"Halanan, Bajoran and Other Races"
[Previous post: 'Finding Niema', written by the creative Tallulah Habib]
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Stardate: 60313.1705
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Lea just couldn't believe it. It was just like in any number of
unimaginative holonovels. The role that the Assistant CMO had been given to
play was a joke, and a bad one at that. Lea was to take on the
identity of a woman named Brendil Nanuska, but that was not the joke. The
PADD described this person as being the wife of a deceased Halanan
diplomat who had Brendil as his sole beneficiary. The joke was that according
to Halanan custom this inheritance was to be spent within a month.
Even more funny was that all of the money had to be spent on enjoyable
activities, not items. This meant that Lea, or Brendil, would have to
play and *lose* all of the credits she had been given.
"I'm going to have to talk to Susan," Lea said tossing the PADD onto
the nearest biobed. "How am I supposed to play the grieving widow while
throwing away a fortune?"
"Easy," Susan said walking into Sickbay at that precise moment. "Just
constantly remind yourself that it is not your money."
Lea grumbled. "Yeah, but I'm suppose to be grieving, not laughing my
head off because I *want* to lose all of this money while having fun."
"I see your point," Ens. Mei said grinning. "What race have you been
asked to portray?"
"I am supposed to be the wife of a Halanan diplomat. You?"
"I have to take on the role of the daughter of a Bajoran collaborator
who is the heiress to his fortune," Susan replied.
"At least you are not being asked to lose all of that money on
purpose," Lea said crossing her arms over her chest. "I have to lose 250,000
credits while having fun and grieving for a dead husband. If that was
not enough I have to do all of that while I try to gather Intel on those
around me. Any more complicated and I will have to sedate myself
before I have a nervous breakdown or a brain aneurism."
"Halanan physiology will make the disguise easy and their mannerisms
are very similar to that of Humans. I not only have to look Bajoran but
also have to learn to be Bajoran," Susan said while approaching the
Assistant CMO.
"I think you will look cute with a wrinkled nose," Lea giggled while
touching her right ear thinking of the cosmetic surgery that would have
to be performed on her.
"Actually, that was why I came to see you. Do you think you could
perform my cosmetic alterations now?"
"Now? We are not scheduled to head for the TANGIERS ORBITAL for a
week. Why the rush?" Lea asked, surprised that anyone would want to be
someone else for any longer than they would have to.
"Step three: Believe in the part," Susan said sitting on one of the
beds. "I have a week to *become* Niema Sol, and I want to start with not
being surprised when I look in a mirror."
"Makes sense," Lea said thinking that she might have to work on the
rest of the senior staff faster than she had expected. "So if you would
care to make yourself comfortable on the bed Miss Niema, I will see what
I can do." The Assistant CMO called up the appropriate file on the
nearby monitor and began to make a list of the work that would have to be
done. The shape of Susan's face lent itself well to the
transformation, which had probably been why the Cns had been chosen for that
particular role. This meant that all should be done and over with within the
next hour or so.
"Is this going to hurt? I have never been a Bajoran before? Actually
I have never been anything else than myself."
"Don't worry," Lea reassured, "I'll just insert a secondary cartilage
on the bridge of your nose to create the ridges. Add in some minor
external padding to your cheeks to give you a more Bajoran look. Darken
your skin pigmentation as well as your hair colour and pluck your eye
brows to be more in line with that of Bajorans."
"Great, just what I wanted. To have my eye brows *plucked*," Susan
chuckled dryly.
"Hey think of the myriad of possibilities you could have been stuck
with instead. Klingon forehead, Ferengi ears, Selay neck and head. I
think Bajoran is a nice and simple change, one that you might actually
enjoy after a while."
"We'll see *Doctor*," Susan said closing her eyes and reviewing the
file in her mind while Lea began working on her.
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Ensign Lea Summers 2005 post #121
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
