||003|| [ Visual ] - Questions of science, science and progress

[oppositeofhero]

Tony's finally gotten around to furnishing the house he'd chosen to live in. Sure, it isn't the fanciest place he's ever lived in, but he likes it well enough. From the couch in what serves as his living room, Tony picks up the tablet and turns it on

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[ visual ]

[oppositeofhero]

Okay, well, if he's going to be honest, Tony's never seen anyone like Spock before. But as far as he's concerned, the eyebrows could be just a genetic quirk, and the ears.... well, there are such things as prosthetic ears, though why anyone would choose a shape like that, Tony has no clue. Also, he dislikes being probed for answers, so there's another reason why he hasn't said anything.

"I see. Next time I feel like taking a little walk, I'll make my way that direction. Assuming you don't mind the company," he says as his lips twitch up into a smile. With Spock's next comment, though, the smile disappears.

Appropriate conditions... there's the rub. Tony's situation is clearly not within the parameters of appropriate. If it were, he wouldn't be havinghis current problem. "Yeah. Appropriate conditions, to avoid overexposure, poisoning, things like that."

Now, how to explain without talking the man's face off...? "The short version is, there are pieces of shrapnel that are too close to my heart to be safely removed. An electromagnet is keeping them from moving further, and said magnet is powered by the element palladium, which, unfortunately and not entirely unexpectedly, is not doing much for my health." That's downplaying the issue but who needs melodrama?

[ visual ]

[sonofsarek]

Spock tries to remember the last time a random person wandered onto the Enterprise. Of course it was no easy thing getting on without one of the crew members present, but it had only been that blond girl that Lieutenant Uhura claimed was the Captain's significant other that he'd seen on the bridge other than Starfleet personnel.

"If you are curious," Spock's tone inclines slightly, a hint of humor despite his apathetic visage. "I am Spock, first officer abroad the vessel should you need to contact me."

His gaze drops as he considers the information offered by Tony. Shrapnel circulating within the blood stream should have killed him long ago. Were the ships chief medical officer still present in the city there may have been a chance to remove the offending metallic items from his system and give him a proper recovery, but Spock was no surgeon and he knew of no one else present with equal skill to McCoy's. Arms folded over his chest, the Vulcan's expression begins to border the pensive as he considers the possibilities.

"Palladium is highly toxic with prolonged exposure to cells... you would need a compound incapable of permeating them with similar effect," his words are practically spoken thoughts. He returns his gaze to Tony after a moment of deliberation. "Tell me, Mr Stark, how many elements are you familiar with?"

Spock did have that Prime Directive to worry about.

[ visual ]

[oppositeofhero]

Tony is not the type to play by the rules, but when it comes to other people's property, he does have a certain amount of restraint. He won't be just showing up on the Enterprise, at least not without letting the appropriate people know of his intentions first.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind," Tony replies, the interest, and yes, curiosity, quite evident in his voice. He pauses to run over the periodic table for the hundredth time since he began his research into other elements and how they would react to being placed into a human body. "Quite a few, actually. Most of the ones that are found on the periodic table, but whether those are the same as the ones that you know, I don't know." With all of his talk about starships, it's fairly clear Spock isn't exactly from Earth.

But his knowledge will, hopefully, be useful anyway. "I've tested several different ones before coming to Taxon, trying to find a replacement for palladium. All of them were incapable of doing what I need them to do. And, since nothing's changed since arriving here, I'm beginning to think elements from Earth are not the answer." These ideas were not his own, but rather suggestions from the likes of Kaylee and DG.