>>5377569"Is she doing better?"
"Unquestionably," smiles Leng. "Her vitals are surprisingly robust - the ones we can measure, at least. Many of her core metabolic functions have been substituted by the...undifferentiated mass...that now comprises most of her body. And the pace of the change appears to be stabilizing"
She retrieves a sheaf of notes from a nearby workstation, listing out additional findings. "blood oxygen concentration far above human...extensive de-differentiation of existing tissues...synthesis of proteins bearing anomalous..."
"That doesn't really answer my question, Leng, at least not fully. Is she able to talk? Can she communicate"
Leng looks slightly uncomfortable. "We're not certain. I was told - in very certain terms - by the acquisitions branch that we should avoid bringing her to consciousness unless absolutely necessary. " She gestures towards the thick ring of metal clamped around her neck. "The pacification collar is probably there for a reason..."
"True, but we'll need to communicate with her eventually. And if we can't, I would prefer to know as soon as possible. And on that note, why are you looking after her? I was expecting to meet Dr...Eagen?"
This time, she looks slightly offended. "Eagen was preoccupied with another case, and I have the requisite medical training. He signed me over yesterday. Besides...we've been getting exciting data from her condition. Can you see those reddish spores coming she's exhaling?"
"Yes."
Her voice is cheerful again. "Wonderfully virulent. One of my assistants ran a test a few days ago. Eighty percent mortality rate for single particle inoculations. Unlike the change afflicting her body, they don't have the decency to stop replicating in foreign hosts....they just go faster and faster" She pauses, searching your face for a reaction. "But fortunately for us, they're too big and aggregation-prone to lodge deep into the lungs from biological dispersion. A fixable problem, of course. I have a team working on it now."
Seeing your blank expression, she sighs. "But still, I do have the necessary expertise - and documentation - to wake her provided that you sign off....'
>Sign-off>Avoid for now. 