DS9/A05 - Holosuites

[Jennifer Braggins]

==

[Eun Ju Han]

There was just something about coming home that created a peace from within. As much as she had always loved the stars it just wasn’t the hustle and bustle of Seoul especially in the spring time. The scent of the flowering trees overhead hit her senses, while the breeze that carried with it the flavors of the Han river carried her hair slightly around her, Han Eun Ju stood in the center of the walk way. This was everything that made her feel at home. The trees, the soft rustling of the flowers and leaves, the air filled with falling petals which cascaded towards the ground.

Opening her dark eyes Eun Ju just stood there taking in the beauty of her home land. The holosuite had gotten the details to absolute perfection. Down to the street carts selling their little baubles for lovers gifts as well as some which sold little snacks on the go. Eun Ju was wearing a traditional Korean garment, the Hanbok. The long high waisted skirt was a lavender color with golden embroidery on the hem. The top was an opal color with the same lavender color as a trim around her neck. Her dark hair was pulled over a single shoulder and tied with a lavender and gold ribbon knotted in the traditional way.

“Eun Ju-a,” came a familiar voice from behind her.

With a quick turn, her face lit up as she saw her brother running up to her dressed in his own traditional Korean clothing. “Oppa!” With a hug that further grounded the young Korean woman, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Gwaenchanh?” he asked pulling her back to look in her eyes.

“Oh,” she nodded giving him a bright smile.

She and her brother had set up this little meet up against Holosuites last night so they could actually catch up without being over the phone. It was nice to see him and feel as though she was actually back in Korea for a little while. Who knew when they would be back in a place where she would actually will be able to see her home country in person again.

“Halmoni would have been proud,” he said with a bright smile on his face.

“Naturally,” she laughed as they linked arms.

“To the festival?”

“Absolutely. How was the real festival this year?” she asked curiously as they headed towards where the lanterns were strung, live music was playing. The traditional Korean instruments made a very specific sounds but there was a band who had mixed Korean traditional instruments with the modern day instruments playing right now and the mix was unique and satisfying. The two of them paused among the group of others who watched and listened to the music.

“It was great. I didn’t get to stay long because of work but it was nice to see. Much quieter without you asking for food.” He nudged her with a grin.

“It’s the best time to get the best food!” she cried. “I definitely want to get the poured sugar designs, cotton candy, and ttubeoki.”

“Yep. That’s the sounds of the festival I remember.” Jun Ho grinned at his little sister. “Have you made friends?”

“I have! Though I also got in trouble…” she sighed softly.

“What happened?” he asked genuinely concerned for his little sister.

She began to fill him in on how she had stood up for herself and ended up stepping too far over the boundaries and landed herself kicked off the away mission.

[Eun Ju Han]

Her brother finished listening to her story as they stood there listening to the band. The music wasn’t so loud he couldn’t hear her over the tunes which play out against the cobbled road beneath them. The pennants and ribbons hanging from the trees flowed upon the breeze like they had lives of their own creating a beautiful cascading effect around them.

“You have to be careful. You know that there are some people who will not take kindly to your humor always especially in stressful situations,” he admonished her with a bit of a sigh.

“I realize that, I just, I was nervous too. It was my first away team mission, my first mission period, there had been a lot that went on I’m not even sure I’m aloud to say..” she matched his sigh.

For a few moments the pair fell silent, the calls of excited Korean children filling the air as they ran around at the festival and their exhausted parents calling after them trying to get them to come back or at least slow down. Eun Ju remembered running through festivals just like this when she was little trailing after her older brothers as they met up with their school friends planning which booths they would visit. She remembered wearing her hanbok and being frustrated with it’s long skirts which caused her small legs to run much slower than her brothers.

A familiar hand ruffled the top of her hair. “This is part of learning Sis. You just have to take the lesson and change what you do in the future. A good commanding officer will expect that you’ll make mistakes moving forward because you’re new. This is how you learn. I was much the same when I started my job. That’s why you start at the bottom and you don’t get to make important decisions yet, but you’ll get there with time and experience.”

Eun Ju couldn’t help but beam under the thoughts her brother shared with her. She had really needed this time to check in with some of her family and kind of re-ground herself. “Thanks, oppa.” She leaned in and gave him a hug.

“Now, lets go get some fishcakes.”

The two of them left the musical center and walked at a leisurely pace towards the food stalls. They pockmarked the whole festival but there was a concentrated area with tables, chairs, umbrellas and such waiting as well. Some of the stalls were run by students who were trying to fundraise for certain things, usually sports or trips. Most of them were run by local area businesses who were trying to bank on the revenue that would come in from a festival like this. The festival would run all day and end with fireworks late into the night. Many stayed even after and pick up wouldn’t be until mid-next day. But, she didn’t have to worry about any of that.

“I applied to transfer to another ship.” She said as they walked towards the stall, causing her brother to raise his brow.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I just.. felt like I couldn’t come out of what I had done, I’d be marked a concern.” She admitted with a shrug.

“You can’t run away from every problem that you have, Eun Ju. You have to stand your ground and show you can’t be pushed away even if people are jerks. What ship are you going to?”

Eun Ju had recently gotten the acceptance letter so she knew which one she was going to as soon as they came back to port. “The Artemis.”

“I really don’t know anything about that ship, but I’ll have to learn about it. Just.. be yourself, and remember your respect. Halmoni taught you well.”

“You mean she beat us well.” She grinned as they got to the fish cake stall and began eating. The fish was fried and impaled on long wooden sticks. You just ate your fill and paid afterwards once the woman counted your sticks. It was still warm and as good as she remembered. Even though she knew this wasn’t real it sure felt as though it was.

“Well, Halmoni had to teach us, she raised all three of us and you know we were a lot.” He teased taking a bite of his fish as well.

[Theresa Black]

== A long time after the last mission... ==

For half an hour Black had been pacing back and forth in front of the holodeck doors summoning the courage to enter. It had been scheduled several times before, but each time she had either found a way to avoid it by letting it slip from her planner or miraculously being on deployment at the allotted time. This time there was no last minute, hail Mary get out clause.

She'd spent almost the entirety of last night talking with one of the counsellors who had in turn, done everything in their power to convince her that this was a good thing despite the fact that she had resigned senior roles to avoid specifically having to do this kind of thing.

And so here she was. Pacing back and forth in front of the holodeck. Looking for a reason not to go in. There wasn't one. Well. There was. Her friend, Papaver was standing there too. Arms folded. Blocking the other exit to the anteroom.

Whether it was a fluke or intentional, on her umpteenth crossing of the threshold, one of her boots strayed too close to the doors magic eye sensor, and it opened with the cheerful whir that always accompanied large holodeck doors.

“You opened it. You have to go inside now. It's the rules.” Said Papaver chiding Black.

Black had stopped and looked in at the bridge simulation within. Then she looked back at Papaver.

“No it's not.” She replied still looking apprehensive.

“If you don't go in there this minute Mazikeen Black...” Papaver chided. “I've still got that holovid from last summer.”

“You wouldn't.” Black scowled.

Papaver pulled out a PADD. “Now where's the send button?” She said with a wry smile on the edge of her lips.

Black fumed. “I'll get you for this... One day.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Laughed Papaver. “Now. Get in there and do your best.”

Black looked back into the simulated bridge, then back at Papaver. And stuck out her tongue.

Papaver stuck hers out in response, and pointed. “Now.”

Black turned and stalked grudging forward into the room. Her hand behind her back flipping Papaver the bird as the doors closed behind her.

With the doors closed. Papaver turned and left the outer room and headed off for a coffee while she waited.

== Inside the Holodeck ==

Inside the holodeck, there was a full simulation of the bridge of a Ross class explorer. Black had piloted one of these a couple of years ago, and had been surprised to find how easy and smooth something this big was to fly. Despite their mission through the wormhole. Briefly, she closed her eyes as she pushed the thought away.

Today, she was supposed to be in command of this thing. She'd expected a smaller vessel for the examination, but it seemed that someone had decided that this was to be it.

As ever her eyes automatically latched onto the helm station. Her natural go to position, but today, her place for reasons unimaginable to her and probably anyone with half a brain cell, was the centre seat.

This was the Starfleet Command Test. What was once called the Kobyashi Maru Test. All officers had to take it eventually if they were to have any chance of progressing in their careers.

Black had not even considered the possibility that she would be standing here today. Or ever, given her career to date. Promoted from the ranks. And on her first mission, charged with murder. A charge that had been dropped, but over a decade later, it was still the first thing anyone reading her service record saw and accepted as gospel. Because it was true. From there, she had been deemed a problem, and maybe partially due to her own fault she had allowed it to perpetuate. And this was why she was still only a Lieutenant at her age while officers way younger than her were being promoted hand over fist.

The Ross class bridge was very reminiscent of the old Galaxy class. Its for runner. Plush beige leather seats. Beige carpets. Wooden interior finishes. It was like the designers wanted that luxury feel that the modern chrome steel look bridges never seemed to have.

Walking to the centre seat, she took one last steadying breath before she sat down. Gripped the arm rests and slowly exhaled. “Begin simulation.”

Instantly, the whole atmosphere of the bridge changed as holographic simulations of crew appeared at each of the stations and the common place sounds of the everyday operations sprang into life. It took a second or two to process the sudden energy no present.

“Status.” Asked Black.

“The Aurvandill is en-route to Beta Carape IV, Captain.” Said a husky voice to Blacks right, Where her first officer would be sitting.

“Thank you, Number...” She began to say as turned to face the speaker and came face to face with a woman who one would have had no difficulty getting a job on Risa. Her long red hair covering one eye like a fashion icon of old. “... One.”

Who the hell programmed you? Black couldn't held but think as she felt not only intimidated by the scenario, but also now the cast.

“Captain, I'm detecting an anomaly. Bering one-one-eight mark two-four.” Said male a voice from the Operations station.

“On Screen.” Said Black.

Before them there hung a huge swirling maelstrom. Hanging in space.

“It's six hundred kilometres in diameter, Captain. It just came out of nowhere.”

So, this was going to be it...

“These things don't generally come out of nowhere, Mister?”

“Johnson. Ma'am. Lieutenant Johnson. Operations.”

“These things don't generally come out of nowhere, Mister Johnson. Helm full stop. Science station, full analysis.”

“Aye aye, Ma'am.” Came the replies from both stations.

Black wasn't a lover of anomalies. They usually ended up as phenomena that either sucked errant ships in, or acted as portals from which errant ships emerged.

“Have you seen anything like this before?” She asked her first officer.

“I'm afraid I haven't.” Replied the woman.

Black nodded. It was obvious that they were going to have to wait for the science officer to complete their surve...

BOOM!

A massive force struck the ship knocking people off their feet and out of their sheets. The sound was such that it disorientated everyone, and Black felt like she'd gone deaf it was so loud.

The lights had gone out.

Black knew she was shouting the word report, but she couldn't hear it. Then the lights came back on, and a constant ringing followed by screams and shouts for others came back to her and slowly they coalesced into words.

“... Hit... Dragging... Gone...” was what she heard at first.

“What... Happened?” She stammered as she pulled herself off the floor and to her knees.”

The lighting came back up. Dimly. The FO was there now pulling her to her feet. “Something shot out of the anomaly. A harpoon is the best I can understand. It's dragging us in...”

Black looked over to the helm where the pilot had recovered his seat. “Reverse course. Full power.”

“I can't Captain.” He said a second later. “Engines are not responding.”

“Engineering, status?” Called out Black hitting her comm.

The FO put her hand on Black's shoulder. “Captain. There is no engineering. The stardrive is gone. The harpoon must have slice it off. That was what caused the explosion. The saucer is impaled on in, and we're being dragged toward the anomaly.”

A sudden dizzy feeling came over her, and Black held up her hand and touched her head. It actually hurt. And her fingers showed real blood. crap!

“How many survivors are there?” She asked, now noticing a tremble in her own voice. The FO found a working station, and began scanning. “206 lifesigns showing in the saucer.”

Black thought for a moment. “What's the status of our structural integrity and shields?”

“SIF at fifty percent. Shields. Seventeen percent. That harpoon went through us like a knife through butter, Captain.”

“Weapons?”

“Offline.”

“Communications?”

“Offline.”

“Do we have any form of propulsion at all?”

A few seconds later. “Port side RCS thrusters.”

Black paused as she thought. They were fucked royally. “This is the Captain. To anyone who can hear me. Abandon ship. And find anyone you can who can't hear me and get them off too. If you have to drag them off, do it.”

The FO looked at Black. Black fixed the woman with a level stare. “This is the bit where you say you're not abandoning the ship, and I tell you that's an order.”

“No, no.” Said the FO. “I'm all for abandoning the ship.”

“Good. There's nothing we can do to save the ship, and we can't exactly warn others if we all die here can we?”

“Excellent point.”

“But before we let whoever's on the other side have what's left of the ship. What's the status of the self destruct?”

“Hold on...”

From the doorway, the helm officer called out; “We have to go. The last pod is ready!”

“It's damaged. Someone will have to remain behind to activate it manually.”

“Obviously!” said Black throwing her hands up in the air.

“I'll stay behind.” Said the FO.

Black rolled her eyes. “No, you go.” she said flatly. “This is my job. I'll try to give you as much time as you can to escape the blast range. Maybe you can find some survivors from the stardrive section?”

“I hope so. It was an honour serving with you Captain.” And with that, The FO vanished out of sight leaving Black alone on a smashed and empty bridge. The external image on one of the small screens displayed the anomaly, slowly getting larger and larger. The black hole at the centre becoming more and more encompassing. The tell tail stomach lurch she felt whenever she entered any interdimensional boundary couldn't exactly make her feel any more worse than she already did.

Slowly, a massive shape of some kind of ship began to form, dragging what was left of the Aurvandill's saucer toward it. Black sat herself on the edge of the centre seat, and at the moment she deemed best, she pressed the button and...

Nothing happened. The two vessels just continued to move together.

“Fuck!” Was all she said as she sat back and waited for the enevitable.

Then the holodeck doors opened, and a voice said; “Please go to sickbay, Lieutenant. You will be informed of your results in due course. Thank you for time.”


==And what will the result be? Was that a Kobyashi Maru test? or a secret Psyche exam to see if she should be trusted near a ship (or people) ever again? Who knows? ==