17. From the busy desk of Mr. Genius. T. Brink
Hey Veda? This is Genius. When you have a free moment, can I talk to you? No rush, but I think it would be best if we met at Medical.
[There's a long pause as he remembers something else.]
Actually. Simon I need to talk to you too. I kinda need your help for something. It's not illegal or anything, just needs your touch instead of mine. <-- ( Read more... )
[There's a long pause as he remembers something else.]
Actually. Simon I need to talk to you too. I kinda need your help for something. It's not illegal or anything, just needs your touch instead of mine. <-- ( Read more... )
Probably.
Cool I'll be there in a sec.
---
[With that Genius closed his journal. He quickly gathered up his regular paper notebook and one of the robotic eyes from the station wilderness, took a deep breath, and headed out of the lab to look for Simon.]
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Spotting Genius, he gave a little wave.]
So- what is it you need me for?
[It was rather unlike Genius to be so overtly friendly with him, much less ask him any favors; there was no longer any deep animosity on Simon's part, due in no small part to Rick's regular dinner invitations, but he would still hesitate to call the other man a friend.]
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Hi can we talk somewhere in private? I mean, I'm gonna have to tell the Boss Man eventually and probably everyone else eventually but I...[he sighed] I need your help first.
[It was painful to admit he ended help, especially to Simon who was so...Simon. Prissy and uptight and righteous. But this was exactly what Topher Brink would have never done and that's why he was going to do it. He was such a basket case (although at least he was self aware of it).]
It's about Veda.
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Here. We'll go out the back and walk for a bit. Or stand and talk, if that suits you better; we're less likely to be overheard, either way.
[He caught himself about to stick his fingers in his mouth, folding his arms instead.]
I remember treating Veda after he was attacked. Very well, in fact.
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Oh. Right of course. I've been reading your notes on his file actually. [He had figured it was a case no physician could forget. He hadn't been aware of the attack of course, having suffered his own...evil twin incident. In fact until he had met Veda in person at the planetarium, he hadn't paid much thought to evil Romana's victim.
Was that why he was relentlessly pursuing this? Because this all came back to Fred, Lyle and Stellaris? It was something to think about--and perhaps ask Calkins about later.]
See, a few weeks ago I took a trip to the wilderness with Veda and Stellaris and we found this.
[He stopped walking and handed Simon the static proof electronics bag that he was storing one of the electronic eyeballs in. It was a a blue eye and looked exactly like a real human eye but obviously made of metal.]I've been studying it ever since we got it back. The level of technology is far beyond anything I've seen before but as far as I can tell it works. You shine a ( ... )
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... An artificial eye?
[He checked his instinctive reach for the eyeball and hesitated. Giving Brianna her sight back. Would the Tree even like that, when it had taken it from her to punish her in the first place...?]
This is incredible. And yet...
[He hesitated, getting very distant rings of familiarity, and nothing more. It was something.]
...I gather that putting such an eye in would be beyond your area of expertise? Is that what you want my help with?
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[Trust the doc to go straight to the heart of the matter with his usual Tam bluntness. He had to chose his next words carefully.]
Yes and no. See that memory I got on Wednesday? I was working on prepping a patient for surgery. She was ...well I guess she was going undercover and she was going to have cameras implanted in her eyes that would record and broadcast everything.
[Hey it wasn't a lie. It said everything that happened without actually mentioning the whole 'wiping a person' bit]
So after I got that memory, I tried to recreate that operation on paper to see if I could. I realized I know a whole lot about rewiring the brain and the eyes. See, I have notes even! [He passed his notebook to Simon] But even in my memory I wasn't the one doing the operation. I was just the brains that planned it, another doctor actually did it. So. That's where you come in.
What do you think?
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[Simon pursed his lips, but otherwise attempted to not let his discomfort at that idea show in his face. He wasn't quite sure why it made him feel so uneasy, aside from associating undercover and covert operations with the people who may have been hunting and wanting to harm him and his sister.]
Hmm...
[To distract himself, Simon began to examine the notes, frowning slightly in concentration.]
I would have to take a closer look at the notes to make sure, but right now, I do not see any reason why I couldn't do it. And unlike when he was attacked, I would have time to plan and prepare...
[He trailed off, already slipping into his professional, calculating, planning headspace, becoming engrossed in the notes. He then lifted his head to look at Genius.]
If Veda agrees to it, then yes. Count me in.
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Of course. I still have to clear it with the Boss-Man. We don't do elective surgery that often here so I figure we can take all the time we need.
[He flashed Simon a brilliant smile and breathed a sigh of relief.]
Thank you, thank you, thank you! That's such a weight off my shoulders.
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Always happy to help improve somebody else's life. Especially when he lost his eye for such a cruel reason in the first place.
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If this works just think of the possibilities! Maybe we could even help Jeep with his failing prosthetic. But one step at a time I guess.
I'll talk to you later after I see Veda.
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