Swan Song | Part II

Posted on Tuesday, 29 June 2021 - 12:22pm by Captain Barret Stillwater & Commander Soral & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Raith Kolani & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura
Edited on on Tuesday, 29 June 2021 - 12:23pm

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich
Location: USS Standing Bear | Deck 01 | Briefing Room
Timeline: 2394

ON:

Doctor Ryan Rose had brought up whether or not Stillwater had or could file a request for a physician to replace Doctor Alexander, especially with the deletion of Emerick. Stillwater grunted and settled in his seat. "That is another matter that has brought us together here right now. That request for a personal mission is medical-related," Stillwater said firmly. "Emerick was more than our EMH. Your behaviors after his self-deletion made that very clear."

Stillwater looked at Doctor Rose. "Doctor, I have put in the request for another physician as soon as Doctor Alexander made his intentions known to me. However, Starfleet Command and Starfleet Medical were quick to shut down the request. With P'Jem recovering from the Andorian attack, Starfleet clinics, and hospitals springing up on the worlds where we relocated the Romulan refugees, they simply were not placing much focus on adding a second physician to a nine deck patrol vessel" explained the starship's Commanding Officer.

He was quick to dispel any protest. "They, however, agreed that you will be woefully understaffed without assistance. I was able to get a field medic assigned to the Standing Bear in the coming weeks. Until then, you and your limited medical staff will have to operate with what you have.

"Thank you sir. I'll frankly take whatever I can get." Ryan was glad he'd be getting some kind of assistance.

Stillwater looked at his Senior Staff. "Now, back to Emerick. I know that there has to be some way of getting those deleted filed back and restored."

"Lieutenant Rogers has been working on that. But so far she hasn't had any luck." Ryan reported.

T’Lanna had sat quiet focussing on controlling her emotions, she looked up at mention of Emerick. “Even if we did get Emerick back, his program had obviously reached a point where he was developing... emotional awareness. Why else would he have terminated himself? After the misunderstanding with Eyelaya...” She paused. “Either way he wouldn’t be the same Emerick anymore, just another EMH, our Emerick didn’t want to be here.”

"If his program can be retrieved intact.." Ryan paused. "Perhaps it's a long discussion for another time. I certainly wouldn't advocate bringing somebody back from the dead, we should discuss the moral implications." Ryan looked to T'Lanna, clearly distressed by the conversation, but doing his best to keep it professional.

T’Lanna offered an understanding smile as she looked at Ryan, she knew how close his friendship with Emerick had been. “My thoughts exactly, Emerick may have been a program to start with but he was so much more by the time he reached the decision to terminate his program.”

Adrianna cleared her throat, "I am no ethics professor, nor psychologist, but perhaps going to a grey area may be best," she explained, "perhaps, if there's a way, he is brought back to ask the why's and potentially to say goodbyes where needed. Closure or a fix would be on the table then, not just one or the other-- both."

Soral sat back listening to everything. He had to agree with Vali. Emerick grew out of his programing.

Captain Stillwater looked at Lieutenant Raith Kolani, the Chief Operations Officer. "Lieutenant Kolani has been working on this since Emerick's deletion. Foresnically speaking, there are still pieces left, not an entire program...not by any means, but Rsith and Talarn with the use of some Borg know how found phantoms within the deleted files. It isn't enough to resurrect him by our understanding, but I'm open to suggestions."

"I know he outgrew his programming, but he did not leave us any choice nor himself. If he can be brought back, I'd want to hear his reasoning...logically. If he chooses to be deleted, we would respect those wishes."

"What about those people in the Beta Magellan system," Adrianna tried to think, tapping her finger on the table a moment as the cogs in her brain went round. "The Bynars?" Adrianna suggested, "if they can retrieve the files fully, perhaps Rogers can put him back together. I've seen that she was on the project that built the new EMH currently in situ, so she has experience, right?"

"The Beta Magellan system is a bit podunk of a place," Stillwater stated. "It would take a normal starship with a warp engine several months to get there. Fortunately, we have the benefit of our quantum slipstream drive. We can't push it too far, but we can significantly cut down on the journey. A brief layover at one of the Starbase for supplies then, high warp until the QSD is viable. We can cut a several months journey down, but it will still be a lengthy trip. Would you be able to get the QSD ready?"

The Captain looked at the Acting Chief Engineer.

Hamura's eyes narrowed as formulas and images ran through their busy mind.

"Are there any objections to trying this?" inquired Stillwater.

"None. I can do this. I need a few things on layover but we can get that done." Hamura said confidently.

Adrianna muttered under her breath, "hopefully a drop off of some Ekosians too."

"Your in laws, yes" Stillwater replied hearing her words. "The Eberhardts will be dropped off at the Starbase. You and your husband however have some leave time to make use of. Take your honeymoon, Petty Officer. It will take the Standing Bear some time before we can get official approval for this. Plenty of time for the two of you to have a proper honeymoon."

"Definitely the in-laws," Adrianna groaned, "I think a honeymoon on Risa is just what we need. Without them."

Captain Stillwater looked at Alex. "Lieutenant ," he said to Kingsley. "The Bynars are a strange species, though part of the Federation, very little starship traffic goes through that system. There has not been a proper science vessel there in ages. See what you can uncover. I want to avoid navigational hazards, but feel free to find a course lightly explored, your probes are collecting dust."

“I find they stay in one piece that way, Sir,” Kingsley retorted lightly.

Stillwater chuckled. "This is true. They can't be blown up if they stay where they are, not without all of us being blown up along with them. Nevertheless, let's prep them. We may be able to make some discoveries while we are out there."

Alex nodded, resigned to the inevitable demise of more probes. She had to stop naming them. “Of course.”

The Captain thought for a moment. "I should have enough pull to get this approved. If there are no objections to this, then we will proceed."

Hearing no objections to the tentative plan, Captain Stillwater sprung to his feet. "Meeting adorned. I'll request time to speak with Stargleet Command or someone in Admitalty that can get this done."

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