Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [96]
However, she was not programmed to fall in love with the Doctor. Meegan was designed to be the type of woman the Doctor would grow to respect and, it was hoped, she would also grow to respect and admire the Doctor. It was intended that their relationship would take years to evolve. That’s why Barclay had been so surprised to see them in a passionate embrace.
The Doctor was not aware that Meegan was a hologram. A subroutine had been added to her systems that required her to speak to Reg or Zimmerman before telling anyone. Both felt that if either she—or the Doctor—were aware that she had been created for him, both would reject the notion out of hand. Reg had hoped that over time, nature would take its course. Then, he would counsel Meegan to tell the Doctor that she was not organic. It was hoped that by then, the Doctor would not see this as a hindrance.
Barclay was the only member of the fleet who was aware that Meegan was a hologram. He had not, until this moment, confronted the possibility that he might actually need to tell someone.
He proceeded to review the personal logs of the officers who had been present when Meegan had been used to speak for the Indign. Reg belived that the consciousness was a program. Only a program should have had the ability to assume control of her matrix and overwrite her subroutines. Why would the Indign create such a program? It was not necessary to facilitate their cooperative lives. It certainly had no practical application to their spacefaring vessels. The program would have been unique and extraordinary; why wasn’t it further integrated into Indign society?
Barclay knew the time had come to contact Captain Glenn and Admiral Batiste and advise them of the situation, but he remained hesitant.
Reg didn’t mind working on complicated problems. But he hated not being able to present the solutions to his superiors. Convinced that he could solve this on his own and preserve a future between the Doctor and Meegan, Reg summoned Meegan to his quarters. The moment she entered, he said simply, “Computer, freeze program Meegan McDonnell. Authorization Barclay, delta, four, seven.”
Barclay was relieved that she froze instantly at his command. He had fretted for the last several hours that the alien incursion might have done some permanent damage to her matrix. Naturally, he did not doubt his ability to discover how she had been possessed, but he worried that if he did not do it quickly, he would be forced to reveal Meegan’s true nature.
Turning to his workstation, Reg began a level-ten diagnostic of Meegan’s program, beginning with an analysis of her memory buffers. He ignored the physical readings she was designed to emit.
Instantly, he realized that her memory files had been compromised. Though most of them were still intact, the vast majority of her extra memory space, designed for hundreds of years of experiences to be stored, had been filled almost to capacity by what appeared to be a large block of data.
His initial attempts to access this data were fruitless. Intrigued, he began the painstaking process of purging the data.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” Reg said softly. “I’ll get to the bottom of this in no time and have you back in …”
Reg paused as a chill shot down his spine.
Meegan had frozen in a neutral pose after greeting Reg cordially.
Why is she smiling now? Reg silently began to fret as he slowly turned his face to look at her again.
That was the last thought he was conscious of for some time.
At Conlon’s request, Eden, Batiste, Paris, and Kim had convened in Voyager’s conference room. She had already advised the captain of the sensitive nature of her discovery.
“Go ahead, Lieutenant,” Batiste ordered.
“We have completed our