"Going where I list, my own master total and absolute" (Part 2 - Diplomacy, Tourism, and Processing)

[cityship]

The trip down was uneventful. The view was gorgeous when the viewing window shields were raised again when they were through the atmosphere, especially as they passed down to Megalopolis, the simply-named giant city that was this world's capital. To the Earthlings there, the continents of this world would look vastly familiar, but that didn't mean anything, did it?

Eventually the sparkling city spires of the mega-city, interspersed with flying traffic, rose up to meet them, and Obs Deck, attached by its massive shielded umbilical cord, deposited them at the Council's private spaceport. It retreated back up to Stacy after they'd disembarked.

This world was a gorgeous world, that much they could likely tell while standing there on the landing pad, looking at the rounded curves of the beautifully designed spaceport. Buildings rose up above them in shades of white, paneled with multi-colored glass, in creative architectural designs. The air traffic weaved neatly in endless lines between buildings, and the overcast sky was in shades of orange and pink, with occasional slips of a bright blue peeking through.

The Council of Five was waiting for them in person, clearly glad to see them all, dressed in resplendent clothing.

"Welcome to the Megalopolis, our capital city, and welcome to Galilee. We are the Council of Five, and we're honored by your presence."

[ooc: The first subthread is now open. They have split into groups! All subthreads are now open! Please do not set up new subthreads. The plot-runners will set them up as needed as we go.]

Comments

[moms-temperment.livejournal.com]

Hana playfully pouted and elbowed Hit Girl in response. "I don't love it here, I'm just a bit impressed is all. Looks like this 'borrowing technology' thing actually might be useful." His words implied he hadn't really had much faith in Stacys idea of landing on a planet and taking their stuff.

He gave the councilwoman a wary glance to see if she was listening before hissing to Hit Girl. "It's just this place it too... Right. Everything had a place and is in it. It's like a model city or something, not real, you know?"

At Bal's words, Hana glanced at the man in the machine. His face displayed mild curiosity but he didn't so much as react to the idea of growing back limbs. In fact, it seemed he was more interested in whatever the machines would attempt in order to reach this goal than the actual goal they were possible of achieving. "So, do you need alot of machines to do that?"

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

"You ought to know sarcasm when you hear it," Hit Girl responded, giving him a teasing look. "I know what you mean though, about the everything being right. It looks downright sterile, and that kinda thing never really sat well by me. But yeah, we'll probably want technology like this for limbs. There are a few people on the ship that could use it."

Hit Girl DID notice, though, how the bodyguards started to keep an eye on that guy in their group, Rory. There was little she was going to let slip by her during this sort of a mission, especially when everyone was pretty much a stranger. She wondered if the other people in her group were feeling a little disquiet about some things so far.

How much she would let that bother her, though, would equate to what the punchline was to this whole shindig.

[starlightace]

"That's really incredible," Nanoha said quietly - half to the representative and half to nobody in particular - as she watched the process via which a man was having his arm completely regrown. "How much effort and machinery does it take to do something like that?" She echoed Hana's question thoughtfully - if they could get something even remotely like that on Stacy, it might help the medical team immeasurably.

[theboywhowaits]

"I and my companions for medical would enjoy a chance to speak with the doctor in charge of this facility, regarding the tech and other methods of treatment you can teach us." He kept his voice low, not missing the tension in the guards as they moved out of the lift and was careful to keep some space between them, respectful of her space, but still walking as an equal, rather than trailing behind her like an eager puppy.

He watched the man with some fascination. At home, this was something they could only dream of. Regrowing an entire limb on Stacy was a little more practical, and here...well, here medical miracles were looking almost common place. "That is amazing, Councilor. Is it regrowing his arm from scratch or are you transplanting a new limb? What sort of treatments do you use for burns? Skin-grafts?"

[cityship]

Bal nodded before speaking. Her tone was informative, but it was easy to see that she spoke in simpler terms to aid those that weren't in the medical field and to keep their secrets...well a secret. At least for now, should they be able to help, there would be much more liberty in their talk. But that was for later. Right now it was a perfectly calculated game of tantalizing with details.

"This machine is large compaired to many of our other models, but it encompasses many of our technological advances together. After scanning the burned tissue, it will send out specialized pulses that gently prod at the bones to encourage the growth of cells. After a few hours, the entire bone structure will be regrown with fresh new cells. After which, tissue and muscle, before the skin is finally restructured done last. Electrical prodding will resume the blood flow. There is a ninety-nine point nine percent chance of recovery and zero point one rejection risks. To keep the area clean, a small field around the wound stops all known bacterial infections during the procedure."

She gestured to the red glowing lines on the floor and the top of the ceiling. "There is also an invisible force-field that provides additional protection, and allows for visitors and nurses to come in to keep watch of progress."

If they watched closely, they could see the pure white bone starting to stick out of the mangled hand. It was a slow process, but the man appeared to be sleeping peacefully, eyelids twitching slightly.

"The patients are feed with a small tube given to them early morning to provide nutrition. They sleep and have the choice of either being shown feelies or be administered a drug that will cause them wake up once their operation is done. In addition, all citizens have a right to free medical healthcare, no matter how rich or poor they might be. It is a basic right of our world." The pride in her voice at that statement was unmistakable.

[moms-temperment.livejournal.com]

Hana, in a reaction to Bal's words and the display infront of them, pulled an expression one might see on an excited child as they watched something in grotesque fascination.

He gave a small chuckle and mumbled a quiet; "Pretty cool." But outside that he didn't seem too impressed and refrained from saying anymore. Sure, seeing an entire limb growing back was a relatively cool, but it seemed he was only commenting on the spectacle itself and not the achievement.

At the mention of 'feelies', Hana pulled a puzzled expression and turned about to look at his companions, worried perhaps he'd missed an explanation they'd all gotten beforehand. Satisfied they hadn't, he looked at Bal.

"Erm, what are feelies?" He asked, trying to be respectful whilst suppressing the urge to raise his hand.

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

Hit Girl, on the other hand, was eyeing this process with intense curiosity. She had gone through many a process of resetting bropken bones, scars, and knew she was lucky she had not lost a limb. To have the ability to actually DO something like that, it would turn the tide of the war, at least so that mortal injury wouldn't prevent them from fighting to their last breath.

Not that she wasn't waiting for a catch: there was going to be a drawback to this, somewhere, there would be some kind of extended clause or some fine print somehwere. The question then would really come down to being able to live with it: these people DID need help in that war against the terrorists, right?

"Probably a movie or a Senosrium kind of thing, from the sound of it," Hit Girl said idly.

[starlightace]

Nanoha nodded politely, listening to Bal's explanation - but her eyes were firmly fixed on the procedure, so she said nothing as they moved.

[theboywhowaits]

Rory nodded, staying silent and watching the procedure with interested eyes. Dr. Hussain could do something that, reconstructing at a structural level. It wasn't something they were incapable of, simply something that they couldn't do easily.

"Is there any degeneration of the ability to feel with the new limb? How long will he be in recovery? How often do the attacks happen? Why are they attacking?"

[cityship]

"Feelies are a popular form of entertainment in our world," Bal explained. "I believe a few of your fellow delegates are currently viewing one with Councilman Orin. They work by stimulating the brain with images, sounds and smells." One could call it a full movie experience. Or the sensoriums. She looked over the man again to answer Rory's questions.

"Because we treat our patient as fast as possible, degeneration is incredibly rare, around zero point five percent and mostly because the healing process was done a few months after the limb was lost. Recovery time is as simple as getting up once the process is done." In other words, no recovery time at all. Get healed, stand up, be well.

She frowned at the last two questions for a brief second.

"The attacks are frequent during the last few weeks, which is why we have asked for your aid. However I am afraid that all additional information regarding this is a field best left for Councilman Allin An to explain. After he has brief your teammates, you will be able to discuss with them to learn more." She beckoned them to another room. "Would you like to see a surgery preformed? There is a class of students visiting today, we could join them."

[moms-temperment.livejournal.com]

Hana still thought 'feelies' was a pretty stupid name though.

Even so, he kept listening and nodding almost automatically. Hana turned to look at Rory with a odd expression at the mans constant stream of questions. Couldn't he just ask one at a time? Hana was sure he himself would have gotten irritated by this point and pissing this lady off didn't seem like a good idea.

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

No more stupid than the Sensoriums or movies, when it really came down to it. Words for something like that was interchangeable, when it really came down to it.

Hit Girl nodded. "We can't do anything quite like the in the ship, so sure. More and more though, I'm sorta curious why these terrorists would want to go attack people, which would hinder processes like these. It seems like it does nothing but cause pain to everyone involved."

[starlightace]

"That's true," Nanoha murmured with a frown. "They wouldn't just try to hurt people who were recovering, would they?" At least, not without a reason. It didn't make sense.

"I'm fine with watching the surgery, but I wouldn't mind missing it, either. It depends on what everyone else wants to do."

[theboywhowaits]

"I would enjoy the chance to view the surgery, Councilor Bal." He glanced at Hit Girl and Hana, curious and questioning. They appeared young, and surgery undid med students on a regular basis. If they didn't wish to go, he would abstain for the moment.

The offer looked too good, and she was avoiding his questions. That was a bit disturbing. So far he knew that there medical tech was, in fact, advanced and quiet good. There was not doubt in that. What they could do with it was astounding.

But Nanoha and Hit Girl made a good point, who would attack a healing center, and why? What could drive them to that sort of action? What was going on here? He missed the Doctor, and his innate read on the situations around them. He was missing something. He knew it. But he didn't know what, just a gut feeling that something was wrong.