Almost Human

[Becky Sandoval]

- Holodeck, TAS Kitea

Becky stood over a disembodied mechanical head with blinking lights in a simulated robotics lab with illuminated equipment and android parts scattered about the room. Becky herself was hardwired into the mechanical head using a cable that plugged directly into her Borg datalink port.

To her left stood the Borg Queen watching Becky work with mild curiosity. To the right of her was a partially assimilated Dr. Noonian Soong.

~Forty-five percent of the neural pathways have been written to the positronic net,~ Soong thought via the Borg neural link, as he scanned their progress.

~Borg technology was never meant to be used this way,~ the Queen replied.

~But, what if we could?~ Becky demanded.

The Queen cocked her head in thought, ~We will have finally achieved the perfection that we've sought.~

"There's no 'we'," Becky said aloud, "But humanity will have finally achieved immortality."

[Angel Ryder]

Angel tapped on the door chime and waited a moment, then she popped her head into the holodeck door. She saw the science lab and Becky working over a work table.

"Hey Becky... it's been five hours. This is me being your annoying reminder. That and you're on duty on the bridge in two hours and you haven't eaten in almost ten hours." Angel said with a half smile. "Is that a half Borg Dr. Soong?"

[Becky Sandoval]

She turned confused for moment after focusing on her work so hard. "Um... well, yes it is. I have created a small Borg neural net using the Queen as a server. I find that communications are faster and far more precise.

~The positronic pathways are destabilizing,~ Soong thought.

"Excuse me captain," she said and turned to scan her work. "It's not accepting the writing of the final pathways," she said with a defeated sigh. Unceremoniously she disconnected herself from the android head. "Computer save and end program."

The computer beeped, and the lab vanished, "Sorry about that captain. It would appear the human brain is still too complex to copy into a positronic brain."

[Angel Ryder]

"It's still possible... I'm sure of that." Angel said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. "Don't give up on it just yet." she put her hand on her shoulder encouragingly. "It takes a long time to map a human brain, despite our best efforts." she tapped her chin and hummed. "I wonder if that brain scan we have on my husband while he was being cloned would be useful, we did transfer his original brain into his new body, but the old brain still had some interesting data, I confess neuro science isn't my specialty, I'm an Operations officer, an engineer, even a creative. But the brain always seemed more art than science."

[Becky Sandoval]

"The mapping isn't the problem. Soong's positronic brain just isn't able to assimilate the data needed to exactly duplicate a person's brain. It always starts a cascade failure at the 60-70 percent upload point. I suppose I could just make a standard Soong type android and see if I can stabilize that first, but I'm not sure of the ethics of that and we have vastly more advanced equivalents. But, the positronic brain is the closest we've come to making a real artificial brain."

[Angel Ryder]

"Maybe, but if it's hitting cascade failure, then it's getting too much data mapped onto it. Like when we try to back up our main core to an older series core, old core can't handle that much data and the speed of the transfer fucks up." she snapped her fingers. "What if... multiple positronic matrixes linked into one, like a RAID set up. We can probably even reduce the physical size after the transfer. Part of the problem is the positronic brain while nearly limitless still has an upper limit. What if you multiplied that?"

[Becky Sandoval]

Becky thought for a moment. "That might work. A Borg data interlink node would be capable of connecting the two... brains. There's just one problem. I can't replicate a Borg data interlink node. Sure, I can build it, but I don't think you'd approve of me assimilating the Kitea to do it."

[Angel Ryder]

"Yeah I wouldn't sign off on that." Angel said with a smile. "We're still paying this bird off. But... we ARE an engineering fleet. What do you think you'd need? Remember my friend... your wishes do come true, even the crazy ones."

[Becky Sandoval]

Getting over her initial embarrassment, Becky took a deep breath, "Computer run program Becky, Lab, Two."

The computer beeped and the lab reappeared. The Queen and Soong stared at Angel with suspicion.

"I cannot read your thoughts. You are not part of the Collective. You will adapt to service us."

"No one is adapting to any thing. You are a hologram." Becky replied.

[Angel Ryder]

"Yeah... slow your roll Queenie... I can have your matrix run a toaster." Angel said with a smirk. "Or a treadmill..." she looked around the lab. "You know Becky, I wonder if we could set up a shuttle as a workspace, give you a dedicated core, power, the works, plus if something goes south, easier to just dump the shuttle and nuke it."