What do we do with the blood soaked data?

Posted on 12 Jan 2016 @ 7:47am by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,024 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3 Sickbay
Timeline: MD: 20 Time 0700

[ON]

On the long journey back home to Earth, Tuula tried to keep her mind off the weighty issues bogging her down. Jynn, Jaana, and the recovered data. So she tried to keep herself busy with other things -- reviewing Naois' progress, doing mundane checkups, and working on her paper on tribble reproduction. As she rolled into Allyndra's office one morning, however, she could see that her Chief Medical Officer was hard at work, focused intently on some PADDs and her terminal. As quietly as possible, she rolled up next to Allyndra. "What are you working on?" she asked, leaning over to catch a glimpse of her screen.

Allyndra was fascinated by the data on the screen. This was so much easier then trying to read some ancient Akkadian text that seemed half religious based. Everything was modern, concise and laid out in easy to understand terms. That had been one thing but the information they had extracted from that other Tuula was just as fascinating even though it tended to wander into odd spots. She never really heard Tuula come in until she said something.

"Oh? Sorry, did not hear you," Allyndra looked up. "I have been looking at the data we got from when we were......well over there. Fascinating and I must say the regeneration layout from the Akkadians there sure made it much easier then me trying to wander through a translation of an ancient text. Your counterpart.....brilliant mind if a bit, forgive me, but deranged. She had some very interesting if very unethical experiments she did but there was also a touch of what I would call unnecessary cruelty involved."

"You're looking at the..." Tuula froze for a moment as she stared at the figures on the screen. She had seen them before, while her and Allyndra were being experimented on. "How could you even look at that data!" she shouted angrily, the first time she had ever raised her voice towards Allyndra. "You remember how horrible the other Tuula was!"

Allyndra looked up. "Yes, and yes I have memory of the pain. I can only imagine what my counterpart must have endured for that one had her longer." She tapped a finger. "I have to look, look at me!" Allyndra held out her hand.

"You would never know that I lost three fingers. Never know that there was a bit of damage ever done. Yet, there is Naois who is going to have an artifical hand, Kohl who had a spinal injury as well and still needs assist bands, you still in a chair and how many others damaged and hurt? This was highly unethical but it was done should I just forget it when there is the smallest chance that I could really heal my patients?"

"Yes!" exlaimed Tuula, angrily. "Her data, and the horrible things she had done should be left in that other universe! I don't mind helping you unlock these ancient Akkadian secrets, but what she did... I won't have any part in it!"

"And you would condemn all those to a life of suffering? What happened to your Hippocratic Oath? Remember:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required" Allyndra intoned the second and third lines. "Talk about hard won gains.....these were extremely hard won."

"I won't walk in her path," protested Tuula, gripping the wheels of her chair tightly in anger. "What about 'do no harm'? If we simply take her research for our benefit, we're complicit in all the terrible things she did. And I, for one, won't have any part of that!"

"I will remind you that the exact phrase is that the physician have two special objectives in regard to disease, one should do good or should not harm. We have a duty to those that were harmed to at least do good with the data otherwise their suffering, their sacrifice will be for naught. I would seek to at least honour their sacrifice even if it was ill gotten." Allyndra rustled her wings in agitation.

"Their sacrifice!" Tuula held her hand to her head; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're sounding just like her! They didn't sacrifice themselves, they were tortured and killed in cold blood, by someone who dares to call herself a doctor!"

"I will not argue that the methods were unethical in the extreme what I am arguing is that we should use what was obtained. Those deaths mean naught otherwise." Allyndra stood and then punched the screen. "Fine then so be it. Forget the data, stay in that damned chair. I will not bother further."

Tuula was incensed at the that response. "I'll have you know I'm happy with my body!" she exclaimed, slamming her fist down onto the table. "I'd rather stay in this chair for the rest of my life than be anything like her!"

"You are not being her!" Allyndra seldom raised her voice and she felt bad about doing so now and she knew her comment was out of line. She pushed the PaDD toward Tuula. "Delete it or do what you wish. You are the closest person I suppose who should have the data. Now if you excuse me, I have rounds to get done."

Allyndra said nothing more but swept by and left the office. Her mind going over all the data and the arguments. She thought perhaps she was too close to the problem and might not be seeing things clearly either.

Tuula took the PADD in her hand and threw it against the wall. She slammed her fist on the desk in rage and then held her head in her hands. It was all too much for her. The data, her mirror counterpart, Jaana, Jynn...

Finally, she broke down in the office, sobbing.

TBC:

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LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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