The intracellular free Ca2+ concentration within cells is low (~1 nM). In muscle, a rise in the intracellular
Ca2+ concentration causes contraction. Muscle cells then relax when Ca2+ levels are reduced within the
cytoplasm. For maximal efficiency, cells rely on two mechanisms to reduce Ca2+ levels: 1) an ATP-driven
Ca2+ pump, and 2) an antiporter that exchanges the intracellular Ca2+ for extracellular Na+. Patients with
heart disease are often treated with the drug oubain that inhibits the Na+/K+ pump located in the plasma
membrane of heart muscle cells. Patient’s hearts beat/contract more strongly following drug treatment,
which ameliorates the disease.

...

I can't do this alone. And I can't bring myself to face Hojo again, either. I've just been wasting time. ShinRa's, Captain's... mine. I had better stop all of this irrational nonsense and concentrate on the No. 26.

I struck Palmer.

I did not intent to-- and I had not thought of it until it had happened. I just... hit him. For the first time in my life, I was so overcome with distain that my mind was defeated by my body.

I've been suspended without pay for a month. When I resume work, I will be on "disciplinary action." As disappointing as this is I feel that it is deserved for my completely inappropriate and shameful behavior. I am constantly advocating against violence and yet, I succumbed to it. Hypocrite. I am so weak.







-[OOC: My activity will be extremely limited in the near future. Shit has hit the fan IRL and I have been staying with various people-- that means, sporadic and limited internet access. I'm still interested and I miss some of you tremendously. I can't wait until I can resume my obnoxious novella-size posts and really get back in the game. So, I guess this acts as a hiatus notice until further notice, though I still intend on replying to open logs and checking in every now and then. I'm sorry.]-

...The ultralight quanta of the field wavelength of darkmatter particles prevent proper structure formation on unsubstantial subgalactic scales. This can be considered somewhat of a problem when applied to traditional cold dark matter theories. Focusing on VIRGOHI21 in particular.

For example, V1 / T1 = V2 / V2 P1V1 = P2V2 x L/1000 kf = 660 L/1900 kf; and x = 347 L. gen ... 3 x FGF (L/min) x volume% = kF.

...


There, that should have gotten rid of anyone reading this that should not have been.

When I returned to my residence, I found a stack of handwritten notes that had been slipped under my door from my Cardiovascular Specialist, nearly pleading with me to have a pacemaker installed. She went as far to explain that she would arrange everything herself and all I need do is show up to surgery. I appreciate her concern sincerely... however, the "arrangements" she spoke of refer specifically to my transfer of departments. Should I go through with an installation, I would be required to leave the Space Exploration Department. In fact, I'd have to cease all of my past and current work completely.

Individuals who have internal pacemakers cannot be near high voltage, magnetic force fields, or radiation-- the main components of both the No. 26 and particularly the Highwind. With implanted cardiac pacemakers, the type of interference applicable is called "electromagnetic interference", not limited to TDMA-type digital technologies, and further, that a distance separation of ~15 inches is sufficient to mitigate EMI. This is specified for incident electromagnetic energy frequencies from 10 MHz to 100 GHz, a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 10 mW/cm-- about 0.8 of our normal exposure. In addition, exposure to the amount of RF and microwave signals existing in the hangers would infallibly cause a short circuit.


Bluntly, I could not even enter the engineering area of the ShinRa building should I accept a pacemaker. I'd be even more worthless than I already am. ...If that is even possible.

Death is nothing but a tangible, solvable equation just like everything else. I have been researching the possibility to build a replacement, an artificial cardio-system. I lack the medical knowledge to proceed any further currently, but the construction of the physical mechanism should be reasonably simplistic. This will have to wait however, as I am desperately behind in my work.

...Cid is home back.

It won't happen again. It' can't.

The last thing I remember was waking up to the burn of an otoscopic light. Someone must have brought me to the Medic-Floor. I am so ashamed. It is only a matter of simple mathematics. Cardiac output (blood flow x volume per unit time) is computed by multiplying the heart rate (BPM) and the stroke volume, (ejected blood during ventricular systole.) Why is something so trivial so disruptive...?

My chest still burns from the defibrillator.

I will have to stay here overnight. Apparently, the Medical Department has no concern about how far behind I am in my work. I promised Cid over a month ago that I would replace the coolant fan on the R2 propeller engine of the Highwind. The nurses however, were kind enough to bring me my laptop after assuring stabilization. I was told that I could use it as long as it didn't interfere with any of the monitoring equipment. Hmnph-- interference. That's all this is. The IVs, the pulse oximeters, the EKGs, the wires... they are interfering with me.

I've spent most of the day reading online physics journals and encountered a phenomenal theory concerning dark matter. I will write more about that later when I am not so fatigued. For now, my intentions are to write out what the medic told me, per her suggestion.

Isosorbide, Hydralazine, Digitoxin, Nicardipine, Procainamide- 1A, Phenoxybenzamine. Today's collapse was a result of my failure to take the applicable medication in accordance with the prescribed time-table. She told me that if I continued to be so apathetic about my medications that I will die. She seemed troubled when I did not respond. Perhaps she misunderstood my silence-- I did not believe discussing the subject with her to be relevant or of interest.

The truth is, I am terrified of dying.

I have always been this way. I remember as a little girl, pleading my mother to sit near me as I slept-- as if her presence could wave away death like the vapors of a bad dream. Thinking back on it, perhaps she believed that too. I would loose myself to sleep in the sound of her voice, her words painting the walls of my mind with stars and constellations, far away places where physicality was irrelevant and evanescence surrendered to the infinite.

This room is depressing. Fake plants, cheery art. A superficial attempt to distort reality. To hide from the inevitable. A distraction from pain, loneliness... Loneliness.

No... I am not afraid of death. I am afraid of dying alone.

I... Am I... am I crying?

How shameful. My eyes are probably just watering as a side effect of the epinephrine. The medics will have to wait. I have work to do.

I have not seen the Captain in weeks...

I cannot expect my assumptions of his location to be accurate, so it's silly and wasteful to speculate. I can't help feeling concerned however, as an absence like this is quite uncharacteristic of him. He didn't even ask me to mind the Highwind the last time I saw him...

Was he assigned to a project without me? No, that's impossible... isn't it? Perhaps he was sent to survey the new launch location, though if that was the intent I'm sure Palmer would have accompanied him. ShinRa didn't move him there, did they?! No no no, not a single piece of the No. 26 has been relocated yet, why would he move before it? Why would he be moved at all? ShinRa needs him here. I need him here.

Cid... where are you?

I am over analyzing things. Perhaps he is ill? If I finish my work today, I'll check his quarters and see if I can obtain any information relevant to his location.

Character Name: Shera

Age: 25

Affiliation: ShinRa.

Occupation: ShinRa Engineer, currently working on the ShinRa No.26

Appearance: If someone were to call Shera "plain," she wouldn't mind. In fact, "plain" was was quite her desired effect-- she disliked drawing attention to herself. Thick chestnut locks gathered into a high, tight pony tail brushed at the wings of her shoulders as she walked, unbound bangs sweeping the rims of her thin silver glasses. Embraced in a wash of an anonymous white lab-coat, the only thing that stood out about her was a glinting 'ShinRa Inc' lapel pin, securing her employee ID. That was all that mattered. Her soft green eyes, petite frame and porcelain complexion were irrelevant to anything important. Why draw attention to them?

Background: A sickly, only child, she spent her youth plagued by childhood diseases rendering her frail and sallow. Her parents, so concerned with her feebleness, attempted to keep her from any potential harm by offering her the world through books instead of tangible childhood exploitation. She thrived in the sciences, consuming anything relevant to physical science ravenously. With no peers of her own, Shera was eminently close to her parents. Her mother and father had studied astrology in Cosmo Canyon, filling her days with mythology and at night, painting her bedroom with imagery of glittering stars and explaining the beautiful and impossible depths of the universe. Her parents died in an accident shortly after her fifteenth birthday, leaving her devastated and completely alone. Shera's affiliation for physics and mechanics transformed into obsession– she would build a time machine to be with her parents again. While her attempts at time travel were obviously never near successful, she grew into a celebrated engineer. Hired by the ShinRa, she provided her invaluable skill. Though her physical form is still weak, her intellect is unstoppable.

Personality: Timid, kind and solitary, she is a brilliant engineer. She is aware of her intelligence and values herself on bias of that property alone. She defines herself by the context of her job-performance and attributes the short comings that occur in that area as failures of herself as a person. Her job is of the utmost importance to her, one of the chosen out of a seemingly endless list of potential candidates to construct the prototype rocket, the ShinRa No.26. Fascinated by the prospect of space, she spends her limited spare time reading about quantum physics and daydreaming of antimatter.

Strengths: Superiorly astute, Shera can instantaneously solve almost any technical issue she is presented with. She is endlessly loyal to her duties and those authoritative of her, willing to do whatever is necessary to complete a task she is given. Her morals often conflict with her obligations, though as ethics fall under what she considers her irrelevant personal life, any opposition is quickly disregarded.

Weaknesses: She finds things as irrational and unpredictable as typical social behavior like petty and polite small talk, difficult to understand. As a result, her attempts at participating in normal exchanges are a bit awkward regardless of intention. She tends to take things much too literally and often finds herself unable to take criticism on a superficial level. However, as much as disapproval upsets her she is always willing to take the blame for her peers while silently correcting their mistakes.

Weapon(s)/Materia/Limits: No weapons, a Scan materia, no Limit. That's what ShinRa security is for.

Anything else?: Although Shera has quite the thing for ShinRa pilot Cid Highwind, she tends to keep her distance from him. As admirable, intelligent and intriguing as she finds him, his vulgarities and abrasive nature (plus the stench of stale smoke) tip the cost-benefit analysis to avoidance...