Iona
HP: 1
Cnd: Bruised (-3 to DCs); Fatigued; Hearing Impaired
PP:2
Monday, March 30th 2019 - A Meeting with The Master
In the aftermath of the "Viridi Mater Mission" - as it came to be known - Iona is busier than ever. Her opinion, namely that an infirmary would be a necessary element of the new base, is vindicated when several members of the mission-team became its first patients. Not all survive unfortunately, and Dr. Duncan Redwood becomes the first patient to die in the new sickbay. Others are more fortunate, and eventually they all appear to be on the road to inevitable recovery. With the acquisition of the super-science algae, a new food source capable of sustaining the caloric needs of a physically demanding job such as soldiering, the large-scale production of it will soon begin. The female cyborg knows that it is only a matter of time before the bodies of wounded fighters will crowd her miniature "hospital".
If that is to be the case, then issues of equipment must be resolved. Some critical medical equipment was lost on a prior mission. That, she knows, must be replaced. These are the problems of someone responsible for the operation of a department that everyone will increasingly depend upon. She is fortunate that she does not need to sleep. Losing 7-8 work hours a day due to involuntary unconsciousness would deprive her of an indispensable time resource.
Her damaged body has given her some inconvenience. The hearing loss in particular has proven quite annoying. Soon she will make an escorted trip to visit her creator for repairs. Since their last meeting, she has given much thought to her relationship with Dr. Zory Sokolov. Angry due to a perceived mistreatment by the brilliant scientist, she has since reconsidered some of her feelings. Perhaps she was too harsh on the man. After all, she did take his advice on the last mission, acting in a decisive manner with less regard for the cost in life around her. Dr. Sokolov, she must admit, was probably right. But Iona cannot help but think that her master is a being capable of much greater horrors than she. When she first knew him, he did not frighten her like he does now. To be fair, she does not view him in the same light as Praetor Null. That...thing frightens her more than anyone or anything she knows. But still, she is more wary of Sokolov than she used to be.
In the days prior to her trip, Iona is busy 24 hours per day. Dealing with Dr. Applegate, having meetings with Diego (and even more rarely with Praetor Null, if they request it), keeping an eye on her medical staff, organizing and planning new construction projects that she feels necessary due to recent threats to the base, and finding a little time to continue research in her laboratory. Her recent research is primarily concerned with the chemical and mechanical structure of her own body. While alone in her lab, she takes the time to collect loose fragments from her body, damaged in the recent battle with Stronghold. Artificial "blood", "muscle", "bone", "nerve pathways"...anything that can be easily collected with a dropper or pair of tweezers is removed, analyzed and stored. She utilizes her computer's camera to take close-up digital photos of her wounds, hoping to use them later for more research. She has to be careful though. Cutting things loose, or forcibly removing internal components would undoubtedly make her creator suspicious. She still wishes to remain on good relations with him. Fear of him keeps her restrained from overreach.
When the time for her trip arrives, she meets her usual escorts. They are neither friendly or hostile. They are simply there. Without fanfare they lead her back to the place of her "birth"...to the man she has until recently referred to as "Master".