PNPC Mark Two - I Feel Great

[Toryn Raga]

For context, our resident sentient EMH asked the new Bynar engineers to help change his appearance from the default one to one of his own choosing. While on the holodeck, one of them who specializes in remote controlled model starships had a scale version of the USS Atlantis he designed available to transfer Mark's consciousness into while the reprogrammed his core visual code, giving him something to do and to try and calm his anxiety while the hour and a half long procedure took place. Leading to the amazing journey of the MarkTwolantis. Props to @Sal Taybrim for such an adorable response to the opportunity available. 

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(( Holodeck Four, USS Constitution-B ))

ZOOOOM!  He was a ship!  And that was fun!  Flying around, dreaming of chasing dogs and enjoying the work of Hexa and Peta was like being in a good dream, except it was real.

He was having so much fun that he started to feel guilty…

Mark: Anything else I should be doing?

The two of them merely smiled and shook their heads. 

Hexa: The rest of this is all up to Peta and myself.

Peta: Feel free to enjoy yourself and have fun. 

Wow.  Time, all to himself to fly around and have fun?  That felt so weird.  He was usually working or studying or powered down ‘sleeping.’  Unless he was with Georgio he really didn’t do fun things, even though he understood – more and more – that he should. 

Play was part of the development of any creatures, and play was something that had been denied to him in his formative ‘childhood.’  It didn’t help that he looked like an adult the day he was born, and he was programmed with a full adult skillset.

But the emotional maturity of a child.  It was a rough combination.  One that he was only starting to grow into after seven years.

Mark Two: And how long will it take?

Hexa: This is a delicate process since you want to keep the humanoid memories in your programming intact. We estimate,

Peta: It will take one hour thirty two minutes to properly replace your current visual code with the new parameters you’ve provided. 

Hexa: So, have fun and enjoy your time. 

Oooh, thirty-two minutes was no time at all!  And yet it would also feel like an eternity if he worried the entire time.  That was one thousand nine hundred and twenty seconds to either enjoy or saturate himself with worry.  And he was bad at worrying unless he had something to distract himself.

Fortunately Hexa and Peta already had something planned.  Maybe they understood Mark’s peculiar struggles, or maybe they just were really good at and really liked making holo-simulations.  Either way, Mark was thankful.

Peta: There. Scale versions of stellar objects, anomalies and phenomena in the Federation database for you to fly through. 

He gave an excited little gasp, letting the worry bleed off through the vents on the MarkTwolantis.

Mark Two: That is… SO COOL!

He honestly lost himself in the exploration.  Zooom!  What planet was this?  Where was that mining base they found Queen on?  Where was Erdani?  Oh, he found it!  Now where was Starbase 104?  Oooh!  Now where was Starbase 118 in relation to 104?  Wow, that was a long ways away!  

Zooom!  Oh no!  This is where the pirates were hiding.  Pew pew, pirates!

For more time than he would like to admit he played a fantasy game of chasing down Syndicate Pirates that all looked like evil beagles, and their disruptors were ‘bark bark bark!’ when they fired.  And they were bad.  But the good guys looked like Sarek the dolphin because Sarek was wise and awesome. 

And he had his own fluffy white cat like Juliette, who didn’t bark at him and treated him like she treated everyone else – purring softly in loving disdain.  That was ok, too.

He decided that maybe he should not tell anyone his daydreams because maybe they were juvenile.  But they did make that 32 minutes pass quickly and without him worrying!  Score!

And then he slowly decided to peek out and see how things were doing.

Mark Two: Oh!  Did I disappear?

He blinked in his ship, watching his old form gently vanish.  He almost panicked.  Almost. 

Hexa: We have removed the old visual code from your egg, but we can save it as,

Peta: A backup if you would like. You could switch between it and your new visage at will if you like. 

That was not something he was personally interested in.  But one never knew when you might need to impersonate an EMH Mark II.  He was sure that at some point or another it might come in handy.

Because Grandpa Cade always said ‘never underestimate the ability for Starfleet to get weird.’

Mark Two: I hope I don’t need it, but that’s useful, thank you!  ::he didn’t quite know how to emote in his little ship so he flew a loop.:: When will the new body be ready?

Hexa: Your body will come back once we have gotten the new code written in place. 

Peta: Do not worry, Mark. You are an amazing and unique being. We will do all we can,

Hexa: To ensure that you are made whole again. 

Mark Two: I’m sure you will!

He decided that the whole act of exploring the expanse had been a wonderful way to not only learn about the area, but to distract himself.  He dove deeply into spatial anomalies and a grand battle against the Beagle Syndicate pirates who had kidnapped princess Georgio.  

No he wasn’t telling Georgio that his prentendy fantasy cast him as the damsel in distress either.  And Mark was the hero!  Because he would always save Gerogio.

Though in reality Mark was well aware that he was probably the damsel in distress and Georgio would save him.  Why was it a damsel anyways.  Why not just a … dude?  In distress?  Doppleganger?  There weren’t enough alliterative words to make that work.

Either way it was a good fantasy, he won against the beagles, the universe was saved from pretend pirates and life was good!

Hexa: We have finished. Would you, 

Peta: Like to see your new body?

His voice was an excited squeak

Mark Two: Yes, please!

There was a theatrical shimmer and a brand new body appeared.  Quite a bit like the old one, but… his.  More unique.  More fitting for who he felt he was.  Something that could grow and change with him as he grew and changed.

It was beautiful…

Hexa: What do you think?

Peta: I hope our work is satisfactory. 

Mark Two: I love it!

Hexa/Peta: ?

Mark Two: Your work is amazing!  

His tone was one of pure joy.  First flying!  Then fun pretend Beagle-pirate fights (secret ones, naturally) and now a beautiful new body?!  This was pure joy for the young hologram.

Hexa/Peta: ?

Mark Two: So… how do I get from here to there?

Maybe a dumb question, but it wasn’t intuitive to Mark

Hexa/Peta: ?

And then the magical moment happened and his consciousness and program was transferred into its new home.

He paused for a moment and then opened his eyes.  It was very much like waking up after a long sleep, and he felt curiously elated.

The first thing he did was a motion of pure instinct, a holdover from his human memories, as he wiped the ‘sleep’ feeling from his eyes.

And it felt good.  It felt right.

Mark Two: … wow… !  ::He stretched his hands out and looked around.:: It worked!  I’m here!

Hexa/Peta: ?

Mark Two: I feel great!  How do I look?

Ok, maybe that was a better question for Georgio… but he was excited and started moving around, feeling perfectly comfortable.

Hexa/Peta: ?

Mark Two: It’s so awesome… how can I ever repay you?!

He meant it, this was the best upgrade, ever.  And he had no clue how to repay a pair of bynars who he now trusted as close friends.

Hexa/Peta: ?

~*~
tags/tbc
~*~

pNPC Mark Two Foster
EMH Mark II

USS Constitution-B

 

 

"Why do we fly? Because we have dreamt of it for so long that we must"

~Julian Beck
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