Ethics Pt 1

Posted on Sunday, 15 November 2020 - 6:50pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Siana Ilian

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Jupiter Station
Timeline: MD2

"... ethical arguments around the decisions made in the wake of the Mars tragedy.  This, however, is not a lecture on ethics and morals.  Nor is this a political sciences major.  This is but a humble presentation on the evolution - and subsequent steps to reverse that evolution - of the EMH programme.  I have been told I have wonderful monotone so for those of you who have had trouble sleeping as of late, make yourself comfortable and I'm sure someone will wake you at the end."

From a seat in the back corner of the lecture hall, Siana Deeson smiled as she cast her eyes over the crowded room.  While she couldn't see faces, only the back of heads, she doubted anyone would have dared.  Mostly because the guest speaker, Varod Ilian, was known to be fond of using an old fashioned laser pointer to highlight key points in his presentations.  And if someone dared not be paying attention, said laser pointer would be thrown across the room with pinpoint accuracy.  Accuracy he earned, he often joked, from a former life as an assassin.  

Coming from the mouth of a man who was well over a hundred years old and counting, it all sounded quite ridiculous. 

For the next two hours she listened in rapt attention and wondered if any of the Standing Bear's engineers were also in attendance.  Every ship in the fleet remained equipped with a version of an EMH, although all had the same restricted programming.  Some saw it as a necessary evil, some saw it as a needless waste.  If no flaw had been found in the EMH programming, why restrict the capabilities?  Siana doubted the arguments on both sides would ever really stop.
As the lecture drew to a close she stood, watching as the rest of the audience filed out. She didn't recognise any of the faces which passed her, although many, like her, were in uniform.   And, in honesty, she did not know many people aboard the Standing Bear anyway.     Slinging her bag over her shoulder she heard a muffled cry, and then a commotion from the front of the room.  It was difficult to see, so many people had stopped and begun to turn towards the sound that she only caught the slightest glimpse of the podium.

"Someone call a medic!"

"Ilian!" Siana pushed her way through the group of people, ignoring protests and complaints as she ran down the stairs, her heart in her chest as she threw aside her bag and hurried to the old man's side.  "Ilian?" she whispered urgently, taking his hand and trying to garner some kind of response from the semi conscious man.  

"He just collapsed," the young woman beside him said, looking faintly ill and her eyes wide, "I don't know, many his heart or something?"
There was more commotion from the entrance as medics rushed in, the crowd parting as they made their way towards the trio on the podium.  Siana drew back, taking the woman by the arm and guiding her back so the medics could work.  

"His name is Ilian, Verod Ilian.  He's a joined Trill," she told them, although no doubt the scans had told them the last part anyway.

One of the medics offered them a reassuring smile,  "thank you.  We'll get him to sickbay."

"Can I come with you?" Siana asked.

"Are you friend? Or family?"

"Kind of," Siana nodded before adding, "it's complicated."

So, so complicated, Siana added with an inward sigh as she watched the elderly man being loaded up onto the stretcher, his colour fading as quickly as his vital signs.  Taking a deep breath she followed along after them, snatching up her bag and hoping the doctors could work a miracle or two.