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E.T. Returning Home

[Private to Visscher]

This is somewhat irregular, but I would like you to come with me to my universe. There is a medical problem that you might be able to help us with.

[Private to Wynter]

I am taking the opportunity Jeffers is providing to return to Gallifrey for a short time. I assume you will be doing the same?

[Open Spam]

Narvin packs up his materials in the lab, putting them safely away. Yes, Jeffers said they would only be gone for three days by Quadratus relative time, but that’s no reason not to be tidy. Besides, he has a few projects that he doesn’t really want anyone accidentally stumbling across.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Certainly. What manner of medical problem?

An unknown alien virus had infected some of my people. We put them in stasis and quarantined them on a space station orbiting Gallifrey, but we don't know what the virus is or how to combat it. The recent wars have left us with a critical shortage of medical personnel, so your assistance in the matter would be greatly appreciated. Not to mention that, to be quite frank, you probably have more experience with alien contagions than most Time Lord physicians would.

I do have quite a bit of experience. [He admits grimly. Of varying sorts, too, thankfully. His clients came in a wide variety, and by necessity alone he's had to come to understand not just complex neural tissue, but psychic connections. He thinks he could help.]

As there are two Gallifreyans here I had been reading up on Gallifreyan anatomy [as well as for Narvin's request] but am I correct that your awareness of time makes you slightly different?

Indeed. In a universe such as this, where there is no time travel, the Gallifreyans developed slightly differently than did the Time Lords in my universe. For example, there was no need for Rassilon in this universe to create a Rassilon imprimatur in our genetic code if there were no TARDISes. And some of their time senses must have evolved differently, or not at all.

I can provide you with the necessary information. Based on the reports I read, the disease appeared to be attacking their minds. They were violent, irrational.

I will do what I can.

Will they still respect a medical authority with my problem? [He means his face.] Or at least accept it with pressure and necessity.

Your problem? You mean, being human? [That's the first thing Narvin thinks of as a possible problem. He sometimes doesn't know how humans deal with their humanness.] They might not like a human gaining access to our medical details, but they'll obey my orders. Probably.

I meant the paralysis, thank you. But at least having a larger issue to deal with keeps things in scope.

[He is usually very polite, and he regrets being a little curt even now.]

[Narvin barely notices the curtness, inured after years in Gallifreyan politics where curt and snappish describes half the conversations.]

Oh, the paralysis! No, I don't imagine it will be a problem. The matter your humanness will most certainly overwhelm any other concerns.

Then hopefully the extent of my experience will reassure them. It's not the first time I've been judged on my humanity. We are, by and large, judged as a violent and eerily adaptive race.

I am sorry for being a little short, by the way. I try to accept it, but my condition is still a tender subject for me.

Understood. Leela was much the same on the topic of her blindness. She would be sharply offended if anyone dared suggest she was less of a warrior for it.

And I thought humans are violent and eerily adaptive, as a species at least, even if some individuals are less so.

Adaptive will come in useful here, at least. I will do what I can and, thanks to the research I was doing to help you previously, hopefully I have a head start.

Occasionally the violence comes in handy as well. Although in this circumstance, I think adaptive will be the far more beneficial trait.

How soon can you be ready to go?

Violence isn't in my nature, Narvin. At all. So I hope we don't come across circumstances where it's required. But I'll do my best at diplomacy if need be.

I can be ready at any time.

The station we'll be going to is run by my agency. I doubt any violence will be needed. Everything should be orderly and safe. Unless the patients have gotten out of stasis, of course, but that's not very likely.

Speaking of which, what exactly is the nature of this disease?

We think it's spread through some sort of telepathic means. At first we were afraid that it was a resurgence of the Pandora virus that had caused us problems a few years back, but the symptoms are very different and after a bit of investigation we concluded that our patient zero must have brought it back from off world. The most notable symptom is irrational violence and an urge to kill. That's part of the reason we put them in stasis; it's safer for everyone that way.

It's good luck then that I have been focussing on psychic abilities and telepathy in my research.

[With good reason.]

How psychically sensitive are your people?

[Because some have been known to hear her, on some level.]

It varies considerably depending on the individual and how much training they have put into developing their psychic abilities--and even the particular incarnation.

We're all trained to shield our minds, to avoid listening in on others and blocking others from listening in on us. Telepathy between Gallifreyans is generally easier than telepathy with an alien. I'd say the majority can establish a psychic connection with a fellow Gallifreyan with merely the use of a triggering word. "Contact" is what we're trained with. But creating a link with an alien, or creating a link against resistance, usually requires physical touch. There are some Time Lords, however, who are particularly adept and can hypnotize from across a room if needs be.

How receptive to other species with psychic abilities are you?

It's much easier to establish a psychic channel with a member of another psychic species. We generally go to great effort to maintain mental walls to keep them out, however. Most of our basic telepathic training involves learning how to defend our minds, isolate them from the outside world so that we don't project our thoughts on others and so that other telepaths can't easily invade our thoughts.

There's a legend that a very long time ago, long before Time Lord civilization, there was an era where Gallifreyans communicated primarily through telepathy and that at times it almost bore a resemblance to a group consciousness. But these days we keep our minds to ourselves, and vigorously protect our mental space.

I see! Well, that should help hinder any unnecessary mental interference. [And it might hide his own issue, should she decide she wants to speak up. Usually she remains quiet, but sometimes she seeks out company, unfortunately for him. Soft whispers that sensitives can hear in the distance, unintelligible alien song. She can't communicate properly with any other species through those senses, but that doesn't mean she won't try.]

The station's crew have been instructed to be especially careful about their telepathy, since the virus may be transmitted by that method. Everyone is to practice good mental hygiene and not stick their minds anywhere remotely unfamiliar.

I will keep that in mind.

[And keep her away from it.]

Though I have no doubt the information you give me will be comprehensive.

I'll send you a proper report in a few hours. It will be as comprehensive as I can make it but my information is not recent. The last time a travel agent brought me mail from home was two weeks ago, so there may have been developments I don't yet know about.

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