01. The microscopic section of this gland or organ is extremely beautiful.

[bestsir]

[ The morgue and the coroner's office are in the basement of the Riverview Hospital, which would be depressing were it not for the fact that the coroner's office is placed so that it has a window. The basement also features a large storage room that has become a dumping ground for miscellaneous furniture and supplies. At times where Harry's been at loose ends and in need of something to do, he has reorganized that storage room ... and now he's found a new use for it.

The incursion of small pesky critters has a lot to do with it, as does the fact that his office is starting to overflow with items that he's collected around the quarantine in his time there. Soon the storage room starts slowly transforming into a distinctly 19th-century-flavoured laboratory, with tanks and cages for living creatures and jars for preserved specimens—not just of the pests, but also other interesting plants and insects. There's also an eyeball from one of the large predatory pterodactyl creatures, and feathers from the same are kept on his worktable.

It doesn't occur to him that it might be nice to mention this side project to the hospital administrators, but he doesn't exactly get a lot of visitors, so it's going to be a little while before anyone notices.

...well, once these messages go out, someone probably will. ]

To Captain Anali Apple and the Perimeter Guard
Greetings. I am Dr. Harry Goodsir, and I have the privilege to serve as Coroner to the Riverview Quarantine. I write in reference to the small Creatures that have been plaguing the city, and for which I understand you have offered a Bounty. As an Anatomist and Naturalist by training, I am very interested in these particular* Creatures, and would welcome the opportunity to acquire from the Guard any Specimens of these Pests*—living or dead—so that I may make a Study of them. Perhaps such a Study will yield results that are Relevant to the control of their Population and Range. Please advise how we may arrange Delivery.

Your obedient servant,
Dr. Harry Goodsir

Network text post | [Bad username or site: hds @ goodsir]
To my fellow Riverview citizens, greetings. I am Dr. Harry Goodsir, and I have the privilege to serve as Coroner to the Riverview Quarantine. I am also a Naturalist by training, and I have begun to collect Specimens of the local Flora and Fauna with the Intention of developing a systematic Catalogue of the life we encounter here in the Quarantine and without the walls. I should like to humbly request the Assistance of my fellow men and women in this Endeavour. I seek information about* Specimens for study, as well as any visual or written Reports of curious sightings that I may investigate further. You may write to me via the Network, or you may seek me in person in my Office at the Riverview Hospital.

Your obedient servant,
Dr. Harry Goodsir

[ Feel free to pop into his office with something awful in a cage or a jar. He'll (probably) be delighted. Post title is from the writings of the historical Harry D. S. Goodsir. ]

[ * These parts added after Nat sets him straight. ]

Comments

[11calls]

Have you talked to anyone from other planets or whatever? I wonder how it would work on someone like Dorian the robot. If he has emotions like that. I don't know him well enough to ask.

[Well, she's certainly going to need to now.]

[wit_and_sword]

There are two divisions of the Perimeter guard; Surveyors as well Wall Research and Developement. Have you tried speaking with anyone in those groups? They would likely have more in way of answers.

[bestsir]

I have spoken briefly to a surveyor, but not the research division. I shall seek them out—unless there is an introduction you know to make yourself?

[bestsir]

I have not—that would be very interesting to know.

I do not think I know Dorian yet.

text

[bestsir]

That is the least one can do, I suppose.

If I may—what is your Background? What is it that you do here, and before you came to the Quarantine?

[11calls]

Yeah, a lot of the people from different places than us are pretty amazing! At least the ones that I've met personally anyway. I can't speak for the rest. But if you ever need to figure out if someone is one or not, just tell them you're from Earth and see if they make a confused face. Everyone who isn't does. Especially when they hear we're mostly water anyway.

There's two Dorians. There's Dorian who's the android and Dorian who's the mage. Dorian the mage is my friend and you sort of can't miss him. Good voice, moustache and a bit of snobbery.

[citharede]

Omg. Phoebe! Can I call her Pheebs? Too late, I'm calling her Pheebs. Does she really only eat Eyeballs? How Do You Know She's A Girl?

@c.beckett

[panacean]

I'd be happy to give you what notes I have. Working with the PG, I see more injuries than the things that caused them any more, but that's useful data in its own way.

And I'd like to do some genetic studies of the creatures here, myself.

[bestsir]

[ He can't help but smile at her reply. ]

Her species clearly prefers eyeballs, but other Offal seems to satisfy her as well. As to her sex, my initial research and observations suggest that those lizards of her general Colouring and Size are the egg-layers, and thus Female. I could, of course, be wrong in my Assumptions, but that is a place to start.

[ Read: he has dissected a couple of dead lizards that came his way and learned a decent amount about their anatomy—but since she seemed sensitive about that sort of thing, he is discreetly talking around it. ]

text

[unmakeme]

[ If this were a phone call, this would be the point she chuckled. Only slightly mockingly. ]

I would have thought it would be easy to guess. YOU are the one who contacted ME. I'm with the Perimeter Guard. Before I came here I did something similar.

video;

[livingsymbol]

Hm, all right. I can help with that.

[Fetch a couple lizards for study seems like a harmless good deed Steve can manage. And a nice way to get his exercise.]

[wit_and_sword]

You mean, ask questions for you? By way of introduction?

[citharede]

[ What a good bean. ]

I hope she lays an egg. I wonder if Jeff will let me keep one as a pet. I could hand-raise it to not go after people's faces--though I guess the whole egg laying thing depends on the whole lizard sex thing happening first. Do you have a guy lizard?

Ew, never mind, I don't want to think about it.

[bestsir]

I would welcome your notes, of course. It is my hope that learning more about the native wildlife will also help in treating Injuries, or avoiding them altogether.

Do you have a Laboratory for your studies?

text

[bestsir]

I see. I suppose that was a rather obvious sort of Question.

I thank you for your Patience. There is much that I have to learn, about this place and the men and women within it.

video;

[bestsir]

Thank you very much—you can bring them to my office. I shall have a habitat prepared for them.

[bestsir]

If you would be kind enough to effect an introduction, I would be most grateful.

[bestsir]

In truth, it is my hope to establish a breeding pair for Observation. Sparing you the details, in the Happy Event that infant lizards are produced, I shall be certain to let you know.

[ Definitely teasing her a bit. He might be slightly reminded of his sister Jane. ]

video; un: j.calhoun

[bardish]

Oh, hey! Hello!

[ IT'S JEFF. WE WERE KIDNAPPED TOGETHER. REMEMBER??

Okay, he's nice enough not to put it like that. Also he's not in the mood to text, so you get a video response. ]

I've got zero specimens to report to you, but what've you got so far?

[ This isn't really his purview; he's just curious. ]

[bestsir]

[ Jeff gets a broad smile in greeting. ]

Jeff! A pleasure to see you again.

[ The unspoken "under better circumstances" is too obvious to be stated, really. ]

I am developing a small menagerie, it seems.

[ There's a high pitched trilling noise in the background, and Jeff might see a tank over Harry's shoulder that contains Phoebe, the lizard that Athena helped him catch. ]

In addition to Phoebe here, I have a pair of moths, and a number of miscellaneous samples.

[wit_and_sword]

People here are usually not so formal, but I will talk about it with those assigned, so they know what to look for before hand.

[citharede]

Okay. Holding you too that.

Her mate better be named something like Phineas ftr.

[bestsir]

[ He spends way too long trying to figure out what “ftr” means before giving up. ]

I have a name in mind, but I think I shall wait until it is needed before revealing it.

[bestsir]

Thank you very much—that is very kind.

video;

[livingsymbol]

All right. I'll bring them in.

[By hand, no less, carrying them like herders carry lambs in for sheering. Maybe not what Harry had in mind, but Steve is trying to be helpful.]