Ensign John Kendrick - Is that Borg?
Jon Van Pelt
((Museum of Medical Devices Throughout the Ages, Dangan Prime))
He gestured lightly toward the exhibit hall behind them.
Kendrick: So tell me - is this what Alpha Isles shore leave usually looks like? Or should I brace for something stranger before the week’s out?
El’Heem: This is tame. ::voice becoming conspiratorial:: we could find something stranger to do. If that’s what you’re looking for, I think you’ve found the right duo.
Her glare quickly shifted into a grin.
Ohnari: I have absolutely no idea of what you speak, Lieutenant El'Heem.
The wicked glint in her eye spoke volumes.
Kendrick: I suppose every posting has its… flavor.
John gave a quiet half-smile, studying the rotating Klingon instrument once more.
Kendrick: What about you two? Nobody ends up in Starfleet by accident. What pulled you in - adventure? Curiosity? Family expectation?
Ohnari: Whoa, strange pivot there.
The double take from Ohnari was immediate. He hadn’t meant to corner them. It hadn’t been an interrogation. Just… conversation. He’d always found small talk difficult. He folded his arms loosely as she answered.
Ohnari: I grew up on Halii with an alarming number of family members working the family's Cranberry bogs. I joined the Doctor's outreach program after medical school, got burnt out by the lack of funding, and stumbled into the academy. ::grinning:: At least all my medical tools are new every time.
John’s mouth twitched at that.
El’Heem: ::whispering to Talia:: You think Starfleet has some privileges afford to it about perusing the museum archives?
John caught the whisper - not the words exactly, but the energy of it. He narrowed his eyes slightly. The way they leaned in. The way Ohnari’s expression shifted - conspiratorial, electric. Their exchange almost looked telepathic.
El’Heem: I joined Starfleet as a sense of personal duty, I suppose. They helped my planet survive and eradicate a blight that would have surely caused us to abandon our home. But between you and me, I just like cataloguing and discovering plants from other systems.
John nodded slowly. That he understood. Duty first. Curiosity second. Or perhaps the other way around.
Ohnari: ::snorting:: And somehow snagged a medical degree in the process. ::mock pouting:: But yes plants and fungus were more fun than me.
El’Heem: I think as chief medical officer, you could probably get us a private tour of the museum archives and we can find something fun to play with. You know, for science?
John raised an eyebrow. Ohnari’s reaction was immediate.
Ohnari: ::false affront:: Ras El'Heem, are you suggesting I exploit my professional position so you can make grabby hands with the exhibits?? ::her smile turned feral:: You sir, are a genius.
John exhaled slowly through his nose. oO Ah Oo That explained the whispering. Not telepathy. Trouble.
He tilted his head slightly, studying the two of them - the barely contained mischief.
Kendrick: As long as this trip doesn’t escalate into an interstellar museum heist, I’m in.
El’Heem: All I’m saying is ::looking around:: They might have a Betazed Vox-Temperance Modulator back there or something. I don’t know, could be funny to hear the chief medical officer with the voice of a Hirogen, no?
El’Heem’s suggestion grew more absurd by the second. Betazed voice modulators?
Ohnari, meanwhile, appeared to be positively vibrating with delight.
Ohnari: Ooooh do you think they have any historical prosthetics?? Say what you will, some of those designs were solid. ::pointing:: Ooh, lady with a blazer and a data PADD. If that doesn't scream curator…
They were scouting the curator. John blinked once.
El'Heem: Response
Ohnari approached the curator with the confidence of someone who had absolutely done this before. John followed, hands in his jacket pockets, observing. He felt… outpaced.
Ohnari: What a fascinating collection you have here. I must say, it is incredibly impressive.
These two were nothing like the crews he’d served with before. They seemed to be more… improvisational. He wasn’t sure whether to admire it or prepare damage control contingencies.
Curator: Thank you! We pride ourselves on our expansive collection. We've collected so many, we actually have a rotating display! If you came back this time next month, why, you would see completely different items! We prioritize offering our guests something new with each visit.
Kendrick: Excellent. Constant variation. That ::pauses, dryly:: always ends well.
El'Heem: Response
Ohnari: Being the Chief Medical Officer of a Starfleet vessel, I must say this is most enjoyable. Doctor El'Heem, did you say that you had personally seen the Mek’roth at a medical conference?
The curator looked horrified. As if the idea that a single piece of the exhibition wasn't a brand new experience for the patrons.
John suppressed a sigh. oO And here we go.Oo
El'Heem: Response
Curator: Oh my heavens!! ::her lip clenched between her teeth:: That has never happened before...
Ohnari: What a shame we are only here in a limited shore leave...In fact, today might be the only time we'll be able to experience such an expansive collection...
Curator: ::brightening:: We've already set up the next exhibition! It even includes a section displaying various devices removed from live patients! ::flipping the PADD around:: One of which is a whale harpoon! ::glancing around, her voice dropped:: Follow me....
Kendrick: ::he blinked once.:: A harpoon?
He looked at El’Heem.
El'Heem: Response
And then, with a resigned half-smile aimed at the curator.
Kendrick: Lead the way. I’ve already survived dessert. How much worse can it get?
John followed the curator to a section of the museum that had been cordoned off by temporary holo-barriers. The lighting shifted as they passed through. As he looked around, he realized that this was clearly not the polished, guest-ready portion of the exhibit.
At the far end of the space, suspended in a reinforced containment frame, hung the whale harpoon. It was massive. Nearby, another case displayed cybernetic prosthetics. John felt his breath still.
Kendrick: ::wondering:: Is that Borg?
The curator practically glowed as she stepped beside the case, hands clasped in front of her like a proud host unveiling a masterpiece.
Curator: Isn’t it extraordinary? Authentic Borg technology - all fully decommissioned, of course. We were incredibly fortunate to acquire them. They represent one of the most sophisticated integration systems ever engineered.
John didn’t miss the word she chose. Integration.
She leaned closer to the glass, eyes bright.
Curator: Think about it - thousands of species, thousands of physiologies, all unified into a single functioning organism. A collective consciousness coordinating biology and machine with absolute efficiency. From an anthropological standpoint, it’s unprecedented.
John felt something tighten in his chest - not fear, exactly. Wariness. Her tone wasn’t clinical. It was admiring.
He shifted his weight, hands settling into the pockets of his dark leather jacket, gaze steady on the inert cranial implant.
Ohnari/El’Heem: response
TAG/TBC
——— ● ———
Ensign John Kendrick
Operations Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
J239801JK3