Simple

Posted on Fri Oct 8th, 2010 @ 11:26pm by Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter

790 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Structured Shoreleave - Marchwiel
Location: Ship's Counsellor's quarters
Timeline: Current

ON:

The EMH found that with his new free run of the ship he was enjoying “life� more and more. He was practising eating holographic food, even though it disappeared into his holographic oesophagus as soon as it was out of sight. He experimented with his general appearance, finally settling on his original one after a panicky twenty minutes wearing nothing but swimming trunks and a ginger moustache. But mostly he liked to spend his time working. Now free of the shackles of sickbay, he had created his room in Lucy’s quarters just how he liked it. A wide range of reference material covered each wall and there were two lab benches next to his bed where most would have had comfortable arm chairs. Medical equipment was fixed to each bench – scanners, holographic microscopes, chromatographs and everything else he required for his research.

“Argh!� The EMH straightened up into an upright position, having been hunched over his latest slide for two hours. “I just can’t see what’s different about this!� He realised he was talking to himself but thought that it made him less holographic and therefore, perhaps, more acceptable to organics.
He took off his glasses and placed them down on the bench in front of him then rubbed his eyes vigorously. Both of these actions were completely unnecessary but they were also part of his Organic Practice.

Under the quantum microscope was a slide showing the latest artificially enhanced scan of Lucy’s DNA. It looked like a spiral staircase with different coloured steps, some of which reached across completely to the other side. The doctor had an electron probe pointing at one of the lower steps on the right hand side, which looked the size and shape of a carrot next to the molecule. He bent over again to look at the specimen and sighed “it’s different but I can’t see how. What IS IT?� The last words were spoken with emphasis, near exasperation and a tiny amount of holographic saliva, which flew out of his mouth and followed a perfect parabolic path to the floor. Another enhancement to his programme.

“What is what?� Maria Traho stood at the door. Her uniform jacket zip was 6 inches lower than regulation demanded and her trousers far tighter than necessary.

“Oh get out, Nurse� said the EMH not looking up. “I don’t need you here messing around with my work.�

“God, you’re tedious little man� she said and sighed. “I am very bored,� she added. She walked further into the room and leaned over the EMH’s desk, showing off her cleavage. “Fancy a game of bingo on the holodeck?� she asked.

The EMH did not look up at her question and replied “I most certainly do not. If you have time to waste on such frivolous and all together pointless activities on the holodeck I suggest you do something more useful. Like shut yourself out of an airlock, perhaps.�

Maria straightened up. “No need to be nasty,� she said. “What are you doing?�

The EMH stood up properly and looked at her. “You are determined to spoil my leisure time aren’t you, Nurse Traho? Well let me tell you, it won’t work. I am determined to find out what’s wrong with Lucy’s DNA.�

Maria glanced at the display. “What a lot of boring nonsense,� she said. “You are hopeless at designing things. You can’t even get the colours right.�

“You really an ignoramus, Nurse Traho,� replied the EMH. He was actually glad of the interaction, given that he had not spoken to anyone else for hours but he was not going to let her know that. “It matters not a jot what colour the DNA is. It’s just a representation of the actual thing. The colours might be red, they might be blue or purple. You simply would not understand.�

Maria made a noise which was close to a sniff. “Why are they never green then?�

The EMH was about to answer her when he stopped. “Yes. Why are the steps never green?� He bent back over his work and started muttering excitedly to himself. “That’s it! They’re never green! I have been studying this DNA for months looking for missing bits, checking the twists, the angles, the connections and not once did I consider the colours!� He stared up at Maria, beaming. “My god, Nurse Traho, you have just solved the biggest mystery of my career!�

“Have I?� asked Maria absent mindedly picking at a hang nail. “Can I borrow your holodeck rations for today then?�

:OFF

A post by the EMH and Nurse Maria Traho.
Both played by Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter

 

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