Transformations

Posted on Sunday October 13th, 2019 @ 16:30 hours by Mayterial Droz & Lorpax

Mission: Hot Couture
Location: Medical Bay, Deck 2, S.S. Fawkes
Timeline: MD05 - Early morning
982 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

As Mayterial lay on the biobed she saw the Ferengi physician flit about above her. She never really liked this part of the process, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to get away with anything less in situations such as this. They needed to be convincing enough to subvert security sweeps, "Ready whenever you are, Doctor." She gave him a smile of confidence, hoping that some of it might rub off on the man.

The Ferrengi doctor scurried around the medical bay like a small rodent, moving different pieces of equipment into place. “I’d be ready a lot sooner if your equipment wasn’t so outdated!” He grumbled, as he pulled the last of three trolley’s containing various surgical cosmetics into place. “Right!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “I’m going to start by resequencing your DNA, it shouldn’t hurt one bit!”

Mayterial took a deep breath, doctors always said that right before there was something that would definitely hurt. It didn't matter, she knew she could handle it. She trusted in Lorpax' expertise and it wasn't like this was the first time she was going through this entire procedure.

Pressing a button to the side of the surgical bed made a enclosure like a tunnel come up over Mayterial’s body. “Sure you want to be Vulcan?” Asked the Doctor, “you would make a very attractive Ferrengi.” Lorpax rubbed his ears, showing his fang like teeth as he smiled at his patient.

"If I wasn't before, I certainly would be now." Mayterial remarked. It wasn't so much that the Ferengi their physical appearance jarred her, it was much more the Ferengi culture that made her skin crawl. She had always managed to keep interactions with them to a minimum, but when one travelled the quadrant as a freighter captain there was no avoiding them, "Speaking of which, though, I do need you to be present at the gala. Posing as our financial advisor, think you can do that?"

“Me?” Asked Lorpax shocked at the request. “I am shocked that you would think I could be involved in any form of organised crime,” he feined. “Of course if the pay is right...” With these words he initiated the genetic resequence program with a tap of his finger.

There it was, that itch that May couldn't scratch, the nagging pain of the resequencer fundamentally changing her genetic make-up. She wondered if Lorpax had ever done this to himself, she clenched her teeth as the intensity seemed to pick up. She had wanted to have a witty comeback to his protestations but right now the scrambling of her innards was too much of a distraction to do so. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. It shouldn't take too long.

Lorpax watched on as his patient squirmed in discomfort and pain. He didn’t enjoy watching anyone suffer, although in a usual situation he would offer more pain free treatments for an increase in fees. In this case, however, there was no alternative. It was what it was, and there was nothing he could do about it. He knew he wouldn’t get any more conversation out of her, so instead inspected the prosthetics he was to use and sorted them in order that he intended to use them, scanning May with a tricorder every so often to check the level of resequencing, as well as for any drop in vitals.

Finally it was time to switch off the resequencer after a mere three minutes, which even to Lorpax who had only experienced the pain from a spectator view, seemed like an eternity. “That should pass most scans,” he announced. “As long as they don’t need to operate,” he added with a shrug. “Now about this little trip....”

"I feel I more than cover the inconvenience by getting you off this rock and offering you ongoing employment." Mayterial took in a sharp breath through her nose trying to recollect her thoughts. She didn't feel different, even though she knew something changed about her on a fundamental level.

The Ferengi looked as if he would explode if he thought any harder. “I suppose I could come with you,” he said after a long pause. “But I want our agreement in writing. I don’t want any more nasty surprises.”

He started lining up pieces of what looked like rubber ears (although to touch they felt like flesh) with the Betazoids own, and glancing over her as if he was dressing her for a beauty pageant.

Mayterial was quite pleased that so far she had been able to get away with adding more and more to their agreement, then again this particular Ferengi was 'only a doctor', maybe he failed out of business school or something, "We'll write something up." She promised him. Normally Ferengi were a huge hassle for her to deal with, she couldn't use her Empath abilities on them and it was very difficult to put herself in their shoes when it came to most things, "Just the ears then?"

Lorpax usually wouldn’t have let so much slideast, but right now he was desperate, and no contract was so tight that he should have to stick to it. The 17th rule of acquisition saw to that, besides something about the illagility of what he was being asked to do peeked his interest, there might even be something of value he could grab as he went. “Unless you would like me to perform a blood transfusion,” he replied to the question. “Who doesn’t want to have green blood? Of course I would have to source enough blood, and that will be costly.” He already knew the answer, so didn’t bother to wait for it. “You are free to go,” he announced.

[OFF]

Mayterial Droz
Captain

&

Lorpax
Ships physician

SS Fawkes