TEST DRIVE #13 - Jefferies Tubes and Ten Forward

[tenforward_m]

Option 001 - Jefferies Tubes: A ship like the Enterprise requires maintenance and a way to get at things behind the walls. It also, since there are no stairs, needs to have something people can use in case the turbolifts stop working. A cross between air ducts that are so useful for people to crawl through and maintenance shafts, the Jefferies tubes span across the entire ship like a hidden parallel to the normal, everyday corridors. They come in vertical and horizontal versions.

While most people except Engineering aren't supposed to be in them, people have been known to use them for everything from a quiet spot away from everything, vertical exercise, and a place with excellent acoustics for playing music, to the kind of sneaky trails one might use to get to restricted rooms. Just don't get lost.




Option 002. Aboard the Enterprise, Ten Forward: You have no idea what just happened. One minute you were home, and now you're on a spaceship, in the middle of a crowded room. It looks like a bar. There are people eating and drinking, some in uniform, others not. Some are clearly aliens.

You've managed to land in Ten Forward a long bar with barstools and a bartender, tables sprinkled throughout, and the far wall is nothing but windows out to space. It looks like a nice lounge, low conversation making the room hum.

Better ask some questions and find out where you are, or just tap the closest person on the shoulder and try to make friends. The bar is open.

Comments

[magneticxman]

Lorna snorted and shook her head. "Show off. How are you settling in?" It was so weird to look at this man and know that in another universe he was the resident version of her. . . whatever Alex was to her anymore. They looked different, but there was a similarity in how they made expressions and held their head. It was like seeing a fraternal twin.

[hesnohero]

Alex chuckled. "I practiced for a long time to be able to do that." he canted his head to the side and smiled at her.

"It's weird, being here and not being, well... back home." He shook his head. "I feel like I'm living in a weird off kilter dream."

[magneticxman]

She nodded compassionately, rubbing a hand through her hair. "Yeah, it's all kinds of crazy. I'm still sorry you got dragged into all of this." She sighed softly, then shrugged. "Do you want to get a drink? I think we could both still use one, and it's better to have company."

[hesnohero]

"It's okay. But, thanks." He smiled, sort of, lopsidedly.

Alex hesitated, then managed a nod. "Sure. Sounds like a good idea." He waved a hand in a vague direction toward Ten Forward. "Shall we?"

[magneticxman]

Lorna nodded, starting off in the right direction. She was awkwardly quiet for a little bit, then said, hesitantly,"How are you settling in?" It felt important to get to know him. Not just because he was an AU of her ex and she was an AU of his wife. He seemed like a good guy, all told.

[hesnohero]

Alex followed her, smiling. She was like and yet so unlike the Lorna he had known. it was a lot like being in, well, an alternate reality. he snorted to himself as he followed, listening.

"Okay, I guess. Going to take awhile to get used to this."

[magneticxman]

Lorna nodded, sighing softly. "Yeah, I'm still not use to it all. I go between being grateful to be here and missing the people I used to know."

She looked back to offer Alex a shy smile. "I hope you're finding friends."

[hesnohero]

Alex nodded. "Sounds like a logical response. And I found one here, already. My sister-in-law and her daughter are here."

He canted his head to her. "I hope you find more friends, here, too."

[magneticxman]

"Emma's from your world? I mean, I assume Emma's the only person crazy enough to marry Scott. Beside Jean, obviously." It was strange knowing that Alex was friends with Emma but that was hardly the weirdest thing she knew about him.

"Did you figure out the trick to getting real booze, or have you been stuck on synthetics?"

[hesnohero]

Alex nodded. "She is, yes." He smiled warmly. "She and I met even before she and Scott were together. " He chuckled.

He nodded. "You need a trick? I just asked the replicator in guest quarters." he blinked.

[magneticxman]

"That's kind of cute. Is she still a pain in the ass?" She assumed not, but you never knew.

His statement was met with shock and facepalming. "I never thought of that. You can't get it in Ten Forward from the replicators and you have to ask the bar specifically for real booze. I could have been covert drunk so many more times."

[hesnohero]

"Not really. Not that I can tell. " His smile went silly as he swallowed a comment about how being a pain in the ass would be his pleasure, but he thought that was way too early for that conversation with this Lorna.

His expression smoothed to a normal warmth and smile. he was still feeling awkward and weird and a little sad, well, a lot sad. He missed Lorna and Mavis like nobody's business, and even their dogs and their ship, and their house.

[magneticxman]

"I guess you'd know," Lorna said with a nod, returning his smile. That was an expression she didn't get to see too often on Alex's face. "Have you found the holodecks yet?"

[hesnohero]

"No. Still wandering. Meditating, checking out the security, safety protocols, and seeing how much it's like... what I thought it would be." He had stopped himself from saying 'like the television show.', but only barely.

"Do you use them often?"

[magneticxman]

"It's just like the show, huh? I can't get over that." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Alex and I-" she stopped, cringing lightly. The last thing she wanted to do was remind him of what he'd lost, and just slightly above that was her desire not to remind herself of what she'd lost.

Instead she answered the question about the holodecks. "Yeah, I do some training in them, try to pump them for answers to scientific questions I have. They're pretty universally useful."

[hesnohero]

"Yup. Seems like so far. I've been not dipping my toes in too far yet. Just got through my whole sickbay interview and rooming situation. Roommate seems normal, for my life."

Which was to say... yes.

Alex ignored the slip, as fiercely as he could.

"Sounds like fun. I should find out where Firefighting, soldiering, and teaching are, as well as seismology and geology are." He was curious, now that he thought of it.

[magneticxman]

"Oh yeah, I don't know anything about you, huh?" Lorna said with a laugh, smiling at him. "Why don't you give me the cliff notes version? We're almost at the bar, if you want to wait until you've got a drink in hand."

[hesnohero]

"Well, I could unravel my weird life, if you like?" Alex didn't mind. Besides, if they talked, maybe he could find out how different she was from his Lorna at core.

"I think a drink in hand is a good idea. Then I can relax and tell you of my life in Orange County, and the story of how it all got twisted, and turned upside down."

[magneticxman]

"Too bad we're not in Bel-Air," Lorna said with a smirk as the door to Ten Forward whooshed open and admitted them. "It only seems fair, and it could be fun. I have to admit that I'd love to hear how your life went without your crazy adoptive parents and your powers ruining your career."

[hesnohero]

"Yeah. Shame, that."

Alex followed her, in, musing that, while she looked subtly different, she shared many of Lorna's characteristics. He nodded. A lot of them.

"It was an interesting life." He looked around at the place he had only seen before in television screens and facepalmed. Now, his life was truly just as odd as his dream counterpart's was.

[magneticxman]

Lorna gently bumped Alex with her shoulder when he facepalmed. "None of that, mister. Do you want a table or to sit at the bar?"

[hesnohero]

Alex chuckled and poked her gently as he shook his head.

"Table, I think." he glanced around. "Too bad the Starjammer isn't here."

[magneticxman]

"Oh I know," Lorna said with a sigh. "I miss the old girl." She grabbed a seat and waved down a waiter. "Did you ever go out in her, or was she only in your dreams?"

[hesnohero]

"Oh yes. we did. We had her on Earth, and took her to battle some bad people, and even used her to stop a nuclear explosion." He smirked. "In the end, we had her retrofitted with transporters and phaser weapons, in an exchange with the Enterprise of the time."

He chuckled.

[magneticxman]

"Really?" Lorna asks, laughing with delight at the idea. "That's incredible!"

She leaned forward, whispering so they wouldn't be overheard. "Which Enterprise? This one?"