticed it was quite loud for a shipment of goods, but recalled one of the orders she had made in passing. Most of the goods were relevant to her role as Doctor on the ship, although some would be more difficult to justify. It was all coming from her account, so the ship's Captain wouldn't have much of a reason to lambaste her for spending company money. "Hmm..." The doctor pressed the keypad on the side of the container, causing it to open up and reveal the contents.
The container opened up slowly, the top rising up poles contained in each corner. On top were the various packages of ammunition and the grenade launcher. The medical drones were stored underneath that alongside the plasma thrower and the canister of Pico Jelly. At the very bottom, occupying the lower half of the container was a clear lid with a sleeping girl underneath. The assistant that Irene had ordered lay there in a flimsy white medical gown with her control collar secured firmly around her neck. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully as she lay there.
Irene began unloading the materials inside, making sure to place them on her trolley and clear a path for the container's sole occupant. Once finished, she slowly opened up the lid, and reaching inside, gingerly shook the teenager girl inside, making sure not to be too rough and startle her while she was inside such tight confines. "Excuse me... I'll need you to wake up so I may put away this container." Her voice was plain and unemotional, but tinged with a sort of distant caring.
The girl roused from her sleep, her legs twitching as she yawned softly and opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and looked around her container, revealing a datapad that had been laying under her arm. She looked up from the box at the Radider's doctor and smiled, "Good morning." She spoke Nepleslian, but from her accent it was clear that it wasn't her first language. The Helashio looked around her sleeping area for a second, and finding the pad, picked it up and handed it to the doctor. The datapad had a list of the inventory shipped, with the various notes on adjustments that had been made to the order. It also contained notes on the adoption and how the control collar operated, keeping only pertinent memories related to her duties and refreshing her personality every couple of days. There was also an instruction manual on how to change the settings and a program to operate the collar wireless, both for adjustments and to administer punishments and rewards wirelessly.
"I am Doctor Irene Celes, the person who has adopted you." Irene replied, taking the datapad from the girl and passing her cybernetic eyes over the relevant data, before remotely uploading it to her non-organic data storage. Something about the collar evoked some kind of strange sympathy in the doctor, who remembered being the subject of such manipulations of her psyche for most of her life. Although she could not justify doing so for her own conscience, a vein of logic following the extreme damages to her mind from such manipulations and the potential inconveniences of removing memories for her 'adopted' assistant could only be problematic. Setting the collar to her own remote control and removing this memory erasure... permanently, she crouched down and placed a cool hand on the girl's forehead, her lips pursed into a thin smile. "You will be working as my lab assistant and cybernetics attendant, and will aid me in my day-to-day duties in exchange for lodging, food, training and a small stipend from my accounts. If I believe I can trust you entirely, I may see to it that your collar is removed, and take you on as an apprentice."
"Yes, ma'am" the girl replied simply with a short nod and a weak smile on her face. She seemed a bit nervous, or cold. Perhaps both as she stood there in front of the doctor. "I will strive to assist you in everything you require," she asserted firmly, a determined gaze washing over her face.
"I like that you're already trying so hard, but it would be bad to let you get sick. Please keep warm with my uniform jacket." Irene said, removing the thick green garment adorned with the the Origin Industries insignia, handing it to the girl before she placed her hands on her heavily loaded trolley. "I have some clothes prepared for you in my quarters. That aside, will you be needing anything before I begin familiarizing you with your tasks?"
The girl quickly put Irene's jacket on and buttoned it up as she followed in step behind the doctor. "I only require what you need me to have," she said, an innocent honesty to her tone.
"We do need to get you a name." Cyrene said as the two moved down circular hallways to the ship's elevator, pushing the trolley with one arm and fiddling with her new M'Cel grenade launcher with the other. Although there was a time where the Lorath only produced substandard goods and focused on melee weapons, she was rather astonished by the quality and sophistication of the weapon, easily rivaling any decent Nepleslian maker. She let out a small satisfied sigh, setting it back down and glanced back at her adopted Helashio. "Does the name Farley please you? It is ostensibly Nepleslian, but should be easy to pronounce for you." She asked, as they entered the elevator.
"That will be my name, then," the newly christened Farley replied with a curt nod as they reached Irene's room. She quickly removed her clothes right in front of the doctor and dressed in the garments that had been laid out. First stepping into and pulling up the cotton panties, then sitting on the bed and putting on the dark pantyhose. Next came her bra and white dress shirt, followed by the blue Origin tie. Almost done, she wrapped the black pencil skirt around her waist, wriggling her tail into the hole and buttoning it up. Finally came the brown shoes and she was ready to go again, standing up and awaiting her owner's command.
"I'll start you off on first aid and sorting medicines, to begin." Irene explained, as they moved down the hallways down to the medlab, as the cyborg handed Farley an odd pistol-shaped device and a small booklet in Nepleslian. "This is a surgical use autonanolathing scalpel, hypospray and tissue regeneration system. For administering medication and basic first aid, this will be your primary tool." She said, pushing along through the open medlab door and setting her new equipment to the side. Her oddly resonant voice seemed to have a bit more of an echo in the room, and aside from a few loose bottles of medication, the room seemed almost immaculate. "For safety reasons, I've restricted the maximum range of your nanolathed blade, as I do not expect you to need a bone saw in the immediate future. Care for a snack?" She said, opening up a small bag of white wafer cookies filled with a slightly dry sugary icing paste.
The Helashio nodded dutifully as she accepted the booklet and medical tool. Her face watching the doctor's every move and hanging on to her every word as she listened to Irene's explanation. Farley blinked her magenta-hued eyes at the offer of a snack, quite surprised. "Yes ma'am," she said, noting the deliciousness of the treats in the bag.
Irene poured a small amount of a hot, clear green liquid from a kettle sitting on a hotplate into a pair of cups, placing a trio of wafer cookies onto the small plates beneath them. With a light smile, she tended one of the plates to her new assistant, and nodded. "Food is likely more meaningful to an organic such as yourself, but I do like the taste and warmth of these sorts of things." She said, raising the cup to her lips to take a sip of the lightly bittersweet liquid, as a small blue electric blush formed on her cheeks, formed of dancing blue lines that crossed her skin. "As a full conversion cyborg, I'll be counting on you to attend to minor parts of my regular maintenance cycle."
Testingly, Farley placed one of the white wafers into her mouth and let it sit there, savoring the taste. It was quite delicious compared to the nutrient paste she was used to. She nodded along as Irene explained to her about the details of the regular maintenance a cyborg like her required.
"AH-PHBHBHBT!" sneezed a voice outside the sanctity of the Medical Bay. Buu walked in, with a bit of a stumble in his step, and a dishcloth over his nose. "Nyhay... Irene, nyoo 'ere?" Buu spoke sickly and spotted the Doctor and here new nurse. "Ey... Oo's nyat?" He noted the the strange ears coming from her head, something that Saja had when he still knew the illiterate slave. "A nylasho?"
"Farley will be acting as my assistant." Irene said, retrieving a small container filled with a combination of antihistamines, pain medication and a light stimulant to put the man back on his toes. "Farley, this is Tadarius Buushaw Locklem, the ship's cook." The cyborg woman approached the sick man, stretching up to place her cool right hand onto his forehead. "When did the symptoms start?"
"I'se crawlin' 'round in the cargo nyold gettin' some biscuit mix f'tha Ckaptan. I'se about t'start on dinner, but I shtarted shneezin', then my nose shtarted runnin', now I'm sorta' sick." Buu recalled in a rather anguished and sickly tone.
"Nice to meet you, Tadarius Busshaw Lockern," the new nurse said with a curtsy and a polite smile. The Helashio then quickly thumbed through her booklet on the proper procedures for inserting the dosage into the medical tool and how to administer the drugs within to a patient. She wasn't sure if Irene was going to intend on having her perform the procedure so soon, but Farley felt that she should be ready just in case.
"Nyhay, you already taughh't it th'language?" Tadarius said with suprise, nodding respectfully to the Helashio and then looked at Irene.
"I had slightly more stringent requests than usual, and asked for her to be literate and dexterous." Irene nodded, checking over the feedback from her hand. It seemed the man had a bit of a fever, but nothing quite debilitating. "Can you name all of your symptoms for me?"
"Well, bit'a coughin', snyeezin, sore throat, runnyee nyosse, and my eye tiches." Tadarius said, turning his head quickly for a moment and sneezing in the direction behind him.
"Sounds like Nepleslian acute viral rhino pharyngitis. The common cold, of course." Irene pulled out the pill bottle and handed the man a trio of capsules, handing them to him. "Take these for now and return in twelve hours for another dosage. Would you like a quick dosage of nanomachines to clear our your sinuses and respiratory tracts?" She said, gesturing for Farley to come over. "It should make you feel better until the medication takes effect."
The Helashio quickly stepped up next to the doctor and patient, her NCS Hypolathe ready to administer the treatment to the cook. Farley holds it near his arm, waiting for either Buu or Irene to give her the go-ahead.
Tadarius took the pills and put them in his mouth, swallowing all three quickly. "Thanks, Nyrene. I think a good flush'd do me some good."
"Make sure you programmed them to clear out his sinuses." The doctor patted the man on the shoulder, giving her assistant the go-ahead. "You may experience an 'uncomfortable' purging of your lungs and nose for the next minute or so, but it should be worth the relief"
"Uncomfortable?" Buu asked her, a brow arched.
The new nurse nods and double-checks her device, making sure it's set right before jamming it into Buu's arm with little warning or any sort of bedside manner. She pulls the trigger, injecting him with the nanomachines which quickly go to work extracting the mucous from the man's lungs and sinus cavities.
"I suggest you hold your head over the waste basket. Your mouth and nose will... drip, quite a bit." Irene said nonchalantly, handing him a small sterile handkerchief and pointing to a nearby garbage bin. "Prepare him some tea, Farley. It should make things better afterward." She said with a gentle smile. "Cups are on the service trolley next to the counter."
Farley nods to Irene and makes her way to the service trolley, pouring some of the tea from the kettle the doctor had prepared and served earlier into a cup for the dark-skinned man. After she replaced the kettle on the hotplate, she hurried back over to where the patient sat and waited patiently until he was ready for the drink.
"Gyuh!" Tadarius wormed loudly as the man felt the needle stick in nanomachines course throw him, forcing all the excess up. The Black Cook slipped off the table and towards the bin, his metal hand snatching the handkerchief out of Irene's hand and slipping over waste basket. He squirmed a bit as the mucous and the nanomachines came dripping out. "Eaulgh!"
Irene stroked his back slowly as it passed, attempting to ease some of the intense discomfort she imagined he might be going through at that point. "Just a little bit longer, Tadarius."
The former marine spat into the trash can as his sinuses finally cleared out. He put the handkerchief to his mouth and nose, then dried it some, and finally looked up at Farley weakly. "A little better warning next time... alright?" Buu said, tossing the small cloth away into the bin.
"Yes sir," the golden-haired Helashio responded, holding out the cup of tea for the man with both hands, watching him with her wide eyes looking a little sad that she had displeased him. "Miss Irene would like you to have this," she tells him as she offers the drink.
"Well, thank you, Farley." Buu smiled weakly, taking the drink in his hands and sipping it. "MmmmMmmm!" He sighed with a satisfying moan, the tea felt very good to his throat. "Hey, this stuff isn't half bad." said Tadarius beginning to sip the rest.
"I purchased a few hundred grams of green tea while I was on Yamatai. To my understanding, this one was grown on Hoshi no Iori." Irene said with a passive nod, turning to look over at Farley. A slight smile formed on her lips as she patted the Helashio on the head gently. "Your work was good, just be more mindful of things and you'll perform to my expectations. Now then, return to your tea and cookies if you wish."
"Yes ma'am," the Helashio replied, returning to her plate and cup. Taking a small ship to taste the tea for herself, Farley then places another cracker in her mouth and lets her saliva slowly break it down on the top of her tongue.
"So, has the commander exactly 'approved' of a Helashio being on board?" Tadarius asked setting his tea to the side for a moment.
"My contract did allow for me to take on an assistant..." Irene said meekly, her cheeks flashing a lattice of blue lines. "I don't believe I've told her about Farley at this point."
"You think Tinkerbell actually reads her contracts?" Tadarius arched a brow.
Paperwork. So much Paperwork. It was like no-one in Origin Armor Works could do anything without filling out the requisite forms in triplicate. There was no way he could deal with anymore of it today. Kensuke sighed, slipping into the Med-bay, figuring it would be mostly deserted, only to see Buu and Irene in there, along with a new face. He didn't say anything however, electing to keep quiet and just watch.
Irene stood up and set her teacup aside, her face set in a cool but concerned expression. "Is something the matter, Kensuke? You seem to be lethargic and melancholic."
Kensuke smiled at Irene. Something about her calm, blue blushing face intrigued him, deep down inside. "I have too much paperwork. It's killing me."
Farley smiled happily as the cookie dissolved in her mouth, taking another small sip of her tea before noticing the new arrival. Dutifully she set down her cup and swallowed the mush in her mouth before picking up her hypolathe and returning to the doctor's side.
Buu sat idly, sipping his cup of tea, not really paying attention. Mainly, he was just enjoying the doctor's temporary remedy to his cold. He reminded himself to thank the weird lady before he left.
"The ship is telling that your biometrics are within nominal levels for a Yamataian male." Irene said bluntly, retaking her seat and letting out a quiet sigh. "Please only come here if you have genuine medical concerns." She gestured for Farley to sit as well, and tossed what appeared to be a small form ball in the shape of a blue star. "Squeezing it should work some of the stress out of your body. Alternatively, you may wish to consider a hobby to break up the repetitiveness of your tasks."
"Yes ma'am," Farley replied, sitting in a chair next to Irene's, folding her hands in her lap over the medical tool and waiting with baited breath as she watched her keeper interact with the new patient.
"Ah, Irene. I didn't come in here because I felt sick, I came in here because I needed to hide. I refuse to do anymore paperwork for the day."
"I'm surprised you refer to it as paperwork." Irene said with a disinterested nod, taking a quiet sip of her tea. "Or have any sort of trouble with it. Every requisition order I make is arranged in real time through my cyberware, and is taken care of by Roke after I make a digital signature."
"I had no idea we could do that." Kensuke sighed, then smiled at the blonde Helashio. "Who'se this girl, anyway?"
"It is disturbing for me to know that you do not know obvious operational shortcuts, head of OAW." She replied, visibly taken aback by his words. It took her a few moments to calm down, and as the cyborg did, she placed a hand on Farley's shoulder. "This is my new assistant, Farley. She will be working here in the medbay as a nurse, lab technician and receptionist while I am on-duty, and provide some private care at other times."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," the blonde Helashio responded to her introduction, standing up and giving a curtsy and polite smile to the man before returning to her seat.
The Yamataian smiled, and returned the bow to Farley. "It's nice to meet you Farley." Kensuke smiled deviously, thinking up a plan. "Irene, do you mind if I borrow Farley? We could both probably use a secretary."
"As I went to the trouble of adopting her through the proper channels in the UOC, I am her legal guardian and can refuse that request." Irene said with an icy touch, glaring at the man expressionlessly. "I hope you can understand that I am strongly opposed to that notion until I can trust that she'll be safe away from me."
"Then are you saying that you can't trust me then, Irene?" Kensuke grinned mischievously, baring teeth. "I can see why you're concerned. Farley here is just so cute."
The Helashio they were discussing silently watches, listening in to their conversation, her large eyes looking between them, then towards the first patient to see that he was still doing okay with his tea. She'd get up and find out for herself, but she didn't want to make her new owner mad by doing anything she didn't explicitly command. Farley had learned well enough the pain associated with trying to guess a master's needs.
Buu looked up for a moment, spotting Farley looking at him. He nodded at her smiling a little bit before gaining an interest in something else.
"Hrm... I do have the means for you to be with a cute girl all day." The doctor replied quietly, half lost in thought as she glanced at her newly-purchased equipment. "But my decision stands. Farley will remain with me until she is familiar with the Raider, her crew and the attached customs."
Kensuke scratched at his chin, thinking about something. "I guess, well. Some of OAW's people will be boarding the ship soon, and one of my employees is actually around Farley's age. Maybe they can spend time together."
Hearing her name, the new medical assistant turned her attention back to Irene and Kensuke, listening to their discussion about her curiously, trying to figure out if the man was attempting to purchase Farley from her new owner.
"..." A couple of bells went off in Cyrene's head. First, was that Kensuke was assuming the age of her assistant in spite of Lorath genetic engineering techniques, and second, was that he was bring aboard someone who was 'actually around' her age. "Is this person... a blood relation, or did you hire a young teenager as a member of your division? It seems... extremely odd that you would bring someone that age aboard an armed vessel."
Kensuke leaned back into his seat, his smile now more smug. "Origin Armor Works is recruiting Simon Foster on the basis that while he is an orphan, he does show some talent in certain areas that do interest us."
PAUSE
