Misery Bubblegum: Hospital Station Trinity
Tony had tweaked the rules somewhat since I had last played, which resulted in a little confusion, as I kept expecting the rules I remembered. Also, a six player game is a little more unwieldy than a four player game. Mind, Tony says that one can go over six players. If there are seven people, go over the deck twice, shuffling the discard pile.
The feel of the game was sort of General Hospital in space, but with a dose of low, dark comedy. We agreed that the Hospital Space Station Trinity was a neutral facility, but there was some clash between two space empires, and various other things going on that might impact Trinity.
GM: Tony Lower-Basch Michael Miller: Adrian Cooper, Spy / Hospital Administrator. Cards: Vain Royalty Shawn Darendt (sp?): Nurse Betty, robot nurse trying to be more human. Cards: Obedient Champion Me: Dr. Zusanna Klof'inda. Cards: Brooding Bookworm Bob Manning: Jimmy, the lab tech. Cards: Naive Geek ???: Adriana Morris, fake empath. Cards: Feisty Punk Stephanie Ward: Candace "Candy" LeMoyne. Medical equipment space rep. Company: GenEdict. Also, Adrian's sister. Cards: Perky Hustler
The concept for Adriana was suggested by Tony: What if Deanna Troi lied about being an empath and padded her resume? You know, that would explain a lot.
My character was based very loosely -- very, very loosely -- on Asimov's Susan Calvin. I noted that she had to be more emotional than Dr. Calvin usually appears.
Tony: This game has no support for non-emoting PCs. An Incomprehensible Transcendent Aliens are okay so long as it is an Incomprehensible Transcendent Alien who worries about what Cindy-at-the-front-desk thinks about it!
Dr. Zusanna, I decided, had a burning passion for Jimmy. It didn't come up in this session, but I could see confusion with Jimmy and Dr. Jim in later sessions.
The warring factions in the war were:
Harns -- Red -- Reptillian Cargots -- Blue -- BumpNoses. You know, like all the alien Star Trek races have bump noses.
Nurse Betty: I'm sorry. I'm only programmed to see in the Infrared.
Stephanie: People disagree on medical treatment.
Tony: People _don't_ war _over_ Hospital Trinity. They war because they're assholes.
He decided to create an NPC named Dr. Jim. Dr. Jim Tiberius. Yep, we knew where that was going.
Nurse Betty: I can talk to you about female things
Whichever female PC she's talking to: Oh -- there's treatments for that,
Shawn: House would be better as an android.
Someone: You mean he isn't?
One of the plots, we decided, was that the Ambassador of the Kotari Sector, who was trying to mediate the war, had become infected with Babbling Ooze, which made patients babble everything, all their secrets. Adrianna and Zusanna were on the shuttle taking him to Hospital Station Trinity, and, naturally, they disagreed on the proper treatment.
Shawn, feeling out the system: I have a dream! I want to be more human.
Tony: That's nice -- I don't care. Mechanically, I don't care.
He explained that a character's dream needed to be concrete and specific, not abstract, and to address the questions:
Who do you want something from? What do you want? What is your plan to get it? What could you lose trying to get it? What stands in your way?
Shawn let the general idea of Nurse Betty wanting to become more human simmer in his mind, while Stephanie came up with a Dream for Candy.
Candy's Dream: I want Dr. Cooper to think I can provide for all the hospital's needs. Plan: Heavy discounts! What she could lose: He's my brother! (I am not sure what this boiled down to in concrete terms. I'm sure we all understood what she meant, but my notes are not clear.) What stands in the way: Nurse Betty. A prototype we've created, and if something goes wrong with her --
Shawn: Which it always does. I'm your nemesis. Your obedient, loyal nemesis.
Tony: This nemesis is carrying four bassinets with screaming, squalling babies. She is heading for the Nanomagnetic Imaging Chamber, which is usually used for autopsies.
Betty: We're going to analyze them. They keep crying. So, I took it upon myself to deal with this and end this pain.
Adrian: That could have exposed the hospital to a great deal of liability.
Tony: One of the babies beeps.
Betty: I don't think they are all human as it says in the feeding schedule.
Meanwhile, Susan and Zusanna instructed Jimmy to prepare an isolation chamber for the Kotari ambassador while they worked on curing him.
Jimmy: No biological samples?
Adrianna: Here you are.
Jimmy: Ack! What kind of samples are these?
Adrianna: You're the technician.
Zusanna: Inner ear fluids. All six of them.
Zusanna instructed Nurse Betty to see Dr. Jim about updating her aural capacity. Tony and Shawn stared at me, and we had some fun with the obvious misunderstanding.
Me: Audio --
Shawn: She said oral.
Me: A-U-R-A-L
Tony and Shawn: You did NOT spell that out!
Me: No, I did not!
And, someone, likely Tony, decided that the samples were contagious. He was using cards for the phases of the story, and my notes say we had moved from Introductions to Establish Conflicts.
Jimmy decided to bombard the nanotech of the Babbling Ooze into a dormant state, then analyze them.
Tony played card #49: Tough.
Tony: It's airborne, as if it were Designed to Spread!
And spread it did.
Tony: Jimmy, you're pretty sure you aren't infected. It is airborne in the lab. You _should_ hit the big red button. That says, "I've screwed up, and quarantine". The guy you replaced? He hit the big red button. That's why you replaced him.
Jimmy: So, it'd be more fun to fix it myself?
Of course it would! Meanwhile, Nurse Betty was summoned.
Betty: Quickly I come to you, sir.
We decided that the logical misunderstanding was that she was to upgrade her oral capacity so that she could eat the nanites!
Meanwhile, Adrianna told Dr. Jim about her discussion with Zusanna, and he misunderstood.
Dr. Jim: I'm an open minded guy. I wouldn't have thought that of Dr. Zusanna, but I definitely want to hear about it!
Adrianna: Ugh! No! We had an argument.
Me: Oh, a lover's quarrel!
Shawn decided that Nurse Betty Has A Dream!
Dream: With the new upgrade, I want to be as human as human. I want Dr. Jim to love me.
Plan: Be there to help him in every way possible, and he will obviously see I am the woman for him.
Tony: What do you have to lose? In other words, why you are not going to throw yourself at him like a total slut?
Nurse Betty: He'll lose all respect for me!
Who is standing in your way? The counselor, Adrianna. You can see! They spend all their time together!
Meanwhile, Adrian had some words with his sister.
Adrian: Look, I gave this contract as a favor to you!
Candy: Yeah, you put Mom in a third rate nursing home.
I think this meant that the player either gave Michael the Will You Face Your Past? card, or that Michael used this as a way to charge it, by not facing his past.
Adrian was not loving the plan for surgery on the Kotari ambassador.
Adrian: So -- you want to cut into him. You want to do an invasive procedure on the ambassador on this station!
Someone mentioned the idea of A Hyperspace Conference, but I don't know where that went. We entered the Confrontation phase, I think.
Jimmy looked at what he had accomplished by trying to fix the nanite problem on his own.
There were X nanites loose.
He got X nanites back.
Jimmy: Problem solved.
Tony: After all, they couldn't have bred! So, what do you _do_ with them?
I am thinking that the answer may have been to have Nurse Betty eat them.
Meanwhile, Adrianna was called in as a consultant for a betentacled little girl who was suffering some kind of trauma and wasn't talking. We agreed that Adrianna should be talking not with Dr. Zusanna, but with Dr. Jim.
Dr. Jim: What's she _feeling_?
Tony: Dr Jim is a really fucking good doctor, when he's not on the make.
And we agreed that the little girl had her very own Teddy Slug! (This may have been prompted by my hugging my Cthulhu plushie.)
Dr. Jim: Don't worry, Adrianna. I have faith in you. I know you would never let a patient down!
I think I got the "Gift": Will You Risk Everything?
Nurse Betty went to see Dr. Jim.
Nurse Betty: I am fully upgraded orally! It was Dr. Zusanna's order! I've never been in your office!
Dr. Jim: Well, it's time we changed that. You're becoming more capable every day.
Betty: Yes. I can contain dangerous poisons.
Like, oh, the Babbling Ooze.
Betty: And I'm sure it only affects organic weapons.
Adrian: Babbling ooze. It's supposed to be extinct after the destruction of the Orion Galaxy. That's why they destroyed the Orion Galaxy.
Betty: Well, it looks like they weren't as effective as I would be!
Yet, Betty was clearly infected by the Babbling Ooze! What to do?
Dr. Jim: Jettison Betty into space -- I'm reluctant to do that.
Me: Yes, he's putting your safety ahead of the safety of the station!
Betty: I glow.
Dr. Jim: But... it's probably the right thing to do.
Betty: I stop glowing.
At this point, someone noted that Dr. Jim = Wilson + Jim Kirk.
Nurse Betty: And if that's necessary to save the hospital, I will! And Jimmy, I'm sure nothing bad will come of this to you.
Dr. Jim: Don't worry, Betty! We'll save you! I'll operate myself!
Betty: I'd like to feel your hands inside me, Dr. Jim.
We decided that Dr. Zusanna would assist, then that she, not Dr. Jim, would do the operation. But, Dr. Jim promised to be by Betty's side!
Candy's recommendation for treating Betty: Ultraviolet irradiating the core processing unit.
Adrian: Won't that wipe out all her memories?
Candy: Unfortunately, yes. You have been doing regularly scheduled backups?
Adrian: I'll have to check on that.
Candy: Do you ever read the manuals I give you?
Adrian: Look, I have 434 people to take care of on this station! I don't have time to read your 400 page manual!
Candy: Dr. Cooper -- I realize you have other priorities, and I've never held that against you.
Dr. Zusanna (to Betty): Have you downloaded the patient's bill of rights?
This was a new idea for the robot nurse.
Betty: I have rights!
But, first, Zusanna tried to convince Adrianna to try infecting the girl with Babbling Ooze. I mean, clearly, those problems were meant for each other. I don't know why Tony and the others thought it was insane! Well, okay, probably because it was insane.
Zusanna: Are you up for an experimental cure? Do you want to save this child's mind?
Adrianna: Yes.
That is, I used a card that meant that Adrianna had to answer "Yer" or "No", or had to flee the scene. She could not give a nuanced answer or treat the two questions as if they were separate, even though they are.
But, just because she said "Yes", that did not mean she was going to do anything. And, she had no intention of committing the medical insanity Zusanna was contemplating.
Zusanna: Verbalization is a very useful tool!
Adriann: I think it's overrated!
Zusanna: So, you have found a cure, then?
Adrianna: Yes! I have!
The girl's squidy parents were beside themselves with gratitude when they heard the good news.
Tony: The mother has tears running down her face. She's inking!
Dr. Jim: You do more for patients than I will _ever_ be able to do.
Adrianna: I doubt that.
Dr. Jim: I know I've been forward with you.
Adrianna: I don't know what you're talking about.
Dr. Jim: It's no use. I know I can't hide my feelings from you!
Betty (on audio everywhere): Dr. Jim, you promised to be by my side, and I know a doctor such as yourself will keep your word.
Dr. Jim: Damn it, Betty! Give me a moment!
Adrianna turned him down, and he recognized her dedication to caring for her patients. He went to Betty, who asked if he'd meant all the things he said to Adrianna.
Dr. Jim: I meant every word, Betty. I hope some day you will know such feelings.
Betty: I hope I never know them.
Dr. Zusanna: I agree. Emotions are a distraction.
Tony gave me a card for the Brooding part of my character, dubbing it: Emotions are for Saps.
Someone (about Betty): Upgrade 2.0: She really won't murder you in your sleep this time.
Meanwhile, Jimmy went to talk to Candy about the Babbling Ooze.
Candy: In accord with the specs I sent you?
Jimmy: Of course! Didn't everyone read those?
Candy: Everyone _should_!
And the player gave Michael a card for Adrian, though I forget the details. Normally, one's PC should be near the character whose player gets the card, but Tony's willing to take writing in a diary about or blogging about as equivalent.
Tony: You're looking at a picture of him. That's why you can do that look.
Jimmy was convinced that Candy's company had a hand in the Babbling Ooze that infected the ambassador,
Candy: We didn't have any genetic weapons --
Jimmy: Your logo was on it.
Candy: Well, you know, pharmaceutical companies have similar logos.
Someone: How does a plague have a trademark?
Someone else: It's a nanoplague.
Jimmy: Hey, the equipment's the one thing I _do_ understand.
This teetered a bit, as Jimmy was winning the argument based on the cards, but Candy's player kept maneuvering to have Candy gain the upper hand. Neither player was entirely sure how to end the scene.
Betty: There is something wrong with men. They stray.
Meanwhile, Adrianna tried to help the little girl.
Adrianna: There's nothing wrong with her that expensive counseling won't fix.
Shawn: Years and years of expensive counseling!
Adrianna: I have a backup plan.
Tony: You wanted a scene because you had a solution.
Adrianna: Not yet --
Me: It's all theoretical.
Adrianna stared at the girl. She reviewed the girl's file.
Tony: She's Mother Freakin' Tentacleress! There are testemonials for the eight year old sentient!
Meanwhile Adrian, currently referred to as Cooper, so as not to get him confused with Adrianna, called Adrianna in to talk to her.
Cooper: Our computer security is paramount!
Adrianna: Absolutely!
Cooper: I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with you.
Adriana: Absolutely!
Tony: So, we want you to run a witch hunt.
Cooper (after saying basically that -- find out who's messing with our computer security): ...and no matter what they say, you'll know!
Adriana: Absolutely! Well, it's a little more complicated than that, but absolutely!
Then, Cooper brought up the matter of the little girl and her parents, by now, I think, dubbed the Squiggleplex family. He was concerned, iirc, about two things: law suits and losing potentially lucrative patients. Adriana assured him that the girl would continue to be a cash cow -- er, no, I mean, the empathic counselor assured the caring administrator that there was a solid long term care plan for the Squiggleplex girl. After all, she would clearly need --
Adriana: Counseling.
Cooper (delighted): Extensive counseling!
Adriana: And the parents!
Meanwhile, in the operating theater, Dr. Zusanna worked on Nurse Betty, while various screens filled up with excerpts from the tech manuals and the warranty.
Betty: Oh, that bothers me not at all. GenEdict spent a lot of time making me perfect.
Jimmy: About those backups...
Cooper: 6 of the 10 screens open are legalese.
Jimmy: Yeah, I find it reads a lot faster if you skip those.
Cooper: Yeah, and I just got off the phone with a sales rep from BioZone. He says their new model doesn't come with a manual. It Just Works.
Tony: Oh no! He's going with a Mac!
Candy: That fleet that had to be destroyed? That was BioZone.
Cooper: That was never proven.
Tony said that there was a Conflict: Apportioning Blame. If it doesn't go anywhere, Cooper as the administrator is stuck with it.
After all, Nurse Betty had almost accidentally killed a lot of babies, and now, they were doing a very complex operation on her.
Cooper: Do we get a replacement for Betty or do I call Biozone?
This was another question to be answered Yes or No -- or Candi had to flee the scene. The problem was that there was no good answer, and Tony and Michael agreed that they really didn't want Candi in a no-win situation, or Shawn's character to be unviable.
Nurse Betty: I could upgrade.
Candi: Yes -- We will give you the 3.0. But keep the 2.0 on staff for comparison purposes.
After her operation, Nurse Betty talked to Adriana. I don't recall what was said, but it made Nurse Betty feel better.
Betty: You are a true Gal Pal.
Adrianna: I don't think I've ever been called that before.
Probably, they were talking about Dr. Jim. If so, perhaps Adriana was explaining to Betty that she was not about to make a play for him. Certainly, the good doctor was a conversational topic elsewhere in the hospital.
Candy: You know, Adrian? I'm tired of Dr. Jim hitting on every female in the hospital.
Cooper: You mean, except you?
Quote whose context I forget:
There are rules about that?
Maybe not for you.
And, as we reached a wrap point, I used the card I had been given earlier, Will You Risk Everything? Dr. Zusanna snuck into the Squiggleplex girl's room and used the Babbling Ooze on her. This dramatic cure was attributed to Adrianna, and we agreed that the counselor might well think that she had done it.
Quote whose context I forget:
Nurse Betty: You have good hands, Jimmy.
Tony: Whoa, you can make everything unsavory, can't you?
Shawn: I try.
And, the episode ended with Adrian Cooper in the Kotari ambassador's private room, taking careful notes as the ambassador babbled helplessly, no doubt to pass them on to whomever he was spying for.
