4
Tina rubbed her head as the mostly-human-looking doctor, named Duke, scanned her with a wand-type device. So far, all of this looked like she'd fallen into one of Gianna's books. "So, we just walked through a secret dimensional portal, in a cave. Hidden on our world, and we wound up here."
The pink Wonder Woman who called herself Re-lee nodded. "Yes, exactly." She had this smile that was charming and touching, a mix of confidence and kindness.
Tina wondered if she sprayed them with some kind of mental sauce to make them more compliant because, really, she should be freaking out right now. At least, she'd think that she would be.
Instead, she felt more like she was lost in a weird dream, and the only way to get out of it was to go through it.
Maybe that was the tech.
Duke finished with his scanning. "You're healthy. A touch of stress, but that's from the situation. It happens."
"You seem to act like this is a regular occurrence."
Duke shrugged. "I don't see any major health issues."
Tina patted her hip. "On my world, I'm considered overweight and stressing my joints." And she was. She was on that line. In some stores, she had to buy plus sized everything, and in others, she could get the largest available regular size and be okay. Not to mention, she worked with scientists who liked to remind her regularly how much that extra weight was hurting her bones and joints.
Duke blinked. "Oh, that. No worries. I am adding that into your inoculations anyway. Most planet-bound species have joint wear and tear from gravity. In space, it's not like that, and your joints will rebalance themselves."
"But there's gravity here," Gianna said. "How does that work?"
"The pull of artificial gravity is not as intense as planet-centered gravity. It doesn't hurt as much on the joints. People who live in space tend to be taller than those who live on worlds."
"I thought that only happened in zero-gravity," Gianna said.
"No, artificial gravity can affect some humanoids the same way. Don't worry, ladies. We'll get you all fixed up. No more joint aches." He moved over to Gianna and held out his wand thing. "Your turn."
Gianna seemed absolutely smitten. She looked like a kid in a candy store. "Wow. And that thing tells you everything going on in my body and what needs to be fixed?"
"It does," he said with a nod. "It seems you need some cellular adjustments."
Gianna nodded. "Yeah, my blood sugar is--what is that?"
Duke blinked. "It's called a hypo-sprayer. Do you not have them?"
"I think they're just starting to be used on our world. Jet injectors, I think they call them," Tina said as she watched. "What are you injecting her with?"
"Her inoculations," he said as he punched a few keys on the back of the cylindrical, gun-shaped device. "Plus, a vaccine to fix her cellular and insulin issues. Her cells are attacking her insulin and not allowing her body to regulate her blood sugars properly."
Tina and Gianna looked at each other.
"You are fixing my diabetes?" Gianna looked back at him.
"Is that what you call it?" Duke asked. "We just call it cellular degradation. It is a widespread disorder among humanoids that several worlds created vaccines for it. A universal version is now used all over the galaxy as a preventative. Most get it when their children."
Tina shook her head. "This has to be a dream," she muttered to herself. "Do you know what that would do on my world? How many lives that would save daily?" she said, though it was more for herself than for the doctor. The idea that people could get inoculated for diabetes, and then it would never be an issue again.
She couldn't begin to imagine what that would do for the people of Earth.
Gianna shook her head. "Please, hit me with your little medicine gun. I want it. If I don't have to take those regular meds that cost me a damn car payment every month, I'm all about it."
Tina patted Gianna's arm. "Boy, when we wake up from this dream, I can't wait to tell you about it because this is crazy."
"It is no dream, ladies," Re-lee said. "This is very much real. You have joined us here. You both were scanned and approved for the Intergalactic Dating Agency, and it brought you here to meet your mates."
"I'm down for it!" Gianna said.
