Decisions, decisions

Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2016 @ 22:18 by Commander Caroline Miller

Mission: Old, New Ship
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Current
891 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

This was a really important decision. It had taken a while to get to, sorting out supplies, doing all the senior crew medical checks when they had dropped in and basically just catching up with things. But now she had a window and it was time to tackle it.

But first, “Latte, Italian dark roast. A dash of vanilla and cinnamon, half fat milk,” she ordered the replicator. The blond picked up the cup and inhaled the scent. “Mmmmm,” she muttered trotting back to a bio bed and sitting down.

“Okay we are going to do this,” she said to herself before taking a sip of the treat. The sharpness cut through the sweet delectably and the caffeine giving her a jolt combatting the afternoon slump. It dawned on her this was her first drink in hours and she had earlier told another officer to make sure they drank more fluids.

“Right computer please activate the emergency medical hologram,” Caroline said swinging her feet up to sit cross legged on the bed. A flash of a memory of her father passed in her mind before the computer cut through that thought.

“Please specify which emergency medical hologram programme you require,”

Caroline twitched her head to the side in confusion. She had not been expecting that.

“Computer, does the ship have more than one EMH?” she asked.

“An Excalibur Class starship is equipped with a total of 4 Emergency Medical Holograms,”

“Are they designed with different parameters?” Caroline asked, “Or are you saying the ship can run all 4 at the same time?”

“The ship is capable in a Medical emergency of running a total of 4 emergency medical holograms. Each programme has a unique base setting through and can be customised as you wish visually.”

“Talk about making the decision harder,” she muttered. Caroline took another sip of the divine brown concoction. “Computer display all 4 holograms at their base settings.”

Immediately a balding human male – Dr Zimmerman naturally, a dark eyed very attractive young human, a female Vulcan and to her surprise a large dinosaur type alien appeared in sickbay all saying in unison – “Please state the nature of the medical emergency.”

“At ease,” she said. “There’s no emergency.”

“Then why have you summoned us Dr Miller?” the Vulcan asked.

Caroline cocked an eyebrow impressed. Engineering it seemed had already programmed in recognition of her as the CMO.

“I was trying to work out who the ships EMH should be,” she said looking them all over.

She knew that the programme was intuitive. It would learn from responses and working along side the staff effectively developing more of a personality as time went by. She also knew she could if she wanted to change the race and appearance but she also knew each these images were unique and pioneering doctors to have the honour of being a base representation.

“It is not something we are programmed to help you with Dr Miller,” the dinosaur spoke. For a creature so large and bulky, its voice was incredibly soft. Almost sweet even. She stifled a thought. Perhaps the rude XO wouldn’t try pushing this creature around like he had been throwing his weight earlier.

“Figures you would say that,” she said with a smile. “You all look so different and unique.”

“Perhaps a process of elimination, which of us do you find the most appealing visually and feel would put the crew at ease?” the Zimmerman image suggested.

Caroline froze for a moment. The program it seemed was already reacting to her indecisiveness. “Computer, what model are these holograms?” she asked.

“The Emergency holograms are model Sierra 4.3”

For the second time Caroline was impressed. They were top of the range. Her last ship had only had 1 model sierra 3.

“It is a logical suggestion,” the Vulcan stated.

“Okay,” Caroline said gamely, she downed another sip of coffee and got off the bed to take a closer look. It felt odd expecting 4 holographic individuals. She started to weigh up the merits. Most older holograms were the Zimmerman image and design. Starfleet officers and crew were already comfortable with the original.

The second one however was rather dreamy. With nice blue eyes. “Oh no …..” she muttered. “Computer change this holograms eyes to …. Green,” she settled on the colour. “We have too many men with blue eyes already and we can’t have any more nurses getting lost in them.”

A Vulcan doctor always had an interesting “logic” algorithm. And sometimes as annoying as that could be it kept you sharp. Thinking in a different way.

And the dinosaur, she got up close. Scaly and sharp teeth. “Do you smile?” she asked. Its mouth …. No snout sweep up into a curve. It was unnerving yet she couldn’t really take her eyes off it. It was memorising. It would be a talking point.

Caroline downed the last of her coffee and had a thought. “Computer can you cycle through the EMH’s? Project a different one each time we use one?”

“Affirmative,”

Caroline smiled. Each of these had the potential to develop a different personality and it would keep things interesting. “Okay computer please do that and keep all of them at the base setting.”

She turned back to them all. “I guess good bye for now. Computer end programmes.”

OFF:

Dr Caroline Miller
CMO, USS Merlin