Binary Coding

Posted on Tue 24th Jul, 2018 @ 10:50pm by Elizabeth Anderson M.D.

967 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 6, 1545

Elizabeth followed Jade a short distance down the corridor and into a rather elaborate room. There were several computers on desks, multiple PADDs on dark faux-wood end tables, and bright red faux-leather furnishings that were arranged in three groups of four. Although there was a replicator in the wall, there were also other appliances having to do with food. She made a note that the humaniforms apparently enjoyed eating. There was nothing particularly strange about that. Elizabeth did, too.

Along one end of the room there was a large boardroom table, and two humaniforms sat there with a chess board between them. The other four were scattered around, one in an odd position with her head hanging off a chair and her feet up over the back. Elizabeth's search of SB109's database matched it with the term teen social club.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Dr. Elizabeth Anderson. She's a personal acquaintance of mine, a civilian counselor, and she'd like to chat with you for a while, if you've no objection," Jade informed them.

Irrepressible as ever, Podkayne flipped right side up and asked, "Are you going to shrink our heads?"

The doctor patted her pockets, and finding them empty, cheerfully responded, "It looks as though I forgot to bring my witch's pot and chemicals with me, so we'll have to do that another day."

"Ha, got you there, Poddy!" Gladia laughed. Stepping forward, she held out her hand in the human gesture and said. "Gladia Delmarre, at your service. Do you want to talk with us in a group or individually?"

"Both, actually," Elizabeth replied. To Jade she said, "I think we'll get along fine. Thank you so much for allowing me access."

Jade shrugged, "I'm counting on you to be an ally in a future plan, but you need to know my people first." She flashed a smile before going back to her business office.

Thoughtfully, Anderson said, "Could we sit for a minute and get to know each other?"

Elijah, Arkady and Daneel pushed 3 of the red chairs into the central grouping and everyone chose a place to sit. Elizabeth wondered if they had some sort of pecking order, or typical seating arrangement, but she wasn't going to start with that. Actually, she might never get to that, since she wasn't here as a researcher or behavioral analyst. She relaxed back into her chair.

"I'm here because of Da- Mr. Durant. I believe you did some work for him recently, and we were chatting. What he said about you interested me."

"Why?" Hari asked bluntly.

Elizabeth had known before she came that she might have to explain herself, reveal herself, to these androids. It didn't worry her, as it might with biologicals, because it was unlikely that they would share knowledge with anyone. "Because," she told them, "I'm an EMH. What Mr. Durant said about you interested me enough to want to find out more about you. I think, if you are going to be working for anyone, Miss Lantz is probably the best you could have chosen."

Matter-of-factly, Daneel said, "We didn't choose. We were assigned."

"Of course, and I understand that," Anderson said. "I was originally assigned to Starfleet, and no one asked me, either. I'm presuming that when you came here, you had enough programing for performing your job, and the ability to learn more. Is that about right?"

"More or less," Daneel shrugged. "It hasn't been that long, but we've learned quite a bit in the interim. Miss Lantz has been quite generous, liberal, if I understand the term correctly, and I think I do." He gestured around the room. "You see the technology she's provided for our learning, and we don't need downtime. We recharge while we're learning in here. We've discovered that there are many humanoids and other species who are afraid of those like us, even with Dr. Asimov's Laws. How long have you been active?"

"A little over thirteen years," the counselor answered.

"Have you run into problems with anyone because of being a manufactured intelligence?" Hari asked.

"Not in a long time. Bear in mind, though, many people never realize that I am an EMH. I was set to be a doctor or a counselor, either one, and patients are usually much more concerned about themselves, hence unobservant about others. Are you worried about having problems with biological life forms?" Elizabeth asked.

The humaniforms glanced at one another, communicating privately through the database. Anderson could have eavesdropped the same way, but that wouldn't build the trust they would have to have in order for her to do anything useful for them. She waited patiently while an inter-group discussion went on. She didn't think it was an argument, exactly, but perhaps it was a disagreement.

Finally, Hari answered her question as they all turned to her again. "I suppose that was rude, but we really did need to decide on the answer to your question. Daneel and I are not worried, as you put it. None of us have emotion chips that complicated that worry would come into it, anyway. Podkayne is slightly concerned, but expects she can charm her way out of trouble. Gladia and Elijah don't think about such things. That leaves Arkady, who does think about these things, and he is convinced there could be problems, but he thinks we'll have to take it as it comes."

Anderson nodded, "I expect that each of you is correct."

"Now, see, that's something I don't understand about biologics, but you apparently do," spoke up Gladia. "How can we all think something different is true, and yet all of us be correct? Doesn't a carbon-based brain work on a binary system?"

Elizabeth laughed, "Not that I've ever noticed."

 

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