InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "please don't go any higher"

Jean-Luc Picard (tea_earlgreyhot) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2013-09-01 13:23:00

Entry tags:

data, geordi la forge, helen magnus, jean-luc picard, seven of nine

[ day 234 ] action :: open
It’s late in the day and Jean-Luc is just leaving the hospital. Aside from the fact that it takes something of great magnitude to get him into any kind of sick bay, an abnormal experience had been made even more surreal by the cold sterility of the bots. Nevertheless, something had happened that made him feel that a medical exam was necessary. It had just been several ticks in his chest, right where his artificial heart implant was. It usually ran without fail, almost unnoticeable to the point that he forgot that he had an artificial heart at all. Given the unknowns of the medical advancements and knowledge of the prison, he had thought it best to reassure himself that all was well without drawing too much attention to the issue or himself. He knew how concerned both Data and Geordi, and possibly even Seven, might be were they to know that he felt... unwell.

It's his distrust of the bots as a whole which had him heading toward the clinic that Helen runs. He might run into anyone along the way, but he opens the voice function to Helen as he moved through the dome.

[ Voice locked to Helen ]

Doctor Magnus, [ He clears his throat, realizing his error. ] Helen, perhaps you might find the time to meet me at your clinic as soon as you’re able.

ooc: Picard is on a trek from sector 5 to sector 3. Anyone can run into him between point A and point B. Or afterward. Technology fail!

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	action; borg 2013-09-15 10:56 am UTC (link)
	Seven nodded and answered, "Yes," wondering if he were going to ask her again about her relationship with Data. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	action; tea_earlgreyhot 2013-09-15 11:06 am UTC (link)
	On the contrary. His question this time is of a very different nature. So different, and so uncomfortable for him, that he hesitates for the briefest of moments before voicing the curiosity. "I wonder, do you ever... feel the Borg technology as it functions? Inside, I mean. Does it ever -- do you ever feel it?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action;

borg
2013-09-15 11:30 am UTC (link)

His question was an unexpected one, something she would never have guessed he would be comfortable asking of her, nevermind the answers only she were capable of providing him with. Nobody has ever asked her this before -- not even the Doctor, but she supposed he didn't feel the need to, being that that she has never expressed concern or discomfort in relation to how her remaining implants are functioning in conjunction with her reawakened biological systems.

But she wasn't as comfortable with her permanently augmented state as she seemed. Adapted to and okay with were two entirely different concepts.

"Yes. Constantly," was her response. "It is--" No, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was-- "I have adapted."

The way she said that, however, implied what she wouldn't say: She had adapted, because she was left with no choice but to adapt. The Doctor did what he could, but she would be unable to survive without the technology she'd been left with. Eighteen years was a long time to be a drone, and having been assimilated as a child meant that her insides were more mechanical than biological. She spent the majority of her 'Borg childhood' inside a maturation chamber.

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	action; tea_earlgreyhot 2013-09-17 11:22 am UTC (link)
	It was an answer he had expected. She was right. It wasn't uncomfortable at this point. But her answer, while direct, also didn't explain this new mystery something he had felt. "Understood. May I ask what it feels like for you? A hum? A tick? How would you describe it?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action;

borg
2013-09-21 02:16 pm UTC (link)

"Warmth," was the most immediate answer she could provide him with. "Hums and ticks. Also... tension. A sort of tightness that isn't so much uncomfortable as it is noticeable."

She pulled back the sleeve on one arm, exposing the area where the augmented parts of her hand that still contained the assimilation tubules met her flesh. The skin was discolored, green and black, metal disappearing beneath it, flesh pulled taught over parts of it.

"There is pain, sometimes, when implants malfunction -- disorientation."

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	action; tea_earlgreyhot 2013-09-23 10:06 am UTC (link)
	This is disturbing on so many levels. But most important is that she is putting words to what he is feeling right now. And that worries him. He draws in a deep breath when he sees the exposed area to hide his discomfort and gives his uniform top a quick tug. "Understood. And how often would you say this occurs for you?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

action;

borg
2013-09-29 10:53 am UTC (link)

"The sensations are frequent, a near constant for me."
His questions are not unwelcomed, but they are beginning to cause her concern. What prompted them?

She rolled her sleeve back up, dropping her arm back to her side. "You must remember, Captain, that I possess more Borg technology than yourself. From what I understand, Doctor Crusher was successful in removing the majority of your implants." The Doctor had referenced Crusher's removal of Picard's Borg implants while tending to the removal of hers. "I was a drone for much longer."

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