It has been a long time since I've made a recording not intended for some official party. I've been spending a lot of time pondering the works of Maria Vega, in particular her genius in the extrapolation of Borg technology to create an army that would fight by her side. Inevitably, it was missed that in order to control them, she needed an interface, just as the Borg have one. We recently discovered first-hand that that interface was Maria herself, transformed into a functional 'Queen' for her Collective. Had it not been for Craig ... I don't know what would have happened. There are many people in the galaxy who owe that man their life and they will likely never know it.
On the topic of McClintock, his condition has noticeably improved since we returned to the station. His anxiety appears to be fading, and his bloodlust for Maria is finally over. Physically, his technology has adapted to his biological systems exactly as a drone's would. The only difference is the technology created by Denara Clarke and inserted during an operation aboard the Orion, as well as being enhanced after the fact. He has shown remarkable courage, strength, and will during this time. Being turned into an interface for the nanovirus ... I can't fathom the strain he's been through. I can only thank the powers that be that he has not turned on us for if he did, nothing short of an execution could stop him. Of that I am certain. However, I prefer to think of him as an extremely valued ally, someone who truly belongs on this station and who will continue to serve us with excellence.
Sophia has recovered from her injuries after being abducted. At times, she reminds me of another bold and daring Commanding Officer I served under. Both have demonstrated their unwavering loyalty to the people of the Federation and indeed the galaxy at large. With Sophia Mason by our side, I have never felt more capable of weathering any storm, of facing any threat. Things are heating up here in the Accobar system, and I am confident that we will pull through under her strong leadership.
Maria Vega seemed to indicate that there was a much larger factor at play in the galaxy. I must admit that I am terrified of the prospect that the former director of Section 31 was herself terrified of or under the control of another power. If there is another major power at play, I can only imagine that it is a matter of time before we see their continued operations. As the only crew in this system, we constantly find ourselves at the mercy of the destiny that has been set for it. I hold that the system itself, or rather forces in it, forge an unchangeable path that we must follow even to the bitter end. We must be ready for what comes next.
I have heard from Starfleet Command that I am to receive another Assistant Chief Medical Officer. One James Tobin, who comes highly recommended by a Commodore Forrest. According to his record, he has been assigned as a Doctor at Starfleet Academy during his studies. I find this highly unusual as his Academy record suggests that he has a penchant for biomolecular research, and he passed .. no, he aced my Xenobiology final. Notably, he is the only Starfleet officer on record to do so, and in record time as well. I did note that a 'Counselor Pine' has placed several psych warnings on Doctor Tobin's record. I intend to contact Beverly Crusher at Starfleet Medical later today to see if she can shed some light on this situation.
I must go now. MedTeam Alpha and Beta have an extremely difficult trans-cranial microscale neurobypass surgery scheduled today. I should really say it starts today, as the surgery is 36 hours long, and I expect that they will be switching in and out to staff Sickbay. I am supervising the surgery to test the MedTeams' readiness.
Computer, end log.
What an interesting time I have had lately. The surgery performed by the MedTeams' was flawless. Ensigns Jento and Yudora [note: MedTeam Alpha and Beta leads, respectively] never left the medical bay once. After hour 18, I was afraid that they were going to fall asleep on the patient! The members of their team managed to perform the surgery as well as staff Sickbay with such precision and care, I wonder why they bother keeping me around. These teams seem to look up to me, but in truth I admire their capacity to grow and adapt far more. During that time, Alicia broke two ribs during a holodeck fight with three Nausicaans, Sophia came by and apparently observed for 30 minutes before leaving, and Craig came in for a routine examination. Overall a very manageable time.
After the surgery, I turned my attention to the nanovirus. Maria Vega's commandeering of my research has reminded me that I've been slacking in my mandate to always take precautions. Denara Clarke has left me with a wealth of knowledge, and I now must use that knowledge to the best of my abilities. At the moment, I am engineering two strains of nanovirus. The first strain is designed to be a rapid healer, sealing wounds and mending damaged organs as they would a Borg drone, then dissolving into the bloodstream, becoming harmless iron supplements. My patients never seem to have enough iron in their diet. The second strain of nanovirus is much trickier to implement. I'm experimenting with the programmable creation of different internal body nodes. If I am successful, I should be able to create a number of weapons or cures. For instance, with one modification I could set a series of nanites to reinforce the internal nodes Craig McClintock is now comprised of. With a different modification I could engineer a group of nanites that will form nodes to constrict key organs or even, in theory, extract information from an opposing force. Denara originally programmed the nanovirus with the specific intent of destroying the particular enemy of the Halkonians but I'm not sure she was aware of the power she was truly holding.
For my precautions ... I have prepared a number of them. I won't go into detail, but I can only say that I hope they will be sufficient when the time comes to use them. My medical staff is presently aware of a few of my failsafes, and they have specific instructions for a few extreme scenarios. Point of note, the staff appears to be in exceptional spirits considering all that I have put them through lately. This both pleases and concerns me.
Compu- oh wait!
I understand that my new Assistant arrived today. He appears to be getting along well with the crew, although I heard that his luggage was misplaced. Jemma stopped by to see how I was doing with my research. She says that Tobin appears to be nice, if not a bit green. I don't blame him, this environment has been twisting and turning for as long as I can remember and it still catches me off-guard sometimes! I also understand that he has become aware of the betting pool the senior officers have going on about the ACMO ... let's hope I don't have to see Sophia about that one.
Now, where was I .. AH!
I did get in touch with Beverly about those psych warnings. After putting me on hold for two hours, she came back fiercely giggling. It would appear that politics can be just as amusing as it is devastating. Apparently, Counselor Joseph Pine is responsible for the final evaluations of Cadets before they are given assignments post-graduation. James Tobin was being recommended for the position of Junior Medical Officer aboard the prestigious Carol Research Facility, which is a Starbase entirely dedicated to medical research. It's as close to medical heaven as you can get without being a senior staff officer at Starfleet Medical. The problem, apparently, was that Pine had already applied for the position [laughter] and gave Tobin a satisfactory psych review to knock his competition off. Tobin apparently didn't notice, and accepted an offer at Starfleet Academy where he moved up very quickly. [laughter intensifies] A few weeks later, Pine received word that he had been rejected at Carol Facility because ... the Chief Counselor aboard the station deemed him unfit for a major research team. Pine was re-assigned to counsel the Academy, and he's been bitter ever since. That's why he hates Tobin so much. It doesn't matter, because Tobin is here now. I haven't had the chance to meet him yet, but will make a point of doing so tomorrow.
I have heard that President Taylor has resigned from her position. I am disappointed, as she showed great promise in restoring a balanced peace to the Alpha Quadrant. With so much uncertainty, the only certain thing is that there will soon be another heart-racing adventure to go on. You know, if the adventures ever cease, I will be forced to assume that Accobar no longer exists. With everything happening, it seems like a number of things could cause that. Firstly-
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