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[doc_holi]

[Holiday is back on the screens again. Thankfully, her hair was slowly turning back into its once dark color at her roots, but the eyes were still a light gray instead of green. If someone hadn't seen her before the ghost event that thing with the museum, they may not even recognize her all that well.]

I've been wanting to go through this for a little while now, since my... scare, but in the wake of our Emperor's death, I saw it fit to wait in her respect.

I just want to inform people of a, um... disease that I have, I suppose you would call it. On my world, every living organism is infected with nanoscopic machines that have corrupt programming. We call these nanites. I'm the only one infected with this type here, I assure you. They can only be passed along much like an STI, with bodily fluid contact.

If the nanites themselves become infected, they bound to the host's DNA and change it. These occur in physical deformities or mental abnormalities. Some that change may only experience boils on their skin, others develop mental illnesses. Then some... [And this is the tough part.] Some can turn into eighty foot, fire breathing monsters and anything in between.

At home, I worked as the lead researcher for the biggest, most resourced organization that was looking for a cure to the nanite plague. We had one that would only work on some people after they had changed, but it's not here.

I just want there to be awareness about my condition so that others can take whatever precautions they deem necessary to not contract it; though, I will continue to assure you that it won't happen. Otherwise, I want others to be aware and alert in case I do change one day. The best option may be simple... eradication. It was what we had to do back home before we found our cure against some of the more dangerous ones. My sister was one of those dangerous ones that, thanks to my position, wasn't killed but caged for several years. The changes seem to be genetic.

... If anyone has questions, feel free to ask me. [And on that wonderful note, she closes the feed.]

Comments

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[dotsanddashes]

[A long moment of silence, where Rosalind is just...staring at the camera, stuck for words - and then she speaks, her voice and expression etched with rare concern. Holiday was there when Rosalind needed her most. That wasn't going to go unremembered.]

...If there's...ever anything my brother and I could do....

Our door is open for you.

Always.

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[doc_holi]

[In this place, after the scare she had, that is a rather nice proposition.]

Thank you, Rosalind... I've had these for awhile and I know a lot about them. Probably more than anyone else from home. Everything should be fine, so... don't worry about me.

Still... Thank you. I never expected to see a place that wasn't infected again.

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[knewtoomuch]

That's....some confession. Good thing for me I'm essentially immune to that kind of thing, hmm?

[His vessel without him inside? Nope.]

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[doc_holi]

Really? That's good to know.

[She still doesn't know about the angel thing. Might have gone back to check. Don't worry, Balthazar. She's not going to start poking on you.]

Really, it shouldn't be anything to worry about for anyone. I just thought it best to at least be open about it in case it does become a problem.

[knewtoomuch]

[The angel thing over ever comes up when somebody asks or it comes up in idle conversation...or just on a whim.]

Nothing wrong with being open just in case. It will certainly cover one's ass if something unexpected happens.

[doc_holi]

Definitely. There was a bit of a scare in regards to these things not too long ago and no one knew what to do. It could have been so much worse, so... I thought this would be needed.

Never thought I'd actually be doing this, though.

[Still weird being in a world that's nanite-free. She sort of wants to lock herself in a closet or something.]

[knewtoomuch]

I must admit that it takes a certain set of...er...bad choice of words. I set of courage! That sounds much better....Courage to mention that to the population here.

It makes me curious as to what else other might be keeping to themselves.

[That speculation can be for another time.]

So these nanites...did people just...create their own demise?

[manofiron]

You're infected with nanites.

[ This is neither the face nor the voice of a man who's particularly alarmed by the possibility of such a thing. In fact, he's intrigued. After all, she said the magic word: machines. ]

I have some. Had. Not here. At home. Are they sentient? Yours, I mean.

[doc_holi]

No, not at all, thankfully. They don't act without direction, but their core programming is so corrupt and incomplete, that it's hard to find a way to tell them what exactly to do.

[She's actually happy for the lack of sentiments. These nanites were as normal as a cold back home and she didn't want a big pity party about it, nor mass fear.]

[manofiron]

Has anyone ever tried introducing a version with completed programming into the body so that the new ones can repair the corrupted ones?

[ He thinks that anyone with the technology to make them would have had this idea already, but he can't resist asking. ]

[doc_holi]

Everyone that originally worked on the project is dead or missing. Before that, it was kept a big secret until the explosion that spread them across the globe.

There's one person who does have nanites with completed programming. They've changed him as well so that he has the ability to introduce his nanites into other hosts and repair them temporarily, but it doesn't work for all types, like my sister's.

We've tried recreating his or making our own, but nothing's worked so far. He's our only semblance of a cure.

[manofiron]

And he's not here, right? From the PSA you gave us, I'm assuming no.

[ There's probably a subtle way to ask, but Tony's never really been one for subtlety. ]

Could I take a crack at it? Is it rude to ask someone that? I'm not trying to be rude. I just know a few things about programming. More than a few.

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[superieure]

Wonderful.

[Her ire, however, isn't directed entirely at Holiday. It's a 'who thought this was a good idea' exasperation.]

Have there been any cases of it being airborne, or transmitting other than by the method you stated?

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[doc_holi]

They were airborne back home, yes, but checking that was the first thing I did upon my arrival here once I realized I was the only one with nanites.

I can assure you, contact of fluids is the only way to catch them.

[Out of anyone that could have shown up from home, she's one the best ones to take care of this nanite stuff.]

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[superieure]

[Holiday's professionalism about the entire thing counts in her favour.]

Do you possess a containment suit or does one need to be built for you? I imagine the likelihood of actually becoming a fire breathing monster is slim compared to the other changes?

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[doc_holi]

I don't have anything like that, but I've had a hand in making a containment suit and room before. It's not really necessary for my current condition, but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to work on in the future.

Like I said, the changes go along a genetic chain more often than not. My sister was an arachnid type about ten times her average size. She possessed super strength and an instinct to nest, while all of her mental abilities were set back to one driven only by instinct.

She was ten years younger than me when she turned. I would be stronger, bigger, faster, and far more instinctual, so likely far more dangerous. Of course, there is the slim chance that things won't turn out that way, but this is the most likely scenario.

On the average for the public, most people only exhibit physical changes, but keep their general shape and size, usually. Sometimes the changes are much smaller, sometimes much larger. We haven't figured out a way to tell yet.

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[superieure]

[She leans forward and listens intently, nodding at relevant parts.]

Do you have sufficient facilities for your research? If not, I can contact someone.

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[candystriped]

That's... a fucked up list of side effects.

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[doc_holi]

A good description for it, honestly. I wouldn't have bothered to have come out with about them if it were just coughing.

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[candystriped]

So you're giving us a warning in case you go Godzilla on the town?

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[doc_holi]

Basically, yes, and so that people can do whatever they think necessary to not receive the virus, too.

[Just one big CAUTION sign, don't mind her.]

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[cmdreffingshepard]

Rebecca. [It's hard to know what to say - it's always tough to figure that out when people do things like this. Shepard isn't worried about infection or anything like that, and she can't really be much help on the scientific side - she's sure there are others here who can, potentially, and probably will, because she knows a lot of the people here are good like that.

So how do you do the supportive friend thing? She's giving it a shot.]

It takes a lot of guts, to admit something like that. If you need to talk, or just some company - I'm always around.

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[doc_holi]

[It did take some guts, she wouldn't lie. So far, she hadn't received the horrible response she expected, aside from some very terse questions from some woman. No one was at her door with pitchforks yet, so it was going pretty good.]

Thank you. I'll be fine, though. It's... nothing new.

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[cmdreffingshepard]

I know you will be.

But still, the offer stands. We all need someone to listen, sometimes. No judgment.

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[doc_holi]

Thank you. The offer does mean a lot.