DARK TERRITORY:
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Holographic Imaging and Programming
Jupiter Station
2378
Captain Terrence S. Glover leaned back in his seat, casually perusing the list of names on the padd. “You can’t be serious?” He asked, only half in jest as his a too familiar name caught his eye.
“About whom?” Dr. Miranda Degas asked, with an almost painful intensity. If he was a younger man Terrence thought he would help the severe, though cute, red head loosen up. She definitely needed it, but that Terrence didn’t exist anymore.
“Sandhurst…” Glover said, “Donald Sandhurst?”
“Yes,” Degas nodded matter-of-factly, as if she couldn’t see why he had an issue with the man’s inclusion.
“You can’t seriously be considering Sandhurst as a template for the Emergency Command Hologram, can you?”
Degas rubbed the bridge of her pointed nose, in obvious annoyance that she had to answer such an obvious question. “Captain Sandhurst is one of many candidates that we are looking at…including you.”
“Ha,” Terrence snorted. “Don’t put me in a league with that guy. He couldn’t captain his way out of a wet paper bag.”
“His service jacket says otherwise, with an extensive record of accomplishment.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Glover shrugged. “Let’s get on to something really important.”
“And that would be?”
“Me,” Terrence grinned and Dr. Degas’s glower stretched his smile out further. “I’m ready to be immortalized.”
***********************************************************
Holodeck One
Captain Glover tried to keep the façade of good cheer, but standing on the bridge of his beloved Cuffe, even if it was a holographic recreation, brought back more haunts to pile upon the ones of the last few years. He knew this experience would probably keep him up for a few nights, but that was nothing new for him lately. He just hoped that the psych profile Degas ran on him, in addition to reimaging him for the training exercise, wouldn’t reveal too many of his scars, the physical and mental.
“Are you feeling well Captain?” Degas asked, with almost enough concern to make her appear that she wasn’t probing.
“Fine,” Terrence replied, realizing a second later that he came off a bit gruff.
“You don’t have to watch the simulation if you don’t want,” Degas offered. “We will share the findings with you after the completion of the test.” Glover looked over at the large window inset into the prow of the bridge where holo-technicians worked. During the exercise that window would be covered with what would’ve been the main viewer on his ship. He then looked at Degas. Despite the less noticeable chill in the woman’s demeanor and the glimmer of concern in her pale green eyes, Terrence hardened.
Lately there had been a lot of doubts about him, a lot of whispers among his superiors and peers in the Fleet, even among those that served under him. Was he the same man he had been years ago? Did he still have it? Would he buckle under pressure?
Those questions gnawed at him like voles. What distressed him most was that he didn’t know the answers. He had always known, always been confident in his abilities, but…the years had not been kind. Truth was, he didn’t know if he even deserved to be one of the candidates for the ECH program. Surely they were basing it on his earlier performance. But he would be damned to admit that to Dr. Degas, or confess he might not belong on a list that contained Donald Sandhurst’s name on it. Not that he couldn’t admit a grudging respect for what Sandhurst had been able to do with from the captain’s chair in recent years, Terrence still didn’t think the man was up to snuff. And no amount of “evidence” to the contrary could shake that feeling.
Now this program, which he couldn’t turn down, and Degas’s questions, had pulled back the scab on still fresh wounds. “I’m surprised you didn’t resign with Dr. Zimmerman,” Glover struck, more out of defensiveness than to be cruel. Though he knew the words would strike a chord with Degas. “You were his protégé after all.”
Predictably the brief thaw quickly iced over. “Dr. Zimmerman made his choice. I made mine.”
Glover nodded. “So, you don’t share his views on holographic rights?”
“Holograms are not sentient beings,” Degas fixed him with a hard stare and a frustrated sigh. Terrence could tell by the ragged tone in her voice that she had made that statement countless times.
Terrence wasn’t sure which side was correct. But he did know a few things about Zimmerman and the incipient holographic rights movement that had begun in earnest with the return of the Starship Voyager and the most famous photonic being in the galaxy, the ship’s Emergency Medical Hologram, modeled after Zimmerman, but only known as the Doctor. “What about the Doctor?” Glover asked, “Or the Fontaine program on DS9?”
“Those are two rare, isolated events,” Degas countered, “with long-running, heavily modified programs. They can’t be duplicated in every instance and I’m not sure they should be.”
“But this whole idea, the ECH program came from Voyager’s Doctor,” Terrence protested. “And he showed the capability to learn and grow….to feel. So did Fontaine. Who’s to say that if we didn’t let all of these photonic programs run that it wouldn’t happen more often?”
“And who’s going to pay the power bill?” Degas scoffed.
“I’m more concerned about protecting life, no matter the costs,” Glover rejoined, warming up to the subject. It had been one many across the Federation had debated formally and in their workplaces and homes since the holographic rights movement had gained traction. “What about the android, Lt. Commander Data from the Enterprise. He was ruled a sentient being. What makes him different than the Doctor or Fontaine?”
“For one, he’s not confined to one portion of a starship or building, and he doesn’t need a mobile emitter to move around,” Degas countered. “The approximation of life isn’t life itself. Photonic beings are merely the sum of their programming. Data was…much more.”
“Because he was programmed to be more,” Terrence went in for the kill, “which has also happened with the Doctor and Fontaine, and could happen for others.”
“The issue will be rectified by far more eminent personages than me…or even you Captain Glover,” Degas replied sharply, a hint of a sneer on her face. “I recommend that we proceed with the test.”
“Okay,” Glover replied, pleased that he had stumped her. Maybe that’ll teach her to stop probing me, looking for weaknesses, he thought. “One more thing, I’m staying on the bridge.”
****************************************************************
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Holographic Imaging and Programming
Jupiter Station
2378
Captain Terrence S. Glover leaned back in his seat, casually perusing the list of names on the padd. “You can’t be serious?” He asked, only half in jest as his a too familiar name caught his eye.
“About whom?” Dr. Miranda Degas asked, with an almost painful intensity. If he was a younger man Terrence thought he would help the severe, though cute, red head loosen up. She definitely needed it, but that Terrence didn’t exist anymore.
“Sandhurst…” Glover said, “Donald Sandhurst?”
“Yes,” Degas nodded matter-of-factly, as if she couldn’t see why he had an issue with the man’s inclusion.
“You can’t seriously be considering Sandhurst as a template for the Emergency Command Hologram, can you?”
Degas rubbed the bridge of her pointed nose, in obvious annoyance that she had to answer such an obvious question. “Captain Sandhurst is one of many candidates that we are looking at…including you.”
“Ha,” Terrence snorted. “Don’t put me in a league with that guy. He couldn’t captain his way out of a wet paper bag.”
“His service jacket says otherwise, with an extensive record of accomplishment.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Glover shrugged. “Let’s get on to something really important.”
“And that would be?”
“Me,” Terrence grinned and Dr. Degas’s glower stretched his smile out further. “I’m ready to be immortalized.”
***********************************************************
Holodeck One
Captain Glover tried to keep the façade of good cheer, but standing on the bridge of his beloved Cuffe, even if it was a holographic recreation, brought back more haunts to pile upon the ones of the last few years. He knew this experience would probably keep him up for a few nights, but that was nothing new for him lately. He just hoped that the psych profile Degas ran on him, in addition to reimaging him for the training exercise, wouldn’t reveal too many of his scars, the physical and mental.
“Are you feeling well Captain?” Degas asked, with almost enough concern to make her appear that she wasn’t probing.
“Fine,” Terrence replied, realizing a second later that he came off a bit gruff.
“You don’t have to watch the simulation if you don’t want,” Degas offered. “We will share the findings with you after the completion of the test.” Glover looked over at the large window inset into the prow of the bridge where holo-technicians worked. During the exercise that window would be covered with what would’ve been the main viewer on his ship. He then looked at Degas. Despite the less noticeable chill in the woman’s demeanor and the glimmer of concern in her pale green eyes, Terrence hardened.
Lately there had been a lot of doubts about him, a lot of whispers among his superiors and peers in the Fleet, even among those that served under him. Was he the same man he had been years ago? Did he still have it? Would he buckle under pressure?
Those questions gnawed at him like voles. What distressed him most was that he didn’t know the answers. He had always known, always been confident in his abilities, but…the years had not been kind. Truth was, he didn’t know if he even deserved to be one of the candidates for the ECH program. Surely they were basing it on his earlier performance. But he would be damned to admit that to Dr. Degas, or confess he might not belong on a list that contained Donald Sandhurst’s name on it. Not that he couldn’t admit a grudging respect for what Sandhurst had been able to do with from the captain’s chair in recent years, Terrence still didn’t think the man was up to snuff. And no amount of “evidence” to the contrary could shake that feeling.
Now this program, which he couldn’t turn down, and Degas’s questions, had pulled back the scab on still fresh wounds. “I’m surprised you didn’t resign with Dr. Zimmerman,” Glover struck, more out of defensiveness than to be cruel. Though he knew the words would strike a chord with Degas. “You were his protégé after all.”
Predictably the brief thaw quickly iced over. “Dr. Zimmerman made his choice. I made mine.”
Glover nodded. “So, you don’t share his views on holographic rights?”
“Holograms are not sentient beings,” Degas fixed him with a hard stare and a frustrated sigh. Terrence could tell by the ragged tone in her voice that she had made that statement countless times.
Terrence wasn’t sure which side was correct. But he did know a few things about Zimmerman and the incipient holographic rights movement that had begun in earnest with the return of the Starship Voyager and the most famous photonic being in the galaxy, the ship’s Emergency Medical Hologram, modeled after Zimmerman, but only known as the Doctor. “What about the Doctor?” Glover asked, “Or the Fontaine program on DS9?”
“Those are two rare, isolated events,” Degas countered, “with long-running, heavily modified programs. They can’t be duplicated in every instance and I’m not sure they should be.”
“But this whole idea, the ECH program came from Voyager’s Doctor,” Terrence protested. “And he showed the capability to learn and grow….to feel. So did Fontaine. Who’s to say that if we didn’t let all of these photonic programs run that it wouldn’t happen more often?”
“And who’s going to pay the power bill?” Degas scoffed.
“I’m more concerned about protecting life, no matter the costs,” Glover rejoined, warming up to the subject. It had been one many across the Federation had debated formally and in their workplaces and homes since the holographic rights movement had gained traction. “What about the android, Lt. Commander Data from the Enterprise. He was ruled a sentient being. What makes him different than the Doctor or Fontaine?”
“For one, he’s not confined to one portion of a starship or building, and he doesn’t need a mobile emitter to move around,” Degas countered. “The approximation of life isn’t life itself. Photonic beings are merely the sum of their programming. Data was…much more.”
“Because he was programmed to be more,” Terrence went in for the kill, “which has also happened with the Doctor and Fontaine, and could happen for others.”
“The issue will be rectified by far more eminent personages than me…or even you Captain Glover,” Degas replied sharply, a hint of a sneer on her face. “I recommend that we proceed with the test.”
“Okay,” Glover replied, pleased that he had stumped her. Maybe that’ll teach her to stop probing me, looking for weaknesses, he thought. “One more thing, I’m staying on the bridge.”
****************************************************************
