The Unveiling
Posted on 14 Jan 2015 @ 2:14am by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Min Zhao & Lieutenant Asahi Kita
Edited on on 15 Jan 2015 @ 5:15pm
2,523 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 5, Holodeck 1
Timeline: MD12 - 1400 hours
[ON]
"Computer, increase eyeliner by 20%. And bring back the spiked collar."
Tuula was putting some last minute adjustments on her latest project. She had been working on it in sickbay in her spare time, using the holo-projectors originally intended for the EMH. It was a project that she put a lot of thought into, as well as more than a little bit of her own personal touch. Though she enjoyed practicing medicine, she rarely got the opportunity to show off her creative side in her day job. For her, this project was a godsend.
"Hmmm... increase eyeliner by another 20%." She examined the holographic figure in front of her. "That's perfect. Computer, save Emergency Babysitting Hologram model Raven-5"
As she admired her handiwork, Tuula was interrupted by a chime. "Computer, end program!" she quickly called out, before answering the door. She didn't want to ruin the surprise at her big unveiling. "Come in!"
Naois entered, only Revan and Delon trailing behind him. For the moment, he had found someone to watch Laura for a little while. "You called for us doctor?" the man querried while the two boys seemed to hide behind him.
"Yes," replied Tuula. "I've got the physical model for the EBH all ready, and I thought I should invite you and the children down for the grand unveiling." Tuula moved on closer and leaned forward, focusing her attention on the little boys. "Did you hear that? You're going to get a sneak peek at your new babysitter!"
Asahi was next to stumble in, much less elegantly than Naois and the kids, much less elegantly than the previous entrance. Behind him, a happy little sheepdog trotted in, carrying a red ball in his mouth. "Hey guys, had to drag myself out of some refits on the warp core's outer bulkheads. Hope I'm not too late. Brought Hojo with me, if the kids like puppies."
Allyndra headed for the holodeck. She has somewhat started this idea for a babysitter hologram though she had stepped away once others got involved. In her culture raising young was more a communal affair but she knew that such an idea would not work here either. Still she was curious as to what had been programmed and had asked to be included.
"Doctors, Lieutenant Kita," she greeted the others and made a smile and a wave to Naois children.
Revan waved back at them all, while Delon seemed to have eyes only for the dog. The Romulan child stepped away from his father and knelt before the dog, studying him. The Betazoid child on the other hand stepped up to Tuula, black eyes fixed on the woman in the wheelchair. "I'm curious," he confessed with a slight smile. "Don't mind Delon doctor, please. He's just well...him. He's always like this."
Asahi nudged at the dog, who was more than happy to trot right up to the young child, ball in mouth. After a few careful sniffs, the ball was dropped at Delon's feet, and the pup gave a happy yip. "He wants you to throw it." The engineer nodded, gesturing toward the far end of the Holodeck. "His name's Hojo."
"You're curious?" asked Tuula, moving in closer to Revan. "That's great -- curiousity is responsible for many, many scientific discoveries," she said in a cheerful voice. "Now, what are you curious about? Is it about how I can be so stylish, even in a standard Starfleet uniform?"
The child smiled shyly. "That too," he confessed, "though I really want to know what you created."
"You will, very soon," replied Tuula, smiling down at the little boy. "Just wait -- I don't want to ruin the surprise!"
Min made her appearance, Lian attached in the sling Min had grown accustomed to placing her infant in. "Doctor." She nodded to Dr Mercy. "Chief."
"I am not a chief ma'am," Naois responded quietly, "I am a doctor."
"So I understand you have a possible EBH avatar prepared, Tuula?"
"Yes, I do," replied Tuula, looking up at the woman and her baby. She smiled at the baby for a moment before continuing. "I've been working very hard on coming up with just the right avatar for the EBH. I wanted something playful and different, but still able to command the children's attention when necessary. And, I added a bit of a personal touch because I figured if you're going to create a hologram, you might as well make her look good. Now," she looked around at the assembled crowd, "do we have everyone?"
Reasoning that if needed was missing that someone would have spoke up, Tuula rolled up in front of the assembled crowd, turned towards them, and continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are gathered here today for the grand unveiling of the physical model of our Emergency Babysitting Hologram. Or Raven, as I like to call her."
"Childcare is very important, especially as we've recently added a number of little ones to the Galileo family. That's why I feel so honoured to be a part of the EBH project. I've thought a lot about what the children might need in an Emergency Babysitting Hologram. They need a caregiver, a protector, and a friend. This Emergency Babysitting Hologram isn't just some extra in a holonovel, she has to take care of the most important assets on the Galielo -- our young ones. That is why I've put so much work into making sure her physical model is just perfect."
"Without further ado, I present to you Raven, our Emergency Babysitting Hologram." Tuula turned to the side so she could see her creation as it appeared. "Computer, activate EBH."
As the EBH appeared in front of her, the room went silent. Tuula admired her handiwork. Raven's makeup matched her black and blue fishnet ensemble, which in turn matched her hair. Her platform boots not only made her look taller, but also went well with her leather jacket. Her lip piercings and black lipstick matched the spiked collar around her neck. A pair of torn black and blue leggings covered her legs, and a skull print headband tied the whole outfit together, matching the EBH's skirt.
In short, Raven not only looked awesome, but she was everything that Tuula could want in a babysitter. All the details were perfect, and her whole ensemble betrayed the fact that Tuula had spent a lot of time getting it just right.
With the room still silent, Tuula started to turn back towards the assembled crowd. "So, what does everyone think?"
Revan's eyes went wide at the image and he turned to his father, who could only stare in shock. Delon on the other hand smiled and nodded in approval. "Awesome," the Romulan boy exclaimed, while still having half his attention on Kita's pup.
"Impractical," Naois commented, clearly not approving of the design.
"Impractical?" asked Tuula, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"And dangerous," the Vulcan supplied as he made a grab for his son, who started forward to touch the hologram. "Even if she is a hologram, this is not how a decent babysitter looks. If this were an actual person, she is an accident just waiting to happen."
Allyndra looked over the EBH. She was not sure about the makeup the thing wore, it seemed rather odd to her taste but then perhaps humans had a different aesthetic and the collar that looked rather forbidding for someone who was going to deal with infants to young children. "The collar must go," Allyndra finally said, "and are you sure about the makeup? Some species may react to the...well to me rather odd and almost scary look. How is the personality matrix?"
"Scary?" asked Tuula, dismayed at the flood of criticism directed at the design she worked so hard on. At least the one kid had taste. "How can that be, I based her hair, makeup and clothes largely on my wardrobe?"
Min was a bit taken aback by the look though she did her best to disguise her initial reaction. "I have to agree with Lt Mercy. Safety issues aside, the Avatar does not inspire trust and confidence in my own mind. Quite frankly, as much as I know it's a hologram so the programming is safe, I'm not inspired to trust it at first glance."
Asahi, on the other hand, had a completely different perspective. "She reminds me of one of the trapeze artists back at home... except I'm pretty sure she's wearing less clothing and her hair's all wrong for deft-defying stunts-she can't rock babies to sleep many feet up into the air, can she? Because that's frightening."
"I get it," said Tuula in an exasperated tone, not sure whether Asahi was complimenting or criticizing her work. She could no longer hide her frustration at the reception that her hard work was receiving. She poured her soul into this project, and the model for the EBH was in no small part also a representation of herself and her style. "You don't like her because she's different. You think she's scary, untrustworthy, and indecent -- even though we haven't even installed her personality matrix yet. Which... whatever, you can think what you want. But is that really what we want to teach the children? That differences are scary, and that people who are different shouldn't be trusted?"
Tuula surveyed the room, taking in the diversity in front of her - Naois' and Delon's ears, Allyndra's eyes, and her chair. "I hate to break it to you, but we're all different. We should be teaching the children that differences are awesome and they should be embraced, because those differences are what make us who we are. And who better to teach them that than Raven, their amazingly awesome looking EBH?"
"You have a point," Allyndra admitted. She thought a moment and added, "How would you think about a fluid model?" She knew that most might not know what she was thinking and continued before the question she proposed could be answered.
"Several presentation matrixes linked to the same personality matrix maybe going from this," Allyndra waved a hand in the holograms direction, 'Raven to something maybe milder. It would give parents a chance to select and mold slightly."
"We could do that," replied Tuula, her finger on her chin as she pondered the question. "But you saw how Shirley reacted when they changed her physical matrix; if she has a complicated personality matrix like the EMH, that might not be a good idea."
"I do not mind her haircolour," Naois observed, allowing some of the odd appearance, "but a babysitter should be practically and decently dressed. She is a role model to our children and I would not want my daughter to walk around in a fishnet."
"Why not?" asked Tuula. "I modeled her clothes after what I wear off-duty, and I turned out all right. Am I not a good role model?"
"Unlike the EMH, which was never designed to operate several instances at a time, the personality matrix can easily be linked to the appearance so we can create several avatars if we wish, and tie the personality to them."
Min paused. "Tuula, you are a respected member of this crew and have earned our trust, regardless of how you chose to dress outside of work. The problem here is that the EBH and the EMH are software programs and there is already a problem of trust inherent to the nature of both. Why I don't know as I work with these things all the time and in many ways they are safer then the flesh and blood that distrusts them."
"Because of that, getting people to use the program requires they trust it."
"I have to agree with Lieutenant Zhao," Allynrdra added though she hated using rank titles. "At the very least, perhaps changeable wardrobe. It is not only the children we have to satisfy but also the parents. Might I suggest that perhaps some sort of standard issue uniform be part of the programme? Everyone on board would be willing to accept that as it is a requirement."
Tuula sighed as she looked up at her creation. This wasn't an argument that she was going to win. The only consolation was that least one of the kids had good taste. "Fine," she uttered, "What's your suggestion for the EBH?"
Asahi held up a hand. "Before we go on, if it means one way or the other, I kinda like this EBH. Clothing aside-no offense, or anything-she's actually comforting... but I was raised among people who looked a little out of the norm." He nodded toward the others. "But having her switch around clothing or personality bits shouldn't be all that difficult to the energy grid I wanted to set up for her-or him!-Or whatever other gender distinction you'd like, really."
Min looked at the others. "As I have to program the thing, what I am going to do is program the holomatrix so that the EBH can take on different avatars as required. A standard starfleet ensign will be the default avatar on first load, and parent's will be permitted to chose from a selection of avatar's as they wish." Min looked at Tuula. "Yours will definitely be amongst the choices as I think it is only fair given the work you've put into it."
Allyndra nodded, "Agreed. We also have permission from the EMH Shirley for the EBH Raven," Allyndra used the names given to the two holoentiites. "To have full access to natal and pediatric medical database so that should be covered. Tuula," her attention turned. "Have you given this Raven a personality as well?"
"I'm afraid creating complex personality matrices for holograms is not one of my many talents," admitted Tuula, "but I suppose we could just use the one from the EMH as a base and adjust it however we see fit to make the EBH better suited for childcare duties."
"Why not your own?" Allyndra asked. "As you said you turned out fine, you have a good one and make some adjustments for age and duty being set. I would have let you oversee any child in a House on my home world."
"Really?" asked Tuula, her eyes lighting up with joy. "I'm... honoured. I... I don't know what to say." She surreptitiously wiped away a tear with her sleeve. "I love children. I'll do it."
Naois nodded in approval. "I second that suggestion," he added quietly.
Allyndra nodded, "Very good I think we are done here. Tuula you will work with the Counselor to ensure proper personality." The later was not a question but a polite command.
[OFF]
Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen (M.D.)
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
Lieutenant Asahi Kita
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo
Lt. Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo
Lt. j.g. Naois Mercy
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]
Lt Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo
Lt Min Nicholas (ne Zhao)
Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo
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