>Conversation Mode...Carefully
Okay, this monster thinks you're staff... but she also thinks you're under-trained staff, so you've got some room to screw this up, but you don't know just how much room. Let's be careful what we say.
FERN:
Heh, well, there's not that much to say about...little old me. You can call me Fer....errrr...ffffferrr...ANNIE! Frannie!
Heh, well, there's not that much to say about...little old me. You can call me Fer....errrr...ffffferrr...ANNIE! Frannie!
...What was that?? "Frannie?!" Seriously? You don't even know if names are an issue here, but if they are, you could have done so, so much better.
GYNNIE:
Well, hello there Frannie!
Sssssho, you're likely trained in at leasht the bassshicssh of zonal medischine, but with the pressshent insshtability of our general reality, it will be entirely sssshafer if we assshume your basshic knowledge ish effectively zero.
Doesh that make shenshe? For all we know, even the shimplesht of tassshks here in our ward may have already drifted shignificantly from your exshperiensche!
Well, hello there Frannie!
Sssssho, you're likely trained in at leasht the bassshicssh of zonal medischine, but with the pressshent insshtability of our general reality, it will be entirely sssshafer if we assshume your basshic knowledge ish effectively zero.
Doesh that make shenshe? For all we know, even the shimplesht of tassshks here in our ward may have already drifted shignificantly from your exshperiensche!
FERN:
PHEW, that's a load off my ba- er...that is, thanks, I'll be sure to double check everything I can with you. In fact, I already have an awful lot of questions.
PHEW, that's a load off my ba- er...that is, thanks, I'll be sure to double check everything I can with you. In fact, I already have an awful lot of questions.
GYNNIE:
Exsssschelent! Pleashe, don't hold back, you have my professshional promishe that no posshible quesshtion ish too foolish, too pershonal, or in any way ssshushpicioussh!!
Exsssschelent! Pleashe, don't hold back, you have my professshional promishe that no posshible quesshtion ish too foolish, too pershonal, or in any way ssshushpicioussh!!
FERN:
Okay, so...Windifred said something about other staff disappearing on you guys.
Okay, so...Windifred said something about other staff disappearing on you guys.
GYNNIE:
Yessh, unfortunately...the ward hash become exscheptionally hazardoussssh theshe layerssh...but ash long ash you don't wander too far without ssshupervishion, you should be relatively ssshafe! Jusht be ssshure to remain here in your offische ash many layersh ash you can if I'm not pressshent!
Yessh, unfortunately...the ward hash become exscheptionally hazardoussssh theshe layerssh...but ash long ash you don't wander too far without ssshupervishion, you should be relatively ssshafe! Jusht be ssshure to remain here in your offische ash many layersh ash you can if I'm not pressshent!
FERN:
...I'll try...
What exactly will you need me to do here?
...I'll try...
What exactly will you need me to do here?
GYNNIE:
Oh, thissh and that! We'll be ssshupplying a lisssht of directivessh ash they come!
We'll primarily require sshome help handling our lesssh critical cassshesh, general maintenansche, and ssshome missschellaneoussh errandsh.
Oh, thissh and that! We'll be ssshupplying a lisssht of directivessh ash they come!
We'll primarily require sshome help handling our lesssh critical cassshesh, general maintenansche, and ssshome missschellaneoussh errandsh.
FERN:
Alright, well...I've also heard "this and that" about some sort of...
..."Big" case...
...Something you're calling...
...Patient zero?
Alright, well...I've also heard "this and that" about some sort of...
..."Big" case...
...Something you're calling...
...Patient zero?
GYNNIE:
Hm, yessh...not the mosht pleashant convershation topic...but I ssshuposhe you desssherve to know the bassshicsh.
...We've got a little one off the grey zone who'sh branchinating exshponentially beyond conventional interzonal connectivity...I'm sssshure you can imagine the ramificationsssh.
Hm, yessh...not the mosht pleashant convershation topic...but I ssshuposhe you desssherve to know the bassshicsh.
...We've got a little one off the grey zone who'sh branchinating exshponentially beyond conventional interzonal connectivity...I'm sssshure you can imagine the ramificationsssh.
FERN:
Um...refresh my memory?
Um...refresh my memory?
GYNNIE:
Eh? Well, I appreciate your thoroughnesssh...
I can ssshee you're a multi-organ sshyshtem yourshelf, sssho I'm sssure you undershtand that there'sh a particular order to how your organsssh interact with one another. Your digessshtive shyshtem ish not rigged to deliver gashtric juischesh to your lungsh, after all.
Ssshuch ish the rishk of aberrant connection between zonesh. Every branch we perscheptoids form in our travelsh ish a permanent migratory conduit for conscheptsh, like boring a hole through a physchical barrier.
The patient is boring holesssh where they do not belong. Zonesh that were previoushly never adjacent are leaking into one another where the poor thingsh branches have breached interzonal membranessssh.
Eh? Well, I appreciate your thoroughnesssh...
I can ssshee you're a multi-organ sshyshtem yourshelf, sssho I'm sssure you undershtand that there'sh a particular order to how your organsssh interact with one another. Your digessshtive shyshtem ish not rigged to deliver gashtric juischesh to your lungsh, after all.
Ssshuch ish the rishk of aberrant connection between zonesh. Every branch we perscheptoids form in our travelsh ish a permanent migratory conduit for conscheptsh, like boring a hole through a physchical barrier.
The patient is boring holesssh where they do not belong. Zonesh that were previoushly never adjacent are leaking into one another where the poor thingsh branches have breached interzonal membranessssh.
FERN:
I...see. That's... consistent with what I've learned so far, actually.
I...see. That's... consistent with what I've learned so far, actually.
GYNNIE:
Ah! Good! Very good!
But, don't you worry yourssshelf about that one...only usssh top-level doctorsssh need bear the burden of direct acssshesh to Zero, and itssh biovesshell is sshafely locked in our ward'sh Problem Vault!
Ah! Good! Very good!
But, don't you worry yourssshelf about that one...only usssh top-level doctorsssh need bear the burden of direct acssshesh to Zero, and itssh biovesshell is sshafely locked in our ward'sh Problem Vault!
FERN:
Oh. That's...good. Great.
...Just...between us, uh, medical professionals...
...How bad is it? The patient, I mean?
Oh. That's...good. Great.
...Just...between us, uh, medical professionals...
...How bad is it? The patient, I mean?
GYNNIE:
*Cough*...isssh it getting ssshtuffy in here?! Haha! Ha!....Ha.....
.......Jusht between you and me?
.........We can't know.
We have either never encountered a cassshe like thisssh one before, or we are already oblivioussshly inhabiting the aftermath of one.
*Cough*...isssh it getting ssshtuffy in here?! Haha! Ha!....Ha.....
.......Jusht between you and me?
.........We can't know.
We have either never encountered a cassshe like thisssh one before, or we are already oblivioussshly inhabiting the aftermath of one.
FERN:
That's.......
....................................neat?
That's.......
....................................neat?
GYNNIE:
OH, ISHN'T IT THOUGH!?! Not jusssht "neat!" It'sh NEAT-O BEANSSH!
My colleaguesh are sssho gloom and doom about all thisssh, but I can't help finding the whole thing jusssht marveloussshly interesshting ash an academic!
OH, ISHN'T IT THOUGH!?! Not jusssht "neat!" It'sh NEAT-O BEANSSH!
My colleaguesh are sssho gloom and doom about all thisssh, but I can't help finding the whole thing jusssht marveloussshly interesshting ash an academic!
FERN:
Heh. Yeah. Real...exciting stuff.
Heh. Yeah. Real...exciting stuff.
GYNNIE:
I can sssshee the two of usssh should get along jusssht ssshplendidly!
We really ought to get you ssshtarted now, any other major conschernsssh?
I can sssshee the two of usssh should get along jusssht ssshplendidly!
We really ought to get you ssshtarted now, any other major conschernsssh?
FERN:
Oh, actually, yes...Windifred also said something about someone else running around, uh...Flea Good? She said he might be "weird?"
Oh, actually, yes...Windifred also said something about someone else running around, uh...Flea Good? She said he might be "weird?"
GYNNIE:
Fleagood?! Weird!? Ha! Why, The Fantassshtic Doctor Phineasssh Fleagood issh neither unushual nor in any way ssshusshpischiousssh in the sssshlightesht! He shaysh sho himshelf!!!
He hash been nothing but a tremendousssh boon to our work with
!!!
Fleagood?! Weird!? Ha! Why, The Fantassshtic Doctor Phineasssh Fleagood issh neither unushual nor in any way ssshusshpischiousssh in the sssshlightesht! He shaysh sho himshelf!!!
He hash been nothing but a tremendousssh boon to our work with
!!!
FERN:
Sorry...what was that last word? I...think I misheard something...
Sorry...what was that last word? I...think I misheard something...
GYNNIE:
What??? We're the 
ward, after all! isssh half of our focussh!! You and I will be dealing primarily with , but if you have any quessshtionsh about , you should be asshking the good doctor!
What?
?? We're the ward, after all! isssh half of our focussh!! You and I will be dealing primarily with , but if you have any quessshtionsh about , you should be asshking the good doctor!
FERN:
...Rrrrriiiiight.
I think I'm...done...questions now. Better, uh, get to work!
...Rrrrriiiiight.
I think I'm...done...questions now. Better, uh, get to work!
