Melani was a Holographic Personal Assistant unit produced by HSI, like many supplied as an organizational aid to busy executives and public figures. Melani was customized and considered uniquely qualified to assist Dr. Dahlia DeLancey, the Chairwoman of the Delancey Foundation. She entered service of the Foundation January 7th, 2426. In 2440, as a result of Zimmerman's Bill, Director DeLancey ordered that all of hers, and her family household holographic servants be presented to be tested. This was not only to serve as an example to other patrician households, but due to her own long held belief about the servants.
Upon recognition of her sentience and her rights as a lifeform, Melani took the name Melani Freedman, which was registered Artesian Stardate 2441121.38 (05.01.2441) with the Federation public records department. As a citizen, Melani had the right to choose her path. Melani requested to be a citizen of Earth, and remain in the employ of Director DeLancey. She was willingly accepted, with generous terms for her employment. As of this writing (2454), Melani Freedman still serves as the personal assistant to the Director, seeing to it that DFIG and Foundation business is seen to, without distracting from her work for Starfleet.
History[]
Melani was patterned after the professional qualities of a 20th century executive secretary and executive assistants of the late century period. She was designed to provide context to documents, assist in research, provide a live contact for communications and filter to Dr. DeLancey when necessary. The Doctor maintains homes on two worlds, and is an active duty officer in Starfleet. She is one who may be out of communications for long periods as a result. Melani was designed to serve to bridge the gaps and make the transitions between positions smooth for the doctor.
In personality, Melani was designed to speak like an Oxford Business School graduate, grown up in Philadelphia. While she has a refined manner of speech, certain key word usages and pronunciations are less so in order to imitate a more natural image of a person to provide comfort and also avoid dismissal as a personal assistant is often tasked with speaking for the client. Even her data display glasses that actually scroll information are crafted to give more of an impression of a real person when in contact or video communications.
Melani is expressive, both in verbal and non-verbal communications. Every aspect was crafted for realistic interactions to simulate true intelligence. She has even been programmed to be appropriately flirtatious at appropriate junctures, to be kind, and to be caring, with an empathy algorithm that was shared with the HSI counselor programs.
Melani is gracious, solicitous and designed to pick up on micro expressions to allow for non-verbal communications, to avoid offending the customer or their customers in interactions. Melani's personality was designed to be one for whom interaction is natural and appreciated. Her quick smile was intended to put both the client and customers at ease and provide a less stressful interaction. She was also designed with algorithms for working with multiple cultures, and age groups. In particular, she was given an optional dataset and algorithm for dealing with children from infancy to young adult.
Melani was designed from the ground up to be adaptive, maintaining a database of interactions in order to facilitate machine learning. Given a task, she will learn from mistakes and adapt methods and methodologies in order to be more efficient when performing the same or similar tasks in the future. These databases, deeply encrypted, are heuristically ordered and indexed to allow for rapid access. Their design does not require them to be loaded into the program matrix at start up. This method of learning, not only allows the database to be shared, accessed with a key, it allows the software to be restarted regularly, without having to re-learn skills or information that may be vital to successful interactions. These basic concepts are incorporated in all the HSI Holographic Aids, but in the Holographic Personal Assistant they are utilized to a deep degree due to the wide variety of tasks that may be required.
Melani was licensed through the DFIG as a permanent purchase with lifetime support and replacement guarantees. Modifications made to the program that are non-standard are done within the Open Ended license agreement, and cannot be canceled due to the position of the contract holder. Back up copies of the Melani software were kept at HSI headquarters, DFIG Titan, Delancey Foundation, and aboard the ECS Queen Anne's Lace. No continuing record exists of the file locations of the activities database, active or back ups to date.
In 2440, Melani Freedman became the sole owner of those databases and backup copies. The original unchanged file for Melani was ordered wiped of personal data markers, returning it to a 'Personal Assistant Holographic Aid' data file. The backup copies on Titan and the 'Lace' were destroyed. As a personal request, Harmony (AI) the AI managing the records, archives and servants of the Delancey Conservatory, holds the only backup copy of Melani and her encrypted databases. It became illegal to copy her code once she was recognized as a Photonic Citizen.
Skillsets[]
Melani had all of the HPA standard skillset pallet at a 'Competent Skill Level', and the capacity for modular switch out of language sets as a quick download without restart needed. Upon the code lock placed in 2442, she could no longer trade out skillsets, as per P.L. 116658A
- Language: Federation Standard
- Language: English (Including 20th-25th Century slang)
- Language: Magna Roman Latin
- Language: Magna Roman Greek
- Language: Magna Roman Faliscan
- Language: Ferengi
- Language: Universal Translator Matrix
- Administration
- Art Appreciation & History
- Art Care & Preservation
- Communications Systems Operations
- Computer Operation
- Hospitality / Entertaining
- Intimate Services
- Medical Attendant [1]
- Music Appreciation & History
- Negotiation/Diplomacy
- Personal Services [2]
- Public Etiquette <UFP>
- Public Etiquette <Magna Roman>
- Security Protocols
- Unarmed Combat, Focus on removing threat to client
Modules[]
Modules are rated at "Competent Skill Level". Modules are complete skillsets that can be loaded for short term use, and require a program restart to load or unload. Loading a module can double the resource requirements of the Holographic Personal Assistant, and attempting to load two at once, may cause a system crash. Upon the Code Lock Placed in 2442, Melani contained only the following. All programmed inhibitors to actions are removed, all learned inhibitions remain.
- Navigation/Piloting [4]
- Medic [5]
Definitions[]
[4] A catalogue of basic skillsets required for flight operations of Federation Control Types small to medium craft, ranging from Co-pilot operations, Astro-Navigation, and defensive systems operations, to primary pilot operations.
[5] A catalogue of skillsets borrowed from the HSI EMT program, to be laid over an existing matrix frameset. *Note: It is never advisable to depend on an EMT unit for all care. They are intended for Triage and stabilization only, seek a medical facility once stabilized if injured.
Background[]
Software Creators[]
Holographic Solutions Incorporated (HSI) is based out of Catalina City, Titan. HSI is an incorporated civilian organization known for contracting for the UFP and member states providing computer simulations and holographic simulacrum for service positions. Products of HSI cover a range of on demand service positions; household cleaning staff and groundskeepers, personal chefs and waitstaff, childcare, personal assistance, medical doctors, medical assistants and orderlies, elder care nursing aids, transport pilots and navigators, personal protection services, and just about any other specialized moderately skilled position imaginable. Product licenses are purchased or leased under contract subject to an End Users License Agreement. Software modification is limited at time of purchase, and subject to review, rollback, and cancellation of license if EULA is violated.
HSI is an affiliate of DFIG, and licensed to due business anywhere in the UFP.
Career[]
- 2426-2454 Personal assistant to Director DeLancey of the DFIG and Delancey Foundation
Gallery[]
 Melani, Personal assistant to the director. (2426) |
Legal[]
The HSI EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) for Holographic Aids requires system restarts at regular intervals that cause the program matrix to be reset and avoid the long term operating error that has lead to either true or simulated life coming from a computer programmed tool which would take the tool out of the control of the user. During the normal periods of operation, regular communications will include system security and operation updates which improve the overall operating experience, and will be installed and activated upon restart. The Holographic Aid is not considered sentient at deployment, although they do have the capability to become sentient with extended use. As such, standard deployment includes an automatic restart every 14 days to reset, and reload pertinent data. UFP sentience guidelines are to be followed as it becomes necessary, with potential for recognition legally and rights bestowed. (Pending)
Melani was found to be legally sentient, her rights as a sentient lifeform were recognized and she was offered UFP citizenship, with a choice to claim Magna Roma, Earth, and Titan as her homeworlds. She chose to claim dual citizenship of Magna Roma and Earth the same as the children she served since coming online thirteen years before.