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Deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down Cris actually does care about his holos. You just need to watch him really carefully, thinks Elnor.
He’s a little bit in awe of Rios. The man’s command of his ship, his knowledge of space, his confidence and adaptability in the face of the unknown, his ability to lie so easily, yet not for his own gain. It is at odds with his own commitment to Absolute Candour, but he envies it.
In the same way he once looked up to Picard and wanted to impress him, he now admires Captain Rios, and longs to be so at ease with his travelling companions, to feel like he belongs onboard La Sirena instead of being the outsider.
The Captain’s unexpected flashes of anger and impatience amuse him, his sudden fury evaporating almost as quickly as it comes. It is a defence mechanism, Elnor thinks. Behind the walls he tries to keep up, he is a caring, forgiving man. Elnor has no doubt at all that Rios would throw himself in front of a phaser to protect Raffi, and very likely Agnes and Picard as well, without hesitation. Of all the contradictions in the Captain’s behaviour, nothing amuses him more than his relationship with his emergency holograms. The utter contempt in which he appears to hold them.
Appearances can be deceptive though, and Elnor has trained his whole life to see the truth of things, so he watches him really carefully, and with great amusement.
Observation 1 – Emmet
“Why are you still here?” Rios snaps at Emmet, who is dozing with his feet up on the console. Emmet mumbles something unintelligible in Spanish, probably a curse judging by the way he side-eyes the Captain. Rios pushes Emmet’s legs off roughly. “I don’t need your help anymore.”
“Yes, you do.” Emmet responds, lazily. “La pequeña doctora, la cagaste, is mistake to trust her.”
Rios looks at him sharply, eyes narrowed. Watching from the shadows, Elnor thinks he’s about to have one of his sudden fits of anger and throw something at the holo, but instead the Captain asks, “¿Por qué ?”
“No lo sé. Simplemente lo siento.” Emmet shrugs, holding Rios’s gaze for a long moment
“¡Piérdase!” Rios finally sighs in annoyance, waving his hands for Emmet to disappear.
Elnor has noticed that when Rios is angry with Emmet, he speaks to him in English, but when he needs him, or is willing to listen, he speaks in their mother tongue. There is an ease between them that is absent with the other holos, as though Rios is most comfortable with this surly, devil-may-care side of himself.
Observation 2 – Emil
“WHAT?” roars Rios angrily, before the EMH can finish asking what the nature of his…
“Sir, I just wanted to know if you needed any help with that?”
“No, I don’t need your help administering a simple antihistamine shot. Elnor is allergic to this damned synthetic cat!” Elnor smiles apologetically, embarassed.
“But, that’s not an antihistamine. That’s an anti-malarial.” Emil retorts, briskly, removing it from the Captain’s hand. “You must have entered the wrong code. What is the nature of your psychia…” he stops abruptly at the look on Rios’s face, hurrying to the replicator for the correct medicine, “This this should do it.”
Rios mumbles something that might (if you paid very close attention and used a bit of imagination) have been a thank you (or might just have been him clearing his throat) and Emil nearly falls over in shock. Rios administers the injection, “Sorry, kid.”
When Rios glances up, Emil is still rooted to the spot, “Going, going.” he says, hastily, disappearing in a bit of a daze.
Elnor wonders if Rios knows his EMH has a name or whether he simply doesn’t want to use it. He suspects that the Captain might have been a lot like Emil as a young officer. Thoroughly brisk and competent and inspiring of confidence.
Observation 3 – Mr Hospitality
Elnor doesn’t like to think that Mr Hospitality might be part of Captain Rios’s psyche. Rios can’t stand to be within sight of him, and neither can Elnor. His presence in a room is a constant unease. Always so very eager to please, but not for the sake of giving pleasure. It is a strange and unsettling thing.
Elnor feels like he is dishonest and doesn’t like him any more than Rios does, but it’s curious to think that he represents some small part of the Captain – and clearly the part he is least comfortable with.
Perhaps, that little sliver of himself that was forced to cover up something he was deeply ashamed of and is desperate that it not be discovered, ever-so-carefully papering over the cracks, diverting attention to elsewhere. And yet, although he obviously dislikes him, and with little need to provide hospitality aboard La Sirena, the Captain has not permanently deactivated him.
Observation 4 – Ian
Elnor still hasn’t seen Captain Rios interacting with Ian, the Emergency Engineering Hologram, but he has also never heard Rios complaining about the maintenance of his ship. What Elnor has witnessed, is Rios lovingly running his hand over something that looks shiny and well-maintained with a look of genuine satisfaction.
Sadly, Ian has never actually seen this himself, because he always makes a point of vanishing before Rios shows up. Like a well-oiled machine they get along by never causing friction. Of all Rios’s holograms, he seems to finds it easiest to avoid confrontation and is arguably the most content.
Observation 5 – Enoch
Not like Enoch, who seems to take a perverse joy from crocheting his Captain. Wait, that isn’t quite right, Elnor thinks. Needling? He struggles with mastering these strange expressions. He loves watching their interactions. The ENH is the only one he’s seen Rios having an actual conversation with. Not that Rios is nice to him in any way, but he doesn’t always deactivate him immediately.
Enoch is light to the Captain’s shadows, the Yang to his Yin. Where Rios lounges around half-dressed and dishevelled, Enoch sits up straight, neat and tidy and fully buttoned up. Where Rios finds complications, Enoch finds cause for optimism. When Rios says no, Enoch says yes. Rios often says no, Elnor notices, but nearly always means yes.
And, although the Captain snarks and fights with him more than any of the other holograms, Elnor can’t help thinking that it’s because deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down, Cris knows how much he needs him, them. You just need to watch him really carefully.