Q.
Both of them. Annoying beyond belief. The moment Q and Q2 appeared, I left. As in left the ship on board Serenity and I talked Seven into going with me, getting permission from the Captain wasn't 'that' hard.
We did a couple week and a half of scanning nebulas and planets of Voyagers flight path and then caught up with her.
Out of the way of omnipotent hormonal teenagers. It also had the small side effect of giving me a week and a half alone with Annika. That's never a bad thing.
Now the Doctor is giving me a annoyed look. People have been pestering him about his holonovel 'Photons be free' a tale of the oppression of a hologram "Are you here to complain about my holonovel to?"
I blink and then shake my head "Not at all. I thought it was absolutely brilliant." and he look up from his pad
"You did?" and I nod
"I did. The Federation need a kick in the arse about AI rights. Some things need some polish though..."
The Doctor frown slightly "Like what?" and I Hmm while leaning against the console
"Well, for one thing, may I suggest changing the physical chareteristics of the characters? I understand the main cause of complaints is that they are to similar to the voyager crew?" and he nod
"Well...i guess it wouldn't change to much.." and I nod
"Also, as for the setting...why a starship? Why not a space station along a trade route or something? Call it something that's not connected to any Federation station like...Babylon 5...I mean, what part of the plot make it critical that they are on a starship trying to get home?"
He lean back in his chair and frown as I continue
"I mean, it don't need to be large changes, but they would silence the critics. They don't have a problem with the actual story, just the similarities to the situation and the looks of the characters."
He slowly nod "I...could change some things, make the differences greater. Maybe change some names a bit more."
I nod and then grins "Don't you dare change my character though, I want him exactly like he is. I was rolling on the floor, laughing hard enough that I had to pause the program. He was hilarious."
My character resemble a mix of a techpriest and Inspector Gadget. Implants and augments for every occasion and not a single one work when and how it should.
The next day I got a visit from the Doctor.
"They what?" I ask and he sigh
"The publisher refuse to retract the holonovel. They sent out the working draft they got and its being played at thousands of holosuits. They say that as a hologram, I don't got the rights to control my own work. It's going up before a Federation Arbitrator in a couple of days and I want you to represent me."
A couple of days later Operation Watson was successful. By abusing a tachionbeam and a quantum singularity it's possible to have 11 minutes of live com time with the alpha quadrant a day.
I frown "Why me? Tuvok got legal training, I dont even have legal knowledge from my time, yet alone this one."
The Doctor nod "I know, but you are the one that never doubted that I am a thinking being, a person. The rest of the crew see me as a person, yes, but I'm still a program to them."
Sighing I nod and sit down "If you are sure, Doc, I'll do my best. I can't promise anything though."
He nod "That's all I ask."
Yeah, that's all my time for the next couple of days suddenly taken up by trying not to fuck up the first step towards holographic equality. A case that might be the base for future similar cases.
No pressure there...
At the very least I got time of from my normal duties to work on this from the Captain.
Two days later we are gathering in astrometrics for the data connection for earth. The first day of the trial is spent mostly doing introductions and introducing what the case is about.
With only 11 minutes of double way communication a day, its rather compressed.
The next day the publisher, a blue bolian makes his case. Comparing the Doctor to 'Tony the Targ' a popular holographic character in child's stories who 'write stories' and holonovels and comparing him with a replicator. A replicator don't own the cup of coffee it create.
It was...interesting to listen to. Views like that existing in a society as 'enlightened' as the UFP. The day after it was my turn.
"Arbitrator." I say and give him a small polite nod "May I ask a question before I begin?" and he nod
"You may." and I continue
"Why are we here?" and the Doctor give me a curious look as I continue "No, seriously, why are we here?"
The Arbitrator frown and sit back in his chair "We are here to decide if the Voyager EMH got the right to control his own literary work. Doctor, you may chose a new representative if you wish..." he answer before I cut in again.
"But how can that be possible? I mean, its a Emergency Medical Hologram. Why ever would one of those ever write a holonovel? It's not in its programing."
The old man frown "The Doctor have expanded his programing, and I see what you are doing now Mr Hiver."
I nod "Good. Then you see my point as well. Why would a EMH, a program created to preform medical procedures possibly need to be able to write holonovels. Who programmed him to do something like that?" and I look at the doctor "Well? Who reprogrammed you?"
He frown "Well, I did. I expanded my program to include music and other artistic talents as well." and I nod
"You did. Why would you do that? You are a medical hologram, how in the world would writing holonovels or being able to sing and paint possibly help you in that respect?"
The Doctor frown "Music can have a impact in healing, but other than that it dont."
I give him a nod "So, why did you?" and he continue
"I wanted to become more than I was."
Turning back to the screen I nod "I wanted. I chose. Becoming more. Bettering oneself. Do this sound like a computer program to you?"
The Arbitrator sigh "We are not here to challenge the Doctors ability to expand his program..." and I interrupt
"No, we are not. We are here to decide if he is a thinking entity or not. The ability to chose, the ability to decide to become more than you are...these are essential to being a sapient being."
The old man frown "The Doctor's program was created with the ability to expand his program to fit the situation. I understand that you are not from this time, it might be possible you see more in a simulation of a personality than really are there."
I give him a flat look "I do not. Let me put things in another light." and I check my PAD before looking up again at the screen "I am a transhumanist. Your files should have the information about that entail." and he nod
"I have read the file." so I continue
"I don't intend to die. Ever. I seek to improve myself, dont matter if its learning or improving my body with technology."
He nod "I have understood as much of your philosophy. How is it relevant to this case though?" and I put up a finger
"I'm coming to that. I don't intend to ever die, but sooner or later my biological body will break down. Sooner or later I will be left with only technology or artificially created biology. If I ever in the future, in a hundred years reach the point where I transfer my mind into a holographic interface. Would I then also have no rights?"
The Arbitrator frown "Of course not." and I nod
"Then why wouldn't the Doctor? He show all the signs of a sapient mind. He is creative, he got ambition, he got hobbies. At that point the only difference between us would be that he started his existence as a computer program and I as a biological lifeform."
He sigh "If he is a thinking being and not a program you are correct." and I nod
"If. If indeed. The question is if you can live with 'If'." and he frown
"I'm not sure I understand." so I continue
"If the Doctor is simply a program, a simulation of a sapient mind, then it don't matter if he have rights or not. But if...but what if he is a sapient mind, would you risk denying him those rights? The question Arbitrator, you got to ask yourself is..." and I sigh "Can you live with with the possibility that you are wrong, if you decide his is not a sapient being?"
He frown as I look him in the eyes through the viewscreen "I don't know about you, but I would rather give rights to a simulation, than risk withholding them from another sapient being."
This is where Ensign Kim interrupt "The signal is breaking up." and the Arbitrator nod
"We will recess for two days and then I will give my ruling."
Two days later we are back in astrometrics, watching the feed from the meeting room at Pathfinder in the alpha quadrant.
The old Arbitrator frown slightly and sigh, folding his hands on the table "From everything I have heard and seen here, it is clear the law about holograms need to be revisited. I can only rule in relation to this case however." and the Doctor nod and swallow before the old man continue "It is my ruling that the Doctor have the right to control his creative work, just like anyone else." and he sigh "I...can also not in good conscience decide that the Doctor is 'not' a sapient being. I can't help but reward him all the rights of any other person in the Federation."
The Doctor is beaming at this point as the Arbitrator continue "However, this only relate to the Voyager EMH due to the special circumstances. The other copies of his program are not affected, but may be in the future if the laws are changed."
The Bolian are protesting to the Arbitrator as the link are severed.
Then the Doctor hugged me.
I need a new spine.