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]

==Before Mission Briefing ==

== Holodeck - Deck 14 ==

Today was one of those days when Aeryn felt restless, and her usual wind-down ritual before bed had failed her. So, Aeryn being Aeryn, had decided that she needed to tire herself out the old-fashioned way, by visiting the holodeck and hoping that one of her hiking programmes would do the trick. There had been a lot on the recently promoted Commander's mind of late, so it was no wonder she was experiencing the odd night where sleep eluded her. Of course, there was no guarantee that this foray into the world of fake realism would even work, but she was always game to at least try.

Then again, there was nothing like a trip back home to hopefully help the redhead find the tranquillity she needed, even if her surroundings weren't the physical highlands of Scotland. It was close enough and Aeryn had dressed appropriately for a late afternoon hike in The Ring of Steall. Okay, she might have adjusted the temperature settings slightly, allowing her to wear hiking shorts, boots, a tank top, and a plaid shirt left open, but it wouldn't deter her from appreciating the view or prevent her from enjoying the hike.

Aeryn also hadn't forgotten a backpack, water bottle, or anything else she might need for her little adventure, and once the computer had acknowledged that the programme was ready, she stepped inside and stood there for a few minutes, taking it all in.

[Aeryn Miller]

It had been quite refreshing to stand there and take in the scenery before her, breathing in the woody and natural aromas that reminded her of home. However, she hadn't come to the holodeck to stay immobile for the hour or so she had set aside to get as far as she could with this programme. It was possible that the redhead could complete a short hike in that time, and so, without standing on ceremony, Aeryn set off.

The trail she had chosen for this evening had been tried and tested several times, rather than start something new, deciding to save that for another day, and persuade Beka to join her. A smile crept onto her face at the thought of her girlfriend, already looking forward to seeing her again. The Doctor had a way of making her feel at ease without trying, and if this hike didn't do the job, then maybe that visit would happen sooner rather than later.

Off she went at a steady pace, not too quick, not too slow but something in between, that would enable Aeryn to enjoy this and not have to think too much about it. The trees and the sounds of native wildlife were her only companions, but that suited Aeryn, who stopped occasionally to study the flowers and greenery that caught her attention. Letting the scientist out to play was the perfect compromise as she continued on her way.

Reaching the halfway mark, Aeryn sat down on a tree stump overlooking a small stream, taking out her water bottle and a chocolate bar. Her treat for getting this far, and she savoured every single bite. Looking around, Aeryn couldn't think of a better spot in which to take a break.

[Aeryn Miller]

She could have easily sat there for the rest of her allotted holodeck time, but then Aeryn figured that would have defeated the purpose of tiring herself out. With that in mind, Aeryn finished the last bite of her chocolate bar and drank from her water bottle before placing it back in her bag. Not wanting to procrastinate further, Aeryn stood up, stretched, and then set off once more.

Being in familiar territory was always a mood booster for the redhead, and that could only be good for the soul, which was exactly what she needed at the moment. Despite the changes in her career and the decisions that led to those changes, Aeryn was in a good place, compared to how she was when she first arrived at the ship. If anything, she had a lot to be thankful for, and to ensure that it remained that way, because she wanted to keep going forward.

Metaphorically and physically she supposed given where she was, as she walked up a small incline as dictated by the route she had chosen. Far from being out of breath, Aeryn embraced the slight exertion, knowing it would do her good in the long run. That was the appeal of this programme, and she wasn't going to feel guilty if she stopped occasionally when something caught her interest like it had when she had first begun.

[Aeryn Miller]

Despite having an idea of what route she wanted to take for this particular foray into the world of semi-realism, Aeryn wasn't averse to changing things or deviating from her initial idea. So that's what the redhead did as she reached the top of the incline, and looked out across the woodland. A grin appeared across her pale lips as she spotted Loch Leven in the distance, and decided that's where she wanted to go.

As much as she had enjoyed the hike so far, including the stop near the stream, it wouldn't hurt to visit the loch and finish this hike off in style, so to speak. Changing direction wasn't taxing either, as Aeryn proceeded along her original route, her stride not quite fast, but not slow either, somewhere in the middle, which was perfect for the terrain, so she wouldn't stumble or trip over anything that might land her in Sickbay.

Simple sprains and bruises she could treat thanks to her additional training, but ideally Aeryn wasn't looking to hurt herself in her attempt to quieten her mind, and not rely on anything medicinal to help her sleep. She supposed that she could have brought her trusty flask, the one given to her by Merle all those years ago. While she had been able to move on and find love again with Beka, she wasn't quite ready to let go of that memento, and not because of who had given her it as a promotion gift.

It served as a reminder of the good times, and she could smile whenever she filled it with whiskey and took a nip when needed. Maybe a nip before bed would work instead, as she changed direction and headed towards the loch.

[Aeryn Miller]

The Loch was as beautiful as Aeryn remembered it, as she reached her final destination for tonight's hike. It might be nighttime on the ship, but the scenery before her told a different story as the redhead navigated the thistle bushes, and sat down in a spot that was all too familiar. She had come here often during her vacation days from the Academy, or while recuperating from her injuries and grief before joining Artemis, and just like the rest of the programme, it held special meaning to the woman who had once felt lost, and cast adrift.

Aeryn knew she wasn't her anymore, but it didn't hurt to be reminded of that occasionally, especially during moments of uncertainty. She had quite frankly been on quite a journey, one that had changed direction many times, yet she had grown from it, and had learned to trust the process.

This was also a place that allowed Aeryn to visualize happier times. She was aware that her decisions were just as important to other people and vowed to continue being more open when appropriate rather than shutting that part of her brain off. It wasn't healthy, and Aeryn recognised that, which further proved her growth from a broken woman to someone valued and trusted.

Aeryn didn't know how long she sat there, until the sun began to set, signalling that it was time for her to return to her quarters, to hopefully sleep, because this felt like a victory as opposed to defeating the purpose of why she had come here.

Summoning the arch, Aeryn then got to her feet and exited the holodeck, turning off the programme as she left, before heading to the nearest lift.

== ETL ==

[Robin Mayfair]

"Sol Station Orbital Control, this is Runabout Orion, climbing through 1500 meters, bound outsystem to Proxima Centauri."

There were only a few low clouds nearby, a perfect summer day as the runabout rapidly ascended, accelerating as the air thinned out but maintaining subsonic speed. Below the state of Florida was clearly visible. Robin pointed the nose up as the orbiting spacedock responded.

"Orion, spacedock has you on sensors. Continue standard ascent profile. Remain on this channel until 250 kilometers, then transfer to System Departure Control. Current weather has a thunderstorm 8 kilometers to your south-southwest. Moderate turbulence, tops at 10,700 meters.."

"Roger, Control. I have the storm in sight. No factor. On-channel until 2-5-0, then contact SDC. Thanks, Orion out."

The runabout accelerated as it climbed, the atmosphere thinning as it reached speeds no vessel that was bound by aerodynamics could come close to. The 250 kilometer limit rapidly approached. Sol Station was in view to the south, a massive structure that had finally been fully repaired after the Borg-possessed Starfleet had nearly knocked it out of orbit a few years ago. Tapping the controls the Augment steered the ship into a standard orbit, checking sensors for local traffic. As busy as the skies were around Earth, nothing was nearby. But then this was the most basic level of the pilot training simulation. Trouble would come in future simulations when she'd passed basic certification.

The nurse was grateful not to have been involved in that mess (having been on the other side of the galaxy as part of the Pathfinder Task Force), but the thought that she had had Borg-altered DNA implanted in her system was disturbing enough. As far as Robin was concerned her DNA had been messed with enough, grateful as she was for her life-saving enhancements. Too many people had died that day in the last gasp of the Collective. Between the destruction of the Megasphere and the death of the last Borg Queen she hoped the Borg were now truly gone from the galaxy, though she suspected they still lingered out there in the unknown depths of space.

She tapped the communication panel. "System Departure Control, this is Runabout Orion requesting permission to depart Earth orbit, outbound for Proxima Centauri. Flight plan has been logged."

A pleasant female voice, lightly accented French, responded. "Runabout Orion. You are cleared for system departure along projected flight plan, half impulse. Past Mars orbit adjust to 320 mark 2 to avoid cometary debris, then resume. Past Neptune orbit maintain Warp 5 until Proxima-8 orbit, then contact Proxima insystem for further instruction. Have a safe trip."

Robin repeated the directions, as she'd been trained. "Roger, adjust 320 m-2 past Mars orbit, resume. Warp 5 past Neptune until Proxima system edge, then contact Proxima insystem. Much obliged, Orion out." The niceties weren't strictly necessary, but the former farm girl had been raised to always show a friendly and respectful attitude when possible. It was part of her core being and came as naturally as breathing. And true, the voice she was speaking to was just a computer simulation with no more real intelligence than a toaster, but she saw no reason to behave otherwise.

Earth began to shrink as she accelerated the large shuttle to Warp 5, maintaining control herself (rather than engaging the autopilot) until she heard a tone. "Program Completed" said the pleasantly neutral voice of the Artemis computer. The shuttle disappeared, space disappeared, and she was left sitting on a chair in an empty holodeck. "Score recorded."

The purple-haired nurse stood up and stretched. "Computer, read score."

"Simulation passed. Score 100. Basic Runabout Piloting Level-1 completed. Do you wish to load the next simulation?"

Robin was tempted, but she was more tempted by the idea of curling up in bed. She had fourteen more of these simulations to complete before she'd be allowed to sit in a real Runabout cockpit and take the controls. This was the easiest one, utterly routine. They didn't stay that way. Every graduate of Starfleet Academy had to pass basic shuttlecraft flight training, and she certainly had done that, but she hadn't sat at the controls of even a Shuttlepod since then. Just too busy.

But in the last few months the young Augment had decided that she needed to resume her training. She'd felt herself settling into too much of a routine, spending more time than necessary in Sickbay. Doctor Sonaalk had warned her against micromanaging. Her people needed space to breathe and she needed to start pushing her enhanced brain, learning skills beyond how to play yet another new musical instrument or reading up on the early voyages of the USS Enterprise. Whatever dangers the Artemis and her crew faced, she intended to be as ready as she could be for them.

"No. Computer, end program." The chair disappeared and Robin headed for the door.

[Ardanna Svenson]

== Before current timeline ==

As much as Ardanna enjoyed her aspect of her ongoing training to help her stay at the top of her game within the department, there were times when she preferred to train on her own or with someone else. That often meant setting aside some time and using some of her holodeck privileges away from her normal duties, to not only get the old adrenaline pumping, but also get rid of anything that was bothering her. So, while Ollie and the others were no doubt having fun in the lounge, the brunette Ensign had changed into her usual brand of off-duty workout wear, which was mostly black with a pop of colour, and headed straight for the nearest available holodeck.

She knew that she was early and that her chosen training partner would be here at any moment, so without wanting to waste a single second, Ardanna activated the programme and stepped inside as the doors opened to admit her. The setting was just how she remembered it, having used this particular programme a few times, with its beautiful scenery and practicality if you wanted to break a sweat, thanks to the variety of available targets that were perfect for a little shooting practice, whether that was with a phaser, knife, axe, or bow and arrow. The programme could also be used for other aspects of training, depending on your mood, and Ardanna was in the mood to shoot something, at least to begin with.

For now, she had to resist the urge to go over to the table that was almost groaning under the weight of weaponry, and instead remained standing by one of the tall oak trees, letting herself rest against it as she awaited Mara's arrival.

== Tag Mara ==

[Mara Calleja]

== Sveneja Timeline ==

Mara wandered towards the holodeck. The Security Chief had her own approach to workout gear. She shunned the tight-fitting clothes worn by most of the rest of the crew, going instead with baggy sweatpants, a hooded sweatshirt and high-top sneakers. Inevitably everything was black.

I’m sure that counsellor would tell me I’m self-repressin’ again. She can fuck off too. I can’t turn up to lift or train in a fuckin’ bikini or those stupid stretchy pants that feel like the seam is about to split my twat in half. It don’t work for me.

Calleja’s appointment and proficiency with anything bladed had caused a surge of interest in training with melee weapons. She didn’t have time to lead every single session herself but she’d been heavily involved in training the trainers. So far she’d refused to issue any permits for carrying a knife on regular duty - hers was still the only valid one on the crew much to the chagrin of at least two Klingon officers - but she looked forward to the day that her team proved themselves worthy.

She let herself into the holodeck to see the simulation already loaded. With a sigh she approached Ardanna.

“You know I’m an urban creature, right? This green shit ain’t my normal habitat,” she joked with a feral grin. Dark eyes picked out the weapons table and she picked up a combat blade.

“I swear, if I have to give one more lecture on proper use of a knife, I’m gonna use it on the idiot concerned.” She flicked the weapon around in her hand so the blade was pointing down. “They all wanna use them like this. And they’re all wrong. You know what they call people who use knives with the blades down? The deceased. You got two moves with any power behind them. A big overhead cut, and if you try that I’ll have carved my full name and comm frequency across your gut before you get the knife halfway down. Or what’s basically a punch with a blade out the back of your hand.”

The Bandaran demonstrated both strokes with a look of utter disdain on her face.

“That’s it. That’s all you got.” She reversed her grip again with a dexterity born of far too many years wielding knives. “Like this though? Galaxy is at your mercy. It’s true what they say. Way to a man’s heart is actually through his stomach. And holdin’ the damn knife properly, blade up, you can get enough force behind your stroke to actually get it there too.”

The grin was back on her lips as she tossed the blade back onto the table.

“What’s the drill? You got somethin’ in mind, other than a lecture on the basics from an angry bitch?” Mara asked.

[Ardanna Svenson]

It was easy to forget that she wasn't really in the Norwegian countryside until the doors swished open to admit her companion for this off-duty training exercise, if the brunette could call it that. Realistically, it was about throwing what she wanted and hoping that she hit the target every time, because sometimes all you needed was to throw shit to make you feel better. Not that Ardanna had any pent-up anger or anything, but it was still fun to do, and maybe burn off some adrenaline.

" It's not mine either, but after spending most of my life on a freighter, it's nice to pretend that I'm in some forest," Ardanna quipped back before Mara surveyed the weaponry on the table and picked up one of the combat blades. What followed wasn't completely unexpected because Ardanna knew that the Chief took her job and the use of weapons seriously. She might not have known her for long, but that much was obvious from the drills they had participated in, ever since the Ensign joined the ship from DS9. Ardanna also liked Mara, so she gave her the proper respect by listening and watching as she demonstrated her point with the blade.

Ardanna couldn't help but grin at what was said next, not that she had ever needed to stab a man through the stomach to reach his heart, but she enjoyed the reference all the same, as Mara then tossed the blade back onto the table. " I'll remember that," she replied, before Mara asked what she had in mind other than a lecture.

" Throwing practice to start with, because it's fun, and we've got lots of choice and different targets, other than that, whatever we want while I've got the holodeck".


== Tag Mara ==