AT/D05-14 - Holodecks

[Tyra Crawford]

== Located on Decks 05, 06, and 14, the Holodecks themselves are large rooms equipped with holoemitters, replicators, and field generators. These help to simulate artificial (but realistic) environments for training, entertainment, or even historical/investigative recreations. ==

[Aeryn Miller]

== This is a separate timeline from what's currently going on, and as always, mission posting is a priority :-) ==

== Holodeck - Deck 06 ==

Sometimes Aeryn didn't know whether she preferred Halloween over Christmas; sometimes it was the other way round, but then again both holidays happened to be the redhead's favourites, so really it came down to the effort she put into them. That being said, organising parties or get-togethers for the crew had become an enjoyable hobby for the Science Chief, who wanted to make whatever she planned unique and spectacular, so there was something for everyone to enjoy. Transforming the holodeck was the relatively easy part, usually an amalgamation of themes and inspiration from old Earth, mixed with a sprinkle of personality, resulting in Holodeck 6 looking exactly like the inside of some spooky manor house complete with a graveyard outside.

Some might think it belonged to the Addams Family, and they wouldn't be far off the mark, as it had nooks and crannies for anyone who wanted to sneak off and explore, alongside authentic decorations and a slightly chilled atmosphere, created on purpose for the desired spooky effect. Once her guests arrived, they would be led through to an ornate ballroom by a Lurch-type butler and greeted by bats sweeping the ceiling, candlelight throughout and black lace-covered tables to sit at. To the right-hand side, and continuing the theme, there were tables laden with themed foods and cauldrons containing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

A Vampire DJ played old Earth songs in the corner overlooking a decent-sized dance floor, and if anyone was so inclined, there were also games available through the small door on the left that would take them to an anteroom overlooking the graveyard, with games such as apple-bobbing, pumpkin toss, cemetery pong, axe-throwing and many more.

To say Aeryn was delighted with how it had turned out would be a slight understatement, as Lurch guided her to the Ballroom in her bespoke Poison Ivy costume. The corseted top and skirt were in a dark green, complete with vines and leaves draped on them, along with tights and heeled boots in the same colour. Aeryn had finished the look with leaves throughout her long, red, curled hair, long gloves and gold jewellery, which she had customised with dark green crystal leaves.

It was different, and that's what Aeryn had been going for, as one of the hologram servers passed by her, carrying a tray of glasses filled with a colourful bubbling liquid, accepting one eagerly, as there had also been a lot of thought into the refreshments and food that would be available until everyone had enough. Now she just had to wait for the others to arrive, excited to see what they would be wearing, as she would love for this to be a success.

== Open Tag ==

[Robin Mayfair]

As the Holodeck door slid open Robin took in the ambiance of the room. Aeryn had gone all out for the party, but before she could truly appreciate everything a huge figure loomed in front of her, pale and dressed in a fancy coat of black. "Thiiiiis waaay," its deep voice rumbled. The nurse was briefly taken aback but followed as the butler led her into the spooky mansion.

Her first Halloween on the Artemis as a Midshipman Robin had gone all out with an elaborate costume involving ghostly holographic effects. She'd borrowed the basics of that costume, retaining the see-through effect generated by a tiny holoemitter in the small of her back, but otherwise she'd skipped the swirling fog and flowing hair of the old ghost bride outfit. Instead she was a ghostly nurse in an old-fashioned uniform. The outfit was daring for the conservative colony-born young woman, torn and showing more skin than she typically did. White face makeup with black around the eyes and tear effects made her look even more unearthly, and her short purple hair was covered in a short white wig in a bob style. The skirt was definitely "Halloween nurse" in appearance and bordered on ridiculously short (at least for her), though she also wore torn tights under it. Beka would have laughed at what Robin considered borderline risqué, but there were limits about how far the CMO would go and this costume rode those limits. Everything was in pale blues and whites save for a red cross on the hat and breast, and the overall effect was washed out by the translucent holographic effect. With 25th century technology you could look like an actual ghost for Halloween!

Music was playing from the manor house as the sinister butler led his ghostly guest through the elaborate front door. She recognized the song... "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, a classic. Robin loved old earth rock n' roll and was a walking encyclopedia of the genre.

I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go
Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder
I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go
Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder

Waitin' for an invitation to arrive
Goin' to a party where no one's still alive
Waitin' for an invitation to arrive
Goin' to a party where no one's still alive

Very appropriate. And the music wasn't so loud as to be uncomfortable, something the Augment appreciated... though she had a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds in her pocket just in case. She'd learned her lesson a long time ago when it came to parties. People loved really loud music. She understood and would never harsh anyone else's fun, but very loud noise caused her physical pain.

Aeryn was there in an amazing Poison Ivy costume, corset and heels and long red hair. For a moment Robin was jealous of her friend. Aeryn could rock an outfit like that seemingly effortlessly while the CMO had a bit of a complex about her height and skinniness. But it was only a short flash. Robin was surrounded by knockout redheads on this ship, and jealousy was pointless. She was what she was and Aeryn's costume was great. She glided up to her friend, pausing only long enough to ask for a sweet iced tea from a ghostly servant.

"Hi Aeryn! Great atmosphere. I love it!" The ghostly nurse's voice was hollow and distant, as if in a tomb... part of the holographic effect.

== Tag Aeryn and anyone else who shows up! ==

[Aeryn Miller]

It's fair to say Aeryn was a little apprehensive, but not because of the spooky effects and atmosphere. Organising parties and get-togethers had become the norm for the redhead, who relished the task even if it came with a side of nervousness about whether anyone would turn up and if there would be any drama. The latter was something you couldn't really avoid, not even with the best intentions, plus the crew always enjoyed scuttlebutt regardless of who it involved. The smoking cocktail helped the CSO immensely before more people arrived, offering them a warm smile as she recognised those from her department.

Seeing them dressed up in an array of costumes, including Sims as a mad scientist, warmed Aeryn's heart, and she looked forward to catching up with them as they split up to explore, with a couple heading to the anteroom to play games. Some even headed to the dance floor as the Vampire DJ changed songs; Aeryn wasn't familiar with it, but it was appropriate nonetheless.

Taking another sip of her drink, Aeryn decided to wait for the rest of her guests before partaking in any of the activities, before her attention shifted to the ghostly nurse gliding up to her as though she belonged to the programme itself. The effect was clever in its undertaking as Aeryn took a moment or two to realise who was behind the ghostly apparition. When Robin spoke, her tone was different, showing how much effort had been put into her costume.

" Hey Robin, thank you. I'm glad that you do, and great costume by the way; if I hadn't realised it was you, I'd have thought you were part of the programme".

== Tag Robin and anyone else ==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

Hallowette had spent far more time preparing for the evening than she cared to admit, although most of that had involved deciding which of the various accessories scattered across her quarters were absolutely essential to the costume she had chosen. The elaborately adorned tricorne hat had been an obvious necessity, as had the boots, the waistcoat, and the rather impressive imitation cutlass hanging from her belt. The small collection of rings and necklaces had required more consideration, particularly when she'd discovered that several of them had a habit of becoming entangled in the elaborate lace cuffs of her shirt. By the time she'd finished, her reflection had looked sufficiently adventurous to satisfy even her rather enthusiastic imagination.

She had chosen to be a pirate, or at least the sort of pirate that appeared in the romanticized adventure stories of old Earth, where daring captains sailed magnificent ships across endless oceans in pursuit of treasure, adventure, and occasionally a handsome stranger. The reality of historical piracy had been rather less appealing when she'd researched it, but Hally had decided there was little reason to allow several centuries of unpleasant historical accuracy to interfere with a perfectly good costume.

Besides, she was fairly certain the cutlass made her look particularly daring.

The holodeck doors opened to reveal something altogether different from the cheerful celebration she had been expecting. Hallowette stopped just inside the entrance, her teal-grey eyes widening as she took in the gloomy interior of the manor house. Aeryn had evidently outdone herself, transforming the familiar holodeck into something that might have been lifted directly from one of the gothic stories Hally had encountered during her studies of Earth literature. It was magnificent, in a rather unsettling sort of way, and she was still admiring the architecture when an enormous figure emerged from the shadows.

"Thiiiiis waaay."

Hally looked up. And then a little farther up.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, one hand instinctively settling upon the hilt of her very obvious prop cutlass before she caught herself. The enormous butler regarded her with an expression that suggested he had seen far stranger things than a diminutive pirate aboard a Starfleet vessel. Recovering quickly, she offered him a cheerful smile and a little flourish of her hat. "Thank you, good sir! Yeh be most obliging!" Her naturally Franco-sounding accent made a rather peculiar companion to her enthusiastic attempt at sounding like a pirate.

She followed him into the ballroom, where her attention was immediately captured by the remarkable spectacle awaiting her. Bats swept overhead, candlelight flickered across the walls, and somewhere beyond the gathered guests a musician dressed as a vampire was providing an accompaniment that seemed perfectly suited to the surroundings. Hally turned slowly as she walked, taking everything in with the delighted curiosity that had made exploring unfamiliar places one of her favourite occupations since childhood. The graveyard visible through the windows was particularly impressive, although she found herself wondering whether Aeryn had programmed anything to emerge from it.

She desperately hoped so, though preferably something that wouldn't actually try to eat anyone.

It didn't take long to spot their hostess, whose elaborate green costume was immediately recognizable, even to someone whose knowledge of ancient Earth popular culture remained a little uneven. Hally had encountered Poison Ivy during one of her occasional excursions into the ship's entertainment library, although she suspected the character would have been far more dangerous to meet in person than the naturally beautiful Aeryn appeared to be. The figure standing beside her was another matter entirely. Hallowette recognized Robin only after a second look, the ghostly transparency of her costume proving remarkably convincing.

"Cap'n Hallowette the Bloody, at your service!" she announced brightly as she approached the pair, removing her oversized hat with an enthusiastic flourish and offering an exaggerated bow. Unfortunately, the movement caused the bare cutlass hanging from her belt to swing forward, its curved blade catching awkwardly in the folds of the overlong crimson sash at her waist. A moment of rather undignified adjustment followed before she managed to straighten, recovering with a grin that suggested the minor betrayal of her equipment had done nothing to diminish her enthusiasm.

"She settled the hat back upon her auburn curls, looking between the two women with obvious delight. "Aeryn, this is absolutely wonderful! And Robin, you look incredible! How are you doing that?"

The question was accompanied by an interested glance at the doctor's translucent form, and for a moment Hally seemed almost ready to begin investigating the technology behind the illusion. Then she remembered the occasion, and the fact that she was supposed to be a fearsome pirate captain rather than an inquisitive Starfleet officer. Drawing herself up to her full, not particularly intimidating height, she hooked a thumb into her belt and adopted what she imagined was a suitably menacing expression.

"Uhm, avast ye! Where be the grog, ye lily-livered spooks? This cap'n be feelin' a bit parched, I says!"

[Robin Mayfair]

"Hey Robin, Aeryn responded. "Thank you. I'm glad that you do, and great costume by the way; if I hadn't realised it was you, I'd have thought you were part of the programme."

Robin smiled. "Thanks. That's what I like to hear. Halloween's my favorite holiday and I always go a little overboard on the costumes."

The truth was that the semi-anonymity of Halloween costumes always loosened her inhibitions a little. It was if she could slip a bit into a different identity, one not quite as worried about what people thought. Her outfit would have been scandalous on Iota Tau, not for the holographic effects (which were well beyond their technology level) but for the shortness of the skirt and the skin it showed. And even in the wider Federation Robin found herself unwilling to completely break out of her shell. In a society where nudity was barely an issue the young woman wouldn't even wear a bikini when swimming. Modesty was just too deeply ingrained in her. And when the party was over she'd be back to her usual blouses and dresses.

But for now? It was time to have fun. Another crew member approached as Robin spoke to her friend. A young woman barely taller than the nurse, in an elaborate pirate costume with much jewelry, complete with cutlass.

"Cap'n Hallowette the Bloody, at your service!" She flourished her hat, bowed, then struggled as the weapon got caught for a second before correcting. Robin unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh. "Aeryn, this is absolutely wonderful! And Robin, you look incredible! How are you doing that?"

Hally slipped back into character. "Uhm, avast ye! Where be the grog, ye lily-livered spooks? This cap'n be feelin' a bit parched, I says!" Robin laughed again.

Fortunately at that point a ghostly servant glided up and offered the nurse the tea she'd requested. Southern style to match Robin's accent, which meant ice cold and sweet enough to melt teeth. The young woman pointed at the servant. "He should be able to help you, Cap'n Hally. Ask for whatever you like. Rum?" As she spoke with her hollow voice she picked the glass up from the tray, it becoming as translucent as her form as the holographic effect passed over it.

She turned around and indicated the small of her back with her free hand. "Holoemitter taped there." It was just barely visible if one looked carefully. "I had a friend in Engineering whip it up for me. It's like the isolation suits they use to spy on developing cultures, but since it only deflects part of the light it can be smaller. This one also taps into the Holodeck itself and uses its systems so it only works when we're here."

The first one she'd used a couple years ago had been the size of Aeryn's corset, was extremely uncomfortable, and had a battery life limited to two hours. That party, her first, had been in the lounge, and it had been a wipeout for Beka. A breakup with her boyfriend of the time and a complete dismissal by Cera Morgan. Robin had enjoyed it, but her friend's pain and humiliation soured the memory. This would be a better time, she was determined.

This emitter was the size of an old handheld communicator and would last for almost six hours. And it was much, much more comfortable to wear. Like the first costume she could control its features through a ring she was wearing. A double tap turned the voice effects on and off, and a press-and-hold turned the effect off entirely if it got to be a pain.

"If you can't go crazy for Halloween when can you, right?"

== Tags Aeryn and Hally ==