PNPC Elias Kincaid - Options

[Rameses]

((Main Sickbay, USS Constitution-B))

He handed the satchel over to Cade so the man could enjoy a bite while they chatted after he removed the one of the real thermoses with sweet iced tea in it for himself. 

Foster: You know, when I was twenty stuff I never thought I’d say include ‘don’t get my holographic kid drunk, Kincaid!’

Elias laughed at the comment and kept wiggling his digits at Juliette who seemed to be ambling her way towards him. 

Kincaid: ‘Fore we get inta tha reason I’m here, how’re things with you and Jalana? 

Foster: Our memories are returning and we’re feeling quite a bit more like normal. Anything else?

Kincaid: Pardner, tha two of ya’ll were as inseparable durin’ our little jaunt down tha fountain of youth like a pair of phaser coils fused together. ::he chuckled:: 

Foster: Alright, I guess it was blatantly obvious. ::He drew in a long slow breath:: I’ve been good close friends with Jalana for years.  Many years. She was a good friend to my kid, Wyn. And when I came onboard and joined the crew for the first time I swore I would protect her. I think that was important – her job is to protect everyone on the ship. But she needs at least a few people looking out for her. We grew close, but we never had any reason to be anything more than friends until the artifact decided to zap us backwards and remove all those inhibitions.

The cowboy took a long slow sip of his iced tea and stared at Cade with an inquisitive look. He was a friend interested in hearing the tea whilst drinking some. 

Kincaid: Well, if’n ya ask me tha two of y’all make a cute pair. And ancestors know tha both of ya could use a romp in the hay. ::he chuckled:: It ain’t easy holdin’ tha whole crew on yer shoulders all tha time. And both of ya do that in yer own way, so don’t be afraid ta chase that happiness. 

Was Elias a sage and wizened cowboy? Why yes, yes he was. He rubbed his thumb against the ring on his ring finger. It was on the wrong hand on account that he didn’t have the correct hand to wear his wedding band, but he never took it off. 

The fluffy ball of floof abruptly darted towards him faster than her appearance would suggest and found a spot on Elias’s lap. He wondered if she’d caught the scent of the tuna he’d dropped off for Sarek beforehand, still on his fingers. 

Foster: Well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t expect romantic advice from a barkeep ::he chuckled:: But I hear you.

Kincaid: Alright, alright. That’s all tha pryin’ you’ll hear from me fer now. So, tell me about what ya suggest fer mah situation here. 

Foster: Alright, let’s talk shop a bit.  I pulled your file, but confirm for me at which joint do you have the prosthetics start?

Kincaid: Lost mah leg from the mid thigh down. So tha base where tha damned contraption starts had ta include tha knee joint. Woulda lost more than mah arm and that much of mah leg if tha Jem’Hadar that got ta me hadn’t taken tha brunt of it. Mah photon charges were particularly nasty. 

Foster: and what, if anything – do you like the best about the prosthetics you currently have. That’s really anything besides “I’m used to them.”

Elias’ jaw half opened then snapped shut as Cade’s qualifier eliminated the quick answer he was about to give. 

Kincaid: Honestly? Not a damned thing. Mah leg aches most of tha time and I been wearin’ tha thing like a penance for all those Romulans I couldn’t save. Been carryin’ that fer a long time. And it’s tha only prosthetic I got. ::he gestured to the pinned sleeve on his left shoulder:: I suppose I should look to mah own comfort now. So, whatcha got?

Foster: So. :He stretched his hands and started to pull up some schematics:: Let’s talk leg first just because legs are bigger and therefore there’s fewer leg options. Basically there’s fully synthetic, which is what you have now – though you can upgrade what you have for greater functionality, there’s biosynthetic, which is what I personally have and recommend because it’s a nice mixture of feeling like real flesh, but operating in a way you are used to. And there’s fully biological, cloned from your own genetic materials. 

Elias listened to Cade while he listed the things and gingerly stroked the fluffball in his lap. She was really soft and the cooing pur was practically cathartic on its own. He could see why Cade adored her so much. The downside of only having one arm was that he couldn’t pet the feline and also enjoy his drink. So, it looked like Elias was going to be thirsty for a while. 

Kincaid: Clonin’? Ain’t that old science? 

Cade steepled his fingers and gave a small nod. 

Foster: Cloning is not exactly new, but it started with cloning specific organs. And I’ll be quite honest with you, once cloning technology moved into limb replacement, the vast amount of time and effort that went into limbs went into hands and arms. Probably because that’s what many species rely on for so much of their lives.

He waggled his fingers in front of Elias to emphasize his point to which he nodded understanding. It made sense. 

Kincaid: So, what does that mean fer me? Spell it out fer me. 

Foster: I guess what I’m saying is at this point in time for legs Biosynthetic and regular synthetic are more reliable. For arms – go wild, go with your heart.

Elias nodded sagely as he took a moment to consider what Cade had said. While scritching behind Julliette’s ears. It would also give Cade a chance to enjoy some of the food he’d brought if he was so inclined. 

Kincaid: I can see tha benefits ta not necessarily havin’ a cloned limb. One of mah cooks, Gr’yk, has a hand similar ta Lystra’s. Makes it easier fer him ta handle hot pots, pans and dishes without complaint. Unless he forgets ta turn off tha sensitivity settings. That feller’s gotta scream that’d make a goat blush. 

Foster: Response

Elias glanced down at his lap and the white fluff cooing on his lap, then to the prosthetic leg under his denim.

Kincaid: Ya know. I might sound a bit silly fer sayin’ this but I reckon I’ll forgo tha clonin’. I kept mahself like this fer so long outta regret, and now I think I’d like ta update mahself out of solidarity fer mah new family. 

Foster: Response

Elias shifted his hand to his right leg for a moment. Then to his left sleeve. 

Kincaid: Biosynthetic fer mah leg, since ya done sung its praises. And fer mah arm, cybernetic. Between Lystra, Gr’yk, Jalana, and a surprisin’ number of tha crew that have prosthesis I feel like I’ll be in good company. 

Foster: Response

Elias took a moment to sip from his own tea real quick before he went back to giving the fluff ball in his lap more attention. 

Kincaid: Alright. I reckon we’ll have ta do one at a time so I can acclimate? 

Foster: Response

Mark: (optional tag if you want to bring him in too!)

tags/tbc

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PNPC Elias Abernathy Machk Kincaid
Retired Marine - Captain
Civilian - Bartender
The Saloon
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Elias_Kincaid 

humbly simmed by 

Lieutenant JG Lystra
Tactical/Security Officer
USS Constitution-B NCC-9012-B
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Lystra