The Holographic choice

 In the aft section of the USS Achilles' shuttlecraft Lygyron, resting peacefully in the shuttlebay of the Horizon, Lieutenant Commander Marksus Sangliar was stroking his thick black beard over the data stream of a computer diagnostics screen.

The only time I have ever seen such a complex data stream was when Joey Sisko came to me with Tessa's AI matrix. The architecture here is... almost... the same, almost... organic. And this one is even more complex; almost as if it was... two of them constantly interacting with one another; like... like two wrestlers limb-locked on the mat.

He sat back and grumbled between his small square teeth, his face even darker than his usual black complexion.

''Glad I'm not having to work with this mess.''

His growl was interrupted by the sound of the shuttle's hatch whistling open.

''About time you finished your vacation,'' he shot without turning towards the access. His twitching snout already telling him who it was.

Rogers stepped up the short ramp and into the shuttle. With a glance around the cabin he studied the diagnostic screen briefly, then answered the gruff Tellarite engineer

"Well, guess your good enough to bypass a lockout authorization," David spoke. Taking a short step, he then sat in the seat across from the glimmering screen and continued.

"There's hope for you yet. So, what do you think of that," David finished, while gesturing toward the running diagnostics.

The Tellarite snorted.

'' Heh, no wonder you of all people would accuse me of committing a crime. You encoded the access to you and Captain Redding. I asked him to give me access; it was granted.''

He smiled with his mouth but not with his eyes.

''Ocam's razor; simplest solution is usually the best.''

His small beady black eyes returned to the display and he sighed.

''The best feat of computer programming and holographic engineering I have ever seen; both of them. There are two distinct, incredibly advanced programming architectures in there; both with Federation tech written all over them. And for some reason, they keep interacting and miggling continuously; almost like a computer virus and an antivirus managing to cancel each other out.''

His bushy eyebrow lifted towards Rogers.

''Don't tell me this is your doing.''

Rogers, with a short guffaw, shrugged off the comment.

"Not in the least! But they are beautiful, are they not?"

Rising from his chair David approached the left side of Sangliar and pointed his left index onto the screen surface, indicating the bottom, currently smaller, program.

" These are from the Achilles. One is Admiral Redding, and we would like him out of this ... menagerie and back on the ship. The other? Well, 'IT' is the AI that was running the ship when we found her. And a nastier piece of program I doubt you'll find."

With a pause to look down into the Tellarite's deep black pupils David finished with a flat tone, like he was merely naming a Laser Welder.

"Khan Noonien Singh!"

Sangliar guffawed. Then laughed harder. And then he sobered just as fast looking at the straight face of the half-Romulan.

''You serious?''

The silence answered him. He grumbled.

''Well I can make a portable holomatrix to receive one or the other. But we would need someone with no less than a grade 7 in computer programming, to extricate it from the other without corrupting any of those programs. Commander Joey Sisko would qualify; but he's back at Starbase Lotus. Don't think we can avail ourselves of his services, considering present circumstances. ''

His black beady eyes glanced sideways at Rogers.

''Anyone else available? Or do we chance a smuggling raid to Bynar?''

Crossing the threshold into the shuttlecraft Lygyron, Syntron declared “That absurd option is unnecessary.”

He sauntered near the computer diagnostics screen then studied the data stream once again for several moments.

“The challenge in separating these programs is that they have been interlaced with concealed digital traps, designed to dissuade anyone from endeavoring to do what we will be attempting.”

The Tellarite snorted, glancing at Rogers as he answered Syntron.

''Three guesses who.''

"Hey!", David retorted. "I simply put them into storage!"

As the Vulcan began delving into the construct, he provided a brief narrative.

“If you narrow the field within each of the various lines of data, the pattern of codes has been ostensibly written to perform mundane, but vital tasks. They appear to be readable, clear, innocent, and as straightforward as possible. However, in actuality, they covertly implement malicious behavior.”

Syntron then swiftly triggered a series of digital commands.

“I will need to surgically remove or correct every one of these complex algorithms then insert asynchronous encryption protocols to complete the code phrasing before attempting to sever the connection between the two programs.”

Sangliar snorted and smirked.

'' You may... indulge yourself.''

“Computer, initiate detection program “Code Probe 7.4”.

Within microseconds, the code strands on the display were highlighted in various colors to indicate function and value.

“I designed this program to seek and highlight such seemingly innocuous coding structures within programs. Once revealed, it will then be a matter of time to manually delete segments or correct every extraneous strand present.”

The Tellarite grumbled.

''I hate programmers; they make it sound so simple and easy... we grease monkeys look like prehistoric toolmakers, working with... stone knives and bearskins.''

“Given the volume revealed, it will require approximately two point three-seven hours to complete this phase. The next phase will be attempting to separate the two programs entirely.”

Turning towards Rogers, Syntron added; “Perhaps you could use this time to construct the portable holomatrix to host the viable program once separated.”

Sangliar smirked again.

''I can provide the stone knives and bearskins.''

Rogers rose from his seat and, turning toward the exit, mumbled a retort back at the Tellarite as he proceeded out of the craft to start on the holomatrix.

"Provide some constructive assistance and we'll see if we can't get you some leather and a saber."

Sangliar smirked.

''Remind me again who pirated a starship?''

“I did” Sorripto’s voice came over the comms. “Twice actually.”

Sangliar laughed out loud. Sorripto chimed in again.

“Like I was afraid of Rogers, the memory was maxed out and there was no way to generate spare storage. I was able to reroute all redundant files and reroute other memory pathways. The data core you need can now be successfully removed without any impact to computer memory or holographic interface.”

The Tellarite snorted.

''So that's why my mud bath was cold this morning.''

Sorripto didn't bite at the obvious typical Tellarite jab.

“Let me know how it goes moving your friend into his new home.”

Approximately two and one third hours later the last of the corrupted files were corrected or restitched into cohesive strands. The two complex programs now existed as separate entities. Syntron engaged a communication link with the Human-Romulan hybrid engineer.

“Commander Rogers, the two programs now exist independently.  The one you want to avoid activating has been relabeled Alpha Augment One.”

Hearing Syntron's transmission, Sangliar snorted.

''That's Vulcan poetry for you.''

Rogers entered the shuttle directly after Sangliar spoke, carrying an optronic data core. He spoke up as he placed the core onto the chair beside Syntron.

"There was not a single unused tech cube on the entire ship, so we had to commandeer one from the holodeck computer library storage." 

Removing the aforementioned greenish-yellow cube from the top of the data core, Rogers toggled open the receiver port on the shuttle's computer access and placed the cube into the exposed square receptacle provided for the cube. As the small core memory unit powered up after contact with the shuttle's computer Rogers interjected more information.

"I've wiped this cube and it can take 30 Teraquads of data. more than enough room."

David entered the Alpha Augment One designation and enabled the transfer. A small whir sounded as the program transferred into the data cube. A few seconds elapsed followed by a small chime from the computer, then the cube snapped out of the slot a centimeter and the transfer was complete. Rogers took the cube and tossed it up and down a couple times in the palm of his hand, as if weighing it.

"I think," David spoke somberly," I know someone immensely entitled to give this one a proper sendoff."

Without a further word Rogers turned and left the shuttle, cube tightly in his grasp. He headed to find Kheren.

With the help of the shipboard computer, he found the Andorian finshing prepping the Delta Flyer Dawn for his covert starship hunt Upon spotting the engineer, his antennae curled inward.

''A parting gift, Commander Rogers? For me? You shouldn't have... ''

David set the cube down on the seat next to Kheren and then replied to the Andorian.

"Well, gift is a fairly strong word Sir."

With a gesture toward the holo cube on the seat Rogers continued.

“Let’s just say that I thought perhaps you yourself would like to decide the final disposition of Khan. You've defeated him before but he always seemed to find his way back to ...bother you. I'll leave him in your capable hands."

David took a step back from the cube and turned to leave the flyer.

Kheren took the cube and kept his silvery eyes on Rogers, antennae wobbling.

''Well Commander Rogers, since you managed to successfully... isolate and detain him, I would say his fate should be in the hands of the Federation's judiciary. You know, General Order 35 and the rights of all sentient lifeforms, wether natural or artificial, and all that. I'll see to it that Captain Redding ensures his secure confinement until we can deliver him to competent authorities. Good work, Commander.''

He offered the engineer the rare human expression his rigid face could convey; he winked.

''After all, would I summarily... terminate him, I would become what he is; and thus, he would win, in the end.''

Having stopped when Kheren began speaking, David had turned back to watch the Andorian as he spoke. With the last sentence David glanced once at the cube in Kheren's dark blue hand then, looking into the mans sightless eye's, Rogers admitted to one of his personal flaws.