[IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

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Sakuro
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Sakuro »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - Broken Wings

When Diego drop the human guise and reveals his true form Maja's eyes widen and she winces. She remains silent though. Listening to the information that the Ascendant drops on her. Quietly processing it through the haze of whatever painkillers she must be on. There are a couple times where she stirs a little, then winces. Her broken body is immobilized by she still has the instinctive inclination to use body language, and when that happens, it attempts clearly hurts. It is hard to pick up on her stance to individual names an actions. She is guarded woman. But Diego gets a sense of general frustration about the circumstances that have been described,

"You have a real mess on your hands. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be of much help, unless you have a stock of nano-meds."
Evelyn Gracen, in AEGIS Squad
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by mrdent12 »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - Broken Wings

"The solution to this isn't a battle. Stronghold vastly outnumbers us and our numbers are weak as is.", begins Diego ensuring his tone is modulated for a more compassionate and understanding one. "The best way you can help now is to not aid Iona and by extension Sokolovs treacherous tendencies by revealing too much in Ionas presence. When the time is right, I will have further ways you can help. For now, you should recover. Iona may be naive, but it can pickup on deception well enough. So, I would not ask you to lie. Yet.", says Diego He knew limits. Valkyrie was a soldier. She wasn't a spy or double agent, so he had to tread gently.

Before Iona has a chance to enter, Diego asks one more thing. "Is there anything important I should know about what happen to you and where you were?", asks Diego.
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Sakuro
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Sakuro »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - Broken Wings

Given the sour expression on Maja's face, she didn't seem pleased with most of what Diego said, or asked of her. Right now she didn't have the energy to argue. So she just gave him that look instead.

When he asked about what happened to her Valkyrie's brow furrowed in an introspective fashion.

"I don't remember much. I'm not even sure how much I of what I do remember is real. It didn't look like anything I had seen before."

The woman goes quiet for a minute. Her eye looking off into the middle distance, her thoughts going elsewhere.

"We were fighting. Alway fighting. There was some kind of machine. We were protecting it."

Valkyrie's eyes narrowed, squinting, as though concentrating or trying to see difficult and unclear.

"It was broken and ... One of the scientists had us put Imperator's body in it. It wasn't for him though. It was for the machine. That doesn't make any sense though ..."

There is another pause. For a moment she looks angry. As though if she could move, and weren't restrained, she would have taken violent action. The moment passes and she deflates. Suddenly looking very depressed. Her voice softer and her words are in Norwegian when she speaks again.

"Han er død."
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by mrdent12 »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - Broken Wings

Whatever they were doing, it was disconcerting to say the least. Diego would need to know more, but for now Iona was coming. "Rest now and remember Iona is not to be trusted. It is a machine created a traitor. However charming it may be, it is created and likely controlled on a whim by someone who abandoned the cause. I am certain Praetor Null will wish to speak with you. If he hasn't been alerted already, I will ensure your presence is passed along.", finished up Diego. He had a lot to think on. Norwegian wasn't one of his languages, but he figured he could piece it together. This machine, Imperator having to go in it, and scientists with them. Where? There was no time to dig now with Iona entering at any time.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

After leaving Major Karlsten's side, Iona retreats back into the solace of her laboratory. As usual her mind races with competing thoughts, vying for the attention of her powerful intellect: Some are science-related, some are about the complicated politics of Imperator's fledgling faction, while still others are about Romper and her potential relationship with the mysterious figure.

But fresh off her recent conversation with Valkyrie, the beautiful cyborg begins to have a recurring thought which comes to dominate her mind. Namely, The Major's recovery and a possible way to enhance that recovery. She comes to a halt before her computer and stares pensively for a moment, her eyes descending to the keyboard in front of her. The notes I created on Doctor Sokolov's "Flesh Restoration" procedure. Is it plausible? As long as the new procedure is limited to simple bone and muscle tissue, it should be...feasible.

She slowly delves into the files of her computer to access the actual procedure, which she has meticulously detailed after several instances of administering the procedure herself under Doctor Sokolov's supervision. Yes...but this will be more complicated....several more factors which must be taken under consideration.

After thoroughly reading over the procedure notes, Iona stands up from computer and begins to pace slowly back and forth in the solitude of her lab. All these issues must be addressed: 1) Having or rigging the proper surgical machinery for the operation, 2) properly extracting the dissolved muscle and bone of the "donor", 3) carefully extracting the valuable hormones from a necessarily terrified and pain-stricken donor as well, and 4) mixing the proper chemicals with both the hormones and dissolved protein "soup" to create a compound that the body will readily absorb without toxic side-effects to the internal organs. It is tall order, but the science is there.

She stops pacing and looks back towards the laboratory door. As if the procedure isn't already complicated enough, Iona still needs The Major's permission as well as a big, strong donor-subject...preferably a large male with lots of muscle mass and a thick, sturdy skeleton. I need to speak with the Major then, and after that speak with Ascendant Gonzalez. The Major should be through with her lunch by now.

Adjusting her lab coat, the determined cyborg makes her way back to Major Karlsten's room.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Sakuro »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...


Iona enter the private recovery room to the sound of Tilly Sander's excited voice.

"... and then he shoved the beer bottle up the guy's nose. How it fit in a nostril, I have no idea!"

The dark skinned woman gestured boldly with one arm in a dramatic fashion. Maja looked amused, but remained composed and unmoving. Part of that was due to the restraints that kept her from moving and harming her recovery. There was a flicker of her blue eyes, from Tilly to Iona. The Corporal noted the subtle movement, or perhaps the sound of Iona's entry. With a repositioning of her feet she turned so that she could look at Iona without fully turning away from Maja.

"Miss Iona, I was just briefing Major Karlsten on events that took place during her absence."
Last edited by Sakuro on Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

"Corporal. Major.", the cyborg nods to each respectfully. "I see that you seem to feel a little better after a meal...and a little conversation with a visitor." Iona manages a slight smile as she glances to Corporal Sander.

But then the smile is quickly replaced with an expression of seriousness. "Major, I'd like to discuss a medical option with you...one that I had not considered earlier when I first explained your prognosis." Iona then glances again to Corporal Sander, "And Corporal please stay, if you will. Normally I prefer medical discussions with patients to be private, but I believe that having another sober mind present to counsel the Major is a good idea."

Iona then walks around to the bedside opposite Sander and looks down at Valkyrie. "When I first spoke with you, my conservative estimation of your full recovery was about 3 months out. But I have developed an experimental procedure which could greatly increase your healing. It is moderately invasive and will require a brief period of general anesthesia. Before I go any further in explaining it, I should like to know if you are interested. If not, then the procedure will be something offered to other base personnel who have muscle and bone injuries with long recovery-periods."
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Sakuro »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...


The Corporal looked to Maja when Iona asked her to stay. There was a subtle up and down motion of the Major's head. Even that small movement pushed a pained look onto her features.

"Sure."

... Tilly responded, once the patient had assented to having her present during the conversation. She then turned to face Major Karlsten again. The two women looked to Iona as she spoke about her experimental procedure. There was a fire int the Major's eyes, but Tilly was the first to speak.

"I'm hearing 'experimental' and 'invasive'."

There was a dubious look on the woman's face. Valkyrie herself was quiet. Contemplative. Actually thinking about Iona's proposal before she voiced a response.

"I am not of a mind to be a test subject, if that is what you are asking Doctor. Perhaps if I were at death's door or knew I would never walk again, I would gasp at such a thing."

There was a brief pause before she went on to add ...

"If your method is proven safe and reliable, I would be open to a procedure that hastened my recovery. "
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

Iona nods in agreement when Major Karlsten voices her reservations. "I fully understand, Major. I do not wish to seem like I am foisting this procedure upon you as if you were a laboratory test animal. The procedure of which I speak is extremely similar to one which I have used upon myself in order to rapidly grow and replace my own damaged skin tissue. And that procedure was perfected by my creator and mentor, Doctor Sokolov."

Iona looks away from both Sander and Karlsten as she pauses to find the proper words to proceed. "You would be the first to undergo this particular procedure. That much is true. But the procedure does not require 'deep surgery'. You will not be 'opened up', so to speak, as you would be for reconstructive surgery...certainly no where near the extent that you were during the operation which recently saved your life."

"Furthermore, there are no synthetic chemicals which will be used upon you. All of the intravenous substances to be infused into you are produced naturally by the human body. These substances would provide far more healing material for your bones and muscles than digested food ever could. Some of the substances would subdue your own bodies resistance to the healing process, which naturally occurs after traumatic injury. And lastly, a portion of the substance is designed to reduce the likelihood of your body rejecting the solution outright. There is much more, but I do not wish to overburden you with unnecessary details. In my honest medical opinion, the risk is quite low, especially since the intravenous treatment can be stopped at any moment that your liver or kidney enzymes start to become dangerously abnormal. We only need to have you under general anesthesia for about 30 minutes in order to insert and secure the IV tube into your Aorta."

Realizing that she has probably said enough, Iona resists the temptation to 'over sell' the procedure. Placing her hands inside her lab coat pockets, she manages to conjure up another faint smile. "There is no rush. I'll leave you alone to think and discuss the treatment with others. Perhaps you may have some more questions after pondering everything I've told you."
OOC: Unless Sander or Karlsten follow up with a question or comment, Iona will return to her laboratory. Whether Karlsten opts for the procedure or not, Iona has it in mind to you this treatment on future patients (most likely injured soldiers). She still needs to speak with Diego about acquiring all the resources that she needs, however.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Sakuro »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...


Valkyrie listens quietly to Iona's description of the procedure she is offering to her. When the android is finished, she remains introspective. It is Tilly that discusses the matter further with Iona, asking questions and posing 'what if' scenarios to her, in the event things went wrong. The Corporal does her due diligence in looking after Maja's interests, as Major Karlsten seems distant or disorientated for the majority of the discussion. In the end she remains leery, but courteous.

"Thank you for presenting me with this option. I will think on it."
OOC wrote:As she says, Valkyrie is not willing to be experimented on. But if she sees proof that what you are proposing is safe and works, she would be willing to undergo the procedure. What this means, for you as a player, is that you need to play out working on it. Developing the procedure, and so forth. After you've earned that Villain Point, then you can use it on the one off procedure with Valkyrie.

We'll bring Diego into the scene now. Go ahead and post how Iona approaches him.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

Before leaving to return to her laboratory, Iona puts in a word with Corporal Tilly: If it would not inconvenience her too much, Iona wishes to speak with Ascendant Gonzalez when he has a moment.

After a couple of hours, which the young cyborg spends evaluating her newly conceived medical procedure, she gets word that The Ascendant is willing to meet her in one of the secured rooms in the central area of the base.

Standing alone before the amorphous cloud of black nanites, Iona initiates the conversation in her typical, gentle voice. "I realize that you are very busy, Ascendant. I shall get straight to the point. I have proposed an experimental procedure which could greatly shorten Major Karlsten's rehabilitation period. The procedure is based heavily off of a tried-and-tested procedure which I have learned from Doctor Sokolov. Still, my own procedure has never been performed on a patient. As such, Major Karlsten is understandably hesitant to allow me to proceed."

There is no sound of irritation in Iona's voice. Instead, her tone is thoughtful as if she is sees the current situation as just another problem to be solved. "With operations ramping up against Stronghold and the Macrovirus threat, I know there will eventually be no shortage of injured personnel. But there is one crucial resource that I'm lacking." Iona pauses. The pause is not a brief one. She seems poised to speak, but whatever she is preparing to talk about is making her obviously uncomfortable. So, uncomfortable that she is struggling to express it. Her eyes move away from looking at Diego when she finally speaks. "I need donors."

She looks back to Diego's ominous form. "I need the flesh, bones, and hormones of humans...living healthy humans...preferably ones with considerable muscle mass and a large bone structure. But as long as they are reasonably healthy adults, I can make due with anyone."

"This procedure would be available all followers of Imperator. If it proves successful and sustainable, then it could be invaluable in returning injured soldiers, agents, and other personnel back into action much sooner than normal. Do you have any prisoners marked for execution that you could spare for my medical purposes?"
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by mrdent12 »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

While reviewing various reports, an annoying yet needed task given his various excursions from the base, Diego nods a Tilly in regards to the meeting. Iona rarely wanted meetings, so it did pique his interest. If it wanted something, that was an in. If it wanted to get status, it was a waste of his time and could promptly be ended.

In the room Diego simply listened at first. Medical procedures, experimental, based on Sokolov. None of it was interesting. Iona wasn't as far gone down the rabbit hole of crazy as Sokolov, but the neural nets in its brain might one day go hay wire. Even the pause of Iona just confirmed it's weakness still. It should not even pause on the thought. That would need to be corrected. Iona was on the right track with bringing in subjects, but the prisoner remarks ruined it. "We don't take prisoners.", simply replies Diego.

"Further, while I care little for people who will not fill the ranks of our small army or Praetor Null's forces others will not have a similar world view. Unless you hide the nature of your drug from them, most if not all will recoil. Plus, there is the difficulty of getting the donors and performing the needed work all without further compromising efforts of this bases scientists. If not prisoners, from where do you think you will grab donors?", inquires Diego. He knew the answer, but needed to test Iona.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

There is a slightest wince when Diego informs her that no prisoners are to be had. After Diego finishes with his other comments, Iona nods in agreement with the last part. “I agree with your concerns about the sensitivities of the base-staff. There are many who would indeed recoil from the procedure. At the moment I am still far away from the mass-application of the procedure. I do not have access to a single donor. I shall have to deal with the moral qualms of the staff when the time arises. At present, the procedure will be performed by myself alone with no techs or nurses to assist…that is when I procure the first donor.

Is is true that you do not have a single detainee? Not one person kept for subtle and prolonged torments?” Iona finds it hard to believe that figures as cruel as Null and Diego have absolutely no one kept for interrogation. More likely -she thinks - he simply does not want to hand over such a person as a donor.

I’m reluctant to use persons other than those who are confirmed enemies of our cause. It is slippery-slope, Ascendant. One that I am wary to cross. I had hoped that we might have captured enemy agents or Stronghold soldiers, but apparently that is not the case. I suppose that I’ll have to reevaluate how feasible my procedure is. I apologize for wasting your time.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by mrdent12 »

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...

Iona had failed, sort of. There was still room to decay Iona's morals though. "There is many Stronghold mercenaries around. Capturing one would not be difficult. We can lure one to a secluded spot while off duty, a guise of a beautiful woman or man depending on the mercenaries preferences is simple enough, going back to their vehicle. We drive to a secluded spot and once there inject them with something to knock them out. There is the matter of getting them to the base for whatever procedure you need to perform, but that is not insurmountable.", begins Diego. Always start with the lure.

"This is not without risk, however. It will also divert us from our main objectives. So, is the benefit of this procedure worth the risks? This base is a joint effort, so I am willing to do you the favour of getting the donor so long as when the time comes you are as receptive to taking part in other joint efforts.", says Diego. He figured he would jump right into it. No use beating around the bush.
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Re: [IC] - In the Shadow of Imperator: Extended Interludes

Post by Supernaturalist »

Iona
HP: 3
VP: 0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0
EP:3
Dominion Point: 0

Friday, April 12, 2019 - ...And I Will Do No Harm...
"So, is the benefit of this procedure worth the risks?"
"I've began a cost-benefit analysis, but until the fundamentals can be better quantified, I can give you no answer to that question. If it makes acquiring a donor-subject easier, I would expand the candidates to those who overtly sympathize with the government's attempt to defeat our movement: journalists, academics, activists, or even civilians openly showing hostility towards us. They must all be culled or eliminated eventually anyway."

Iona lets out a slight sigh. "I have estimates of how effective the procedure will be, but those estimates are no substitute for the actual science. Just doing one procedure could help establish a baseline from which I could make reasonable predictions about deviations. If you could acquire for me a couple of test subjects, then yes, I would owe you a favor of similar proportion...I would be in your debt. I shall need two subjects: one will be the patient and the other will be the donor. Ideally, the patient will have pre-existent bone and muscle injuries, but that is not necessary. I can take care of that here if need be. If you agree, then we can workout the details of how to bring them discreetly to a pre-arranged room in the base where all the surgical equipment will be set up."
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