Personal Log: Ocras Abisa

[Ocras Abisa]

Personal Log - It has been 172 days since I was last able to go swimming in a real ocean. The image tied to this log is from the Tropics of Siona on Betazed. I went swimming on the reefs there and let the singing coral touch my mind. The holodeck just can't replicate the real world experience of actually being in a place. Even without the empathic species.

I've been perusing the ship's logs, and it doesn't seem the Challenger has ever visited a world with oceans suitable for tourist activities. I will have to wait at least six months before I request shore leave and the use of a shuttle to go visit an ocean world on my own.

Whoever manages the environmental controls for the Challenger obviously prefers temperate zones. Perhaps I can slowly increase the humidity and temperature and let the rest of the crew get used to a semi-tropical environment? There's a legitimate excuse for Ops to do that... right, log?

Off to duty.

-End Log-

[Ocras Abisa]

Log Entry re: Sapience, Sentience, and Morality

The concept of sapience is something I am intimately familiar. I can reach out and touch the mind of a creature and know immediately if it is capable of higher thoughts and emotions, or if it is just barely sentient. At least, with most creatures, I can do this. There are species that are resistant to telepathy, like the Ferengi, and there are other telepathic species that can block my probing mind... those species have secondary characteristics that make their sapience evident though.

How does one determine if a computer program that was designed to fill the role of a sapient being is itself sapient or if it is just very well programmed? The Voyager's EMH gained his own recognition of sentience and individuality after years of legal battles. He had powerful friends and was famous. The crew of the Theia have none of the advantages he had. Will they receive a fair trial? Will they be allowed to present evidence on their own behalf?

Mister Rayek indicated that he had intended to deactivate the majority of the crew, simply turning them off like the lights in a room. I cannot see myself doing that with these holograms... they seem too far beyond the simple creations of the holodeck. But what is the line? Is it that the crew of the Theia were designed to learn and adapt? That they were built with growth potential? Or are all holographic creations capable of awakening to true individuality? When I climb the pillars of Aurigae, do I need to consider the desires of the holographic raptor screeching above me?

Computer, please initiate a search in all Starfleet databases. Search for artificial intelligences, both created and encountered. Please include any legal cases related to the same topics. Send all findings to my PADD.

[Ocras Abisa]

Personal Log: Telepathic Education and instructional methods

While preparing to give lessons to SCPO tr'Lhoell, I have reviewed my own educational material from when my telepathic and empathic powers began to develop, and I must say that I am slightly embarrassed at how childish some of my work from that period is. But I was a child when I did the work, so I must accept that I had limited skill, and that the purpose of the exercises was to develop that skill.

The initial work will be impossible with the Chief, as the first steps of a Betazed's telepathic instruction involve linking minds with a close family member, often the child's mother or father. Linking with a mind that has been touching yours since your mind emerged from the clump of fetal cells is almost instinctual. Mother was busy campaigning on an issue at the time, so Father came to my classes. He was thrilled to spend time with me, and at the time that level of love/desire-to-spend-time/joy/excitement was blaring against my newly awakened empathy. He was a glaring nova of emotions. Most betazeds are sympathetic, even before our empathy develops. I tried to keep away from him, but the instructor required us to be together.

Now, I know that my reticence to be near him hurt my father. Within a week, I'd learned enough empathy to feel his hurt, but Father hid that pain behind his pride at my skill and talent. At the time, I wasn't aware enough to see what he was doing. I know the instructor saw it, but didn't say anything. I'm thankful that my father let me grow and develop in my own time and way, even if I was a brat many times.

That skill though, I think is what the Chief needs to learn. He has spent his existence building walls to hide his mind from others, but that traps the mind and can stunt its development. I think he will do well if I can get him to understand what my father did... hiding what he wanted to keep from me by putting up layers of other thoughts that were likely to distract my child's mind.

The chief should be able to use other thoughts, things that have little true meaning to them to create layers of obfuscation around the things that do matter. Teaching that in theory will be difficult. If I could trust his ability to read minds, I would show him how by doing it myself. That would be inviting him to try to read my mind... and I'm not sure I want him that deep in my mind.

He has a certain gruff handsome way about him, and I don't think he would appreciate stumbling around in my mind and learning what all goes on in my head.

Computer, seal log to my voice pattern.

[Ocras Abisa]

Personal Log - Abisa

I received a letter from my mother today. I sent them a message informing them of my new posting after I left Betazed. I know it wasn't fair. They deserved to know that I'd be taking on a real Security role, and that I'd likely be involved in violence.

Most Betazoids are entirely pacifistic. Our history tells tales about a war against spirits, but I don't know how real that was. It might just be a legend. It might be a part of the Faith of the Four Deities. As a species, we are much better at avoiding violence by sensing it coming, or convincing the violent one to leave us alone with empathy. Betazoids who join Starfleet tend to go into the Medical or Science divisions. Sometimes Operations, like my original assignment. But they rarely join command or security.

A command officer must be prepared to attack those who would harm the Federation. A tactical officer must be prepared to act on those orders, must be prepared to be the one to fire the phasers and torpedoes. Like I did with the Grifter.

I kept my walls high during the fight... but I could still feel their pain and fear... distantly. Such strong emotions are nearly impossible to wall out entirely. Especially when the crew on my own ship were full of excitement and fear.

Mother tells me that they are not going to tell our neighbors or friends about my new posting. They won't lie, of course, but they won't bring it up. When I received my promotion to Lieutenant, Mother made a point of dropping that information to everyone in our acquaintance. She didn't make such a show when I was assigned to the embassy.

They are ashamed of my decision. I hope I can make them understand when I next see them.

-End Log

[Ocras Abisa]

Personal Log, Ocras Abisa.

It frustrates me that my ancestors chose to cede the stars to the other species in the Federation. Like every member world, ours had Warp technology before we joined the Federation. We traveled the stars in our own ships and explored so many worlds. I have a personal theory about why we stopped striving to reach the edges of the map.

In my studies, I found that there was a period of time where our exploratory vessels encountered more unwelcoming worlds than they did welcoming worlds. Places where our relatively pacifistic nature lead to our crews being taken advantage of, captured, or killed. Those years of loss turned the tide of public will.

At the end of that period, the exploration vessels were decommissioned or repurposed. What little exploration was done at the time was the work of individuals. The only organized interstellar fleet was the cargo fleet that ensured goods moved between the Home world and our colonies. Over years and decades, we didn't innovate or improve our technology. The cargo moved along well known lanes and at a sedate Warp 3. It was just enough that the other interstellar species noticed us.

By that time, our entire culture had forgotten the name of our world. We just called it Home. The humans who made first contact with us wouldn't call it Home, so they named it in an Earther language. They called it "Beta Zed," and that became the name the other species all knew it by.

I could have joined the cargo fleet and worked on a freighter that moved between Home and the colonies... I might even be XO of a freighter by now. But that would have meant staying in the cargo lane for the rest of my life. Never seeing anything new or meeting anyone not at home among a telepathic civilization.

That's why I chose to join Star Fleet. The Federation still explores. The Vulcans to search for new knowledge. The humans to find new worlds to feed their cultural craving for novelty. The Andorians to make sure that the others didn't gain advantage. And so on... every member world had their own reasons, which meant that they all supported it. When Beta Zed, Home, joined the Federation, we sent the normal percentage of our society to join the Fleet, and that allowed our people to explore again.

The stories I read about prominent Betazoids who joined the Fleet drove my own interest. That's why I joined.

I was never any good at science or medicine or even psychology, so I focused on what I could to begin a career in Star Fleet. Operations roles. Admin work. Security. That kind of thing. It got me into the Academy, and assigned into the Ops division. Hopefully, I'll be able to get bumped to full Lieutenant soon, and maybe even Lt. Commander within two years. Commander within another five.

And eventually, maybe in ten years? Fifteen? I'll be captaining my own ship as we sail off looking for the edge of the map.