Socialization Subroutines

Posted on Friday, 27 March 2020 - 6:17pm by Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD & Emerick

Mission: Operation: Overdrive
Location: mess hall
Timeline: 2:12am

ON:

Rather than change into his uniform and labcoat, Ryan just changed into a pair of comfortable pants and a tshirt after a quick shower, then made his way to the mess hall. As promised the EMH was there and had a ginger ale waiting for him. Ryan took a seat, then a sip of his drink. "Thanks."

The EMH smiled and gestured around the room. "Dead as a doornail" he commented. "Actually, there was not a soul in the joint. I got the ginger ale myself. Lights were off when I got here and the doors were locked. I do not think the Mess Hall is open twenty four ship hours a day...so I think we have technically broken in" reported Emerick. "Fear not" he said with a smirk. "I don't register as a life form with internal sensors. I deactivated the Mess Hall's security systems before you arrived. I did not choose the criminal life, the criminal life chose me."

"If security comes to check, I'm blaming you." Ryan replied with a smile. "Maybe it's just that we don't quite have a full crew compliment yet. Surely things will need to run around the clock." He mused.

"It wasn't me, the hologram did it" replied Emerick mockingly. "Escandolo!" he said shaking his head. "Ugh damn it. Sorry, my Spanish mode was activated for a moment, but seriously? Blaming the hologram will not get you very far" added Emerick. "If security comes to check I'll be surprised. It is possible hours will extend when we have more of a full crew compliment aboard, but then again even at max we'd only have approximately one hundred crew members aboard. It's possible the Mess Hall is overseen by a culinary specialist."

Ryan just grinned. The subroutines seemed to be working just fine to him. He felt more like he was joking around with a buddy, then dealing with a stuffy program playing at being a real boy. "I wonder if without said culinary specialist the replicator will still make a pb and j." Ryan got up, still a bit slowly and carefully, then headed to the replicator. He returned with prize in hand and sat back down triumphantly. "It's really too bad you can't enjoy this." He gestured to the sandwich and the soda. "Can you?" He asked, suddenly seeming to realize he might be very wrong about that assumption.

"I have the synthetic taste buds of a Vorta with a burned tongue" he replied poking fun at himself. "I'm afraid I'm as holographic as they come. I cannot actually partake in the consumption of food nor beverages" explained Emerick. "Then again, what did you just put into yourself? Matter-energy converted replicated food item that taste like the real thing or as close of an approximation as was programmed" commented Emerick. "I will enjoy vicariously through you enjoying your replicated sandwich. If it makes you feel any better, you'll never know the feeling of your holo matrix stabilizing after a lengthy period of being deactivated albeit the passage of time means nothing to me."

Ryan gave him a 'huh' stare. "Ok, guess we are even." He took another bite. "Yeah, that taste like pb and j to me." In two more bites the sandwich was gone, and another sip had half his soda empty. "So, I think the topic was pacifism. Do no harm and all that. Outside of simple doctor ethics, I think it's a good moniker to live by."

Emerick had no reason to disagree. Do no harm was part of his programming and his ethical subroutines kept him on course to provide his best medical care and expertise to any and all patients regardless of them being Federation citizens or not. "I agree that it is a good moniker to live by though to what extent does that moniker hold up?" countered the EMH. "Were the ship to be boarded and you were in Sickbay tending to wounded members of the crew, would you harm any intruders trying to harm your patients?" asked Emerick. "Is that a judgement call you've had to make before? Have you been forced to ever take a life?"

"Wow, that got deep fast." Ryan commented. "I've never been on a ship that's been boarded, or been in a hostage type situation. I like to think I'd find a way to stun, or otherwise incapacitate without causing any real damage. I guess you don't really know how you are going to react in a situation like that unless it actually happens. I mean you can train and run simulations, but it's not the same."

"Ah yes. I apologize, Doctor" replied the emergency medical hologram. He was not the best in social situations such as this or really in any social situation. "My socialization subroutines need work. I have been informed that I lack 'foreplay' in social situations and that I cut directly to the chase. Believe me, I was never a hit at comedy night under the previous run of this starship before it was sent in for its refit and assigned new crew."

Ryan chuckled at the word 'foreplay', somebody had certainly had a bit of fun with the newest EMHs program. Ryan didn't mind, it was actually pretty, well real, to have a program with such a normal personality quirk as being a bit awkward at social situations. "It's fine. Though now I think we need to restart comedy night." He grinned.

"Maybe we could put in a request with the Commanding Officer" offered Emerick. "I have not met her yet, but scuttlebutt around the ship is that she's actually rather kind and openminded albeit nobody ever tells me these things directly. I just overhear things when people are conversing in front of me ignoring that I am there" he explained. It was true that some of the small medical staff he had been exposed to had spoke as if he were simply the tricorder they were handling. "A resurrection of comedy night may be good for crew morale" he added.

"I think that's more of an XO request thing." Ryan mused. "But the CO does seem kind and open minded. I haven't talked to her a lot, and only about medical, but she's certainly not as standoffish as some other COs I've known. We should thrown in karaoke while we're at it."

Emerick groaned "The XO is Vulcan" said the EMH. "They say I lack personality, but I doubt they have met Soral yet, not that I have either, but Vulcans are not known for being social butterflies" stated Emerick.

"Soral's not a robot, I'm sure he'd see the value in regards to crew moral and team building."

"We may have to go through the XO for the request, but maybe you can use that charm and get the Captain's attention."

Ryan raised a brow. "That charm?"

Emerick shrugged. "You had said you were married. There clearly was something charming about you to merit that happening" added the emergency medical hologram. "I think you have a good personality though I am not truly qualified to be a judge of that" he admitted. "I believe charming is an accurate adjective."

"Well thank you for that. I'm not sure much charm was involved there though. She's not very happy at the moment." The truth was neither was he, but Ryan quickly realized he'd said more than he should. "Sorry." He then attempted to change the subject, and returned to the previous one. "I'll see what I can do about bringing back comedy night. You have to be first up though."

Emerick shook his head "Oh no I could not possibly do that" he said immediately. "I am not very funny and I would be a terrible opening act" he added. "A holographic audience you can program to be receptive, a flesh and blood crowd you cannot."

"Oh come on. I'll let you practice on me first. What better way than to fine tune those social sub routines?" Ryan smiled, much more comfortable putting the conversation back on to Emerick.

"And do you say that to all the holograms or just me?" countered Emerick with a look of mischief. He did not go without noticing the man's topic change and that he had made small mention of his relationship woes. "Oh I could think of a few things that would avoid me making a fool of my programming. Perhaps a social festivity such as a party."

"Just you." Ryan quipped, equally full of mischief. "Ok, fair trade. A party sounds like a great idea, before we get thrown into the deep end so to speak."

Emerick nodded in agreement. "You know that part of my programming has an expansion into counselling, albeit I am not very good with socialization. So, I avoid exploring that aspect of my programming" he admitted. "You had said something about your wife not being happy with you at the moment" added the emergency medical hologram. "What happened?" he asked.

Ryan sighed. He didn't like talking about his personal life, but he did need to vent. Emerick was probably the safest bet. "That's not an easy question." He finished off his ginger ale before continuing. "It's probably better to just start at the beginning. About 8 months ago, I was part of a mission to bring supplies to a colony world. We hadn't been planet bound in a long time, so it was one rather large party on the surface. I met a young woman, we danced, one thing led to another...turns out dancing and consummation was a legally binding marriage on the colony. I assumed she just wanted a way off the planet, and they refused to let her stay because she was now 'married'. It's been.....difficult."

"Oh the poor Mrs. Rose, I'd volunteer to take your bullocks off myself" quipped Emerick, though he was sincerely intrigued about this complexity. "So, you unknowingly married this other woman? Was the marriage consummated afterwards or did you done the 'good deed' before your unintentional marriage?" inquired the hologram. Emerick may not have been the best judge of character, but he could see some regret and remorse etched onto Ryan's face. In fact, Emerick was not even certain their had been anything physical to this whole ordeal.

"Umm." Ryan blushed slightly. "Seems the consummation WAS the marriage. I went from an ill advised one night stand to husband without a chance to catch my breath.

Emerick nodded though he had never had a family of his own nor any sort of relationship, he knew the complexity of this matter in a common sense sort of way. "So you have two wives?" commented the EMH. "Do they get along at all or are they without contact of one another?"

"What?" Ryan sat back, caught off guard. "No, just the one wife. She's been working as my PA slash yeoman." Then he chuckled, imagining how difficult it could be if he had been married before landing on that colony. Of course he'd never would have slept with anybody else, but the mental image lightened the mood. It could always be worse.

"Oh" replied Emerick with a better understanding and clarity of the circumstances. "Perhaps you two could undergo therapy sessions for couples? Are you happy with the marriage at all?" asked Emerick. "I do not know what relationships are like, but having studied crew interactions and of course what is within my databases of knowledge, the whole matter sounds difficult."

"It is at that." Ryan agreed with the difficult part. "I don't even want to go to my own therapy appointments, I can't imagine trying to drag Sam along with me. Anyway, I honestly didn't mean to dump on you. I think I just need some sleep."

"You just need some rest" Emerick said agreeing with the Chief Medical Officer. "EMH's orders" added Emerick with a small smile which showed some sense of humor in his programming after all. He knew that he had no authority over the Chief Medical Officer unless in a state of emergency in which their was no Chief Medical Officer. Emerick remembered something that Chief Eyeleya had said to him. He used it towards this situation. "If you ever need me, just call me" he said to Ryan.

Ryan let out a chuckle and started humming under his breath. "I will Emerick. Thanks. I'm gonna call it a night." He stood. "You ok to turn yourself off?" He asked.

Emerick nodded "I can do that. Most people forget to do it anyways" he replied politely. He remembered his socialization encounter with Chief Eyeleya. She had started to try to befriend him, and Emerick thought about how she parted ways with him and thought if he and Ryan were also to be friends like he and Eyeleya that he could borrow from the previous experience.

He looked at Ryan and leaned forward, kissing the Chief Medical Officer's cheek. "Good night, dear Doctor" he said. "Computer, deactivate the emergency medical hologram" he added and just like that he vanished instantly.

Ryan flinched at the brief contact, and before his brain could catch up with the instantaneous physical reaction, Emerick was gone. Huh, lifelike enough to set off an autonomic response, interesting. Disturbing to say the least, but interesting. He'd ask Emerick about it later. Right now, the couch in his office had his name on it.

:OFF

Dr. Ryan Rose
Chief Medical Officer

Emerick
Emergency Medical Hologram