Joy: to the world

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This is a side-story of 'GNE' in the Xanadu setting. See Xanadu (setting) for details of the universe as a whole. By Dreamer

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Xanadu story universe


Joy – to the world - Edited 22/Jul/10

GNE looked down at the scaled animal, and appeared to conduct a one-sided conversation. “Sorry, you are a pangolin, not an armadillo. I'm not very clear about fine distinctions. Yes, I might be able to help you. But, what sort of help do you want?”.

It was late evening on the day of the Event, and GNE had spotted the small animal hiding, apparently having used its escape artist abilities to evade the Animal Rescue sweeps. Her senses allowed her to see the fading reality distortion around it, which showed it'd once been a human.

“So, your biggest problem is that you are starting to get lost in the animal instincts. Followed by a lack of ability to communicate with most people. And, you are hungry.” GNE had tried various approaches to communicating with those who had no speech, and found that simulating a telepathic ability seemed to work best. Maybe it made sense to the magic washing around here?

GNE scanned the area, and determined she could spot no one about, or likely to be by for a few minutes. She waved her hand over the pangolin, restoring physical reserves and liquid levels, and disposing of waste. That was the easy bit, seeing as permission to meddle meant she'd taken a detailed scan, down to the genetic level and lower.

“I'd like to change you back into a human. But, I've seen several attempts to do that today, and, any attempt to make a change like that seems to make things worse. Much worse.” She paused, and looked a little sad, something she didn't seem to be very good at. “I hope to have a safe and reliable way to fix things for people. But, I'm pretty sure it will take me a while to work it out.”

“What you need is an anchor, to stop you slipping away. And, a means to communicate. I'd create you a customised robot, but, I suspect it'd be either confiscated, 'for study', or broken. The best bet is to use something which goes along with the general style of people's expectations. Hmm.”

A number of flat and holographic displays sprang into existence, placed and tilted so that the pangolin could clearly see them. An outline, then the details, of a female form, surrounded by specifications washed across them. A slightly see-through female figure, in a nurses uniform, with pink hair, filled the central display, slowly rotating.

“I looked through the Dealers Room earlier, and scanned all the material for later analysis. A bit of a copyright violation, I know, but I doubt anyone will complain. I call her 'Nurse Joy Redux'. An empathic companion with spoken telepathic and minor healing abilities. I've tweaked the genetics so she's baseline human but'll be healthy into her 90s. I'm not good enough, yet, to figure out how to make the psionics hereditary, but, she'll at least pass-on psionic and magical potential.”

GNE frowned, cutely, at the displays.

“OK, I've loaded a holographic backup record of your original body into her non-germ line DNA, as a 'just in case'. She'll have a complete copy of your original memory, both prior to the Event and since, that she can only access in accord with your requests, and which she'll keep updated.”

“No, she will not be your slave, she's an independent living creature. I'm pretty sure that if you part company in future she will easily find employment as an empathic healer. Anything else? Ah yes. She has some resistance to physical transformation, and major resistance to mental changes.”

GNE nodded. Considered using some props, like a doll, or a playing card, but decided those might introduce an area of weakness. With a wave of her hand the displays were gone, and Nurse Joy was standing there, blinking, before she knelt down beside the pangolin. “I'll do whatever I can to help you, Brian”, were her first words, as she carefully touched his head scales.

GNE started to turn away, then paused. She waved her hand at Joy. “I've given you an adapted version of the Clothing Curse. You can wear whatever clothes you like. But, when you want to, whatever you are wearing will transform into your current nurses uniform. And back. That should help you prove a Xanadu connection, if that's useful.”

As she walked away GNE considered. 'Nurse Joy Redux' was quite an elegant solution, and she'd left in a few 'hooks' she could use for a later upgrade. People would get suspicious if too many appeared, so, maybe she'd better design some sort of parthenogenic reproductive system, for cover, in parallel with their human.one? A conversion option so a group of them could nurse-ify a willing other? Maybe.

While she needed a few more ideas, a babel fish might work for some other sufferers. As long as she managed to avoid those who needed to work out their own solutions. Maybe a telepathic parrot? Talking cute shoulder pets? So many possibilities...


This side-story only really makes sense if you read GNE, and might be considered to be followed by Fast Food.