Copper and the new Flesh-Machine

Posted on 03 Apr 2015 @ 10:33pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Unit Cu-47 "Copper" & Petty Officer 3rd Class Vermeer Talbot
Edited on on 03 Apr 2015 @ 11:49pm

1,804 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Galileo - Main Engineering
Timeline: MD01 - 08:00

ON:

Copper hovered silently out of sight behind one of the workstations. His left appendage rotated but blinked red. The flesh-machine he was 'spying' on was still at his own workstation. Though he had met with the thing called, K'os and he had been reassured that the environment would be different on his new space-computer, Galileo, he still remained cautious around the flesh-machines. He did genuinely like them after getting comfortable with them. After all, weren't they just machines like him, protecting and maintaining the space-computer too?

It also didn't help matters that he'd been briefed regarding something called 'wargames' with the Klingon Defense Force, whatever that meant. Wargames? Copper had never experienced such an event, though he had reviewed the computer database regarding it, he still didn't understand the reasoning. The constant upgrades that Operations were doing to the computer and all the chatter from the flesh-machines that he picked up, only made Copper think that perhaps they really were going to war with the Klingons. That reasoning didn't pass logic tests and so he logged it as an error, and stored it away in his memory banks to review later. He had a task to focus on. A work order was logged for a flow regulator valve, but he'd have to get passed the flesh-machine. He really wanted to fix it. Suddenly his proximity scan indicated the thing was on the move.

Copper slowly lowered himself to the floor and scooted out from behind the workstation to get a visual on the engineer. He scanned him down. PO3 Talbot. Well, Vermeer Talbot didn't look all that intimidating after all. Copper also technically outranked him, which did make the unit a bit more confident; that was until he saw Vermeer heading towards the very same flow regulator that Copper wanted to repair. He let out a few loud beeps that made him sound almost annoyed.

Vermeer turned on his heel, looking at Copper with wide eyes. He suddenly smiled, excitement coming to his eyes. "Oh my...it's you. I mean, one of you, I mean..." he stopped and just stared at Copper, tilting his head. He was small...he was pretty impressive even with that though. Vermeer wondered how he was built up, how he worked. He even felt some sort of kinship. After he was assimilated by the Borg, he had been left with some implants. They were not quite functioning, as he was no longer Borg, but...they were in him. They were part of him. Part machine.

So what was the differences between them? Not much. Biological matter versus metal. Cells playing the part, neurons and veins and wires and when you reall thought about it, there wasn't that much difference. Emotions, perhaps. Machines and holograms could mimic, but not truly have it. And yet Talbot had always applied emotions to inanimate objects, from his teddy bear as a child to the ship he now served on. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Petty Officer Unit Cu-47," he finally said, giving a respectful nod.

Well, it seemed friendly enough Copper rationalized. He activated his anti-grav module to raise himself a little closer. Copper's appendages rotated independently as he performed additional scans. Coloured lights were clustered in places over his outer hull and they blinked red, blue, green and amber in seemingly random flashes. Tiny stickers and stenciled paint jobs were placed in various spots, mainly indicating different department logos including Corps of Engineers, and the Vulcan Science Academy. As he settled closer he projected text on a small holoscreen a few inches in front of him. "The Unit, Talbot can say Copper. You are fixing flow regulator valve 12-alpha?"

"I was going to," Vermeer said quickly, giving a small smile. "I was just finishing up so bits and pieces..." he explained, not wanting to seem lazy or unfocused. Even if he had been dragging his heels a bit today.

Copper beeped in confirmation of what he said. It tilted it's body down a little and slowly turned. As expected the flesh-machine was going to fix it, and with what appeared to almost be disappointment, Copper began to slowly drift away.

"Copper?" Vermeer watched the machine...the...he wasn't sure what to call Copper. He watched Copper for a moment and shrugged. "I...maybe you can help me?" he suggested. "You might have some better, quicker ways of fixing it than I do?" He needed to stop attributing human emotions to the cute little machine. He was two second away from petting it like a dog.

The unit reversed thrusters and whirled back at Vermeer. He projected a holo-image of arms shaking hands in agreement, then it vanished; replaced with the text, "Affirmative. Copper has many ways." As if to demonstrate, Copper replicated a hyperspanner into his front tool slot and zoomed towards the panel containing the malfunctioning valve regulator. He used the hyperspanner to remove the bolts holding the panel in place before he dematerialized his hyperspanner and rematerialzed a set of three metal arm like appendages attached to the underside of his hull. They looked like little more than a couple of metal rods with a tiny hinge to act as a type of elbow and tiny clamps on the end. They extended out and removed the panel getting at the internal parts. He turned towards Vermeer and made a 'ta da' beep while placing the panel down.

Vermeer had observed with a smile, taking it all in. He finally chuckled and nodded, watching closely. "You're really good at that," he said and grinned. "Not sure why I should surprised. But you are good. And quick too..." he said with clear approval. "Handy toolkit too."

Copper flashed a series of coloured lights at the engineer in response. He dematerialized the hyperspanner and it was replaced by a microdyne coupler. Copper positioned himself in front of the exposed console and stopped and scanned down the internal parts. He located the malfunctioning circuit to the flow regulator and used the microdyne coupler to clear the memory, so Vermeer could use a coil spanner to calibrate the hardware component.

Vermeer nodded as he watched, taking it all in as he smiled with awe. "Where have you been in my life, Mr Copper?" he whispered with awe. "This ship needs you. She purrs under your touch."

Copper wasn't able to process what he meant by making something purr, but he did understand and process the question of where the unit had been. He flashed his entire service record on his holo-display for him to read. Vermeer and Copper were the same age, so he thought it best to answer the question correctly and list everything right down to where he was first manufactured. When Copper had finished he turned and scanned the console, using a different sensor that he had done on Vermeer earlier and he beeped suddenly. He had detected the implants this time in Vermeer's body and it confused him. He turned back towards Vermeer. Flesh-machines were made of flesh, water, and chemicals. This unit was also made of those things, but this one had machine in him. Copper recorded that as a logic error. He couldn't think of anything to ask or to scan that could give him the answer he needed; so he created a new neural pathway to funnel this new information into and began collecting data. He displayed the text, "What is your function?"

Vermeer looked at the text with surprise, frowning as he watched Copper. He rubbed the back of his neck, considering what he meant. "I...Err...engineering?" he suggested, shaking his head. "I do not know what you mean. My job function? The function of my species?" He wanted to ask for more clarification, but he didn't want to be rude to Copper by demanding to know.

Copper added that response to the data. He then took the information he gleaned off the implants in Vermeer's body and ran that through his database. His processor and over 26 years of neural pathway creation meant he had the processing speed to rival that of the ship's computer. Lights flashed and he beeped when he made a match. The implants were of Borg design. Extrapolating the data with this new information, he flashed the text, "Unit Vermeer Talbot is liberated Borg?"

For a moment, Vermeer just watched Copper. He frowned, looking away before tapping the bulkhead for a moment. "Mm..." he nodded, looking at him. "Yeah, I suppose I am that. I'm a liberated Borg. Un-hived, un-connected. Not dangerous, Copper. I promise," he nodded again before looking down. And a bit unsteady, a bit broken in places. He knew that too. And this little guy had just spotted it straight away. It was odd. Not all bad. Just odd.

Copper wasn't sure what to make of all this new data. On the one side, he now had a new and permanent neural pathway in his axionic chip network that could be accessed again if he came across anyone else like Vermeer. But the logic error still existed. To Copper, who didn't filter information through emotions, but rather through logical processes and system frameworks the small unit couldn't understand how one could be both flesh-machine and borg-machine at the same time. While the database had returned 'liberated borg' and indeed the Unit Vermeer Talbot had confirmed that, it just didn't pass his logic test. So, like any other clever Exocomp he created a new section in his database to make room for his new found discovery calling it Vermeer, essentially eliminating the logic error.

All of this processing of course was done within microseconds and when Vermeer had stopped talking he immediately flashed the text, "Unit Vermeer Talbot is fully functional. No errors recorded. Unit Vermeer Talbot is special like Copper. Has unique tool set like Exocomps." Copper beeped happily, and with that out of the way he returned to repairing the regulator. He had questioned Vermeer, gained the data he needed and made his own mind up on how to process what Vermeer was. To Copper, that was all that was needed.

Vermeer watched Copper with shock at the words, swallowing. He let out a breath, shaking with it. And the words. The words hit a cord. He saw himself as broken. But...this little Exocomp had just...said he was okay. And maybe that was it. He was different, but he was fully functional. After a long moment Vermeer let himself smile and moved to his side. "Yeah. Unique," he echoed and watched Copper repair the regulator in silence.

OFF:


PO1 Unit CU-47 "Copper" (PNPC K'os)
Damage Control Specialist
USS Galileo

&

Petty Officer 3rd Class Vermeer Talbot
Engineer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Devin]

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