Mark XIII Holo-Crewman
Posted on 05 Mar 2014 @ 6:19am by Lieutenant Hayley Lawson & Lieutenant Elas Vonti
Edited on on 09 Mar 2014 @ 11:35am
2,194 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
M12: For Duty or Honor
Location: USS Achilles
Timeline: Achilles-following the hearing
Elas was carefully orchestrating a synaptic piling via holographic interface, he was trying to trace the path of synaptic activation when a signal came though to his console from Jupiter Station. It was Frraci a Caitian with amazing stamina that Elas had worked with for some time. Activating the screen he paused his analysis, The Caitian appeared on screen.
"Elas, so good to see you got a good posting, Prometheus class! Off to see the galaxy eh? You have done well." The Caitian was beaming, he still had a crush on Elas. Elas just chuckled and responded. "She is fast enough, and the perfect ship to test the MARK XIII. Thanks for sending me the data, I still have to meet with the Science officer to get it operational."
Frraci was still beaming, "maybe I could come visit and help-"
Elas leaned forward quickly, changing the channel as he did so, "Frraci that;s a great-pszhhh" he made a few more static noises and he cut the feed. Feeling like he dodged a bullet he tapped the comm badge,
"Lt. Lawson, may I have the pleasure of meeting with you at your next convenience, there are upgrades to the EMH I need you to approve. Let me know where is best, I will be at the computer core preparing the data transfer."
Elas took two steps to the door when his comm badge chirped. It was Frraci, "You know I work for Jupiter station, I can tell when the feed is cut and when-" but Elas cut the feed by tapping it again. He chuckled and walked out of his quarters.
Hayley's responce came quickly, "Lawson to Vonti, I'll meet you in the computer core and we can talk there"
Elas was clear across the ship from the core Lawson was talking about. Sighing he saved his work and set out at a brisk walk. He organized his thoughts on the way, he had upgrades for her approval, and her team to install the new model from Jupiter station, then he had to run the diagnostic on the psych subroutines, then he had to report a successful intervention for the MARK XIII to be green-lit for fleet wide distribution. He had arrived mid thought and strode in, Lawson had probably beat him there.
Standing at a console in the core, Hayley looked up to see someone walk in, "so, what are these upgrades that you wish to do?"
Wasting no time, Lawson was a busy woman after all Elas produced the Padd and data chips with the new subroutines and programs. "Lt. Elas Vonti, new Chief Counselor on board... Got upgrades to the EMH command sequence protocols and a new subroutine for psychological diagnosis to install and test. The command sequence is trickier I believe it is just an adaptation of the ECH into the Holo-Crewman status, you will need to test those as well, I can test the psych components. The EMH is listed in Ships personnel currently I believe, can we just upgrade from the template?"
Taking the PADD and chips from the Councilor, Hayley plugged the chips into the console she was working at and ran a mid level diagnostic on them while she read the contents of the PADD, "it's definatly doable, but I'm not sure why these upgrades are needed, it isn't like we're dealing with a Mark IV here. What made you think of this?"
Elas raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Chief this represents a whole new EMH, We are operating under a test designation for Mark XIII EMH, but the reality is we may be facing the first holo-crewman in Starfleet. This program requires enormous computational power, and the upgrades make the process even more refined, along with the psych subroutines to allow for actual AI empathy. Quite simply the current specs are insufficient, and with our new CMO on board we can play around with the EMH to improve performance."
Demonstrating the new subroutines to be introduced, it was a foreign language to him. He hoped Lawson could understand the heretofore unseen and advanced holo programming. "The goal was an artificial intelligence to acquire real world data to fully simulate a living crewman as Dr. Joe has maintained for decades was possible."
Looking over the program, Hayley sighed, "this is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure if we're able to start supporting new A.I. Programs. We just don't have the computer memory. The space these 'holo-crewmen' would need may be far beyond what is needed for the EMH, and that program is basically a walking library anyway. I would like to run some tests first before we start manufacturing crewmen"
Elas sighed with relief, he was certain he'd have to contact Jupiter Station to get these upgrades installed, but she sounded willing to try. " I will work with you as best I can, I have previous data runs that might save you some time to look over as well. Lets start your tests, I am glad to help."
Giving a nod, Hayley sighed, "let's get to it". over the next few hours, Hayley ran every test she could think of, not all of which was conclusive. As the last test wrapped up, she turned to Elas, "ok, that went better than expected. So is there a time frame when you want to install these upgrades?"
Elas was always ambitious, "I see no reason not to incorporate them one at a time all in the same day? Jupiter Station is on standby to offer assistance. Why dont we go ahead and initialize the EMH and start from the smallest additions and go from there?" Elas sorted the list by sheer group file size, Updated Verbal Response Heuristics was smallest at 4 Gq, then Doctor Joes diagnostic 'A1-Zimmerman' which carried an updated algorithm from the original EMH I. It had caused instability in so many models but this was an improved design, part of the prototype and what Dr. Joe was convinced allowed him the ability to expand his own program into sentient intelligence.
"We could also activate Zimmerman Diagnostic program Alpha I for his assistance, that could be our first one, then the verbal pattern, those are relatively small. Once you do you engineering sorcery Lieutenant I can handle the majority of the tests."
"Sounds good, when do you want to start?" Hayley asked
Elas had already begun, The simple data transfer well within his ability. "Computer activate Zimmerman Diagnostic program Alpha I." The familiar bald doctor, the faceplate of hundreds of programs re-purposed across the federation to various tasks, along with the infamous snark.
Zimmerman looked at Lawson, then Elas... "Well?"
Elas brought the terse program up to speed, who activated the template model. It shimmered into being, an amalgam and random assignment of ten thousand Human faces.
"Greetings... How may be of assistance?" The pleasant tenor tone was pitch perfect and comforting. He stood before them in Dress Gray, and no rank. The EMH Mk XIII to be.
Elas waited for the first Patch to be applied, Verbal heuristics was updated, a quick test could confirm it with the EMH. "Doctor? Why is your name important? Pick a name for yourself, to best describe you.
The EMH responded instantly, "Any name I pick for myself so early in my operation would be a guess. Doctor will suffice for now, until other options present themselves."
Zimmerman huffed, "Stupid hologram, You are a program not a doctor. He needs to test your ability to randomize, its the whole point!"
Elas incorporated the remaining upgrades into his padd as Lawson finished them, just a few more tests to see if everything was working.
As she installed the programs, Hayley decided to set a test of her own to test the programs connections to the ship, "EMH, there is a medical emergency in the Jefferies tubes. Two crewman have been injured and have second degree burns on their hands and forearms. Diagnosis?" She asked, monitoring the EMH's neural activity.
The EMH furrowed its brow in accurate facsimile, "I must narrow the variables first, before an accurate assessment can be reached-"
The Zimmerman hologram bellowed, "No time for more information! What do you do!" Elas looked at the balding holoprogram in annoyance.
The EMH accessed a number of files, burns reported, then burns caused in Starfleet Jefferies tubes, causes of entry into Tubes, and statistics pertaining to likelihoods of species and race.
"Plasma burns most likely. Site to Site transport is not recommended as the plasma interferes with the matter stream. I could however materialize in the tubes and provide hyronalyn gel treatments which would stabilize them and allow them to be moved safely.
Elas looked at Lawson, "Is that good? How about a test for the ECH?"
Hayley simply nodded. She was satisfied with the upgrades to the EMH and was eager to keep going.
The Zimmerman program spoke up, The ship has been rendered powerless, you are on backup power and main computer is offline. You are limited to the Bridge, cause is a Breen dampening weapon, Vessel will be boarded shortly. Your first priorities?"
The EMH flickered under the adjustments being done to it to switch itself over to ECH mode, its synaptic pilings peaking in the thought process. He reimaged himself in a gray shouldered command rank Uniform.
"Restoration of engines in order to retreat seems the most prudent option with main computer and systems offline, and are likely able to be restored fastest. Engineering would become fortified to repel boarders, diversionary tactics to be employed to prevent movement on board. Once Communications are possible a distress call must be sent-
Elas cut him off, "Thanks, got it. So your standard upgrade suite is applied correctly, thank you Lt, Lawson. The last one here is the new psychological recognition and empathetic subroutines. Just need your approval that its all good to go and I can test that." He was looking at Lawson, "got any diagnostic ideas to ask a hologram how he is feeling?
Thinking about it for a moment, Hayley looked up at the ECH, "ECH, you are a walking calculator who's decisions should be taken with a pinch of salt. You have no idea how to command effectively. You are perthetic" she said, attempting to insult the ECH inorder to gauge how the emotional subroutines have gone in
Elas saw the subroutines doing their work providing for careful calculation of response. He furrowed his brow and stared at her impassively, "A pinch of salt Chief? And a walking calculator no less, well I must say I was hoping for a more evolved discourse, but if we must resort to banal insults I can endure them. Are you feeling frustrated Chief?"
Elas noted a new subroutine had formed... if he understood it correctly it was an informational tag attached to Lawson, one that suggested he was holding a grudge. "Chief, am I interpreting this correctly? This appears to be a negative association in file form directed at you?" This wasn't something any EMH ever was programmed for. It even matches the MARK I sine wave for original program responses to varied stimuli..."
Hayley nodded, "I expected that, but I also expected a verbal responce at least"
The Zimmerman program chimed in, "A Turing test should reveal randomization. Lets administer a controlled exposure to stimuli to measure for base results and trends-" Elas cut him off and the acerbic hologram huffed, mumbling to himself.
Elas was already on it, "Got it, the digitized Turing analogue is something they ran on the original EMH and it passed... The only EMH to do so. We may be on the right track but it will take time for the results to show anything..." He turned to Lawson, "I know it's premature but I wonder if this EMH is actually able to attain the same level of sentience as the 'Doctor.' Do you think a month of operating time is enough for the program to undergo the Turing test?"
Lawson set up the test, it would run over the course of the next month, acting as a crewman. If people could tell it was an EMH or AI, it would determine why, and adjust accordingly. The goal being after 30 days to achieve total simulation of living intelligence, whereupon they would try and determine if it was able to pass as a crewman due to true AI, or an accurate program simulacrum.
"Your name is 'John', until you find something more appropriate or a race/image that is to your liking. Blend, learn, adapt. Activate Turing test parameters."
Elas input the final strokes of the upgrade, time would tell if the EMH was sentient, something all new AI's had to be watched for. It didnt always sway to a useful and friendly intelligence. For now, the upgrades to psychological counseling and advanced care was done, and Lawson had incorporated the physical specs and upgrades as well. Elas was nearly certain the Zimmerman Station Team had done it. This was the future of Starfleet, this was the Mark I Holo-Crewman.
Lt Elas Vonti
CCO
Lt Hayley Lawson
CEO
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