Articles of the Federation - Keith R. A. DeCandido [121]
“Of course not!”
“Then why are you advocating it in this case?”
“Because we’re not talking about a life here. We’re talking about a machine that was built as a test run. Dr. Soong even named it in such a way as to make it clear that it was just a trial-it’s the one that came before the final version. It’s no more a sentient being than the first draft of a novel is a published book. Dr. Soong did not intend this being to live among people the way both Lore and Data did.”
Maddox turned to look at Nan. “Madam President, I must protest my colleague’s attempt to provide motives for a man whom he has never met and who’s been dead for thirteen years.”
“Protest noted.”
Gnizbreg had another question. “Have you asked B-4 how he feels about being dismantled?”
Patek smiled, which Nan didn’t like at all. “I can tell you B-4’s exact words: ‘I don’t mind.’ “
Maddox couldn’t have looked more sour if he’d sucked down a lemon tree. “B-4 is not capable of understanding what that means.”
“So you admit that he’s not capable of cognitive thought?” Patek was gesticulating again. “When you challenged the notion of Data being sentient fifteen years ago, Bruce, you yourself said that one of the qualities for sentience was self-awareness. B-4 doesn’t even meet that criterion.”
“Then I bring you back to what Councillor Ra’ch said. If an organic life-form had cognitive difficulties, would you advocate killing it?”
Patek started to answer, but Nan cut him off. “Dr. Patek, Captain Maddox, much as I’d love to listen to you two hash out this argument over and over again, I think you’ve both made your positions clear. Councillor Gnizbreg, Councillor Ra’ch, do you have any further questions?” The Tiburonian and the Damiani councillors both shook their heads. “Does anyone else have a question?” She looked out over the remaining eleven councillors in the gallery. Nobody spoke. “Fine. Now, one of three things is gonna happen next. One is that you two call one of the witnesses you promised us yesterday. Two is that you both sit down and shut up and let the council deliberate. Three is that I rip this podium out of the floor and beat you both to death with it.”
Archly, Patek said, “This council has already received copies of my research. I’d love to bring up witnesses, but the only ones available would repeat either my words or Captain Maddox’s. The ideal witness would, of course, be a Soong android to compare to B-4, but Data was killed a year ago in the line of duty, Lore’s positronic brain was destroyed about a year after he was deactivated in the Delta Quadrant, and Lal is nonfunctional-she’s as dead as Data. There is no appropriate witness to bring.”
Maddox’s smirk came back. “Yes, there is. Madam President, I would like to call the Doctor to the stand as a witness.”
Nan frowned. “The Doctor?”
“The Voyager Emergency Medical Hologram, ma’am,” Maddox said.
Then Nan remembered. The EMH aboard that starship had been activated when Voyager had been lost in the Delta Quadrant and all its medical personnel had been killed. Along the way, the EMH had been outfitted with a mobile emitter and had become a valuable part of the crew by the time Voyager made it home seven years later. The Doctor was now part of a Federation think tank that had proven useful over the years. Nan had read several recommendations from that think tank over the past year and had always found them to be well researched, cogent, and valuable.
“The podium recognizes the Doctor as a witness.”
One of the people in the gallery stood up. Looking for all the world like an unassuming, bald human, and dressed in a rather garish civilian suit, the Doctor stepped forward, walking past Maddox and Patek on the speaker’s floor, taking the seat to the president’s left.
Nan turned to the EMH. “Doctor, please be aware that any testimony you give to this council has the weight of law, and any statement or statements you make that are proven to be false will make you subject to