Lieutenant Ikaia Wong - The CMO's Gambit
Ka Banning
((Conference Room B4 - Amity Outpost - Just Shortly Before the Arrival of the Hawlat...))
Ikaia made sure there was enough room for the Hawlat people if they either wanted the floor or the table. He had also replicated another pitcher of water and some cups just in case someone wanted something. Elsewhere in the room, he had his medical equipment set up and he had his medical pouch strapped to his hip just in case he needed a hypo on the fly. It was just a matter of waiting for the Hawlat to arrive. Ikaia looked over both Carter and Suribana one more time.
Wong: So, remember the substance I scooped off of the Yosemite? Well I got the results back from the lab. What came back was that the ooze in question contains psychoactive agents which was unexpected.
Carter: That would explain the visions then…
Suribana: There are a lot of psychoactive agents that could interact with many humanoid species. I believe it's more a matter of degree of the effects.
Wong: Well, hopefully, this isn’t the milk being mentioned by the Hawlat people. While it is psychoactive, drinking it might not be a great idea. The agent responsible has been known to carry the risk of cardiac arrest in humans. Roughly a 20% chance of it. Also well… you know that children’s play slime that’s sold in gift shops? It has about that as a consistency. In short, not a fun drink.
Carter::smiling:: No worse than bad beer on a pub crawl…
Suribana: Please Commander, take this seriously. I hope not, but until we know exactly what's in that... milk, there's a risk that you react badly to it
Wong: Which reminds me, I don’t know what’s in the milk because a sample hasn’t been provided to anyone in the Medical Centre. So we’re going in blind at the moment. But the point I’m bringing up here is that, Commander, you need to think about what you’re going to say or do if you can’t complete this. Please keep in mind, if I think the risk is too great before we even begin, I will pull you off of this. I’d rather not see you as a patient.
Carter: While I understand your concerns, Ikaia, this is something I gave my word as a Starfleet officer to do. No one else can do this. As a leader, one must take risks to further understanding. As a famous captain once said, “risk is our business.” I could not and would not order anyone else to do this, regardless of the risk…and there will be no one else to do this but me.
Suribana: Then I believe I'll download your file on this PADD in case we need your medical history for your treatment.
Ikaia glanced towards his fellow medical officer and nodded. He then fixed Carter with a serious expression. This bout of recklessness and flagrant disregard for his own being as well as Ikaia’s status at the lead medical authority in the room wasn’t flying with him. Sooner or later, he was going to let Carter know that when it comes to medical matters, a CMO beats pips and he had more than enough regulation to back that up if pushed.
Wong: Are you out of your mind, Commander? We don’t know what the risks are to you and this COULD kill you! There’s a massive difference between taking a calculated risk and then leaping blindly into it. I need you to start thinking logically with your head instead of your heart!
An ironic statement coming from Ikaia. He thought with his heart quite frequently. But then again, many medical officers did.
Carter: Sorry, but that’s the way it is. Leaders lead, despite the danger or difficulty. I’ve told the Hawlat that I would be the one. To not do so brings dishonor to me and this uniform. And I will not do so.
Ikaia definitely had a lot more he wanted to say or could say. But he was cut off when the Hawlat people entered the room.
Prarim: You speak truth, Commander!
The Hawlat Luminary entered the room with arms spread wide, palms open to the sky, in an expression of good faith. His grass green robes flowed down from his arms to the floor. Behind him followed the Acolyte, Taven, and Pilgrim Sahim.
Prarim: Already you demonstrate the sort of faith one needs to complete the Ritual of Trust successfully.
Taven: response
Sahim: Doctors, it's good to see you again.
Suribana: Likewise.
Ikaia politely waved to Prarim and the others. He could see the nervous smile on Suribana’s face. Obviously, she felt the same way he did.
Wong: Greetings to our honourable guests. I’m glad to have you here with us today. I'm Lieutenant Ikaia Wong. Chief Medical Officer with the Amity Outpost.
And he looked towards Sahim with a polite nod.
Wong: It’s good to see you too. Nice to have you back.
Sahim: I just hope that your services are not required.
Wong: I sincerely hope not. I’d rather things go smoothly and safely than well… the opposite of that.
Suribana: I'm here just to help. Dr. Wong will make the call if needed.
Prarim: Yes, of course. We have made our preparations, but we have the advantage of gazing into the brilliant light of the Great Spirit every day. We’ve arranged for a copy of the Rite to be sent to your people - and I have brought something with me, granted by the Council of Luminaries.
Prarim brought forth a decorative box and placed it on the table. Unlatching it, he swung the lid open and revealed a glass vial - not much larger than a pencil, within. It was filled with a viscous purple substance, not unlike the residue left behind by the Angels, but brighter in colour and luminosity. The light shone through it with a majestic radiance.
Prarim: The Milk of the Angels! ::After a pause, for everyone to take in its magnificence:: I understand you may have reservations about what undertaking the Ritual will involve. I want to be open with you, as you have so far been with us. You may take this sample as a token of our goodwill.
Taven: ::bows his head:: Praise be the Angels blessed by the Light of the Great Spirit.
Falina set up the mobile lab then gave a medkit to Dr. Wong, kept another for herself and set another for backup in a nearby tray. Then, started the molecular scanner to run a starting diagnostic and checked the gravimetric centrifuge, ready to sample the milk or the commander's fluids if signs of intoxication showed up.
Ikaia, on the other hand, had his tricorder out and scanning.
Prarim brought forth a decorative box and placed it on the table. Unlatching it, he swung the lid open and revealed a glass phial - not much larger than a pencil, within. It was filled with a viscous purple substance, not unlike the residue left behind by the Angels, but brighter in colour and luminosity. The light shone through it with a majestic radiance.
Taven: You will not have to fear, People of the Federation. ::smiling widely:: You will not partake of this Rite alone. I have been chosen of the Light to join you in this holy Rite.
Carter/Wong/Prarim/Sahim: Response
Suribana: It doesn't seem the same substance we've seen, but somehow I feel it's related somehow…
Ikaia looked over his scans. He almost choked on the air he was breathing when he got the data back.
Wong: ::To Suribana:: That’s because it is! Look. ::He showed Suribana the scans:: It’s concentrated. Remember those odds I was talking about earlier? They’ve jumped. Significantly.
Prarim/Suribana/Sahim/Taven/Carter: Response
He nodded to his fellow medical officer.
Wong: I’ve got this.
He needed to come up with a plan here. His hand gently brushed against the medical pouch strapped to his hip. He knew what it contained and to him, that was an unethical solution. Something he’d have to use as an absolute LAST resort. Instead, Ikaia’s mind came up with another plan entirely.
Wong: ::To Prarim:: Excuse me, sir. Since I am the Chief Medical Officer here and my goal is to ensure the health of our Federation representatives, what happens if I find that one of our own is medically unfit to perform in this Ritual?
Ikaia’s wording was careful and calculated. He didn’t name any names or share any details. But also, it served as a reminder of who Carter was dealing with exactly.
Prarim/Suribana/Sahim/Taven/Carter: Response
Ikaia fixed Carter with a look for a moment. It was a knowing glance. Ikaia knew what he was doing.
Wong: Huh. That’s interesting. Well. Since I’m responsible for the health of my representatives, I reserve the right to pull them on medical grounds. Which if that ends up being the case, I volunteer to take their place in the Ritual.
oOMic. Drop.Oo
Ikaia’s risks with the milk were very much educated. As a Klingon, he had enough redundancies in his body that the risks of him drinking it were significantly reduced. He was banking on those redundancies or Brak’lul to carry him through should this happen. Ikaia hoped that Suribana was aware of the same calculated risks and factors he had thought about. Hopefully, all this would cost him was one potentially cheesed off commander.
Prarim/Suribana/Sahim/Taven/Carter: Response
Lieutenant Ikaia Wong PA-C
Chief Medical Officer
Amity Outpost
V239711IW0