Ensign Lance: "I need to feel the light on my skin."
Ortegas: "Whatever tweaks your freak, pal."
<note: that's it - no joke, that is the actual dialogue, from a starfleet officer, in the 23rd century, from a superior officer to a junior officer. I'm not joking - I can't think of anything to parody this with.>
La'An: "Genetic engineering... using Illyrian medical tech against Federation regs?"
Number One: "Thanks to the Eugenics Wars. I guess you know all about that period in history."
La'An: "You don't grow up with a bioengineered mass murderer as a ancestor and not develop a thick skin. The kids would tease."
Number One: "Why didn't you change your name?"
La'An: "What?"
Number One: "One shouldn't be judged on a person's genetics, but your family could have easily just changed their name. I mean, not even change, just dropped the Noonien part. Singh is a extremely common name."
La'An: "True..."
Number One: "I mean, I'm sure relatives of people like Hitler or Stalin probably changed their name."
La'An: "Ya but it's my family name..."
Number One: "I mean, anyone in your family line could have taken their mother's family name at some point. People have been doing that since forever. Break patriachial traditions, you know kill two birds with one stone."
La'An: "Ya, but then no one would have known that I was related to Khan Noonien Singh and would not have been bullied..."
Dr M'benga: "We can't use your blood to make a cure."
Number One: "Are you going to state me Starfleet regs against genetic modification..."
Nurse Chapel: "Oh no, I don't care about the regs. In fact, I love genetic engineering. I mean, I did temporarily change the DNA of the landing party 2 weeks ago like it was nothing. Next to inflicting pain, I love genetic engineering!"
La'An: "So because of my family name the kids use to call me a augment and a monster..."
Number One: "Wait a minute, we already heard your tragic back story."
La'An: "Yeah, but it keeps getting more tragic."
Number One: "No, we need a new one. And it's that I am a secret Illyrian. Yup, I am actually an augment and have had to hide it all this time. Tragic isn't it?"
Dr. M'benga: "Not tragic enough. I on the other hand have a much more tragic secret and back story. I've been hiding my terminally ill young daughter in the emergency medical transporter's buffer because she only has a year to live."
Number One: "Ok, you win this round doctor. We'll see who has a new tragic back story next week."
Number One: "I've committed a Federation offense. I'm resigning my commision and surrendering myself for disciplinary review."
Pike: "Rejected."
Number One: "But I lied to get into Starfleet."
Pike: "Who cares, you are a damn good officer and you are here now."
Number One: "I also lied to the Doctor when I got infected to hid my secret. If I hadn't the doctor could have found the cure at that time."
Pike: "Well, luckily they found a cure anyways and no one died so it's all ok."
Number One: "But if you shelter me they could come after..."
Pike: "I welcome it. They can't touch me. I've seen my future."
Number One: "But since La'An, Chapel and M'benga know my secret they could pay the price if Starfleet finds out that they knew also."
Pike: "Well, you let me worry about Starfleet..."
Number One: "And to continue this charade, all of us will have to falsify mission logs, medical logs, security logs..."
Pike: "Well, to make a omlet..."
Number One: "And think of the scandal if this gets out. An Illyrian serving as First Officer on the flagship of Federation and officers knew and covered it up. Even crewmembers that didn't know about my secret would carry the stigma of serving on the ship with a augment. Suspicion would follow them and affect their careers as people would wonder if they had any knowledge or were part of the cover up."
Pike: "Well, that's possible..."
Number One: "And I would have to go on, day in and day out lying. I would have to continue to lie on every medical form and examination. I would be lying while holding a top security clearance. I would have to serve knowing that I was lying to everyone while asking the crew to follow my commands and entrust their lives in my hands."
Pike: "Well, we all have our secrets."
Number One: "Sir?"
Pike: "Well, we can't talk about Discovery. I have secret knowledge of my death. Spock is not allowed to talk about his sister. The Doctor has something going on with his daughter. You got your lllyrian heritage. I mean, next to having a tragic back story, it's pretty much a requirement to have some sort of secret to serve on the Enterprise."
Number One: "So according to Hemmer's diagnostics you have been hiding something."
Dr M'benga: "Yes, I have been holding my daughters pattern in the emergency medical transporter because she is terminally ill and I am looking for a cure. Do you want to meet her?"
Number One: "Sure."
Dr. M'benga: "That's strange, her pattern should be right here in the emergancy medical transporter."
Number One: "Ya but didn't Captain Pike order all ship systems powered down except for life support last week when trying to fool the Shepherds?"
Dr M'benga: "Er..."
Number One: "Maybe you should have left her pattern in a transporter back at Starfleet Medical where she would have a team of doctors and engineers taking care of her and the transporter. There would be very little danger of a power or sytems failure. Also I'm sure medical research would be vastly more available and quicker than just you trying to find a cure while at the same time serving as chief medical officer of a starship."
Dr M'benga: "But then how could I read her a story every time I took her out of the transporter, shortening her remaining time and allowing her to suffer from the effects of her "brutal" disease."
Number One: "You have been hanging around Nurse Sadist Chapel too long."