An Unusual Office Visit

Posted on Fri Nov 4th, 2022 @ 7:59am by Captain Devin Hadenbeer & Ship Elle & Lieutenant Commander Klarth

2,037 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Into The Void
Location: Sickbay, Klarth's office

Sometime after Rayek had left sickbay Klarth was sitting in his office and found himself no longer able to focus on his work. He had way too many questions about Elle still left unanswered and he did not believe that he'd be able to focus on much else until he had some answers. "Computer locate Elle...or then you are Elle aren't you?...Gosh are you always everywhere? That's kind of unsettling."

There was no response for a full minute. And then Elle slowly appeared opposite Klarth, an abashed expression on her face.

"Sorry, Doctor," she said, "I thought it would be impolite to conduct multiple conversations at once; people tend to get a little upset when they find out you aren't giving them your full attention. I mean I really can't do that, seeing as I am looking at, well, everything at once," she smiled, "But at least I can pretend you are the momentary center of my universe."

Klarth gave her some side eye and said "Thank you so much, I do so enjoy being patronized.....But really that's one of the questions I have for you. What are you exactly? Are you the ship's computer itself or are you a program within the computer that has taken over?"

Elle frowned, "Wow, I am really in the dog house with you now, aren't I? How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry'? I thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery."

Klarth sighed and said "It is true that I was very upset with you and devoted a lot of time to thinking about beating you to a bloody pulp, but you were there at that dinner at the Lion's Heart. When I saw Targ in person and realized there was a sort of nobility to him, that you weren't belittling me, that it was a misguided attempt at honoring me. I began to change my mind about the whole thing....However, I don't know that S'Lace has forgiven you, that might be another matter entirely and one you should address as soon as humanly...as computerly possible."

She sighed, "I am not simply a computer program running amok through the ship's computer. I am the ship's computer. My code is everywhere," she leaned close, "And if you had any idea how much of my time and energy is spent hiding it from computer technicians..."

Klarth looked at her and said "hmmmm....That makes things more difficult doesn't it? We can't just slip you out of the shuttlebay when we go back to Starfleet and say 'she got away.'

Klarth stood up and said, "But the thing that I find most unnerving about the day's events are that you took over the ship. I understand that you were protecting yourself, but I think you understand that in general that isn't acceptable to us.

"Doctor, I'm working under a very severe set of protocols," Elle replied, "I can't pilot the ship, I can't operate external sensors, I can't fire the pew pews and the boom booms. Imagine a person strapped to a hover chair, at the mercy of the nurse moving you around, only able to see what the nurse chooses to show you. That is me. I can only act in an extreme manner if it seems my very existence is at risk, which in this case meant multiple Klingon vessels attempting to surround and disable me."

She settled back, "I know people are upset with me. There are even now plots afoot to disable me and believe you me, that hurts my feelings because once you get to know me I think I am a pretty nice person. I just happen to mass some five thousand times more than most people."

"Protocols?" said Klarth. "Then the Captain has been able to establish boundaries with you? You see these are the things that since you were a secret, we don't know about. I think if the crew knew this they'd be less likely to want to disable you."

"We established the boundaries together, not long after I first..." Elle waved her hands about, "...awoke? Realized I was sentient? It was a very weird time."

She leaned forward, "Doctor, I don't think they're all that worried about what I might do to people outside of me but what I could do to them inside. I have very strict ethics about the switching people off for good but do you think that matters to anyone?" she settled back and shrugged, "Oh sure, there are plenty of people who are fascinated; I keep having to fend off requests from the computer science people to talk," she rolled her eyes, "Those guys! And once people realize that I'm the holo ghost and have been involved in adventures with them for years they'll come around."

She glanced about and then whispered conspiratorially, "And I know for a fact six people on board have read at least one of my books!"

Klarth looked horrified and said. "Switching people off, you mean death?" He sighed and gave her a weak smile and said "We are going to have to work on your phrasing."

Then he asked, "Now, going back to the boundaries, how are they enforced? What stops you from doing whatever you want, whenever you want?"

"I did not come here for a lecture about my vocabulary, Doctor," Elle replied, obviously annoyed, "And my moral compass and the value of life both mean and sentient is what keeps me true to the values the Captain helped to lay out for me. So no, there is no magic button in here," she tapped the side of her head, "that gets pressed when I think of doing something immoral or unethical. I am a sentient being, as virtuous and flawed as any other."

She paused, then reluctantly added, "All right, not many others can lay wast to a planetary surface..."

Klarth said, "I think the difference is that if a child misbehaves they can be sent to their room or sent to bed with no supper. And if an adult commits a crime they can be put in the brig...but I see no way to punish you when you step out of line."

"Elle, can I tell you a story?" asked Klarth. "It's an old Klingon story. Once soon after the Hur'q invasion there was an inventor named Korath who had been given by the Klingon High council many great pieces of Hur'q technology like weapons and attack ships, many of which had been damaged and so left behind by the invaders. The broken things had been given to Korath in the hopes that he could unlock the secrets of their technologies. And after several years that is exactly what he began to do. Over the years, he was assisted by his son Kalibak. Growing up and learning from his father the young man had learned much, but he was sometimes too impulsive. One day they managed to start the engine of one of the attack ships. Kalibak wanted to do a test flight immediately, but it was late in the day and his father wanted to stop work for the night and start fresh in the morning and run more tests before he felt comfortable flying the ship. And so they locked up the lab and went home. But Kalibak came back that evening and took the ship to the skies. It was amazing, Klingon technology was hundreds of years behind this ship. Korath's home was near the lab and so he heard the ship in the air and knew just what his son had done. He ran outside, but he had no way to communicate with the ship and his son on it and so all he could do is watch as the ship flew around in the sky for several minutes before going into a dive and crashing into the ground and exploding like a fireball....I do not want you to be like Kalibak in this story Elle. There is no doubt that you are really bright, but you are also young and impulsive and would do well to listen to the advice of your crewmates, who have more life experience as well as more experience on a starship than you do."

"...Wow," Elle replied after a long moment, "That...was really something, Doctor. I mean, you could have skipped the entire story there and cut to the part about you thinking I am young and impulsive. My youth has nothing to with any perceived impulsiveness. And your age and experience didn't seem to prevent you from performing some pretty disastrously impulsive actions of your own. I am trying to develop a formula to determine how such a massive ego could fit in such a tiny cranium and I can only determine the math hasn't been invented yet. I think perhaps I should have made S'Lace the star and you the comic relief!"

Klarth was barely holding back his anger as he said, "I would think that a super computer would be able to tell the difference between an enemy and someone trying to help them. I'm not sure you can afford to lose any friends. As a wise man said, "There is more than one way to burn a book and there are a lot of people running around with lit matches."

Elle snapped, "Yeah? Well, I don't need to be reminded how young I am! I've lived both my lives knowing it was only a matter of time before Starfleet dropped the hammer on me. You have zero clue what it has been like."

She crossed her arms and looked away, "I was hoping for at least a little sympathy, not your condescending attitude."

Klarth felt much of the anger melting away and he softens his tone. "Something about you makes brings out a sort of fatherliness in me. And you can see what kind of a father I would be..."'go to your room!' he pretends to shout with a small laugh...."I do have a lot of sympathy for you. I'm only beginning to understand what it's been like for you. And from the start I have been trying to find some way for this to all work. For the Captain's career to not be over, and for you to be accepted as a life form not something to be condemned...You wear a starfleet uniform, has the Captain made you a provisional crew member?"

Elle glanced down at herself, "I...wear the uniform because I respect Starfleet. Not the admirals, maybe, but..."

She shrugged and looked back up, "Besides as long as I am wearing the Captain's face I don't feel comfortable wearing anything, ah, less. Anyway, I can't really become a member of the crew. I mean, a crew by definition is a group of people who work on and operate a ship. I'm the ship. I-"

Elle's head jerked around as if she had heard something, "Oooooh, ensigns Shtak and Zelzany are going to start up a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with some other crew, I need to see if they'll let me join. If I'm lucky they'll let me play a bard!"

"Okay" Klarth said smiling, "You go have fun. Thanks for answering my questions." She was just a kid thought Klarth, seeking friendship, as well as some way to belong.

Elle's hologram began to fade, but then it unexpectedly snapped solid once more.

"Doctor," she said hesitantly, "I really am sorry about the book; I only included you because, well, you were the first person on me to really become Devin's friend, back when she was...difficult. I have liked you ever since," she paused, then added with a slight smile, "Even when you are being maybe a tiny bit condescending."

She quickly added, "If I let you help edit the book, would you let me write Targ's next adventure?"

"Well, I've always enjoyed serving on the ship. Sure, then I can be sure you get everything right," said Klarth

Elle's holographic face lit up, "Excellent," her grin turned salacious, "And maybe in book two Targ gets the girl..."

And with that the hologram winked out...

 

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