What friends are for
Posted on Sun May 17th, 2009 @ 1:02pm by Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter
647 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: 63980.33
ON:
Ensign Carter and the EMH were in a holographic reproduction of sickbay, where Ensign Carter hoped they would not be disturbed. She was sitting on a biobed. He was standing in front of her, photons and forcefields combining to make his expression one of concerned professionalism. Whatever happened next, she knew would change her life for ever.
It was strange how the mind reacted in cases such as these. In her line of work, Lucy had heard bizarre stories such as mothers being told the news that their only son had been killed and the mother's immediate reaction being that the kitchen curtains needed washing. Distraction mechanisms to prevent the brain having to cope with the most terrible thing it had ever had to process.
As the EMH prepared to speak, Lucy was thinking about the replicator in her quarters and how it would benefit from being black, not silver. Ridiculous.
"What I have to tell you, Ensign, is about a biological anomaly in your DNA."
Lucy was silent. Her mouth had become very dry, her tongue seemed to become enormous and stuck itself to the roof of her mouth. She merely nodded to the EMH to indicate that he should continue.
You may remember that when I checked your DNA, I found something unusual in it that I was previously unable to tell you about."
Lucy found a quiet voice and said, "yes, of course I remember."
The EMH gently pressed the back of her hand and said "you have nanoprobes in your DNA, Lucy."
Her mind seemed to detach itself from reality and the room swam before her. "What?" she asked. "Nanoprobes? How? What .... what does that make me?"
"It makes you human with 2 % nanoprobes in your DNA" replied the EMH as kindly as his programming would allow."
"But how did they get there?" asked Lucy. She had never had any sort of serious medical treatment that she could recall.
"That," replied the EMH, "is something I do not know. What I can tell you is what they are doing now."
Lucy nodded again, her eyes wide.
"The nanoprobes have latched onto vestigial DNA in your body."
"Vestigial?" The only thing Lucy could think of that was vestigial was her appendix and she said as much.
"Vestigial - yes. They are masking DNA that is in your genetic make up but which is not used. That is why you have felt no ill effects from their inclusion in your biological make up."
Lucy considered this for a moment. "You mean they are hiding something?"
"Yes," replied the EMH. "They are masking something in your DNA. Something that whoever put them their didn't want anyone to find. The fact that they are nanoprobes has invoked the Trojan Horse Protocol."
Lucy could see why. Any Federation person with a connection to the Borg must be seen as a threat. She had one more question for the EMH. "Are you certain that these nanoprobes are latent?"
The EMH nodded. "Yes. There is no reason for those parts of your DNA to be active and therefore the nanoprobes are not active either. I am afraid I can't tell you much more than that at the moment. What I can do is conduct further tests on you DNA while the rest of sickbay is asleep and let you know what I come up with."
Lucy smiled, despite her shock. "Thank you, doctor. You really are a good friend." She patted his arm. He looked down at her hand then looked back at her face."
"I think I am supposed to tell you 'that's what friends are for' " he said.
Lucy slipped quietly off the biobed and said "computer end programme and please send the EMH back to sickbay."
"Thank you, doctor" she said finally, just before he fizzled out of view.
:OFF
Post by
Ship's Counsellor Ensign Lucy Carter
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