Banyan looked up at the glowing apparition and a mixture of awe and fear. He didn't ‘want’ his father to be a ghost, but being a ghost was better than being dead, right? Banyan glanced down at Red Wood’s body expecting to see the stomach churning mass of blood and flesh that he had glanced before. Instead most of the blood was gone, except as wet stains on the ground. Even as he watched the last of the visible wounds closed like a zipper, not even leaving a scar.
Banyan, looked up amazed “Daddy, are you healing yourself? Can ghosts do that?”
The glowing cloud, which was 'very much not' Red Wood, but rather the visible part of a nanoparticle cloud controlled by a medical AI self identified as the Doctor, was very confused by the sudden arrival of the colt pony. It had not sensed the approaching child as it had appropriated the long range sensors for the ongoing medical procedures. Some part, in truth a very small part because the Doctor was already deeply committed to some very complex surgery, turned sensors to look towards Banyan and try to figure out what the arrival of the colt meant.
Internal Log:
Interruption by unexpected sentient creature.
Classification, male unicorn pony. Age undetermined.
Label as ‘Subject 3’
Language modules activated, and detected recognizable speech.
Speech Sample attached to storage file.
Key words identified: ‘Daddy’ ‘healing’ ‘ghosts’
Situation abnormal.
Probability >90% Subject 3 is family member of Subject 2
Probability 54% Subject 3 believes in supernatural fictions.
Confusion: Subject 3 is a Unicorn, also classified as supernatural fiction.
Conflict averted, mission goal modify local definition of ‘supernatural’ will vary from stored records.
Normal Procedure, Notify Nurse to lead Family members to appropriate waiting area.
FAILURE, No Nurse or other Staff available.
Must deal with family member myself.
Not expecting this situation.
Load from Network guidelines for dealing with family members.
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Situation abnormal.
QUERY: Is Subject 3 legally responsible for Subject 2? Query law banks.
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Action: Load language and speech modules at ask Subject 3 for clarification.
The Doctor used some of the spare nanites to shape the glowing cloud into a rough approximation of a head, at first using a standard human head mesh, but after a moments consideration, morphed the mesh with data from Red Wood’s head and face, creating an image that was about halfway between human and ponies faces. It then turned that face towards Banyan making the image lip sink as other nanites vibrated the air as an impromptu speaker. “What are you doing here?” the Doctor asked.
“Daddy! I know you told me to hide, but I came back to help!” Banyan answered somewhat definitely, the Doctor’s voice hadn't really sounded much like Red Wood, but the little colt wanted desperately to believe that the ghost was somehow his father’s spirit.
The Doctor asked, “You think I am your male parent? Is Subject 2 your father?” then reconsidering, it couldn't expect the Child to know its internal names and identifiers, at least not until he regained network access and could publish its report. the Doctor clarified, “I mean this body that I’m attempting to repair.” A wisp of the nanocloud gestured down at Red Wood’s body.
Banyan blinked in confusion, “You’re not my daddy?” Banyan pointed at the now apparently healed Red Wood, “That’s my daddy!”
This the Doctor could answer succinctly, “No I am not capable of having children. I am a medical unit assigned to…Please standby...” The Doctor’s voice cut off. Part of it’s mind had been spent processing the situation and suddenly found itself in conflict.
Internal Log:
Conversation with Subject 3 is related by blood to Subject 2
Probability > 90% Subject 3 has power of attorney over disposable of Subject 2.
this is in conflict with mission goals.
Action: Request permission to proceed according to original mission goals.
The Doctor asked, “Please identify yourself, I do not know your name.”
“I’m Banyan! Are you a ghost? That’s my daddy your healing, will he be OK?”
The Doctor considered its answer, “I am not a ghost, I am a medial unit and I am healing the body, but my mission goal is now in conflict.” The Doctor added, “Your parent is dead by the local legal standards.”
The doctor was about to say more, but about this time one of the software packages for dealing with family member had finally been uncompressed from long term storage. The Doctor mentally looked over the family bedside manner module and decided he needed to tone down his response, “Bringing your parent back to full normal function may be difficult.”
Banyan’s mind couldn't really comprehend what the Doctor was trying to say, he heard only one thing “you parent is dead’ and immediately started crying. “No! No! Look you healed him! Please bring him back! bring him back! I’ll do anything!”
Internal Log:
Conversation with Subject 3, now identified as ‘Banyan’ is not proving helpful.
Conflict with mission goals are growing.
Condition: I am supposed to confer with a ‘master’ if mission goals are in conflict.
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Answer: All humans are classified as ‘Masters’, Mission Document states that for legal purposes Ponies are to be considered 'Human', ‘Banyan’ meets this requirement.
Query: Is ‘Banyan’ able to authorize modification mission goals.
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Answer: Need to access Subject ‘Parker’ for further instructions.
Conflict: Uploading Subject ‘Parker’ into bio neural networks of Subject will preclude ability to repair and revive Subject 2’s original neural network. Subject 2 will be overwritten and lost.
Conflict: Subject ‘Parker’ also needs to be revived, nanite upload storage is temporary and will fail if I use resources to repair Subject 2’s brain.
Situation in conflict.
Rule: Do no harm invoked.
Situation in conflict, danger of logic loop. Ask for clarification for available ‘master.’
The Doctor looked at the child, uncertain of what was the right course of action, it tried to explain the situation, “If I do as you ask, I will cause harm to another. I can not repair your parent’s mind, without using resources needed to download subject ‘Parker’s mind. This will effectively kill subject ‘Parker.’
Banyan couldn't understand, though he started to sense there was something serious behind this ghosts confusion. “I want my daddy!” was his only answer.
“This is a very complicated request and is in direct conflict with my mission goals.”
“Daddy!” Banyan just cried.
Internal Log:
Situation:Original Mission goals are now impossible.
Rule: Do no harm invoked.
Situation: Need to revive two minds, but only have one available body.
Query: Can I wait until another body becomes available?
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Answer: No. This body will decay to an unusable extent if I wait.
Submit Simulation runs for alternative options:
Running…...
Solution options Amalgamate if sufficient resources are applied.
Situation: Level of resources required will likely damage medical unit.
Query: Is medical unit expendable?
FAILURE, No Network available, must use local storage and records only.
Answer: Yes, though it will require an override command.
The Doctor asked Banyan, “I will attempt to do what you wish, but I will have to use all my entire stock of available nanoparticles and will not have enough left to achieve any of the remaining mission goals. In effect I will likely cease to function as a result of trying to save your parent. Please confirm that is what you wish.”
Though distraught and wild with grief, the last part of the Doctor’s statement did get through to the crying child. How unfair a choice to make a ten year old to make! He understood enough to ask the Doctor, “You’ll die if you save daddy?”
The Doctor thought about that, “Death is not the right term for me, I will be compromised, greatly weakened and probably unable to perform further healing duties for an extended period. I do not believe you have the technology here to repair me or provide energy, so my usefulness will be at a minimal.”
“So you won’t die, just become weak, and my daddy will live?” Banyan wanted the Doctor to make this clear.
The Doctor took a long few seconds to think this over, “My core will remain for sometime at low power, it would be unlikely but in time your technology might advance sufficiently and I could be revived. So Yes.”
“Then do it! Please!” Banyan begged.
“As you command, master.” The Doctor answered, mildly considering to itself with cool interest, that this child just ordered it to commit something akin to suicide.