opnet [OpNet] Were I've been lately

[Neil Preston]

..., or why dealing with baselines can be a barb-wire enema.

I saved my 100th nova life yesterday. I also saved my 2,736th baseline life.

No, I haven’t actually saved 100 different novas, because right now one elite holds the record of 3 times on my life-and-death table.

I have been under a gag-order for the past few weeks as I’ve been raked over the coals by the Congressional Committee on Nova Affairs. Seems I made a powerful enemy, who has been pulling every string he could think of to make my life miserable. I’ve be asked to suspend all medical activities by the AMA, while ethics charges against me are investigated. I have been under a travel ban to Japan, and ordered to report to a court of enquiry in Indonesia.

Fuck ‘em. I know some people to and my dad has gotten the gag order repealed. I can speak about this, legally, until they find an Appellate Court to reinstate the order … in about an hour or so.

For those buds how have gone out on a limb for me, thanks, I really appreciate it.

Honestly, I don’t know how those transcripts ended up in the appropriate hands.

Let me see ... where to begin?

Okay, I do consulting work for John Hopkins while I’m in the field. A group of doctors have cases submitted to them and they forward onto me things they hope I can help with. Anyway, this case involving an inherited genetic disorder gets submitted and rejected. The problem is, the patient’s grandfather, and only surviving relative is a big muckitty-muck in the EU, by way of the UK. He isn’t satisfied with the answer. His granddaughter is in a lot of pain and is going to die. The best anyone who might help can do is give temporary relief, which is in and of itself only increasing the girl's suffering. So, the doctors at JH see this as not a good use of my time (and I agree), so the case gets a sorry, but we can’t help you. The girl drew a bad hand in life and I’m really sorry about that, but she’s got something I can’t cure.

So, this guy fixates on me as being his last hope. He decides to jump channels and arranges to have the case forwarded to me anyway. I bang my head against the problem for about a week (normal turn-around time is less than an hour), and at every turn her genetic code defeats me. I send word back only to discover that the case shouldn't have been forwarded to me. I get pissed, but dump the case from my mind and get on with life.

That isn’t good enough for this guy. He decides to personally track me down and insists that I help him. The problem is, I’m not were he thinks I am. I was working in a free clinic on Sumatra when I get word that Endeavor has been jacked by DeathSquad and is in a bad way. Endeavor is a good bud of mine, so I dial up a ride and head to Japan. I heal Endeavor and chat with a few friends before popping back to my volunteer work at the clinic. In my absence, the guy has shown up, ranted up the staff at the clinic ... and his granddaughter has died.

I show up and the guy is grieving. I’ve been there too many times, but its part of the job. I tell him his granddaughter’s in a better place and that her pain has ended. I try to explain that there was no cure when he comes back cold as Ice.

Seems that I don’t know my place, that I wasn’t doing what I should have been doing, that I am not living up to my responsibilities, that I need to be taught what being a healer is really about.

Okay. Silly me, I blow it off as a grieving family member dealing with a terrible situation. I make the decisions on where and when I use my skills and talents. I cleave pretty close to the Hippocratic Oath; though I do give people I like preferential treatment. I value a novas life more than I do a baseline’s in the way that if I can only save one, I chose the nova. I walk the earth helping out were I feel I’m needed. I am on Utopia’s on-call list for nova talent. I work for free at most of the places and have been vetted by the Red Cross, Red Crescent, the WHO, and about two dozen other medical aid agencies. Fuck, I just want to help people out, stop a few from dying, and heal a few hurts.

I leave Indonesia the next morning. Dead little girls I couldn’t help tend to make me move along. Two days later, the head of the clinic is Op-mailing me. Seems the Indonesian Ministry of Health is looking for me and wants to question me about medical negligence. Not being a dummy, I call JH and the US embassy, since I’m already in Malaysia by this time. 24 hours later, I’m back in the states and defending my actions to the administrators at JH then I’m called to the mat in Washington to answer for my irresponsible acts. Utopia is investigating my past activities, my Teragen ties (yeah me!), and every possible act of medical malfeasance I’ve ever been accused of (they found two, but they were both total crap ... I punched out a Somalian military type who tried to drag wounded rebels out of an UN aid station, then set his jaw without using painkillers, and I power-sucked an annoying elite so I could save somebody he was trying to kill ... seems doctors shouldn’t do that).

Better yet, they place a gag order on the proceedings. So, these scared/angry political types are trying to unsettle me with questions about my ‘motivations’ and ‘allegiances’ (they didn’t buy me being an agent of the Deep Ones of Innsmouth). They called my patriotism into question and I told them I didn’t have any that I preferred to be pro-individual. Finally, they brought up the case with that poor little girl. You should have seen their faces as I explained that 1) I am a free individual who hasn’t broken any laws, and 2) as a medical professional, I get to decide how my medical skills are best utilized, that I couldn’t save the girl, and that I got to make those choices, not a bunch of pencil-pushing dicks (they didn’t like that one much).

They wouldn’t tell me what I had legally done wrong. They wouldn’t face up to the fact that they had been bought and paid-for to drag me here. They wouldn’t even face up to the reality that by making me waste my time defending myself there meant that people elsewhere were dying that I could have been saving.

Yeah. I got a righteous hate-on like my old man.

I had to explain to them that not only how I heal wounds, but how my intuitive medical insight works (glazed experssions all around). I explained to them the pain I go through when I take on another’s troubles and I offered to share that pain with them so they could understand why taking away that girl’s pain wouldn’t have done any good ... as I restore someone’s “proper” genetic condition when I heal them.

Somewhere in the second day, it dawned on me (dimwitted trusting fool that I am) that my answers didn’t matter. I had let that girl die in their opinion and somehow they needed to find a way to make me pay. Then I started taking the fifth, which is a legal way of saying “I’m tired of talking with you”. They wouldn’t grant me immunity (since I hadn’t been charged with anything, nor was I likely to), so with good legal counsel they were stymied.

Okay, I was supposed to stay in the states, but I can’t legally practice medicine in the States right now, so I sort of wandered away. I’m going to be in trouble over that, though I still have my passport and exited through Canada. I spent some time with friends in Africa, saved a few lives illegally (most likely), though I got a witchdoctor to vet me in Chad. A group of medical students in Hanoi I met last year let me know they were doing some aid work in Laos ... seems a drug war has broken out there ... and I found myself working again. Some conscientious soul in the local health mission even gave me a permit to practice medicine. I hope it doesn’t cost him his job.

Anyway, some ass has been working overtime to make himself an enemy. I know who the fuck he is and this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

How dare any of these fucking selfish bastards tell me how to live my life? Were do any of them, who can’t even begin to comprehend the lives we lead, get off telling any of us what we “should be doing”?

I want to rant some more, but the trucks are coming back and I’ve got work to do. Laterz all.

[Regan McLachlan]

Christ, there's some real sodding idiots in the world who want to blame everyone and everything for something that goes wrong.

Poor kid dies. Bet you that if she hadn't been a relative of a big man, this wouldn't have gone so far. Too bad, so sad about the kid, but crap like this happens to plenty of other people 'round the world, and none of them get the sympathy that this one's getting because the grandfather's got money and influence.

It's nice to see someone willing to clean up the messes that Elites make without being as sodding judgemental as Project Utopia. We tend to cause a lot of trouble because baseline leaders decide to compensate for the size of their penises by starting wars. If the Project pulled its head out of its collective bottom and butted out of world affairs, the wars would be over much sooner and some Elites would be enjoying their well-deserved pay.

Yes, I'm a DeVries Elite and I've done combat duty. But at least I don't try to interfere in others' right to use their quantum expressions as they see fit.

Neil Preston, you have my sympathies. If you need a bodyguard, I'm happy to do a little pro bono work at the moment - I'd like to get some medical knowledge, and your medical virtuosity has never been denied.

Even if it appears to have gotten you in trouble at the moment.

Oh, and stop trying to explain things about your powers to baselines. It's like trying to explain Grand Unified Theory to a chimp.

[Sakurako Hino]

1: You should have went through the proper channels when going to Japan. That is the only mistake you made. I haven't burned all my bridges there, but I'm currently doing a full-court press with said connections to get my time in exile shortened. Or possibly even eliminated. Although now, I really don't want to go back, but at least I want to be able to return to my home country on vacations or on business.

2: That guy I think has flipped. His sorrow over his daughter's loss has driven him mad. He's a danger to himself and others. How anyone can sanely take his rantings seriously is beyond me.

3: Why the hell does all the messed up crap happen around me? I know I cause some of it, but the rest... WTF?

Neil, simply put, you've been doing what you should be doing, and the minute you don't listen to one Human... Just one...

Dammit...

Neil, I should be in Chicago in the next few weeks. Unless you want to share a fishing pole out here in the Pacific and catch some Marlins or something. I find Fishing... Realaxing. And tasty.

[Gerald Haney]

Dude. Mass sympathies.

Trust me, sometimes it helps if you're known for following the rules and being good guey. Gives you a little slack when someon with an ax to grind takes a swing.

[Sakurako Hino]

That is quite true. When the world views you sympathetically, they tend to be more helpful. Or at the very least look at you sympatheticly.

Simply put, the world likes a nice guy. Or girl in my case.

[Magus]

Hino;

When *individuals* view you sympathetically they tend to be more helpful however the dynamics of a *group* mentality are another matter entirely. I should expect someone that will spend a short period in exile while their country uses them as a sacrificial lamb on the alter of appeasement to be unfazed by this revelation.

Preston the younger;

As I understand the tale of woe there is absolutely nothing you could have done to help the girl had you desired to and been willing to bring your utmost effort to bear in her case. Congratulations as there is no ambiguity whatsoever, the law is obviously on your side and there is absolutely no possibility your detractors have a rational case to make.

Unfortunately there was sufficient momentum to result in the actions you described and politicians rarely enjoy their impotence being demonstrated in the public arena. Through no fault of your own of course. Are you familiar with Newton's first law of motion? Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

You may wish to consider external forces before this passes beyond your ability to affect.

In any cases there are a number of countries that would be willing to grant citizenship should you believe the siutation warrants drastic actions. Ethiopia certainly.

[Sakurako Hino]

Quote:

Originally posted by Psimon:
Hino;
When *individuals* view you sympathetically they tend to be more helpful however the dynamics of a *group* mentality are another matter entirely. I should expect someone that will spend a short period in exile while their country uses them as a sacrificial lamb on the alter of appeasement to be unfazed by this revelation.

I'm well aware of public opinion, Psimon. As is how differing groups have different opinions. I'm also aware of how when certain groups get angry over other certain groups' decisions, things get sorta hairy.

I'm just speaking in general, but specifically I don't think I have that advantage. I may have fans in Japan, but I don't have ones with capabilities to look past their otaku leanings to actually get up and do something about it. Not one protest, not one say otherwise. Yet they still buy merchandise bearing my likeness, and the latest tabloids. Go fig.

So, I handle the legal paperwork on my end. At my own time. I have something to look foreward to in Chicago anyways. If I get the "restraining order" the country has on me lifted, that's cool. I'm not gonna go drop everything anyways. Japan was starting to bore me anyways. I just don't care. As long as I can do business in the future with them from a nice, comfortable office in Chicago or wherever in the States, I'm happy.

Yeah, I'm bitter. I have every right to be. I almost get killed trying to stop a madman they wouldn't lift a finger to assist me on, accuse me of causing a threat to national security when I was trying to further it, and simply told me to get to stepping.

Some gratitude.

Japan is filled with a legon if fickle, Nova obsessed retards. Tell you what, when some crazy assed Nova decides to unleash some sort of genetically mutated super-monster on the streets of Tokyo, you jerks are on your own. I'm not going to muss my pink hair getting involved. You don't help me, after ALL my requests for aid, then NO HELP FOR YOU. Let Utopia handle your crisis. That is if they're still not pissed at you for allowing Novas to violate S&T right under your nose. Not that I agree with S&T, but I understand the reasons.

And at least PU actually offered legal aid to me over the Japan issue. But I politely declined. After all, I'm that scary genius. PU covorting with me would be a stoning offense!

[Magus]

Perhaps. One might consider that a more prudent approach would have served to mollify the concerns of the prime minister and his cabinet. Likewise the reports of your involvement with 'vicious gaijin' from sterling examples of journalistic integrity like Shukan Shincho did little to calm the situation or plead your case before the public. Despite the harsh criticism from the crown prince, you should take comfort in the fact that the remainder of the Imperial Family withheld comment regarding you and your 'incident'.

Without a doubt, the time you spend in exile will fly by. Provided you give no cause for additional concerns.

[Great Monster C]

Okay, going to ignore the self-serving tangent and focus on Neil's situation.

Neil, now, I don't know how your powers work. Heck, does anyone really know how those weird ones really work? But, you're pretty much doing miracles everytime you put your hands on someone. But you used science to try to address the little girls condition. Maybe it could've worked if you had actually showed up and given it a try. Maybe you've gotten better, stronger, or something since you last got a nova check-up. Maybe you actually could have helped her.

Instead you decided not to possibly help a child in order to definetely help an adult. I'm sorry Neil, but a child, with all of their potential still ahead of them, it's worth putting off knocking some time off of an adults healing. Maybe you didn't know how bad Endeavor was, but really, if she was still alive when you heard the news real medicine could have kept her going for her own nova healing to kick in. You weren't absolutely needed. But the little girl absolutely needed you.

You can't cure everyone, but someone moved heaven and earth to try to get you to help a little girl. Why didn't you "dial up a ride" to check out the girl personally rather than look at a file for a week?

I'm not a doctor, I'm not a scientist, but what I've always gotten from reading your thoughts is that you were less a scientist and more of a man. You were doing things because they were the right things, and I admired the heck out of that. I hope you haven't lost that drive.

[Sakurako Hino]

Okay, when did I say my needs were a priority. I only asked. He helped on HIS free time I assumed. I even told him personally that if there was an important matter to take care of that first.

Obviously there is a lack of facts of what is going on behind the scenes and the events that are the cause of this effect.

And G.M.C, there is no way a person can be EVERYWHERE at any time. He may be a Nova, but even he with his current skills has limits. Unless he WAS a God with omnipotent power, he just can't save everyone.

Of course, you could live in your illusion that Novas can do everything.

[Neil Preston]

Ms. Frost, thank you. I plan to lie on a beach for a few weeks, so hopefully I won't be any danger. If you just wanna hang, drop me a line.

Captain, I'm a big boy and I will get through this. Chicago, huh? I have a college buddy in Chicago. Maybe we can do some clubbing.

Psimon, I get the "I don't live in a vaccum" from my father. I'm not sure what constructive things I can do at this time. Its politics and fears and bigotry going on and the best thing I can think of doing right now is stepping back and letting my activities speak for themselves. Right now, I have been "asked" to not practice medicine and after some meditation on the subject, I'm taking a break.

Suggestions?

Great Monster C, for general healing, I can do one of any combination of three things.

I could up her inherent resistance, which would have only prolonged the girl's pain.

I could have replaced her degenerating tissue with less degenerated tissue, but in some cases that would have actually enhanced her pain.

I tried to come up with a gene therapy that would work. I'm pretty bright, even for a nova, but it wasn't enough this time. Everything I though up killed her. I wasn't powerful enough.

Thanks to the gadget Machina made for me, I stay pretty much constantly updated with what I can do, how I've improved, and it helps me theorize what I can do next.

I couldn't go to her side for two reasons. Mostly, because I felt in my heart that I would fail. Accepting the reality that you will not save everyone is something they try to drill into your head in medical school, but its hard. The other reason was the fact that I was saving lives were I was and there was no one handy to get me to England. I could have called in a favor from any number of people, including Project Utopia, but I didn't.

Now, what you may have against me is that I prefer to help novas. That is harder for me to describe, except that I have a closer bond to novas as members of my own ... I guess the word would be tribe. I'm not perfect.

It is not something that always sets well with me, but it is part of me.

I won't let this dampen my drive to help. Right now, I am angry and hurt ... and I feel guilty. I let that little girl die. I was her last hope and I wasn't enough. I have also brought something about that might hurt novas and has hurt nova-baseline relations. I hate that there are good people getting crap dumped on them because I followed my heart.

I think I am going to take a vacation, though.

[Sakurako Hino]

Neil, I know of an old island you could use. It's deserted, some greenery, and friendly wildlife for the most part. It's old because it's slowly going through the last stages of being an island. It's almost an atoll now, but it has enough land to enjoy keeping dry. Fiji is very close. I can park out in international waters near Fiji's border and pick you up if someone is willing to get you there and someone else has a boat that can take you to where I am. I wouldn't mind the company for a short bit.

[Dr. Zero]

Neil,

I think doing the right thing despite what people want or do not want you to is part of what being a Nova is all about.

If you have the power to brush off red-tape in the interests of a greater good, good.

I am sorry about your situation and I offer any help I can. Mind you, however, that I am wanted in 6 different countries for various absurd law infringements so if your desire is to stay on the lawful side, I am not the best consultant.

Endeavor, your island sounds great. I can take him there if I can get a fruity drink when I drop by next. Ill bring the limes.

[Magus]

Quote:

Originally posted by Neil Preston:
Suggestions?

Several actually but I will focus on the few with the greatest gain for the expenditure.

1. Contact the Project Utopia legal department requesting their assistance in determining whether there are grounds for a complaint of nova discrimination. Use the wording 'as the subject matter experts in law as it relates to novas'. They're not going to represent you but with amazing rapidity you'll have gained a mediator.

2. Obtain the services of, and listen to, a professional publicist. If he or she does not manage to place you in a favorably inclined internationally syndicated interview within 24-hours fire them and stop using friends or friend of friends.

You have only the illusion of a private life, Preston. Take a lesson from Project Utopia here and retain the counsel of experts to make your opening remarks to the jury in a case that is going to be tried in the court of public opinion.

3. Some novas find an overwhelming allure in crawling into a hole to hide. The womb calls to us all in one form or another but you need to be made of sterner stuff. Therefore I say do what you need to do where you need to do it but if you've failed to make a friend of N! then now is the time to mend fences.

N! in particular has the near exclusive services of two of the finest documentary makers in the history of the world. In a trial by public opinion this is how you present evidence to the court.

4. John Hopkins?

How quaint.

You have three choices in the medical majors, Preston, none of which are John Hopkins. You are a grown man, a doctor and a nova. There comes a time when you should know how to tie a double windsor, own your own tuxedo and not feel obligated to advertise professional services in the equivalent of a supermarket flyer.

5. Ensure that each and every request for your services that is going to be declined is immediately answered with the requestor being referred to all of the following for additional information;

a) Project Utopia Public Relations ATTN Medical
Project Utopia Legal Department
c) The United Nations Human Rights Commission
d) The chief medical representative of the locale the requestor is writing from. Ensure that the requestor is provided with all salient facts including the fact that authorities (use their names here not titles) have forbidden you to practice medicine.

6. Form you own religion, or use one whose goals of one you feel comfortable with manipulating, and practice faith healing. You'll quickly come to realize it allows you to act exactly as you did before, serves to inspire people and the organization/clergy will be your support network.

7. Recognize that while this predicament is not of your own making it was inevitable. If you'd taken the time to understand the nature of the world you were interacting with you'd have been prepared this eventuality long ago.

[Sakurako Hino]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Zero:
Neil,
I think doing the right thing despite what people want or do not want you to is part of what being a Nova is all about.

If you have the power to brush off red-tape in the interests of a greater good, good.

I am sorry about your situation and I offer any help I can. Mind you, however, that I am wanted in 6 different countries for various absurd law infringements so if your desire is to stay on the lawful side, I am not the best consultant.

Endeavor, your island sounds great. I can take him there if I can get a fruity drink when I drop by next. Ill bring the limes.

Doc, I'll pop you the coordinates when I get a positively secure connection. I will say no more.

[Ramone Gemeos]

Neil, I owe you my ability to move freely, and in return I would grant you the same. If you would like, I can deal with the source of this problem.

I cannot guarentee that the political issues will go away, but without the root illness, the symptoms should lessen in time.

[Tarot]

Quote:

Originally posted by Neil Preston:
How dare any of these fucking selfish bastards tell me how to live my life?

No shit!

You're going to run into these assholes now and then. There ain't nothing to do but make fun of them as you're rising above their silly ass shit. You just got to look at the bright side. As a big a pain in the ass as this shit is you'll be better for having gotten through it. Plus you didn't have to listen to some quantum powered fuckwit show up and write a few dozen paragraphs on the subject of your life and other shit he knows nothing about.

[Slattern]

Now, I was chatting with some friends of mine last night and they were talking about this vulgar miscarriage of justice that poor, poor Neil has been suffering. One of them, well, it thought that perhaps if for every day that Neil was inconvenienced it was to say...inconvenience a baseline or two perhaps these stubborn little beaurocrats might realize the utter ridiculousness of throwing around their weight when it comes to one of the One Race.

Interesting conversation.

[Magus]

I am curious as to how your situation has developed since your congressional inquiry.

[Xeno]

Quote:

Originally posted by Slattern:
...perhaps these stubborn little beaurocrats might realize the utter ridiculousness of throwing around their weight...

This is humor/a joke/not-serious, yes?

Consensus on the evaluation is not possible. Clarification is urgently requested.

[Sir Gaedel Glas]

Quote:

Originally posted by Slattern:
Interesting conversation.

Be sure ta keep yer interesting whatnots off my lands and there'll be not a single problem.

Simple, yah?

[Tarot]

Your lands?

What are you, the slum lord of Europe?

[Sir Gaedel Glas]

A protector o' the realm. And at least three time yer size, child. Don't mind travel either if yer o' a mind to test that.

[Slattern]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sir Gaedel Glas:

Quote:

Originally posted by Slattern:
Interesting conversation.

Be sure ta keep yer interesting whatnots off my lands and there'll be not a single problem.

Simple, yah?

Aren't you sweet?

And how are you doing lately Sir Glas?