Deborah Yannuzzi, with
"One's existence....."(dated June 17),
Lt.
Cassy Evans
Chief
Counselor
USS
Damion
“
I’m sorry,” the EEH stammered, “how silly of me. . . I’m the
Emergency Engineering Hologram. If I’m. . . wasting your time, please tell
me, and I’ll go away.”
Cassy
smiled....."Your not wasting my time, I promise." She could sense
the insecurity right away. It must be difficult being a hologram made in the
image of a human, having to perform as a human. That could cause identity
problems. Cassy thought to herself as she listened.
“
Well, I. . . I think I’m malfunctioning. My programming is faulty.” The
hologram twirled a strand of her hair nervously round one finger. “First,
there’s the fact I was easily infected by a Breen virus. My vulnerability
alone makes me a danger to this crew. But what’s worrying me most. . .”
She paused, and fumbled for the right words.
Her
nervousness was apparent by the normal 'human' tendency to twirl ones hair
about their finger. Cassy continued to listen.....
“
I’m experiencing feelings,” the EEH told her. “Emotions. Earlier
today, I felt afraid. Afraid my programming could be damaged or destroyed.
Afraid for my own existence. I also experienced guilt. And now, I’m
feeling. . . ashamed.” She met Cassy’s gaze. “Counsellor, a hologram
should just do its duty. It should not experience feelings. It’s obvious
the EEH Mark I model is a failure, and should cease to exist. I should be
deleted before I can accidentally harm this crew. . . again.”
Cassy remained silent, being that listening ear she needed so badly.
Watching as the EEH stood and went to the window as if somehow space in all
it's majesty would relieve the torment she was feeling within her.
The
EEH stood, and walked over to the windows. Then, she turned and looked at
the Counsellor once more.
“
My main problem is, some people tend to treat me as though I’m a real
person. I’m not. I’m a computer program, with a physical projection made
up of photons and micro-force fields. I’m not real, Counsellor! The law
considers me a mere property of Starfleet. I’m not a person; I’m. . .
well, a tool. And when a tool is faulty, you get rid of it.” Her voice was
almost pleading, now. . . “I need you to explain that to the Captain. The
safety of this ship comes first, Counsellor. Surely you can make him
understand that. . . Please. . . He won’t listen to me. . .”
Cassy looked at this distraught hologram standing before her looking like
any female aboard this ship, showing emotions as any aboard this ship. And
yet she considered herself nothing but a program. Cassy stood and went over
to her...."I want you to look outside this window....the stars in all
their infinity wizz by us. They are born, they live almost forever within
the confines of atoms and particles shining their brilliant light for all to
see. As time passes their purpose as a star fades and they move on
to the next step in their existence...so it is with everything.
You have served your purpose as a program, and done it well, but now you
must move on to that next level of existence. A small child crawls to get
about from place to place....until that one day they reach up and grab
something to pull themselves to a standing position...soon their little feet
take that first step...and fall.....they get back up and take another...and
yet another, falling again. Their existence has now changed to another
level. They don't give up, but keep on trying till they eventually achieve
that level. And they can't move forward till they do. Each and every thing
has a purpose, and existence, be it flesh and blood, particles, or
components. Some components are move advanced than others...some are given,
knowledge, reasoning, emotions. In our many travels through space we have
encountered many types of life forms made so different from our own form as
a human. Does this mean because they are not like humans they have
no purpose? Not at all. You see, you are not malfunctioning, you are only
moving onto the next level of your existence. And yes, it's confusing, frightening,
but to run from it isn't the answer. Have your components checked for any glitches
and repaired. Then what I suggest is for you to meet with me twice a week. I
can help you explore these new areas of existence. But I have some homework
for you to do....this week, I want you to go to a holodeck, access the
program Lagoon-7-ac. This program is a nightclub setting filled with many
people, music, dancing and a lot of socialization. I want you to interact
with them, enjoy the music and dance. I will drop in and see how your doing.
So as for your request for me to as the Captain to have your program
terminated...I can't in all conscious do that. But I can help you deal with
all these new areas that have surfaced. You see, you ARE a valued member of
this crew, not a program to be deleted." Cassy smiled as she put her
arm around her shoulder...as the two walked towards the door. "Oh...and
something else I want you to do this week...I want you to come up with a
name...I don't care much for EEH.........it just isn't.......you.
tag.....EEH
And Adrien Rodd's "One's
existence....." (dated June 22)
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The
EEH
Assistant
Chief Engineer
USS
Damion
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In
Engineering, Ensign T’lan had run thorough checks, and assured the EEH that
her programming was devoid of any glitches. Which only deepened the latter’s
bewilderment. Maybe the Counsellor was right, then. . .
The
hologram’s next stop was Sickbay. She felt, somehow, that she should inquire
as to how the victims of her act of sabotage were recovering. . .
A
Human nurse informed her Ensign Weyn hadn’t woken yet from her coma. PO1 Bin
Salin, however, was conscious. The nurse seemed suspicious when the EEH asked to
see her, but eventually agreed.
The
hologram was led over to biobed, where the engineer was lying, her eyes open and
looking up at the ceiling. There were nasty burn marks over most of Azera Bin
Salin’s skin, and part of her hair had burnt right off. Her eyebrows were
gone.
When
the EEH neared her, the young Human looked towards her, and her eyes widened.
“
You!” she shouted. Fear and anger showed clearly on her wounded face. “Get
away from me! Why haven’t they destroyed you? Computer, erase- ”
“
Belay that,” the nurse put in quickly. “EEH, I don’t think she wants to
see you. Please leave.”
Stricken,
the hologram hung her head, turned and walked out of Sickbay without a word.
Once outside, she leaned against a bulkhead, and felt tears come to her eyes.
She knew they were only the result of a simple subroutine, one designed to make
her react like a Human, but still, she felt terrible. . .
~
What have I done?! A simple virus was enough to change me into a monster. . . ~
She
shook her head. Should she go ahead with what Counsellor Evans had asked her to
do?
Silently,
she made her way towards the holodeck. Once there, she took several seconds to
calm herself. . . but it wasn’t easy. She felt torn with guilt. She couldn’t
try the Counsellor’s program yet; she just couldn’t. . .
Instead,
she returned to her quarters, and decided she should try to sort through her
feelings a little more. ~ My feelings. . . I never asked to have feelings. . . ~
Briefly,
she considered searching within herself for the subroutines generating her
emotions, if she could find them, and then removing them. But, for some odd
reason, she found she didn’t like that idea.
No,
she would do it the Counsellor’s way. . .
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Several
hours later, the EEH felt ready at last to try out Cassy’s holodeck program.
She transferred herself to the holodeck, and spoke quickly and firmly, before
she could change her mind.
“
Computer, activate program Lagoon-7-ac.”
The
hologrid walls seemed to shimmer, then reality around her shifted to a
completely different place. She was standing in the doorway to a nightclub. The
room was a big one, filled with young people dancing, laughing, drinking, and
shouting to hear each other above the fast-paced music. . . She had never heard
this music before, but somehow, she understood how it could incite someone to
want to. . . move, dance. . .
Coloured
light beams and patterns washed across the dance floor.
The
EEH took a cautious step forward.
It
was then that she realised her clothes had changed. She was no longer clad in
her yellow and black uniform, the clothes she had been wearing since the first
second of her existence. Instead, the computer, upon activating the program, had
changed her clothes to light, pretty summer clothes, more suited to a party. She
touched the material hesitatingly, and glanced down at the short skirt she was
now wearing.
~
What do I do now? ~ she wondered, overwhelmed by all that was suddenly happening
around her. She fought against the wave of panic rising within her. . .
“
Hello!”
She
turned quickly. A young Human couple was standing nearby, leaning against the
wall by the door. They smiled at her. She gave an uncertain smile in return.
“
Are you all right?” the girl asked her, with a quick glance at her boyfriend.
The
EEH nodded wordlessly, and swallowed her against her growing nervousness. Social
interaction. . . Come on, she could handle that, couldn’t she?
Yes,
but these people weren’t crewmates. . . They weren’t engineers. . . If they
had been asking her to help them realign a neutron flow regulator in an EPS
conduit, she would have felt so much more comfortable!
But
there was little chance of that happening. . .
“
What you need,” the man said solemnly, “is a good stiff drink. It’ll make
you feel much happier, you’ll see.” He grinned at her, and lifted his own
glass in a mock salute.
His
girlfriend elbowed him playfully in the ribs, then turned to the EEH once more.
“
Why don’t you just. . . join in the fun?” she suggested kindly. “Let your
body move to the music. Just relax, and enjoy yourself.” She gave a friendly
smile. “You’ll be surprised at how quickly you begin to like it here. . .”
Again,
the EEH managed a nod.
“
Thanks. . .” she managed. “I’ll. . . do that. . .”
The
couple gave her an encouraging smile, and she walked over to the dance floor.
Taking a deep breath, and staying slightly outside the main group of dancing
young people, she began to try and move to the music. She allowed her audio
captors to recognise and analyse the rhythm, and dictate her moves to her
accordingly.
After
just a second, she stopped. She realised she. . . felt silly. She still felt
uncomfortable here. She longed to be back in Engineering. . .
~
Why can’t I get into the spirit of this place? ~ she wondered, annoyed at
herself. The answer came to her quickly, painfully. ~ Because I’m not really
Human. . . ~
At
that point, the piece of music came to an end. A slower, softer tune replaced
it. The EEH saw the people on the dance floor cease their fast-pace dancing.
Some of them began dancing in couples.
She
began to move away, when she saw someone come over towards her. She almost
panicked, but, making an effort, she managed to stay calm.
A
young man walked up to her. He was fairly tall, he had dark hair, startling yet
warm green eyes, and he smiled at her. To her surprise, she found herself
noticing he was fairly handsome. . .
“
Hi there,” he said cheerfully.
“
Hello. . .” the EEH answered shyly.
“
Would you like to dance?” the man asked. “My name is Jimmy, by the way. I
was thinking you looked lonely, and. . .” He shrugged, and smiled.
The
EEH found herself thinking fast. She hadn’t been expecting this. . . Should
she accept to dance? She had no idea what she should do in a situation such as
this. . .
“
I’m. . . Angela,” she said at last. “And, yes. . . I would like to
dance.” She smiled very shyly, and tried not to seem nervous as he led her
gently back to the dancefloor. He held her close, and they began to dance. . .
She
could feel her heart beating fast. Almost as though she really had one. . .
[To
be continued. . .]
Adrien Rodd's "The holoroom"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Trunh
Breen Ambassador
USS Damion
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They left the club and walked down several corridors
till they came to a door. "Here. . . it's in here. . ." the Ferengi
said as he put a special card in a slot and the door opened. He walked in,
motioning again for them to follow; Trunh went in first as Cassy followed, their
guard up, eyes looking about.
"Now what you have to do when I leave is think
of someplace, something that you want, desire, and it will appear, and not as a
holo image but as the real thing."
Trunh looked at him coldly.
* You had better be right, Ferengi. *
The alien backed out of the room with a nervous
grin, and closed the door quickly, leaving the Human and the Breen alone within.
Cassy turned to Trunh.
"So have any desires lately...?"
He hesitated. He had no special wish to give her an
insight into his mind. But then again, he doubted it could do much harm. . .
* Are you sure you really want to know what a Breen
desires? * he asked, with a harsh laugh.
< Cassy? >
He nodded wordlessly, then did as the Ferengi had
instructed. He allowed his dreams to surface, focused on them, forgot about the
outside world completely. . .
All around, reality seemed to shift, to change. . .
They were standing on top of a hill, and there was
snow everywhere. Not snow such as the people of Earth knew it; this snow was
tinted with a faint green-bluish hue, which caused it to glow eerily under the
light of a very distant sun. . . The setting was made up us hills, valleys,
mountains, lakes, all covered in snow and ice. The skies were a swirl of purple,
blue, black and grey, looking like a drugged man’s delirium. The only sign of
an artificial construct was a huge, majestic building rising at the bottom of
the hill, and yet towering above them.
It was made up entirely of green-blue ice, and
seemed impossibly fragile. The walls were not a single unit, but were instead an
intricate web of ultra-fine tubes of ice. It looked like the magic castle of
some demon queen from old legends. . . to a Human mind, at least. It seemed
delicate, oh so delicate, and yet strangely powerful and awe-inspiring. The
architectural design was nothing a Human could grasp. . .
An icy cold wind blew at them, until Trunh
concentrated and made it vanish. He didn’t mind it, but it would probably have
killed Evans within minutes. . .
He turned to her.
* My apologies, * he said. * Are you all right? *
< Cassy >
* Our minds are very, very different, * he reminded
her. * Never forget that. But maybe you and I can help our two species
understand each other. . . *
< Cassy >
He looked round.
* I’m impressed. The Ferengi wasn’t lying, after
all. . . I will pay, of course, * he said matter-of-factly, then added
thoughtfully, * I wonder how this technology works. . . *
< Cassy? >
* Come, * he said simply. * This is but the outer
layer of my desire. . . *
< Cassy >
The two of them walked down the snowy slope, down to
a huge opening in the beautiful ice castle. Trunh looked up at it, rising high
above him, and marveled anew. Every thin beam of ice seemed to be an essential
part of the whole, holding the building together. . .
They entered, into a vast hallway. Twisted,
frightening ice statues were scattered seemingly at random over the snowy
ground. Light came from some unseen source, and was reflected everywhere,
bathing them in a spectacular mingling of colours. Cold colours were
predominant, however. . .
Another opening could be seen at the far end of the
hall way, covered in a thin, rippling sheet of ice, and Trunh strode over to it
without hesitation. As he walked, music began to sound, a blood-chilling whisper
echoing round the walls of ice, rising in pitch; it reached deep within him, and
ignited feelings and desires such as he had not experienced in a long time. . .
When he reached the opening, and its concealing wall
of ice, he turned to Cassy.
* No further, Counsellor, * he said, firmly but
gently. * What I suspect lies in here, is a secret I most often keep even from
myself. A desire so deep and personal I cannot allow you to see it. * He paused.
* Will you wait for me a few minutes? *
< Cassy >
Trunh stepped straight through the liquid ice, and
vanished within. When he emerged again, over ten minutes later, he was marveling
at this place and what it could create. . . He had thought desires such as his
could never be fulfilled inside Federation space.
It was fortunate the Counsellor could not see the
look on his face. . .
* Your turn, * he said simply. * Dream up your
desire. . . *
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