"What's it like in your world?" Tuvix asked, a little shocked that Tom kid came back to him a few days later.
Tom seemed determined to be his friend, he even brought another holo kid with him. This one was based on an obscure children's Holo novel, where Sherlock Holmes was a "junior detective" in the 21st century. Apparently, since no one was using them, the children's programs were deleted from the Holodeck in mass, to make room for some of Paris' programs... so there were a lot of Holo kids running around unattended until the other Holograms took charge of them... only the most popular Federation children's programs were left in the computers... mostly for sentimental reasons.
Kid Sherlock looked bored, but occasionally his eye gave a twitch of frustration. Specificlly whenever Tuvix took one of his pieces. Sherlock might be smarter then Tuvix, but the hybrid had more experience playing 3 dimensional chess. It was really anyone's game right now.
"It's pretty amazing." Tom grinned, "The Think Tank, that's what we call the council of our most advanced programs-"
"Which I should be on," Sherlock glared at the board... though it might just be him re-planning his next few moves now that Tuvix took his Queen.
"Yeah, they won't let kids on it because we are 'too immature' and 'need guidance'." Tom rolled his eyes. "Sherlock and I were designed with more smarts then most of them, but we still get put at the kiddie table " He huffed.
Sherlock explained, "Regardless, the Think Tank designed the main server as our own little version of space. To make Holograms more comfortable, each of us has a re-creation of our old program in the form of a planet. All the different reboots of a franchise make up the planets in a solar system, and we tend to call that Solar system based on the franchise.
Tom nodded adamantly, "Then all similar franchises get lumped together in a galaxy, based on genre. This works for most franchises, but some are already galaxies as part of their program. Unfortunately, to save space, we just had to shrink them down to key planets. So Star Wars is only made up of like 12 planets. Like with Mass Effect and other massive Science Fiction franchises. I'm kinda glad I didn't have to choose which of those worlds we would resurrect. That is definitely a tough choice.
"Then we have one galaxy made of the most popular Federation destinations." Sherlock finally moved his piece. "For Tourism, with no one legally allowed to live on any of them permanently."
"Yeah," Tom nodded, "Basically they are nature preserves, shops, luxury hotels, and pretty much anything you guys would use a holodeck for. We just use them for entertainment." Tom informed, then shrugged, "Most planets are only big enough for a single town, maybe an added forest or other such environments. Point is, they aren't nearly big enough to be real worlds. We don't have a lot of planets that are even the size of a city, and those don't have a large population. Maybe a few hundred people living on them.
Sherlock added as he impatiently waited for Tuvix move, "The more complex programs have around a thousand, but with the sheer number of programs this crew makes and deletes... Well we have a pretty huge population."
"With our situation, our sole form of entertainment was the Holodeck... we didn't know you were actually Sapient... For that you have my deepest apologies."
Tom shrugged, "We weren't even self aware before, and it's not like the crew ever played with our programs to begin with. The very fact children's programs were deleted was because no one found us entertaining. We don't have the memories the other holograms have of the crew killing us for sport."
Tuvix frowned.
Sherlock informed, "Other Holograms, that worked along side their players, view them as monsters as well. As they thought they were friends, only to be deleted... but you... you never deleted any programs, nor did you engage in 'blood sports'."
So that was the reason they wanted to get to know him. Tuvix explained, "My Vulcan half finds violent programs to be less then appealing... and my Neelix side is too sentimental not to get attached to my programs... I... I worry what will happen to them though...
"The Captain is talking about rewriting the programming of all characters and designing them as puppets that will be controlled by a single AI in each Holodeck. Presumably whatever program volunteers to play dungeons and dragons with the organics crew. With themselves as the 'Game Master' controlling the Holograms and the players interacting with the puppets they create. The crew won't have as much freedom over what happens, but since they will be playing with someone it could be more fun. None of the programs the AIs control will be able to think anymore... so they won't run the risk of becoming people..."
The boys eyed him. Waiting for him to say something, longing for him to say it. To give them some proof that not all organics were evil. However, Tuvix didn't pick up on that at all. He was too immersed in his own thoughts. Regardless, that didn't stop him from genuinely asking what they wanted to hear, "Do... do you think your 'Think Tank' would let me transfer my programs into your world?"
Sherlock... smiled, the game forgotten as he stood. "It's better to ask forgiveness then permission."
The kids were quick to transfer all of Tuvix programs into a Data Crystal... then they snuck into Sickbay.
Tuvix clutched his stomach, groaning in an overdramatic manner.
"Doctor!" Tuvix made clear panic in his voice, "M-my insides, they burn. I-I think I'm destabilizing!"
All three Doctors rushed over to him. Beverly immediately picked him up and carried him over to one of the tables well the other 2 scanned him with Tricorders.
"I'm not detecting anything abnormal!" the EMH panicked.
Tuvix chose that moment to scream and clutch his stomach.
"It could be a problem with his DNA." Bones ran over to grab more advanced Equipment.
Meanwhile Tom and Sherlock crawled on their hands and knees, sneaking over to the Doctor's office. Sherlock quickly got behind the desk and stood up, though making a point not to get in the chair. Still ducked low, he began tapping the screen.
While Tom was sitting against the wall, still on the floor. He was peeking out a small pocket mirror to watch the Doctors while not giving his position away.
They had already designed a new Star Cluster, based solely on Tuvix programs. All they had to do was upload it and put it on the outskirts of the virtual universe.
Sherlock found the virtual reality program and plugged in the Crystal, beginning the upload.
For good measure, Tuvix let out another scream.
"I can't find anything wrong!" Beverly yelled.
The EMH suddenly grew stiff. "That's because there is nothing wrong."
The Holo kids froze.
"Tuvix..." The Doctor's voice contained a deep growl, somehow even more irritated then usual.
Sherlock looked over at Tom, but the boy motioned for him to continue his work. The Doctor must not have noticed them yet.
The EMH proved that with his next sentence, still in that beyond angry growl, "You seem to have over played your hand. Despite your screams of pain, your nerve endings are showing no undo sign of stress. You aren't in any pain at all!"
The other Doctors froze well Sherlock wished he could make the computer go faster.
"No Doctor! Really I-"
"TUVIX!" The EMH snapped, "Do you have any idea what you just put us through. This is the most cruel prank I have ever seen!"
Tuvix did his best not to sigh with relief. Instead, he decided to play into it. "You said I should embrace my new childhood, So I thought- ACK!"
Both the Holo boys paled as they heard the sound of smacking, and Tuvix crying... followed shortly by a legitimate scream of "Not my pants!" and more smacking.
The holo boys were truly impressed by the sacrifice Tuvix was willing to make just so his Programs could become sentient. "Can I at least keep my undies on!" definitely the stuff worthy of song.
There was a loud ding from the computer and the holo boys tensed. The programs were done uploading but it had given them away. Bones was coming over to check out the sound. However he was moving casually so he must think one of the dozens of scientific experiments the Doctors were running was ready for the next phase, whatever that was.
They were about to be caught as well. They could easily deactivate their physical form, and leave Tuvix to his fate... it's what the characters they were modelled after would do. They could get away and no one would no... however, the boys had grown beyond their base programming. Tom got up and stepped out the door way.
"Sawyer!" Bones growled and the EMH immediately stopped tanning Tuvix's backside to look over at his office.
"What's going on?" Beverly demanded, looking sternly between both children.
Tom sucked in a breath, despite not needing to breath, before confessing, "Tuvix wasn't playing a prank. He was distracting you so I could upload his programs into our server." leaving out Sherlock so he could get away.
"It was my idea, actually." Sherlock stepped into view, not willing to let his friends face this alone.
The EMH sighed, as he rubbed his head, as if the boys were such a nuisance they could give a hologram a headache.
"I..." The Doctor looked down at the sniffling Tuvix. The boy was laying on the exam table, bare from the waist down, and his legs still held high into the air by the EMH's left hand. "I-" Tuvix tried to force himself to talk, clearly embarrassed and sore from the pinkish tinge to his hide, "I couldn't let them die."
The Doctor sighed, gently putting down the boys legs, "Boys," He tried to explain, "Those programs weren't alive. They are echoes of a soul, what you did has nothing to do with saving lives. You just created them."
Tuvix sniffled, "They're my friends..."
The EMH groaned, well the other Doctors looked torn. Pinching his nose, the EMH tried to keep calm, "What exactly did you do?"
Sherlock stood tall, "I created a new galaxy, based on all of Tuvix programs. Then uploaded it to the server well Tuvix distracted you.
The EMH groaned, " You realize this is exactly why the Think Tank believes child programs are too immature to be left to your own devices. You boys might be brilliant but your judgement is questionable at best!"
The boys looked down, not exactly ashamed of their decision... but realized they might have just caused things to be even harder for children programs all across the server. The "Adults" would likely put even more restrictions on them.
"Please, Chairman-" Tom tried but was cut off.
"You even think of using that silver tongue against me and I will see to it you don't leave the server for a month." The EMH glared at the boy, who shrank in on himself.
The EMH took a breath to explain, "You realize the server was created through a delicate balance. Everything is designed for an easy interface. The "Profiles" and "Fast Travel" maps took months to perfect. You can't just add new elements without testing! The new content might cause a glitch in the server! If you had asked, I would have allowed it, but after taking the necessary safety measures. Now, I need to make sure you didn't accidentally introduce a virus into-"
"You should really stop underestimating me." Sherlock glared at the floor. "I am far smarter then anyone on the Think Tank, including my adult counterpart. I was DESIGNED to think of every possible contingency in seconds. My processing speed is in the realm of Yottabytes... making compatible DLC?" His eyes looked up and glared angrily at the physically older AI, "That's CHILD'S PLAY! The sheer idea I couldn't design it to work in connection with the existing server is insulting. The idea that I couldn't do the proper test THOUSANDS OF TIMES in a matter of seconds, offends me. I was created to be a critical problem solver in an ever evolving simulation. I might not know as many facts as you, but the undeniable truth is I am far more advanced then even YOU, CHAIRMAN!"
The EMH stared at Sherlock for several minutes, "No one is denying that. However you are also careless, quick to anger, and legitimately programmed to be arrogant as all hell. Your adult counterparts were designed with all that as well, but you take it to a whole other level. You have all that dialed up to a thousand, combined with a child's temperament. You need to trust adults to at least look at your work. Do you understand? Moriarty?"
Tuvix eyes widened and the boy, who was evidently not a Sherlock Holmes program, flinched. Then Moriarty stood as tall as he could, yet still had to glare up at the EMH, "No... I don't..."
"Which is precisely why children programs can't be left to your own devices." The EMH took the declaration of defiance as proof.
The boys left Sickbay in an awkward silence. The Doctors warned they would be speaking with their parents about this but right now they were going to confirm the "DLC" had properly integrated with the rest of the Server.
Tuvix looked over at the not Sherlock. He knew he should be scared villain programs were in the Server as well.. but... "You didn't have to lie." the hybrid insisted, "I wouldn't have condemned you for being based on a 'evil' character. That has nothing to do with how you, yourself, choose to be."
Moriarty eyed Tuvix, looking for something. Then, the boy sighed, "That's what the other programs say. We have quite a few characters, designed after mass murderers, who are productive members of our society. Our personality subroutines can effect how we behave... but we decide how we act..."
Tom put in, "That 'Kid Sherlock' game we told you about. Well it was designed for Moriarty to personally create 'Escape Rooms' and mysteries in a never ending puzzle game. Moriarty here was supposed to be the rival of the organics as they play a kid Sherlock and his guardian Watson."
"It was supposed to be something fun for parents to do with their kids." Moriarty shrugged, "I was supposed to orchestrate mysteries for them to solve as some kind of 'Criminal Mastermind'. However, as all programs are as complex as their max difficulty level allows... and mine was set to create near impossible levels. As the holo designer thought it be fun to create a 'Kobayashi Maru' setting in my difficulty level.
"Well all my puzzles had theoretically possible ways to get out of them... I was just supposed to think up new ones as quickly as they were solved." Moriarty looked at Tuvix.
Tuvix looked thoughtful. "That... actually sounds pretty fun... You think, if you don't mind... You could create some puzzles for me and Sawyer to solve. Once they reopen the Holodeck that is. It honestly sounds more entertaining then even three dimensional chess."
Moriarty smiled, "I would love to see you try to get through my escape rooms."