The Soulless

Posted on Sun Jun 26, 2022 @ 9:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Zachary Addams & Lieutenant Penelope Naroot

649 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: We Will Take Care of You
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Concurrent with "The Potsdamn Negotiations"

Zach had finished his evening talking with Penny and gone back to his quarters for sleep. He woke up relatively early and decided trying to get back to sleep was not in the cards. Instead, he got up, showered and had breakfast. He'd been tempted to see if Penny was awake and ask her to join him, but he was afraid of moving too fast and putting her off.

He sat in his office, charging through paperwork when he sensed someone at the door. He looked up and was surprised to see one of the androids. "Good morning," he said. "Can I help you?"

"I am here to observe your medical practices and technology, and determine how we may help expand them," she said.

"I see," Zach said and stood up. "Well, I am Doctor Zachary Addams, the ship's Chief Medical Officer. And you are?"

"I am Alice Three-Eight-Four," she said.

Zach then noticed her number emblazoned on a small indicator on a chain around her neck. "Indeed you are," he said. "Well, perhaps we stick to 'Alice' for now?"

"As you wish," Alice said, inclining her head.

Zach gestured to the chair across from him. "Please, have a seat."

Alice nodded and sat down.

"At the moment we're a bit short on patients, but we could discuss our current capabilities. Are you medically..." he paused, not wanting to offend with the word 'programmed' "...trained?"

"We do not have any medical needs," she said. "Our bodies are constructed from a self-repairing polymer, and the underlying framework is capable of withstanding significant physical stress, so there is little need for repair to our systems. Additionally, with no organic residents on our planet, we do not have much need for traditional medical practices. However, we are familiar with most medical procedures The Makers established, and can instruct you in how to go about them."

"Interesting," Zach said, then grew quiet. His face took on a more stoic quality as he got lost in thought and he looked Alice over. "The Makers programmed you?"

"That is correct," she said.

"And you have been running that programming since then?" he said.

"That is correct," she said.

He frowned and looked her in the eye, trying to find some semblance of a person. "Are you an individual?"

Alice's head tilted gently as she thought, the number on her collarbone blinking rapidly. "I am an individual unit within our collective. A close approximation would be as you are an individual crew member within your ship complement," she said at last.

Zach nodded. "But you do not think for yourself or hold your own counsel," he said.

She blinked. "I am able to independently process information, however I do consult our collective resource when something requires information I do not have."

Zach leaned forward. "Do you have feelings?" he said.

Alice's head tilted and her number blinked again. "I have not been programmed with those particular subroutines," she said.

Zach took a few moments to process that, mulling over the implications. "So those subroutines exist?" he said.

"Various emotional subroutines were developed in order to interact with Lord Mudd, as well as attempt to understand Humanity," Alice said. She tilted her head again. "What does this line of questioning have to do with your medical needs?"

Zach pursed his lips, debating how to phrase it. "There are those among us who lack certain emotions, such as empathy or compassion. Some go their lives unable to understand others, or worse, turn evil. Others are able to 'fake it' but never really understand it. Being able to correct that with the correct inputs into the brain could save people from a lifetime of suffering."

"That is interesting," Alice said. "Do you have any f--"

She stopped as a commotion in Sickbay distracted them both. Zach stood up quickly and walked out of his office. Alice 384 glided behind him.

 

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