Someone changed the lightbulb...Part 1

Posted on 18 Apr 2014 @ 10:27pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Lieutenant Atri Bi'trell & Lieutenant Elas Vonti

1,242 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M12: For Duty or Honor
Location: USS Achilles
Timeline: MD 2 - 1430

[Sickbay]

Atri walked slowly around the room, admiring her new space. Barely sectioned off from the rest of Sickbay though it was, it was hers, now. She ran her hand along the black inner curve of her desk as she settled into the soft black of the chair.

A light blinked on a surface display.

Accessing the message, Atri was somewhat confused to find a report on access to the EMH program. It had been activated in the Primary Computer Core, its program had been greatly altered and expanded well beyond her understanding, and was currently soaking up resources on a single sub-process.

Her brow furrowed over her narrowed eyes as she quickly brought up her personal message log to see if she'd missed something. There was, however, no sign of a request for, or warning of a change to the EMH program.

"Computer," Atri said, looking over the EMH access record. "I don't see information here on who activated the EMH program in the Computer Core. Is that data stored?"

The computer beeped a reply, stating, "That activation of the Emergency Medical Hologram was initiated by the Zimmerman Diagnostic Program Alpha I."

"The what..?" Atri muttered.

"The Zimmerman Diagnostic Program Alpha I is a holographic interface for fault detection and advanced troubleshooting of the Starfleet Emergency Medical Hologram." came the computer's flat reply.

"Well, someone had to have activated that," she said.

"The EMH Diagnostic Program was activated by Lieutenant Elas Vonti."

"The Chief Counselor?" Atri asked, getting a terse beep of affirmative from the computer.

Atri fell back into her chair, running a hand from front to back along her head.

"Computer, where is Admiral Da'nal?" Atri asked, pushing herself out of the chair.

"Admiral Da'nal is in his Ready Room."

She transferred the EMH's access history to a PADD set on the desk, and then tucked it into the pocket of her lab coat before heading out of Sickbay. If the Admiral knew about this, then it would do her well to learn why his view of her appointed office was so different from her own.


[Admiral's Ready Room]

With the ship under way once again Da`nal handed a padd to his yeoman only to be given another. "Don't these ever end?"

Lance grinned. "Last one Sir...and I saved the best for last."

Looking up at him, "This isn't another notice of inquiry from Admiral Zedo is it?"

Chuckling Lance shook his head. "Oh no...if it were do you think I'd be in the room when you read it!?"

Da`nal laughed heartedly at the reply as the doors chime sounded, "Enter!"

The laughter was subsiding as the doors parted. "Ah Doctor, come in. What can I do for you...wait; you two are about to double team me into an exam are you?"

Atri stepped into the room, immediately disarmed by the carefree air. She had been bordering on fuming as she made her way through the ship, running scenario after scenario through her head of how she would confront the Admiral about disregarding her authority over the ship's medical systems.

"I, ah..." she stammered slightly, and chuckled. "Not today, Admiral - though I would like to re-up several of the crew on their health assessments, you included." She found herself standing at parade rest, and wondered if she looked as awkward as she felt. "I actually came to you to ask about the recent upgrades to the EMH. I understand that all approval authority rests on you, but I feel I would have liked to have been informed before the program was modified."

Da`nal wrinkled his brow in confusion. "Someone modified the EMH? As the CMO you should have been advised to any alterations to medical equipment."

Looking up at Lance, "Have you received any notices from Starfleet medical on upgrades to the EMH?"

Lance shook his head, he already knew what was coming and didn't want to be hear when it hit the fan, "No sir..."

Returning his gaze to the Doctor, "Who?"

Atri removed the PADD from her pocket and handed it across the desk to the Admiral.

"Counselor Vonti, according to the access logs," she said, relaxing her stance. "Though I wouldn't think he would have access to the program's code."

Da`nal took a breath and here he had just began smoothing things out with the counselor after their initial rocky start. ~what was a counselor doing messing with a hologram?~ he thought to himself. ~No, I'm not going to do that...~ He let out his breath. "Computer display status and systems properties of the EMH program. Compare memory, power & processor usage of the program before and after the upgrades." As the data was displayed his nostrils flared at spike in the use of ships resources.

Tapping his commbage. "Lieutenant Vonti, report to the Ready Room."

=/\="Acknowledged Admiral, it may be a moment in session with a patient currently. Vonti Out."

"Have a seat Doctor, while we wait do have anything else to add?"

Atri sat down in the chair across from the Klingon, and crossed her legs.

"Firstly, I apologize for coming in here on the defensive, like that, sir" she said. "I was a bit stunned by the situation, is all, as I'm sure you can understand. Secondly, I haven't had a chance to speak much with Counselor Vonti," she added. "Is this unusual for him? Or should I be expecting him to... continue finding tasks outside of his regular duties?"

Da`nal nodded slowly and allowed her to finish. "To the first, no need to apologize. You made the only natural assumption you could have made. You didn't authorize the modification and there was only a small number of people that could have. To the second...he is as new here as you are so I cannot comment as to his regular habits but I can assure you we will both be speaking with him shortly"

Atri nodded. "Is there anything you'd like to add, sir?" She asked. "We haven't spoken much since I came aboard. What expectations do you have of your new Chief Medical Officer?"

"Other than keeping the crew healthy and patching up the injured, you are doing it...don't let anyone undermine your department." He paused slightly but before continuing but the chime sounded to his door.

"Enter"

Elas stood in the doorway fora moment, he knew an ambush when he saw one. The intent pouring off of both of them was adversarial and accusatory. He hadn't met the new Doctor yet, "Admiral, as ordered. Doctor, I haven't had the pleasure yet, Elas Vonti, Counselor on board." He bowed halfway from the waist in her direction.

Turning slightly in her chair in order to see the Ullian, Atri smiled and returned the bow with a nod. "I'm glad to finally meet you, Counselor," she said. "Though the circumstances may not be optimal."

Indicating the chair opposite him and next to Dr. Bi'trell; "Have a seat Lieutenant."

Elas did, the anxiety in him on the rise. He wondered what this could be about, he felt the Doctor was agitated, though the Admiral only seemed slightly angry. He hoped it wasn't something he had done in session, his technique was invasive but nobody had ever complained.

"If this is about using telepathy in my sessions without written consent, I have dispensation for verbal and emergency therapy methods...?"


TBC

 

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