Pig's Butt Bourbon
Posted on Wed Nov 13th, 2024 @ 12:59pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Wed Nov 13th, 2024 @ 10:37pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Captain's Private Officer - Deck 3 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 1700 hrs
Neil paced along the corridor, tired but the day wasn’t quite over. His boots scuffed on the carpet slightly and the lighting was dimmed indicating they were nearing the end of the ship’s day cycle. He wanted to catch the Pioneer’s Captain before any shore leave plans and they might as well get things out of the way. The computer had indicated Tyler was in his office on Deck three, so that’s where he was headed.
They hadn’t chewed things over other than officially since the Entity and Neil figured it was time. The corridor was quiet and he keyed the annunciator as he got within five paces of the hatch.
“Commodore, would you have a few minutes,” he asked trying to gauge if he needed to alter his stride.
Tyler had been throwing some things together in a bag. He had a mind to take a couple of days on a holodeck and go on a ride with Kat. For the moment he had some last minute reports to go over. Tyler wanted to make sure that all of the work was done before they headed out. When he heard Neil's voice he smiled. "Absolutely, come on in."
When Niel entered Tyler smiled an motioned toward the replicator. "Care for something or would you rather something stronger? Have a seat."
At the words something stronger Neil felt the weight in his hand and chuckled. Slipping into the proffered chair, he set the Toridian velvet, calico colored bag on Tyler's desk and said, "There's something stronger. Had it for a minute but thought this was as good a time as any to give it to you."
As Tyler pulled at the drawstrings Neil continued, "Toridian bourbon, in an old Earth decanter. I think. Had it since the last time I passed through Way Far."
Tyler took one look and whistled, this was indeed something to be shared and cherished. He replicated two glasses and poured out two measures. "Neil we have been through a lot already, and it feels like we are just getting started." He raised his glass. "To where the wind takes us." He took a swig and savoured it as it went down. "So, what's on your mind?"
Watching his friend pull the plug from the pigs rear and pour the whiskey made Neil grin, "Well. There's a lot going on and before we get into shore leave, I thought maybe a conversation was needed in case we need time to mull things before getting tossed at the next brush fire." Raising his own glass, he then sipped at the liquor and slouched into his chair. "Speaking of shore leave though, any plans?"
"Nothing special. Just plan on catching up with the wife. Not much time left alone before the little one comes." Tyler sipped the whiskey and smirked. "I know that Sobel is carving a small part of your ass out for what happened in the nebula. I want you to know that you performed beyond expectations if the reports are to be believed. There was nothing more you could have done except get everyone home safely. Thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you."
Shrugging, Neil chuckled into his glass as he sipped and swallowed before responding, "I deserve to have a chunk taken. There were signs. Speaking of that. Since I haven't seen anything from BuPers or JAG about removing her, I take it you're keeping her aboard Pioneer?"
"I don't see why not. It is not her fault that she was taken over by an alien being. It has happened a number of times to a number of different people. Besides if I was to see her charged then I would have to be charged as well. True, she should have said something about it before anything happened. Admiral Cranford from Starfleet Intelligence has been in touch and they are expanding the department on the Pioneer. Sending someone to keep an eye on Rowena, at least for a time." Tyler still felt the aftermath of the possession. "Send my thank you to your team and of course Lachlan. Although I am sure he is overjoyed to be relieved of the command chair."
Neil sighed and said, "Might not have been her fault, but that's not going to stop the Admiralty from getting a step ladder and a flashlight out and climbing up our backsides. As XO, I have to recommend removing her from second officer status, pulling her bridge pass and if I thought I'd get away with it, getting her security clearance pulled. She hacked her way into the Morgue using second officer bypasses. It may be water under the bridge but I'm still pissed about that."
Taking a another drink, Neil said, "Which is why I'm going to recommend something you're not going to be happy about. I'd like Rommie to have access to Marine Country full time, not just when I'm around. If she'd been online fully when Rowena skulked her way in, I'm pretty sure we might have nipped this in the bud early. That and my additional duties to Brigade. Well it'll make me my life easier if I don't have to limit her access as much."
Tyler leaned back in his chair and sipped the whiskey. He did not like the idea of a hologram having any command access anywhere on his ship. In fact he had to be talked into letting Rommie even be brought online. However, his Executive Officer did make some salient points. "Consider your duty in regards to Rowena done. I will note in my logs your recommendations and take them under advisement. At the moment though she will remain with her current access. As to Rommie what is to say that if she had complete access Rowena would not have shut the hologram down. As Second Officer she has the access just as you or I do." He knew it may have been a stretch but it also had the benefit of being true. "Neil I am all for security checks and measures, and making your life, or anyone on this ship's life easier. But, you have to understand my thinking on this. I mean Starfleet records are littered with stories about how holographic entities take over ships and cause issues. I mean things like this date as far back as the Enterprise D if I recall correctly. If Rommie is given full access who is to say that she would not go off the deep end and take over the ship. I mean think about it... She would have the capability to lock you out of your own equipment."
Neil sipped at his drink and then said, "Jon...the developer, is an old friend and an ex marine. He's built in safeguards, doing his best to make sure that doesn't happen. You can pause Rommie. Freeze her in right in the middle of whatever she's doing by ordering her to attention and calling her Marine," he confided. "And as far as AI's running wild. Well I can show you a picture of Rowena and log just as many instances of Fleet officers going butt wild. She won't have command access other than Read-Only unless given them."
Settling deeper into the seat and stretching slightly, Neil continued "It's a risk. But so is just about everything we do. And like it or not, Fleet and the Corp is going to insist we deal more and more with AI's as we go forward. You've likely seen some of the deep space, non-manned mission probes they've began using in the Gamma Quadrant? With the hostile waters we've found there it'll open the door and we'll see more and more of them used."
Tyler ran his hand through his hair. An affectation that Neil had seen countless times before no doubt, but an affectation that he only did when he was unsure about how to proceed. In time and after a deep drought of the whiskey he spoke again. "Perhaps you are right. Anyone or anything can do things that they may not want to do. So, we can get your hologram some access. But, There is going to be some heavy restrictions. I trust you and so, any access you want to give her to the Marine systems and equipment is fine by me. So, long as she can be over ridden and disconnected if it comes down to it. As to the rest of the ship. Her access can be commensurate with her rank, I believe she has the ceremonial rank of Warrant Officer. She is to have no access to the Bridge or bridge systems. Further I want records of any system she accesses being sent to Lieutenant H'ros. Ultimately I want Rommie treated as Bones in Sick Bay. She is a tool that can and should be utilized, not a replacement for a person."
Neil tried not to sigh. He knew Tyler's fears were mostly justified. Hell, Neil shared some of them. "Agreed, though some things, particularly communications content H'ros doesn't have clearance for, especially on the Marine side will have to stay compartmentalized. But any ships's system she directly acts with will be recorded with files distributed." After a pull at his own drink, Neil used a thumb to wipe at his bottom lip and said, "They may eventually use an AI version in the MARVEL suits to lower operator stress. That's one thing they're looking at. Rommie will be in my CnC suit. Nothing like progress, yeah?"
Tyler smirked and chuckled. "Yeah pretty soon we will all be out of a job. The crew of a starship simply run by holograms or AIs and us people simply watching on viewscreens. But, as far as I am concerned that is not something I want to see. We need to be out here, risking it all, learning, evolving." Tyler took another pull of the whiskey. He began to feel it, the warmth in his belly and throat. It was something he missed and relished in the moment. He thought about the ship and crew that he looked up to, his heroes. One of them was a hologram, a hologram that Captain Janeway and company trusted with their lives.
"Tell me, is Rommie prgrammed with the same specs as Bones? The same holographic advancements that came from The Doctor upon their return to Earth?" Tyler Malbrooke had an idea and if he was right it may satisfy his worries and give the Corps what they wanted.
"From what my friend Jon told me and I got from the Corp R&D, the Rommie program was matrixed over the life experiences and personality of several people who were working with the program as advisors. All retired Fleet and Corp senior officers from sciences, medical, command, as well as combat arms. Her appearance is a collage of all those, which randomizes and tailors itself to the officer assigned. Jon told me he didn't want the standard, cold assed AI that lives and dies by the book. There are subroutines in her matrix meant to add emotional brush strokes, but not send it into the same tail spin growth issues that were seen with Doctor Sung's program. Her emotional reactions are detail driven and you can tell where she's responding to questions from the piping shades of her uniform choice."
Snickering slightly, Neil said, "Jon is funny. Apparently he DID program in lots of skinsuits and great legs for my personal assistant. Some of my own prerogatives are meshed in too, I guess. To ensure a working relationship, if you can call it that. Ultimately, she's meant to filter data and make me more efficient. That's why these models will only be assigned to specific officers and not to ships. She's a Warrant because the Corp didn't want to create a special specification and to keep her out of any chain of command. Warrant's are meant to be highly experienced specialists and that's what she brings to the table."
After that, Neil took another pull from his glass, rubbed at his forehead and said, "We really do need to get drunk together more. Maybe our next shore leave just disappear and go fishing someplace they can't find us."
Tyler smirked. "You know I would like that. I love the outdoors, camping, fishing, horseback riding and the like. But with the ship duty time, getting time to go is getting few and far between. As to Rommie there is a possible way for us all to get what we would like. If Rommie is sentient, along the lines of Commander Data, The Doctor and others then under my authorization as commander of this ship, and your authorization as commanding officer of The Cure we can instate her as part of the crew. That would give her the access that the Corps wants and alleviate my worries on technology. What do you think?"
"I think that's the best route," Neil said as he looked at the bourbon's color up against the lights for a minute. "Like any other member of the crew, she'll have to earn her place and trust before just blindly giving her the run. She's a Warrant in name only, really until she proves she deserves the rank to me anyway. She's a learning AI though and we'll take it one step at a time."
Then he winked at Tyler, "As far as finding time...well I know being a daddy is going to eat up a bunch of yours. Make sure you let me and the others back you up, yeah?" It's what we're for. We've got enough bridge qualified officers that they can take some of the load."
"I will get the paperwork done. But as of now she is considered a member of the crew as your Yeoman, I believe the Marines would call the position the Aide de Camp. Oh I plan on having each and every one of my child's aunts and uncles babysit so Kat and I can have some fun." Tyler said with a laugh and lilt in his voice. He slung back the last of his drink and poured some fresh. "This ship has become a home and its crew a family. It is something you hear about often enough at the Academy but you never really know it until you see it in action, especially when you are in command. Here is to the family you choose." Tyler raised his glass in a toast and took a sip.
Neil joined Tyler in the toast. Drank. Then his lips twisted into a grin, "Aye. They say you can pick your nose. You can pick your butt. You just can't pick your family . Guess we're lucky in that aboard the Pioneer." After another pull at his glass he eyed the remainder and hoisted it up toward Tyler and said, "Here's to staying positive and testing negative."
"Here here..." Tyler raised his glass and drank. He snapped his fingers as if he had forgotten something and just remembered. "Well, it seems that Starfleet agrees that we all need some time off. Our orders are to remain at station keeping here at Empok Nor for a week. The crew is to enjoy everything the station has to offer as the fleet figures out what is next for us."
Neil squinted at that and snorted, "Waiting for the next fire, rather," he said and finished his glass. "But the kiddies and us old farts deserve the time off," he said, pushing himself up into a straighter sitting position. "I think the bigger question is do we finish off that bottle now or decide discretion is the better part?"
"Well now here I was made to believe that Marines were never quitters." Tyler chuckled as he poured out two more glasses. It had been quite a while since he and Neil could simply sit around and enjoy their time. It was something that Tyler definitely wanted to do more of.
"We adapt and overcome sir," Neil assured Tyler, settling back in his chair. "Everything else can take care of itself tomorrow. Next thing we need to do is plan that fishing trip."
A Joint Post By
Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
RSS Feed