>Talk to Penny
FERN:
...Um, hello to you too...none of me is "expendable."
...Um, hello to you too...none of me is "expendable."
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
A strand of keratin will suffice. I have a significant volume of testing to catch up on, if you can make a decision quickly. I have been out of commission for 1,031 layers.
A strand of keratin will suffice. I have a significant volume of testing to catch up on, if you can make a decision quickly. I have been out of commission for 1,031 layers.
FERN:
Oh, okay...a couple hairs then.
...But yes, I know, as far as I understand it, you can thank Magdolene and I for being you again.
Oh, okay...a couple hairs then.
...But yes, I know, as far as I understand it, you can thank Magdolene and I for being you again.
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
I see, yes. I accept this explanation of my remanifestation.
I see, yes. I accept this explanation of my remanifestation.
FERN:
Y...you're welcome?
Y...you're welcome?
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
You have executed a necessary task, yes. Is there a reason for your continued lingering?
You have executed a necessary task, yes. Is there a reason for your continued lingering?
FERN:
...I thought maybe we could talk about what's happening?
...I thought maybe we could talk about what's happening?
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
I have reconstructed the sequence of relevant events during my absence. Is there missing information you require?
I have reconstructed the sequence of relevant events during my absence. Is there missing information you require?
FERN:
...How would I know what I don't know? What I do know is there's "flesh" chewing everything up. That sound about right? I've been conferring with anyone still sane in this place, and you sounded important? Big medical lab-tech-concept? Listen, I'm just trying to help. Mostly for my son's sake, but I've been hearing a lot of "all reality at stake" kind of talk.
...How would I know what I don't know? What I do know is there's "flesh" chewing everything up. That sound about right? I've been conferring with anyone still sane in this place, and you sounded important? Big medical lab-tech-concept? Listen, I'm just trying to help. Mostly for my son's sake, but I've been hearing a lot of "all reality at stake" kind of talk.
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
..."Medical" lab-tech...quaint. I see that your sphere is still quite limited in scope.
The Hospital is by far not the only zone in which I fulfill a certain equivalent function. This I can deduce by my glaring volume of currently extraneous conceptual branches enmeshed into zones without the capacity to utilize or even understand my capabilities. Such a waste of branchination is in direct conflict with principles of efficiency, order and logic I appear to feel quite strongly about. Presuming these are natural facets of my character, this alone would indicate a large number of zones undergoing a process of atrophy.
And yet, this is almost incalculably dwarfed by the branches I appear to be dangling into nothing.
..."Medical" lab-tech...quaint. I see that your sphere is still quite limited in scope.
The Hospital is by far not the only zone in which I fulfill a certain equivalent function. This I can deduce by my glaring volume of currently extraneous conceptual branches enmeshed into zones without the capacity to utilize or even understand my capabilities. Such a waste of branchination is in direct conflict with principles of efficiency, order and logic I appear to feel quite strongly about. Presuming these are natural facets of my character, this alone would indicate a large number of zones undergoing a process of atrophy.
And yet, this is almost incalculably dwarfed by the branches I appear to be dangling into nothing.
FERN:
Yyyeah, that's the kind of thing I keep heari-
Yyyeah, that's the kind of thing I keep heari-
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
...CaN YoU. ImAGiNe.
...CaN YoU. ImAGiNe.
FERN:
Er...
Er...
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
...Pardon. Unnecessary emotion...
...
...I suppose you think I'm curt. You aren't equipped to relate.
Branches exist to interface with concept. Where there is no concept, branches should retract. It is like your...nerve cells. It is not desirable to you that they be naked.
...Pardon. Unnecessary emotion...
...
...I suppose you think I'm curt. You aren't equipped to relate.
Branches exist to interface with concept. Where there is no concept, branches should retract. It is like your...nerve cells. It is not desirable to you that they be naked.
FERN:
Sorry...no, that sounds horrible. You can't..."retract" them?
Sorry...no, that sounds horrible. You can't..."retract" them?
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
Yes. I can do so.
Yes. I can do so.
FERN:
You can, but, you aren't?
You can, but, you aren't?
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
Clearly I would not have branched into these zones where I was not needed. Were I to retreat from these absences, only for these zones to subsequently reconstitute, they would be without access to my services without an extensive process of scientific re-enlightenment.
I have reason to believe that this would constitute an undesirable degree of inefficiency that I suppose you would refer to as "unnecessary suffering."
Clearly I would not have branched into these zones where I was not needed. Were I to retreat from these absences, only for these zones to subsequently reconstitute, they would be without access to my services without an extensive process of scientific re-enlightenment.
I have reason to believe that this would constitute an undesirable degree of inefficiency that I suppose you would refer to as "unnecessary suffering."
FERN:
...Oh.
...Oh.
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
......You are doing...."fine," Fern. Trust that I am doing what I must on my end.
My analysis results may prove to be of some importance to you, if my present suspicions are validated. You are under no obligation to assist me, though there is a material formulation that can lighten the difficulty of the task.
......You are doing...."fine," Fern. Trust that I am doing what I must on my end.
My analysis results may prove to be of some importance to you, if my present suspicions are validated. You are under no obligation to assist me, though there is a material formulation that can lighten the difficulty of the task.
FERN:
...Whatever I can do that helps, I'm glad to try.
...Whatever I can do that helps, I'm glad to try.
DOCTOR PENNY CELIA:
Just a moment, then. At your convenience, you may collect for me the following composition:
Just a moment, then. At your convenience, you may collect for me the following composition:
