(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Maybe in Riask or wherever that place is."

"No, on Earth. They don't even have electronics on Riask."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Not that kind of radiation. Migratory Radiation: The spreading of a civilization, idea, species, clade, or other reproducing entity."

"Oh! I guess slow-ships and radio were so slow that it was impossible to maintain any cohesive society?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

The technician looks surprised "Doctor? We don't use doctors here. We use Diagnosticians."

I briefly recall an old medical drama that used the same term, "What's the difference?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Where are [you] from?"

"Earth, but it's been..." over a thousand ******* years since I've been there.

I don't complete my thought and ask, "Will you promise to believe me if the next thing I say sounds completely insane?"

I assume her answer is probably yes even if she isn't going to.

"I'm from Earth, but the last time I was there, the year was 2023. I spent about a month, on somewhere called Riask. Now I'm here. I don't understand any of this."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"we don't have any records for you yet. Not even..." she does a little bit of frowning at a screen. "Can we get another blood sample?"

Julian is OK with this, unless he doesn't recall the first time they took blood, in which case, he says:
"Blood? When did you take blood?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I think there's an error in your blood tests. Everything but that looks good so far though, at least on my end. Your advocate will sum up everything for you at the end."

"Advocate? Why do I need a solicitor? Am I in trouble?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Oh! I guess slow-ships and radio were so slow that it was impossible to maintain any cohesive society?"

"yeah, that's right"

I briefly recall an old medical drama that used the same term, "What's the difference?"

"Doctors handled the duties of diagnosticians, advocates, and management. They required extensive training that could only be completed by a small fraction of the population and it still didn't prepare them for all the duties they had. Diagnosticians interpret the scans and tests and diagnosis issues."

"Earth, but it's been..." over a thousand ******* years since I've been there.

I don't complete my thought and ask, "Will you promise to believe me if the next thing I say sounds completely insane?"

"I promise to listen. Do remember you're in here being investigated for brain injury."

"I'm from Earth, but the last time I was there, the year was 2023. I spent about a month, on somewhere called Riask. Now I'm here. I don't understand any of this."

"It's alright, we'll handle this. You're from earth? I'll make a note of that."

"Advocate? Why do I need a solicitor? Am I in trouble?"

"A solicitor? oh, you think I meant a lawyer. Your Medical Advocate. The Advocate helps you make good decisions about your care, and explains your tests, scans, and diagnosis to you."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I promise to listen. Do remember you're in here being investigated for brain injury."

"It's alright, we'll handle this. You're from earth? I'll make a note of that."

As I say my piece aloud, I begin to realize how ludicrous it all sounds. Maybe this wasn't the best of decisions, but at least I didn't mention Vasic or falling to my death... Does she look like she believes me?

[135] 23-03-16 23:35:34 CET
Body Language
3d6 <= 12
4 + 2 + 3 = 9 ... success

Then something dawns on me, "Wait, investigated? Is having a brain injury a crime?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Doctors handled the duties of diagnosticians, advocates, and management. They required extensive training that could only be completed by a small fraction of the population and it still didn't prepare them for all the duties they had. Diagnosticians interpret the scans and tests and diagnosis issues."

"A solicitor? oh, you think I meant a lawyer. Your Medical Advocate. The Advocate helps you make good decisions about your care, and explains your tests, scans, and diagnosis to you."

"And management runs all this?", I say, waving my hands vaguely at everything.

I guess there's little to do but wait for the result of the second blood test and the advocate. I do a bit of writing in my diary. I ask what the month and day are. I'll also ask for a gown or something if they haven't given me one yet.

I'll assume the last day Julian spent on Riask was 159-03-22

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

As I say my piece aloud, I begin to realize how ludicrous it all sounds. Maybe this wasn't the best of decisions, but at least I didn't mention Vasic or falling to my death... Does she look like she believes me?

She might believe the part about earth... the time travel, less so.

Then something dawns on me, "Wait, investigated? Is having a brain injury a crime?"

"No, its an injury and we investigate what it is and if it exists or not. Pump your fist a couple times."

"And management runs all this?", I say, waving my hands vaguely at everything.

"Of course"

I guess there's little to do but wait for the result of the second blood test and the advocate. I do a bit of writing in my diary. I ask what the month and day are. I'll also ask for a gown or something if they haven't given me one yet.

Good call. They get him a gown. Its meant for surgery, but its better than what he has.



The advocate sits down with him.

"Julian, we've gone over your brain function and your blood, and everything appears to be healthy. You've got some scarring, but no recent injury. A little bit of malnutrition. You need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and I'm serious: it could impair your body and mind."


"There are some genetic abnormalities in your DNA. Are you aware of these?"

I'll assume the last day Julian spent on Riask was 159-03-22

sounds good.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

She might believe the part about earth... the time travel, less so.

Well, I probably wouldn't either.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"No, its an injury and we investigate what it is and if it exists or not. Pump your fist a couple times."

I ball my hand into a fist and move it up and down, "Like this?"

"What if it doesn't exist?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

The advocate sits down with him.

"Julian, we've gone over your brain function and your blood, and everything appears to be healthy."

"Does that mean you don't believe me when I say I don't know how I got here?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"You've got some scarring, but no recent injury. A little bit of malnutrition. You need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and I'm serious: it could impair your body and mind."

"I try, but it's hard when you're stretching money thin and don't know how to cook."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"There are some genetic abnormalities in your DNA. Are you aware of these?"

"No, should I? Is it like risk of heart disease or diabetes?"

--

"So what happens now?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I ball my hand into a fist and move it up and down, "Like this?"

"That's right"

"What if it doesn't exist?"

"Then you should be glad to be in good health! We'll send you on your way."

"Does that mean you don't believe me when I say I don't know how I got here?"

"I can't find any evidence of recent missing memory. I can certainly believe that you are confused about how you got here though."

"I try, but it's hard when you're stretching money thin and don't know how to cook."

"You're a kid. You shouldn't need to be worrying about getting enough food. Do you need me to see if I can get some food arranged for you?"

"No, should I? Is it like risk of heart disease or diabetes?"

"More like we don't know if you have those risks. Your DNA has several features that don't show up on our charts. You say you're from earth? What part?"

"So what happens now?"

"Now we wait for the research finding out who you are, so we can update your records and get you to your family."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Then you should be glad to be in good health! We'll send you on your way."

I ask a question that seems obvious, to me at least, "To where?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I can't find any evidence of recent missing memory. I can certainly believe that you are confused about how you got here though."

"Well, maybe not missing memory. Maybe just missing time. Maybe I was unconscious while I was moved here?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"You're a kid. You shouldn't need to be worrying about getting enough food."

"Should and do often disagree with me."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Do you need me to see if I can get some food arranged for you?"

"Well, for the foreseeable anyway."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"More like we don't know if you have those risks. Your DNA has several features that don't show up on our charts. You say you're from earth? What part?"

My inner sense of optimism starts thinking about my parents again, wondering if they simply vanished one day, like I did. I ignore it.

"I lived in Port Royale, Rattan, in the Bay Islands. That's a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Now we wait for the research finding out who you are, so we can update your records and get you to your family."

I doubt that they'll find anything. It has been fourteen hundred years after all. The documents may very well be all gone.

"Here's hoping."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I ask a question that seems obvious, to me at least, "To where?"

"Right now, it looks like we'll be putting you in the Panogos system for minors without Guardians."

"Well, maybe not missing memory. Maybe just missing time. Maybe I was unconscious while I was moved here?"

"That's possible.

"Well, for the foreseeable anyway."

"I can do that. Lets get you fed. The folks from Panogos should take care of that after we get you in."

"I lived in Port Royale, Rattan, in the Bay Islands. That's a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean."

"I'll see if that changes our data any."

"Here's hoping."

Julian hopes, but he mostly just ends up sitting around in a waiting room. The advocate gives him a "JDID, which seems to be some sort of weak temporary ID, and tells Julian to go get some food from the cafeteria.


After three hours, the advocate says that they can't find any records on him, his parents, Port Royale, Rattan, or even good matches to his DNA. The advocate says to spend another few hours at the hospital, and then an agent from Panogos will come pick him up.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Right now, it looks like we'll be putting you in the Panogos system for minors without Guardians."

Back into the system I go... Hopefully less suffering this time around.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I can do that. Lets get you fed. The folks from Panogos should take care of that after we get you in."
...

Julian hopes, but he mostly just ends up sitting around in a waiting room. The advocate gives him a "JDID, which seems to be some sort of weak temporary ID, and tells Julian to go get some food from the cafeteria.

I get something to eat... Hopefully hospital food has lost it's bad reputation in the 35th century.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I'll see if that changes our data any."

After three hours, the advocate says that they can't find any records on him, his parents, Port Royale, Rattan, or even good matches to his DNA.

The first two are unsurprising. The second two are more unnerving; maybe the names changed over the years, or perhaps the island sank due to global warming? "So how about records on the Caribbean or Britain?"

On the DNA, I say, "Well it's not as if you have DNA samples on everyone."

Originally Posted by ericthered

The advocate says to spend another few hours at the hospital, and then an agent from Panogos will come pick him up.

Well is there anything to do in the waiting room? If not, I'll start wandering around. There must be something interesting around the hospital.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I get something to eat... Hopefully hospital food has lost it's bad reputation in the 35th century.

The food is wonderful. Perhaps they know how to cook better in the 35th century. Perhaps he's been living off of under-seasoned rice. Perhaps he's just hungry.



OCC: Huh? Hospital food has a bad reputation? since when? since where? My Wife stayed in the hospital just before covid hit, and they had good food.

The first two are unsurprising. The second two are more unnerving; maybe the names changed over the years, or perhaps the island sank due to global warming? "So how about records on the Caribbean or Britain?"

We have lots of records on the Carribean, Britain... and even on the british carribean. Just no records of a Port Royale, Rattan.

On the DNA, I say, "Well it's not as if you have DNA samples on everyone."

"Actually, we try to. The concordance records the genetics of all its members, and encourages its partner worlds to do so. Its a basic health measurement. Your family must be really isolated to be this divergent. You... were naturally conceived, yes?"

Well is there anything to do in the waiting room? If not, I'll start wandering around. There must be something interesting around the hospital.

There are books of all sorts and toys for very small children.


He's poking around various corners when he hears something like a scream... no, its all in his head. A mental scream, not an audible one.