Humans are Weird - Free Will
Second Sister was carefully measuring out water into one of the few, sad ornamental plants the human doctor kept in the waiting room.
“I know you are lonely,” she muttered to the thing. “I will ask First Administration Assistant if I can get you some nitrogen fixing neighbors.”
The office comm unit chimed that a known patient was calling in and First Administration Assistant, a human called Molly, activated the unit and code-switched to what the humans called “cheerful professional”.
“Family and Hive Healing Center! How may I help you?”
“Yes, this is Colby Banner. I would like to -” there was a brief interruption in sound as a higher pitched human female voice spoke just beyond the reach of the other comm’s pickup range, “schedule an appointment to come in and get my skin looked at?”
“Very good, are you one of our current patients?” First Administration Assistant asked.
There was another dim murmuring.
“My wife is, and my son,” he replied. “She used to be Susana Holmes.”
“Oh! You must be little Timmy’s father!” First Administration Assistant said, real delight breaking thorough her professional coding.
“That’s me,” agreed the remarkably unenthusiastic human male.
“And what exactly are you coming in for?” First Administration Assistant asked.
Again the brief, quite murmuring from the female human, presumably this Susana.
“She wants me to get some moles and stuff looked at,” the human said, only to be interrupted by more indistinct murmuring. “I mean I,” the human male when on, his tones changing to what the humans called sarcastic, “want to get some moles looked at.”
“Well we can get you in with Dr. Green in a few days,” First Administrative Assistant said her mouth beginning to twitch with amusement. “Do you want to schedule for this Thursday?”
“Sure, that will do,” the human male muttered, again the soft background murmuring.
The human male gave a snort and when he spoke again the sarcastic tones were gone, replaced by a droning monotony.
“I mean that I, Colby Banner make this appointment of my own free will and under no coercion from anybody, especially not any busybody family members.”
First Administrative Assistant laughed.
“Well that is good,” she said. “I will send you the new patient request so you can send us your current biometrics and we will see you on Thursday.”
The communication ended and Second Sister approached First Administrative Assistant.
“Yes Second Administrative Assistant?” First Administrative Assistant said without glancing up from her data entry.
“Is it perhaps possible that Human Patient Colby Banner was in fact being coerced and did not make that appointment of his own free will?” Second Sister asked uneasily. “It seemed odd that he mentioned that. It is not part of the standard human social pattern so far as I observed.”
“Oh he was definitely being coerced,” First Administrative Assistant said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“Is that not an ethical concern?” Second Sister asked.
“Not for us,” First Administrative Assistant replied absently as she shifted tasks.
Second Sister rocked back on her hind legs and pondered that. After several long quiet moments First Administrative Assistant looked up and smiled ruefully at her.
“It’s a colony thing Second,” she said. “The psych profile of the kind of humans who come to a new world is usually fiercely independent, very individualistic. Most of them try to take care of their own medical needs. They only come into a doctors when it is important. Childbirth usually brings the women in, and then they bring their mates and children in.”
“They coerce their mates to get needed medical treatment?” Second Sister asked.
“Well in this case he probably doesn’t think it’s needed,” First Administrative Assistant said. “She does, the doctor will determine who is right.”
“And this is considered a normal human interaction?” Second Sister asked.
First Administrative Assistant only snorted and refocused on her work.
“I know you are lonely,” she muttered to the thing. “I will ask First Administration Assistant if I can get you some nitrogen fixing neighbors.”
The office comm unit chimed that a known patient was calling in and First Administration Assistant, a human called Molly, activated the unit and code-switched to what the humans called “cheerful professional”.
“Family and Hive Healing Center! How may I help you?”
“Yes, this is Colby Banner. I would like to -” there was a brief interruption in sound as a higher pitched human female voice spoke just beyond the reach of the other comm’s pickup range, “schedule an appointment to come in and get my skin looked at?”
“Very good, are you one of our current patients?” First Administration Assistant asked.
There was another dim murmuring.
“My wife is, and my son,” he replied. “She used to be Susana Holmes.”
“Oh! You must be little Timmy’s father!” First Administration Assistant said, real delight breaking thorough her professional coding.
“That’s me,” agreed the remarkably unenthusiastic human male.
“And what exactly are you coming in for?” First Administration Assistant asked.
Again the brief, quite murmuring from the female human, presumably this Susana.
“She wants me to get some moles and stuff looked at,” the human said, only to be interrupted by more indistinct murmuring. “I mean I,” the human male when on, his tones changing to what the humans called sarcastic, “want to get some moles looked at.”
“Well we can get you in with Dr. Green in a few days,” First Administrative Assistant said her mouth beginning to twitch with amusement. “Do you want to schedule for this Thursday?”
“Sure, that will do,” the human male muttered, again the soft background murmuring.
The human male gave a snort and when he spoke again the sarcastic tones were gone, replaced by a droning monotony.
“I mean that I, Colby Banner make this appointment of my own free will and under no coercion from anybody, especially not any busybody family members.”
First Administrative Assistant laughed.
“Well that is good,” she said. “I will send you the new patient request so you can send us your current biometrics and we will see you on Thursday.”
The communication ended and Second Sister approached First Administrative Assistant.
“Yes Second Administrative Assistant?” First Administrative Assistant said without glancing up from her data entry.
“Is it perhaps possible that Human Patient Colby Banner was in fact being coerced and did not make that appointment of his own free will?” Second Sister asked uneasily. “It seemed odd that he mentioned that. It is not part of the standard human social pattern so far as I observed.”
“Oh he was definitely being coerced,” First Administrative Assistant said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“Is that not an ethical concern?” Second Sister asked.
“Not for us,” First Administrative Assistant replied absently as she shifted tasks.
Second Sister rocked back on her hind legs and pondered that. After several long quiet moments First Administrative Assistant looked up and smiled ruefully at her.
“It’s a colony thing Second,” she said. “The psych profile of the kind of humans who come to a new world is usually fiercely independent, very individualistic. Most of them try to take care of their own medical needs. They only come into a doctors when it is important. Childbirth usually brings the women in, and then they bring their mates and children in.”
“They coerce their mates to get needed medical treatment?” Second Sister asked.
“Well in this case he probably doesn’t think it’s needed,” First Administrative Assistant said. “She does, the doctor will determine who is right.”
“And this is considered a normal human interaction?” Second Sister asked.
First Administrative Assistant only snorted and refocused on her work.
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