Little Patience for Holograms

Posted on Fri Feb 26th, 2010 @ 5:39am by Commander Earlond & Commander Michael Evans M.D. & Vice Admiral Iluvar

Mission: Episode 1.1 - "Now Boarding"
Location: Main Sickbay, USS Pandora
Timeline: MD03, 1420

ON: [[Main Sickbay, USS Pandora, MD03, 1420]]

For once, Earlond wasn't coming to Sickbay to be patched up. Still, he didn't exactly hate the place, and Michael wasn't that bad of company. Unfortunately, right now he didn't seem to be here - perhaps he was elsewhere helping transfer medical supplies.

"Computer, activate the EMH," Earlond said. He hadn't had much experience with their EMH, but he'd heard it wasn't that bad. What was its name again?

Two images materialized side-by-side. One a human female in a teal uniform, the other a male in the same. "Welcome to Sickbay. How may I help you," querried the female at the same time the male politely demanded, "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

The male was, of course, Doctor Haelen. He rolled his eyes. "Not you again! Are you going to pop up every time I'm activated by an unwitting crewmember?"

Without looking in Haelen's direction, the Mark X replied, "There is a perfectly simple solution to your problem, though I doubt you'd be able to figure it out. We could simply remove your program. That would ensure you were never activated again." She turned and gave Haelen a smug look before turning her attention back to the man standing before them.

Earlond watched the exchange with interest. Apparently, they had an extra EMH. Finally, he decided to intervene. "Quiet!" he barked, glaring at the EMH's.

"Sorry, sir," Anthony said. Choosing to affect a 'team' approach with his holographic colleague, at least for now, he asked, "How can we help you?" He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Mark X, hoping she would see the sense of following suit. He tried to inobtrusively convey a sense of temporary professional truce to her, but stopped after realizing that it probably looked like he had gas or something instead.

The smug look had not yet vanished from the Mark X's face. She found it highly amusing that this archaic predecessor was making a rather poor attempt to appease. Perhaps the extended role that had been place upon its matrix was proving to be too much, not that it would be any surprise. It was simply another reason why her matrix was superior.

"First thing," Earlond said. "I don't like EMH's, especially the new ones, so wipe that smug look off your face before it becomes the last expression your 'superior matrix' creates." He turned deliberately to Dr. Haelen. "Do you know where Doctor Evans is?"

"I believe he's in a scheduled consultation with Doctor Winchester, sir," Haelen replied. The 'I don't like EMH's' remark stung a little, but he decided he shouldn't take it too personally. "I am the Assistant CMO. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Alright," Earlond said. "I was just stopping by to see how things were settling in the medical department. I understand you have some new personnel?"

Haelen nodded as he stepped to grab a PADD. "Several personnel transferred from the Tethys, but we have received new staff to fill in the ranks including an experienced pathologist. We're also interning an exophysiologist." He handed the PADD to Earlond, which contained a lengthy pre-departure itenerary. Most of the items had been completed already. "And of course the Mark X will be joining us for a probationary period."

"Hmmph," scoffed the other EMH as her name was mentioned. She still could not understand why this Mark I model was attempting to pass itself off as an individual, let alone the Assistant Chief Medical Officer. Clearly, his matrix was suffering from delusions of grandeur and false impressions in addition to the myriad of other failings that had plagued the earlier models.

Earlond turned a weighty glare towards te Mark X. "Something you want to say?" he asked coldly. He was beginning to see why some of the crew prefered Dr. Haelen.

"I don't know where you got this...thing...but I am the Emergency Medical Hologram assigned to the USS Pandora," she said in a cold tone, giving Haelen a sidewise glance. This was starting to become more and more ridiculous. Despite the obvious advancements in her matrix over the Mark I, those that she had encountered among the senior staff seemed to prefer the archaic model. It was almost as if they saw her as being inferior, though that didn't seem logical at all.

"Facinating," Earlond said. "You know what? You're right. You are the Emergency Medical Hologram. Computer, deactivate the Mark X." Earlond turned back towards Haelen. "What a headache. Now, Dr. Evans seems to like you and I'm going to trust his judgement, but don't think that I won't deactivate you if you ever get that superiority complex. However, you are the ACMO, as I understand, so you can let me know - or have Michael let me know - if you have any problems getting the medical department ready." Namely, that self-centered Mark X....Earlond would have to talk to Iluvar about that thing.

"Aye, sir," Haelen acknowledged. "Things are going smoothly at the moment, but we'll keep you updated. ...And I'll try to keep my superiority under control," he finished with a slight smile, but then regretted saying it as he hoped Earlond had a sense of humor.

Earlond nodded curtly. Dr. Haelen wasn't all that bad. Earlond might be able to get used to him being around. "As you were, then," he said, turning to leave.

"Aye, sir," Haelen replied, then said, "Computer: Please deactivate my program." The computer acknowledged the command and the ACMO disappeared into the ethers.

OFF

A JP by

Commander Earlond
Executive Officer
USS Pandora

Dr. Anthony Haelen (PNPC)
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Pandora
Played by: LtCmdr Evans

and

EMH Mark X(PNPC)
Emergency Medical
USS Pandora
Played by: RAdm Iluvar