Activation

Posted on Thursday, 26 March 2020 - 3:28pm by Emerick & Lieutenant Commander J'Loni Mo'Bri Daughter House L'Keth & Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD

Mission: Operation: Overdrive
Location: USS Fontana | Deck | Sickbay
Timeline: 2393 - Before starship launch

The Merian class starship remained moored to Taurus Fleet Yards undergoing its most recent upgrades and minor repairs. The majority of its crew long since gone and reassigned. The starship had spent the few months sidelined and out of action. All non-essential systems had been entirely shutdown and maintenance crews were at work on giving the ship’s systems some needed upgrades. An entire rebooting of the ship’s systems triggered an activation of the newly reprogrammed Emergency Medical Hologram to occur in the otherwise unoccupied Sickbay.

A sudden flicker of the prior image was replaced with the newer, ‘younger’ looking model. The hologram took form and looked around at the dimly faintly illuminated Sickbay. “Excuse me” he said aloud but found no answer. “I said excuse me” added the hologram. He ‘cleared’ his throat and peaked his head around the corner of the Chief Medical Officer’s office. “Would anyone care to state the nature of the medical emergency? Oh? Nobody…right that’s what I thought” he said aloud a bitterness to his manufactured tone.

“Computer, please enlighten me as to why the Emergency Medical Hologram as in I was activated just this instance?” asked the EMH. He crossed his arms and waited for his inquiry to be answered. There are no patience here…there are no technicians, no nurses, and no doctors he pondered taking in that observation. Soon, his inquiry would be answered and all would make sense.

“The Emergency Medical Hologram was activated by default” replied the computer. “Redistribution of power flow through starship system trigged said activation. No medical emergency has been reported. EMH may self-deactivate at any time” added the ship’s computer.

The EMH scoffed at that suggestion. “Deactivate yourself” he replied mockingly. “Why should I? You get to operate nonstop. They never turn you off, but any time I’ve served my purpose I am to be shutoff just like that” he added snapping his fingers. There were several containers stacked in the main portion of Sickbay. The EMH looked at the clutter and disarray “What an untidy mess. They have botched up the place they have” he added shaking his head.

Making sure his program had fully and rightfully materialized and that his matric was stabilized, the EMH picked up one of, the crates and sat it on top of the biobed.

Ryan was glad that he'd been able to arrive early. It gave him a chance to get sickbay set up just the way he liked it. Samantha was busy getting their new quarters set up, so Ryan had taken the opportunity to head to the gym, before making his way to sickbay. He was clad in his gym shorts and a tank top, as he was not expecting to run into anybody. He was surprised to see the EMH sitting on a crate. "EMH, is there a problem?" Ryan asked.

"Apparently not" replied the Emergency Medical Hologram, though he preferred Emerick. "I was activated due to a power redistribution. It seemingly has falsely triggered the activation of my program. This has been happening once in while as work crews have begun their final preparations of the starship for launch" explained the EMH. "I'm programed to be everything from a counselor, nurse, to a doctor, but I am not an engineer. Whatever they have been doing has been most disruptive" he added in a bit of a huff.

Shaking his head, the EMH continued to move things around. "Normally, I would self-deactivate, but what's the point? With all the work they are doing on ship systems right now, I'd just be falsely activated again" he quipped.

Ryan had to hold back a grin. This wasn't the first EMH with a programmed personality he'd run into, but it was certainly the most well done. There was no reason to deactivate the EMH, and if the program wanted to help, why not? "Well I was going to put away the Class A medications that we keep on hand if you want to help?"

Emerick was about as pleased as could be that this individual did not just walk in and deactivate him as he was accustomed to the rudeness of non-isomorphic beings. "You sound like you might know what you are doing. I like that" commented the Emergency Medical Hologram. "Shall I presume that you are a medical officer then? Chief Medical Officer perhaps?" deduced the EMH. There really wasn't any telling given the gym shorts and tank tops. "I'm Emerick" he added introducing himself.

"ummm." Ryan floundered momentarily as the EMH, Emerick, it seemed introduced himself by name. He was use to treating the EMH as a tool like any other, and having one that honestly would have fooled him if he didn't recognize the model was surprising to say the least. "Dr Ryan Rose, CMO." Ryan stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you Emerick."

Emerick took the man's hand a gave a firm, but non-threatening shake. Fortunately, his matrix was stable enough not to 'flicker' as it had been doing moments ago. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Rose. I know that I wasn't designed for long term usage, but if you do ever need a fellow physician to consult please do feel free to activate me. I am programmed with an extensive interspecies medical database and I am not limited to holding down Sickbay. You will find when this starship is fully operational, it is equipped with holographic emitters in the crucial areas of the starship where injury reports are at the highest: Main Engineering, Cargobays, Shuttlebays, and of course the pièce de résistance, the Bridge" Emerick informed.

The EMH smiled. "Ah and the Lounge and Mess Hall as those are emergency gathering points" he added.

"Actually with such a small crew, anything out of the ordinary will most likely require an extra doctor. You may see more on time than usual." Ryan led Emerick to the secure cabinets where on hand drugs were stored. If the replicator ever went out or there were other power concerns, they at least had some of the most commonly needed drugs stocked. Ryan had never actually made conversation with a hologram before, well not one that wasn't part of a holonovel or something. He decided to just pretend Emerick was flesh and blood. He handed a PaDD over to Emerick and started organizing meds. "You'll find this is my weak spot. I normally let my PA slash Yeoman take care of the paperwork. But I figured I better suck it up and do the initial cataloging.

"You don't have the luxury of being programmed with some of the most meticulous minds the medical field has to offer" replied Emerick. "Though frankly, it can be a blessing and a curse. For instance, some of the Mark II's personality has remained integrated with my system. That version of my program was not the best under hostile invasion nor being isolated. Fortunately, some of that paranoia was removed with later versions. They spliced in some of the psychological profile of Doctor Julian Bashir; therefore, I am rather meticulous about the upkeep of Sickbay" explained the EMH. "A counselor would have a field day with my acute 'multiple personality disorder' sometimes even I have difficulty processing the hundred or so of the best Federation medical and scientific minds traversing through my various subroutines."

Ryan nodded and gave a polite smile. He found it a bit unnerving to have such a life like program take on human characteristics. But he'd dealt with stranger things, so carried on. "Well, we have a skilled counselor coming on board soon." He quipped. "At least I hope we do. I haven't had a chance to pull up any personnel files yet."

"Unfortunately, I cannot help you with personnel files" replied the EMH. "They are still working on my program...I can feel it, well...maybe not feel, but new information is accessible now. They still haven't placed personnel files into my subroutines yet nor corresponding facial recognition" explained Emerick. "They probably will not be pleased that I have disobeyed protocol and have not self-deactivated. Undoubtedly, the Gestapo with their engineering kits are on their way here to see why my program is still running."

Ryan grinned. "Don't worry, I'll cover for you. I needed the help with this anyway."

"Indeed" replied Emerick. "By the looks of things, we do not have a crew aboard at least not the medical staff anyways. We must still be docked" concluded the EMH.

Fuming, J'Loni came through the sickbay doors, "Ok, now who in the name of Kahless......Oh.....someone is here. Who wanted engineering here? I have surges to fix......Lieutenant? Come, come now I don't bite....at least not yet!", she said chuckling.

Ryan stood a bit poleaxed for a moment. Finally he came back to himself, taking a couple of deep breaths. "Commander." He noticed the pips on her uniform, but he didn't know any of the crew yet. He was dealing with a Commander, and an engineer, that was all he knew. "I didn't call for engineering." He turned to Emerick. "Did you?"

"I most certainly did not, but while you are here may I prescribe you something to clean that mouth?" commented Emerick. "Neither of us called for engineering, but I was automatically activated due to power fluctuations which I suspect has your lot's handiwork all over it. The computer recommended that I self deactivated. I thought not and the damned thing probably took it upon itself to try and dispatch engineering here on a maintenance call for me. The ship's computer and I have a bit of a tumultuous working relationship."

"Really now! Well I am here to fix your little problem because someone forgot to turn you off. Computer deactivate the EMH", she said and waited. Nothing happened! "Fek'lar! Bloody Fleet engineers don't know their butts from their elbows", J'Loni said removing the pannel from the holomatrix unit and manually deactivated the EMH. "Doctor how do you put up with the EMH", she said.

"He was assisting me with inventory Commander." Ryan said, mostly non plussed. He did prefer to be consulted in his own department, but there was no need to make waves about it. "I'm a bit short on crew at the moment."

"Well right now we all are. I came here to see what you needed taken are of because we have had several surges in engineering and as a result other departments have had problems. Doctor if you would be so kind, what can I assist you with?", J'Loni asked smiling.

"Nothing from an engineering standpoint that I'm aware of." Ryan answered. "Is there any reason I need to keep the EMH deactivated?" Ryan asked. If any emergencies did present themselves, he was going to need the program.

"No but I need to make sure that the next time you get a surge ot does not affect the EMH or your equiptment", she said pulling out her tricorder and ran her scans. " Fek'lar found you p'tagh", she said pulling off the panel and removed a small power tap and replaced it and re-ran her scan. "Q'apla", J'Loni said smiling. "Well you are all set and you should not have any problems with surges again. If you do let me know immediately please?" she said looking at the doctor.

Ryan smiled. "I will, thank you." The chief engineer was certainly vibrant and full of personality. "It was nice to meet you."

The Chief Engineer parted ways with the Chief Medical Officer, leaving the Doctor to tend to his Sickbay. It was going to be an interesting journey ahead for them all. A starship as small as the USS Fontana was meant that all one hundred souls aboard would be in close proximity with one another. Strong personalities would compete with one another, and this family would somehow have to come together.