Chapter 3: On Hold

AI JoAnn gave me an analysis, rather a quote, of Mark Hest’s thoughts regarding recruiting doctors and medical specialists. It involved a practice where ship captains conferred with a retained shoreside doctor, using electronic communications, and with the aid of a specially designed medical book. Both the doctor and captain had a copy of the color photographs illustrated book. A picture is worth a thousand words, it’s claimed, Referencing a particular photograph, the captain could explain for the doctor to understand better what the patient’s condition is. The doctor could also direct the captain to a different photograph, and ask if there was a similar appearance in the patient, to refine diagnosis, or detect complications. For it’s day, the system worked adequately to save many injured and ill seamen. Better than the captain’s intuition.

Final analysis, the captain served as a remote extension of the doctors eyes and hands, the book providing the clarity of vision. Mark felt the sickbay computer could fulfill the function of the retained remote doctor and the computer illustrations equal or better than in the book. The high precision muscle control of the AI chip, exceeds the steadiest hands among even long practiced surgeons.

Okay, Mark had given the recruiting of doctors some serious consideration. I might not entirely agree with Mark, but each captain makes his own decisions, the best he can.

I need to know how compatible this alien race is with humans. Not for breeding purposes, but are we vulnerable to infecting each other with diseases our immune systems have no defenses against?

Learning to communicate is also high priority.

JoAnn? What’s the difference between you and Naimu, my resident AI chip?

“What’s the difference between a cow and a human? The cow is programmed to eat and shit all day, and produce milk for it’s young which humans steal.”

Do you understand English? Or do you read and communicate with pure thoughts and emotions?

“Both, either, or, and.”

If a chip were implanted into the alien’s brain, could we communicate with it, via chip to chip?

“The chips can communicate wifi. Whether the chip implanted in the alien can communicate with alien thoughts and emotions is unknown until it’s tried.”

Would the cyborg auto-surgeons be able to implant a chip in the alien’s head?

“Probably. Is that where the alien’s brain is located?”

Good question. Let’s find out. Buzzy, the name I have arbitrarily assigned the alien, is still locked inside Sea Hag. Quarantined. How do I make it safe to bring it aboard MOM. That fuzzy fur could harbor all sorts of flea like parasites, worms, bacteria, and viruses.