This is What Tobin and the Professor Call a Meeting?

Posted on Mon Nov 9th, 2015 @ 10:18pm by The Professor & Lieutenant Tobin Ayo

Mission: Flight of the Valkyries
Location: Valhalla Colony

* C & C Complex - Valhalla Colony *

Tobin had taken a leisurely walk to C&C after having his coffee out in the atrium among Tor’s flowers. The fact that he walked to work on a street, under a real sun still hadn’t become commonplace for him and he enjoyed every second of it. Once he entered the building, however, he picked up his pace. Today was the day he would be bringing the new science hologram online. He’d been tinkering with it here and there over the past few days, once the crew had arrived and all the settling in had taken place. Now he passed by his office and continued on down till he reached the science section. Tor had checked the holo-emitters the day before and pronounced them ready. Now, stopping at the control panel in the main lab, he ran one last diagnostic, then spoke.

“Computer, activate the science hologram.” He made a mental note to adjust that command since they had designated the SH as ‘Professor’ That had been Lev’s idea and it had come with a nod to Einstein. Tobin had made sure this one had better hair than Einstein, however. The thought made him smile.

Admittedly, the Professor had been turned on and off periodically. He'd been at least switched on, and ultimately left on, by that oversized housecat and his Christmas elf of an assistant from Starbase 900. Regardless, this was the first time that he was being properly activated after having all of his programming corrected.

Materializing into position with seemingly ionized particles that resembled those from the transporter beam, but which were not ionized at all and instead were harmless photons of light, the Professor as he were now called was standing there.

"Please state the nature of the scientific inquiry."

“Good morning Professor.” Tobin smiled as he came online. “I see the new programming has come together nicely. Welcome to your official first day on the job.”

Blinking for a moment, and then checking to make sure everything was there once he was told this was the first official day, the Professor looked forward again and sighed. "What, am I getting assigned to do the heavy lifting all over again, then?"

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Tobin answered. “I’ve done some reworking on your holomatrix and fixed a few things for the better. I think you’ll find yourself much improved. Tor has also made some improvements in your mobile emitter.” He held out the small device to the Professor. “Now you can roam all over C&C as you like. You’ll also have the full range of the courtyard outside to a distance of twenty meters from the building. It has an alarm when you get within five meters of your limit, so you don’t just vanish and leave the emitter behind.”

"I actually appreciate it, though there's one concern that makes me shudder." The Professor paused for a moment and turned back toward the individual speaking to him after a while spent taking glances at the mobile emitter. "Could you do me a bigger favor than any of this development work?"

The holographic individual paused once more before he spoke again and looked the other straight in his eyes.

"Could you remind people to turn off my program when they're done using it?" The Professor smiled coyly with his eyes now shut and a hand placed behind the back of his head.

“Way ahead of you.” Tobin smiled at the SH. “You can do it yourself.

Soon enough that had made him blink and drop his hand, "I can turn my own program off? How does that work? I thought that if I did that, then I wouldn't be able to wake up without permission or something." He sighed, "Being software is such a bother at times."

“Try it and see,” Tobin suggested. “I need to make a small adjustment in one of the terminals here while you do that.” He moved over to said terminal and began to tap on the console.

"Alright, do you think that we're ready then?" The Professor tilted his head at least a bit comforted by the fact that Tobin was going to stick around for this. He doubted that organics really understood the troubles that came with being software.

“Go for it. If you’re not back in ten seconds, I’ll revive you.” Tobin looked up with a smile.

In a few moments, the blue dissolution that had originally presented The Professor to the other individual had been gone once more. After that, however, the science hologram didn't seem to come back. Seconds ticked by and apparently nothing happened.

Tobin smiled as he waited and took the time to send a short message to Adara. He ordered lunch, then he checked the SH’s matrix and adjusted the program-centric override. “That should do it,” he said, and waited.

Once Tobin did that, however, the machine hadn't responded. Nevertheless, as soon as Tobin had faced the other way, the holographic emitters had once more reactivated and the Science Hologram was there once more, sneaking up behind Tobin and tapping him on his shoulder.

Tobin jumped, then turned around and began to laugh. “Seems we have a joker on our hands. Well done.” He reached back to the monitor and turned it off.

"Well, it seems like I can shut my program on and off now...thanks Doc!”

“Make that Thor. You can save the Doc for Isi,” Tobin replied. “Anything else I can do for you right now?”

Predictably the SH shrugged a bit, seeming to mirror organic patterns quite well at this point. His gestures were looking more realistic. "I'd say I could go for a sandwich, but I wouldn't be able to digest it."

“Good point. Care to try out your emitter? I’m going down to the mess hall for lunch and it’s within range.”

"Alright, so you want me to shut my program off, and then restart it from one of the emitters there, or just use the mobile emitter system you gave me?" The SH tilted his head as he spoke.

“The mobile,” Tobin answered. “Consider it a good test run too. We can try out the courtyard after I eat and you pretend to drink coffee.”

Taking a few moments to adjust the unit on his sleeve, the Science Hologram looked up toward the other again for the time being. "This thing will stand up to radiation and chemical damage too, right? Remember that I'm supposed to be able to operate in a vacuum."

“Trust me,” Tobin replied as he opened the science center doors. “If absolute disaster falls? You’ll be the only one of us left.” He turned and led the way out into the corridor.

While the hologram followed through the doors, he sighed and rolled his silvery gray eyes with a shrug that matched his comments. "Oh, right, I'd be left here to deal with survivor's guilt while it would have at least ended quickly for the rest of you. I forgot about that part."

The comment got a hearty laugh from Tobin. “You can thank Commander Tor for your emotion subroutine. She insisted. Programmed it herself.”

Having rolled his eyes as if to demonstrate the snarky personality he'd ended up with, the SH finally continued to walk normally with squared shoulders. "Oh, I'll have to remember to thank her personally now won't I? How kind of her."

It certainly would have seemed that his sarcasm programming worked perfectly.

“I’ll pass that along to her as soon as I get home.” They reached the mess hall and Tobin stopped in briefly to pick up his lunch. Soon, they stepped out into the bright, sunny courtyard. “So, what do you think Professor?”

"Hmm, that I wish I could smell the fresh air?" While the Professor made a mocking motion with his nose, it was a total simulation and the sound of him breathing didn't actually come out at all. Still, it was honestly rather impressive as it were. He could act rather organic at times.

“You’ll get used to it.” Tobin took a seat and began to devour his lunch. “After this, I want you to test your limit, and I mean the real one. I want you to cross out of range and let me know how the transport back to the lab goes. I’ll bring the emitter back with me.”

"While I assume that if I cross my limit and something goes wrong, I'd just be able to restart my own program indoors, but I get the distinct feeling you're up to something." Once again, the SH offered that sly smile with shut eyes, "Is that something else I need to thank Commander Tor for?"

“I’ll let you know once we see what happens,” Tobin replied.

With a roll of his eyes, that perhaps could also have been Tor's doing, the hologram did finally start to walk away, pacing away from the other individual as far as he could theoretically go.

Tobin watched as the SH crossed the courtyard and continued to walk. Finally, the holoemitter he wore beeped to warn him he was nearing the limit of his range. Several steps later, the hologram vanished and the emitter dropped to the ground. Tobin disposed of the remains of his lunch and stood, straightening his uniform jacket. Finally he strolled back across to the main entrance of C&C. When he stepped into the lobby, he was greeted by the sight of the SH standing in the large fountain that graced the lobby’s center.

“Welcome back Professor.”

Of course, the Professor didn't exactly have time to answer that considering that his virtual feet were sopping wet and the fact that Tor had apparently given him the ability to actually feel what sopping wet meant made that moment all the worse for him, and assumingly all the sweeter for Tobin.

“You can thank Tor for that too,” Tobin laughed, then held up the emitter. “Alright, let’s get you back to the lab. I assume you want to see her as soon as she is available?”

Offering that same exact innocent smile as before, he turned toward the other with closed eyes and nodded before replying, "Oh yes. Believe me, I have been looking forward to having a little talk with her."

**************
Lt. Tobin Ayo
Prankster

The Professor
The Sly Hologram