007; Video

[andblockbuster]

 [Well, Tranquility. I bet you're ALL OF THE THRILLED to have Topher in your lives again... now 100% less soaked in blood and vomit and sweat and all means of terrible things from his adventure in the science labs and as cheerful as... anyone can be post-jump. Given the background of the video you can assume, he's in medbay and that his comm is propped up on something. Why is he not holding it?

...Well, it might have something to do with the fact that he's trying to flip a certain fedora onto his head with concentrated hand gestures- he was not being factitious when he said that was what he wanted it for, Dave. AND NOW THE WORLD KNOWS.] This is way easier in theory-

[Oh right, he's recording. Yes, well. Moving on.] 

Okay, while we're getting all the usual existential "where am I, what is my purpose" post-jump network blues out and the "you are here, ask us how" responses and a few "oh, by the way, the creepy ship is still creepy" things thrown in just in case anyone felt all safe for a half second, I've got to bring out my contribution. 

My name's Topher Brink and I'm the med bay's neurologist. And you're probably wondering, "Topher, how often do you actually need a neurologist.?" Surprisingly, more often than you think. Space crazy can happen to anyone, so consider this your PSA about that. If you feel weirdly homicidal, please tell someone before you flip your biscuits and kill everyone. If you always feel homicidal and this isn't a new development or anything... Thanks for not already flipping your biscuits and killing us all. And keep not doing that for the foreseeable future.

But the real reason I'm putting this out there is neural implants. How many of you actually have them- if you don't wanna say it out loud and you don't have it on the med bay's records for a reason, please filter to me and it'll be strictly patient-doctor confidentiality. I ask, because I'm pretty sure if anything in your coconut gets hacked, screwed with, or otherwise messed with, McCoy, the Watsons, and the rest of the staff are gonna go, W-T-F and it's gonna be a big mess. If I know ahead of time and can run diagnostics, check to make sure everything's the way it's supposed to be working, then we can cut out any sort of horrible side effects being in space could have on them, 'cause frankly, I've never been a space neurologist, but I know implants, while amazingly durable, can break down or stop functioning. ...Don't panic about that though. It's not likely, but it could happen.

That's... pretty much it. Unless you've got questions or concerns regarding brain science and you, 'cause I'm the guy for that. And completely at your service. [He holds up the hat.] And, apparently, I've got too much time on my hands right now.

[MED BAY FILTER// ENCRYPTED 100%]

Speaking of brains... Aberdeen's still in a coma, so... How 'bout we all get together and put our thinking caps on and brainstorm a little on fixing that.

[[OOC: LITERALLY HEADING OUT THE DOOR FOR WORK. But I will hit tags when I return. Blah, blah, blah. I wanted to get it up.]]

Comments

[video]

[the_vishual]

I need to talk to you. In person.

[ It's time she explains what, exactly, she is. ]

[video]

[andblockbuster]

Ooookay? I'm in medbay right now, unless you... want someplace more private?

[voice]

[jurisimpudent]

Apologies, Dr. Brink - would you explain precisely what you mean by "neural implants"?

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

A biomedical prosthesis you attach to the brain to improve its function, like say if you had a stroke or a head injury. They get a little more complicated when you get into the more theoretical stuff, but we've got people from the future all over this boat, my friend. It's more common than you'd think.

video

[maredementis]

[He's funny. He reminds him of a much younger Beetee. And Wiress, poor Wiress. That had been so wrong, all of it, so wrong to do agwin and Annie was shaking because there was Finnick too--

When she's herself again she drinks a glas of water, bruhes her hair. This place gave her knives. 170 on her arm. It knows her and she's worried, because she is so sick. She hurt someone already. He has to talk to this man and make sure that she can be kept from doing that again.]

Hi.

[Soft, quiet. Sweet looking and speaking. She can kill a person with anything in her room including her body. (Topher knows these people.)]

I'm Anie Cresta. Wave 8, number 170. I need to talk about a condition I have and getting it treated. It's not neural implants, I'm sorry.

video

[andblockbuster]

I work with a little bit of everything. Therapists talk about the problem, psychologists diagnose the problem, neurologists get to the root of the problem.

So what's on your mind? [A cheerful smile] Literally.

voice;

[motioned]

[Just... Going to ignore all that murder stuff, yep.]

What's a neurologist?

voice;

[andblockbuster]

[Awww. Don't you sound so cute and tiny.]

Well, it's a brain doctor. [Yes, Topher. You totally needed to use the most condescending voice EVER.]

[theyalldieforme]

How many people do you suspect have them?

[andblockbuster]

Two- sorry, three confirmed. It's not that uncommon. At this point, if you had a metal plate in your head, I'd wanna hear about it- at least from a "if we find your body squished into goo after a jump, we can at least know it's you from the hunk of metal you left behind" perspective.

[video]

[galacticheroine]

[Being a biotic has never been a point of shame for Shepard, so she isn't particularly phased by commenting on it]

I've had a neural implant since I was seventeen, so the chances of it frying on me now are probably remote. It doesn't control any of my cognitive faculties, anyway. Just a regulator for my biotics.

[video]

[andblockbuster]

And yet, I could stand to hear more. [Yeah, he had an ulterior motive behind this post. Sue him.]

text;

[insufferableprick]

dude practice comes before you reveal your moves to the public
now youve gone and spoiled the illusion
everyone will know you had to work for it

also i see youre rendering even more services in order to more thoroughly book that birthday escapade of yours

voice;

[andblockbuster]

Is that such a bad thing? People on the left going "he'll never make it" and people on the right going, "you can do it, Topher- we believe," the montage music playing in the background... People are really bored on this ship. If one guy and a hat trick can't win their hearts and minds, nothing can.

That... and if I don't keep my brain moving, it'll probably shrivel up like a raisin.

[video]

[testgasm]

[Guess who has absolutely nothing useful or constructive to contribute to this conversation

But guess who also has a fedora.]

Hey, you've got one too! I mean. Hang on.

[He has to go GET IT okay he's back. LOOK IT'S A HAT.]

Dave sort of...forced it on me.

[video]

[andblockbuster]

Us and everyone else on the ship- Dave's a force unto himself. [But he's still beaming, BECAUSE FUCK YES. BEST BROS. Here hold on, allow him to soak up this moment by dramatically placing the hat on his head, stroking the brim and everything. You know the gesture. Somewhere a hipster is covering Wanted Dead or Alive to provide a musical cue for this moment.]

But we're the guys in the sweatervests.

[logicals]

People have been increasingly annoying as of late. Is being homicidal so wrong?
SH

voice;

[andblockbuster]

You should talk to Edgeworth. I'm pretty sure he has a lot of feelings on why being annoying is not grounds for murder. Otherwise, he probably would've killed half the ship by now.

voice »

[cannibalizes]

[ you're most welcome, Monsieur Brink, for keeping the biscuits as they are. however, he hopes you aren't holding your breath on that. ] I should think space-insanity would remain your priority as most people are rightfully wary of permitting someone access to their brains, for implant purposes or otherwise.

[ which is his roundabout way of wondering if boredom is all that fuels this. ]

voice »

[andblockbuster]

[WELL, NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT...

Now if you'll excuse him, he's going to be a complete bitch.

To Hannibal Fucking Lecter.]

Not even if I promise just to look, not touch?

( video )

[cheerioless]

Uh...so remember a while ago I said I could help out in the lab? Do you need anything done? I can still help out if you like? Even if it's [ she pauses and shrugs slightly ] organizing paper work or something.

[ tbh she's desperate for something to do to keep her mind off various things. ]

...making coffee even.

( video )

[andblockbuster]

I didn't forget about that! [He totally did. He's obnoxious, Quinn. RUN.]

If you can make coffee and fetch snacks and won't complain about it, you're clearly the woman for the job and where have you been all my life?

[video]

[fuckinghysterical]

[She is SO hesitant in answering this, partly because she was still a paranoid being who wasn't really sure who to trust, and partly because she wasn't even sure if he would know what the hell she was about to ask about.]

It's not - exclusively in the brain, but -- eheh -- do you know much about nanomachines?

[And yes, obviously there were actual neural problems with this one, but she sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up.]

[video]

[andblockbuster]

That's... kinda above my paygrade. It wouldn't be if anyone had actually invented them back where I'm from, so I'm sure I can work out something. Weird future tech's just regular tech with a few extra bells and whistles.

[Which is curious genius for YES, PLEASE. LET ME SEE.]

[video]

[birdhousesoul]

Med bay? Is that a clinic?

[video]

[andblockbuster]

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<small.[and>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<small.[AND INSTEAD OF AN ANSWER YOU GET...]</small> Aww. You must be new.

audio.

[helpmeguideit]

How often is often?

audio.

[andblockbuster]

Depends on who you are and how often you do things that might give you head injuries.

Text;

[theredchampion]

I would think if 'space crazy' is a concern a psychiatrist would be of more use than a neurologist.

Still, if you have a wish to maintain a level of order I suppose you might answer me this:

Does this ship carry cigarettes, or nicotine patches? Otherwise a few people might start suffering a little. It might add to your problems.

voice;

[andblockbuster]

The psychiatrist might be able to diagnose you or talk the crazy out of you, but the guy with the fancy brain science degrees is the one who knows what's happening up there.

[...THAT IS NOT HIS DIVISION.]

It's a barter system. Like prison. That's all I know.

Voice; encrypted 100%

[pitied]

I need to know about Winifred Burkle. [Because she's wondering if this is some sort of game he's playing. She sounds level, though on edge. She can rationalize it when it's just Wesley. But then it was the girl who seems to not be Echo (though even that was possible) and the new woman she met during the jump.]

Voice; encrypted 100%

[andblockbuster]

[What the-]

Uh... She was Wesley's special friend? I don't know, and considering you're the second person who's interrogated me about her, I don't really care to know.

voice;

[pizzalord]

Hey space neurologist is a step up. Stars, I never thought I'd be saying that out loud in my lifetime.

voice;

[andblockbuster]

As opposed to "wizard in space?" Way catchier.