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"Doctor's Orders"
ambassadorkael
Member, Administrator Posts: 2,679 Community Manager
Struggling to understand the new world he finds himself in, Paul Stamets visits the Doctor in our latest fiction blog!
https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/11294203
https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/11294203
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Please?
One of the few times I wish the forums had a like button.
But Yea, that would be cool.
Cryptic, would you actulaly like me to spend actual Money? It's Simple:
Agree, while I was reading it I could almost hear the two actors voicing it out too. A nice snipet of story telling.
First, some good: I could definitely hear the Doctor reading his lines (I am far more familiar with him by virtue of possessing more seasons to his development) but I managed to summon Stamets' voice in my mind as well. Much of the physical language sounded in character for both of them, and I could totally imagine this exchange happening.
Now for the nits:
First, a slight "canon" nit, I was a bit off-put by the "State the nature of YOUR medical emergency." It could make sense in the first use of it being directed specifically at Stamets, that was fine. However, when it was used the second time, it made it sound as if that was the Doctor's normal greeting on Voyager. In this context, it was about his past and all the times he said it, in which it would be "Please state the nature of THE medical emergency." I suspect it was probably intended to be conveyed as it was in the show in both instances.
Second, the Doctor specifically "slapping" Stamets "across the face" seems... out of character to me, that seems more like something McCoy would do. Although, the Doctor also seemed a bit different when interacting with a fellow hologram, such as his interactions with the EMH mk II. And though some time has passed since his time on voyager... still, when we last saw the Doctor in STO, he didn't seem like his personality had dramatically shifted toward salty old so-and-so. As a result, this seems... like a "maybe." It could fly, I suppose... but shakily, as written, in my opinion.
Finally, that bit about -paraphrasing- "you don't have to pretend to be a hoooman with their hoooman customs anymore." in response to a handshake, seems DECIDEDLY out of character for the Doctor. They are both holograms, sure, but they are HUMAN holograms, not holograms of a non-human species or a non-humanoid species. If anything, the Doctor's journey was one of finding his way toward being MORE human, not toward identifying as a separate species that might even, given the "your brain is a computer" and "you don't have to pretend to be human" sentiments, suggests he now looks down upon humans as inferior.
Also, though the Doctor was clearly the "Data" of Voyager, they never played him up to be particularly superior in regard to his "processing power" or memory or strength. He could let an object or phaser blast pass right through him, he didn't technically require sleep, though he did need maintenance shut-downs, and he was certainly a very capable doctor. But they never made it seem like you should definitely prefer to be treated by Voyager's EMH than by Beverly Crusher. And for all his potential "super powers" they all seemed to come with a sizeable measure of drawbacks on balance.
I imagine that may have been the result of not wanting to make biological doctors obsolete, so an arbitrary "will of the writer" made it so. Technically, it would make sense for the Doctor to be superior due to all the technology and processing power and memory space and the ability to seemingly plug and play new add-ons, etc. But... in the context of the show and what they were trying to achieve with the Doctor, these portions of the fiction seem to be leaning toward the "Holograms are essentially demi-gods" camp, which I think Star Trek as a whole would lean away from. Star Trek always tried to keep things in check and keep people relevant, not communicate a sentiment of "Now that androids and holograms exist, humans are obsolete." With that in mind, considering the characters as I know them, and keeping the re-write to a minimum, I think the two points of greatest contention for me (excluding the proper execution of the Doctor's catchphrase) would go a bit more like this:
[The Doctor reached across the table and tapped him on the cheek. Not hard, but enough to impart a little sting. Stamets recoiled, touched his face, and looked back at the Doctor, his expression conveying an inability to rationalize this violation of his personal space.
The Doctor chuckled softly and shrugged. “You definitely exist. As for the rest? That’s up to you to decide.”]
and:
[Stamets sat back against his chair and smiled at the Doctor. “Thank you for meeting with me. I really needed this. It has been great speaking with someone who understands.”
The Doctor scooted his chair back and stood up from the table. “You don’t need me, Paul. The only difference between you and everyone else in this place is the little piece of technology stuck to your shoulder.” He gave Stamets a thin-lipped smile.
Stamets laughed and stood alongside his companion. Offering his hand in farewell, he said, “Still, I’d love to talk with you again.”
Taking Paul's hand in his, the Doctor smiled, and with a gentle squeeze replied, "I would like that very much.”
Stamets watched as his new friend walked toward the exit and left. He looked down at the two full glasses on the table. They would have been a sobering reminder of his "condition" just moments ago, yet now, the hint of a smile defiantly clung to his face.
As he left, an Andorian dock worker stepped aside to let him pass through the exit. Paul Stamets smiled at the man, and nodding a silent acknowledgement of his courtesy, stepped out into the city.]
I swear the Doctor slapped someone before.
Also, why does it look like it's raining in the pic?
Anyone want to give me a Temporal Heavy Dreadnought pack? I'll be your friend
He sure did.
It looks like it's raining because it is. You're looking in at the bar from the outside, through a window.
Let the Holographic Civil War Begin!
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
he did - twice; once as shown below your post, and once during https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Projections_(episode) where he slapped a holographic barclay, so it isn't out of character for him to slap stamets at all...the whole 'you don't have to be human' thing, however, IS out of character for him
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
That's one story that would make an interesting story arc for STO. I remember the former Emergency Holographic Doctors working in a dilithium mine in the episode where the Doctor had released the Holonovel about the overdramatized version of his life on Voyager about the toils of being a hologram. The holograms were encouraging each other to watch it, possibly for a future uprising.
It's one of those dangled possible future stories that begged to be followed up on
For that matter, there are the Kalandan photonics from TOS, there is always the possibility of a plot where the two systems do not mix well and spawns a megalomaniac with very advanced tech, kind of like a photonic Dr. Korby style plot.
In Red Dwarf, holograms faced extreme bigotry from living people, who felt holograms were either abominations, or wastes of resources to maintain them.
My character Tsin'xing
Did you mean strangle? Kind of like Vader's except she caused bloody noses.
My character Tsin'xing
What is this discussion supposed to be, exactly? Are we supposed to give the writer feedback and constructive criticism? It seems like it because that's what others are doing, but I'd like to know for sure. In the meantime, I'd like to compliment the staff writer for this very good piece of writing. He definitely has a gift, as I immediately feel immersed in this scene he has created with his skillfully descriptive style.
I don't think that there is a glass of water big enough, but I'll try.