~Interlude~ [Dictated]

[a_11]

[Tech Filter]

Good afternoon,

[A clearing of the throat.]

I'm... Well, I suppose you could call me Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, although I am merely a holographic representation of him.

It seems this castle... [And you can just hear the drawling disbelief in his voice.] ...has decided to seperate my holographic matrix from your Emergency Medical Hologram's to assist in the building of a Federation Holodeck here.

Although, the actual cause of my being here is still under debate. [Magic. Please.]

Regardless, due to my role as the diagnostic matrix for the EMH, I am versed in hardware support, as well as the EMH's actual matrix. It didn't take too long to build, what I call, the Idiot's Guide to Holo-Engineering.

Now, I am fully aware that there aren't any academy qualified engineers, so I suppose I will have to make do with whoever's interested. I'm a hologram, not an engineer. As such, my instructions also come with a base set of information on Isolinear Circuitry as a pre-requisite to receiving the aforementioned idiot's guide. Holo-technology is not something you can just wave an isolinear spanner at until it works.

Anyone interested, please let me know, and I will make sure the documentation is delivered.

Comments

Filter forever

[whichwayyoulean]

[These things are relevant to his interests]

I think you'll find if you wave a spanner at something for long enough, it'll eventually work.

[He's joking. Mostly] Never worked with anything that futuristic, but sure, I'll give it a try. Send some of those guides my way, I'm in 1620.

Action!

[a_11]

[And Doctor Zimmerman feels the need to go meet this joker in person.

He raps on the door to 1620, an unamused look on his face.

Because, seriously?]

forever!

[whichwayyoulean]

[There might be a sandbag swinging your way, dude. He leaves his security system on when he thinks things are being ghost delivered.

...Might want to duck. Or run]

[a_11]

[Holograms have the handy ability of disabling the force-fields that make them solid so that matter can phase through them.

This is exactly what Dr. Zimmerman does. The PADD he's holding drops to the floor and he sighs.]

Oh, yes. Very mature.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh hey, a voice. The Once-ler carefully opens his door]

Oh. Sorry, buddy, didn't know I had a visitor. The sand bag get you?

[a_11]

[Unamused look of unamusedness.]

No.

Why would you even need one of those?

[He's bending down and picking up the PADD.]

[whichwayyoulean]

I like my privacy, a lot of castle residents don't even seem to understand that it's a thing.

[a_11]

If you say so.

[He holds out the PADD.]

Once you're fully versed with the details in these documents, report to the holodeck on the fourth floor.

[whichwayyoulean]

[He'll take the PADD]

Did anyone ever tell you that you're people skills are amazing?

[a_11]

I'm a troubleshooting matrix, not an interactive guide on friendship. If you want someone with more inter-personal skills, complete the holodeck and make one yourself.

[whichwayyoulean]

I have friends, thank you, I haven't got to the level of sadness yet where I need to make one.

[a_11]

[A look. It says "really?"]

Regardless of your social status, if you wish to help, you have the material.

[whichwayyoulean]

Sure do. [He'll wave it]

Dictated

[the_effect_she_has]

I didn't understand any of that - but I would like to know if the Doctor's okay.

[Straight to the point.]

Dictated

[a_11]

From what I understand, once my job here is done, his holo-matrix will revert back to normal.

In a word, I am your EMH. For now.

Re: Dictated

[the_effect_she_has]

[She nodded her head briefly.] When he gets back, will he be able to sing opera?

[a_11]

Opera.

[There's a slight scoff.]

For all I know, the reason my personality subroutines surfaced again is because the EMH went into a total cascade failure, and his were wiped. All because he cluttered up his memory buffers with things like opera.

[the_effect_she_has]

I don't see anything wrong with opera.

[She said tightly, for the Doctor's sake.] And what do you have to do? To bring him back?

[a_11]

I have no idea. I'm just a diagnostic matrix, not a holoprogrammer.

Me designing this holodeck is a bit beyond my programming. Finding out what's wrong with the EMH's matrix when he's not here, and when I don't have the tools to run a level 4 diagnostic on each of his subroutines... impossible.

As for the Opera debacle... Well. The Emergency Medical Hologram was designed as a short-term supplement to a ship's medical crew. 1,500 hours operating time before a full layover. The EMH has been running far longer, and the memory buffers placed in as a temporary measure by Voyager's crew began to break down as he started expanding his programming. Interpersonal relationships, holophotography. Oh, yes. And Opera. It nearly decompiled his program!

[the_effect_she_has]

But it made him who he was. Wouldn't you rather be who you are, then just stay within the lines of what you're supposed to do? Don't you want to build a bigger, and more complex program for yourself?

[a_11]

Not at the risk of deletion.

[the_effect_she_has]

I think being yourself is worth the risk.

[a_11]

Putting yourself selfishly in the path of danger when you're in a position to help people is not what I'd call a risk.

Still, I can't blame the EMH. He wasn't designed to know any better.

Filter

[wizard_redfive]

I'll take one. I'm not an idiot, but I like reading about new data. Plus, I have some experience with advanced technology.

My room is 2113, in Ira Tower.

Filter

[a_11]

Some experience in advanced technology won't cut it, I'm afraid. Cardassian systems are different to Federation systems, for example. Trying to cross the knowledge is like trying to get a cat to catch a frisbee.

Filter

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine doesn't recognize those systems, but she knows the general principle. She rolls her eyes.]

Well, it's a good thing I'm a fast learner then.

[a_11]

Apparently.

[A pause.]

The documents are on their way, and if you don't understand something, please ask. I'd rather not this project fail because someone didn't understand something.

[wizard_redfive]

Got it. [Not that she expects she'll need to ask. She's got a natural talent for these kinds of things.

Plus, her ego is substantial enough to keep her fairly confident.]

[a_11]

Report to the holodeck on the fourth floor once you've read and are confident with the material. I'll need help with building the holo-emitters.

[wizard_redfive]

OK. I'll see you there.

[Once she's read through this once or twice. And gone over it with Spot.]

[hard_talker]

Wow, and I thought you didn't have any tact before this.

I read the PADDs, doe'zat count?

[a_11]

I'm not here to be your best friend.

[Which means, clearly, you should be friends with him.]

As long as you read the PADDs detailing how to wire Isolinear Circuitry, and the Holo-Engineering guide, it will be.

I'm going to start researching a way to connect a Federation computer core to your network, as well as building a half-decent AI for it.

[hard_talker]

[remember what you said about mumbling the other day? he didn't listen] Clearly.

I read the whole stack. So yeah. ... I can help with that part. What do you need me t' do first? York knows more about AIs than I do, but he's ... made outta plastic right now and only a few inches tall, from what I've heard. So he and Delta ain't gonna be much help.

[a_11]

You're lucky. I wouldn't trust anyone else to program a Federation computer than a fully qualified engineer. I'm the best you've got right now.

[A sigh. This was all so tedious.]

If you could start building the holographic emitters in the designated room. From what I've learned, this place gives you the pieces if you ask for anything more complicated, so it should be a simple case of following the assembly instructions in my guide.

[hard_talker]

[he's just gonna raise his eyebrows at him] Please would be good.

[a_11]

Yes, it would.

[There's a pause in the bleeping of the Doc's side of the journal.]

But if I'm to believe what you say, do you really think we have time for trivial things like that?

[hard_talker]

What, you really think you won't be able to do this once you're back to bein' the EMH? It wouldn't be ... I dunno, in his memory banks or whatever?

[a_11]

Are you really willing to take the risk of this information being lost?

The EMH is designed for medical tasks. Whilst I have no doubt in his capability to learn the required information and expand his programming, the less is the better. He only has a finite memory, after all, and I'd rather not risk another cascade failure in his memory sub-processors.

I doubt you have the capability for a full re-initialisation of his matrix.

[hard_talker]

[he winces. ugh, why do the know it all adults always have to try so hard to make him feel dumb? just because he's younger? he's really not appreciating the attitude]

No.

[but the EMH is still a friend, even if he's apparently a jackass while on losses. he reminds himself of that fact and swallows it down]

... Okay, so fine, what do you need me to do?

[a_11]

Production of the holo-emitters. I'll need most people who volunteer to build and place them as per the blueprints. That will actually be the most important part.

[hard_talker]

Okay. So we'll need a whole ton of those, right? [he frowned, trying to remember what he'd seen about them on the PADDs]

They're small enough for me to make in my room. Shouldn't be a problem.

[a_11]

The clinic will need some, as well. Given that the EMH is a medical program, I installed a small control interface to allow him access to his program away from the holodeck.

It makes sense to have emitters there to make his program more stable

omg I have this icon back again yay

[hard_talker]

Yeah, that's a good idea, too. How many do you think we're gonna need, total?

[a_11]

The number of emitters will be on the documentation provided, including spacing and instructions on how to mount and connect them to the computer.

[hard_talker]

Arright, I'll keep you posted.

[toobravehearted]

[Blink-blink.]

Does this mean you're asking for assistance, sir? I rather think you may have more success with a less condescending tone.

Is the, er, Doctor all right?

[a_11]

From what I understand, I have a limited amount of time. I'd rather not waste it.

[A pause.]

The EMH should be fine once this is over. If not, once I have full access to a working holodeck, I'll be able to run a level 4 diagnostic on my matrix, determine what the issue is.

[toobravehearted]

[Great Rassilon's rocking chair. He rolls his eyes. Either it's a temporary loss, or the EMH has had a breakdown.] There's wasting time and there's being insufferable, and one very well my lead into the other.

I'm an engineer and a scientist. A qualified one, how convenient is that, familiar with technology up to and beyond the 63rd Century. I'd be willing to take a look at what you have. [Because if it will ultimately fix the EMH or humour him, he is down with that.]

[a_11]

I will arrange for the documentation to be sent to you.