TEST DRIVE #16 - Turbolifts and Ten Forward

[ten_fwd_mods]

Option 001. Trapped in a Turbolift: This space travel thing is new to you, and you're starting to think the ship is purposely out to get you. A turbolift is just a grandiose name for an elevator, which should be the safest way to travel after all! But someone out there is out to get you, you're sure of it. Because the next thing you know, the lights flicker and the lift grinds to a stop. You're trapped, with whomever was unlucky enough to be in the lift with you.

It could be hours before you're rescued. These turbolifts span the entire massive ship, and don't just travel straight up and down. No, they can travel horizontally, vertically, sometimes even diagonally. You could be stuck between any deck now. There is a small access panel on one of the smooth walls, but how good are you with getting these things to work? Let's not forget that sudden stop tossed everyone around a little, and people could be hurt. Time to put your emergency thinking cap on, and make friends with the people beside you fast. You could be the only way back to freedom.

Conversely, you could slide that pack of cards out of your pocket and start a rousing game of gin rummy. Really it's up to you.







Option 002. Ten Forward: You have no idea what just happened. One minute you were home, minding your own business, 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, and some of the food is looking rather strange too.

You've managed to land in Ten Forward. A long bar with barstools and a bartender span one side of the room, with a bank of strange computers on that same wall. It looks like people are ordering food and drinks from them. Tables are sprinkled throughout, and the far wall is nothing but floor to ceiling windows with a view 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

[not_the_question]

"That about sums it up."

He tilts his head and considers her for a moment. Something about Clara is reminding him of when he had discovered Reinette here. But he can't place his finger on it. And with Reinette, he knew she had died. Clara, he simply didn't want to know, so he ignored his instincts to give the command he was desperate to say.

"So, going with the entertainment theory. What kind? Is he just bored? Is it some kind of test? If a test, is it a test for those brought here, the crew of this ship to deal with us, or some other reason?"

[braveheart_clara]

It was easier to focus on the now. On bouncing questions off the other. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it just made her feel smart. A small bit of pride when he looked at her like she said something intelligent. Right now it was to focus her mind on something else. It would be easier that way.

"Not bored." She said, considering. "Why be bored when you have all that power? And with all that power, if it were simply boredom, why keep the people safe? Bored and Infinite Power generally leans towards being mean. I'm thinking... test. Yes. Maybe for both of us. Us being... us, that got brought here and then the crew. What other reasons? If he wanted us to fix something of importance, he'd tell us, or do it himself. This is a test." She said, finger pointing up as if that was her best guess.

[not_the_question]

He smiles wryly at her 'not bored' comment. That is her kindness coming through again. Refusing to think about all the horrors that might happen if...

"Is that what you'd like to believe?"

Hauntingly familiar to how he said that after the Orient Express blew up.

"Clara, I would think you know the universe is a rather nasty place. And people are not always good or kind. One of the reasons why I keep travelling is to get away from the boredom."

Mostly, because when he gets bored, everything catches up to him. All the pain and sorrow. Oh, he travels for all the altruistic reasons too, but most people don't think about the power of boredom or what it can do to an individual. He doesn't want her to discount the possibility that people are 'mean'.

"But for now, let's say it is a test. We're stuck on this ship. More or less. The Ship does need to dock sometimes for fuel and supplies."

No different than the TARDIS. "But mostly, we're stuck. It's a place that is pure fiction in our universe. But, there was always the possibility that it would be real somewhere. And we can't even explore it properly. If it's a test, why brink four of me? One of me would be more than enough..."

[braveheart_clara]

She knows better, she does. She just wants to still believe, maybe. Maybe. In truth, she can picture the horrors one could do when Bored or not. She can picture that the Doctor keeps running onto adventures because he's bored. That happens when you have the ability to run and the life span. She can't even begin to imagine what it would be life to live that long. She doesn't want to think she'd start treating people badly because she was bored.

"It might be. What I want to believe." She agreed with a nod and a frown. "Nasty place or not, let's just... go with the test theory for now." She said as she tried to brush this off for now. She's not completely discounting the possibility that this Q is doing it just TO be mean, but if that were the case, why keep the people 'safe-ish' here on a fictional but not fictional ship?

"One of you is enough for anyone. But if it's a test, why does it matter how many of you there are? Maybe it's to test other people. Maybe we're pawns. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with you for a moment. You're just another pawn in a larger game. Game, though, that goes back to entertainment, doesn't it?"

She puffed up her cheeks a moment, blowing air out to the side as she considered. "With out more information, we're really just guessing."

[not_the_question]

He nods.

"I've been guessing since I arrived roughly three months ago. That's really too long to sit by and question."

And he's no closer to finding a solution.

"I have an idea to test the theory... but the cost would be too great if I'm wrong, so I haven't done anything with it yet."

He can hold himself back, sometimes. But he shrugs not knowing what the right answer is.

[braveheart_clara]

Three months? It's not a lot of time for a Time Lord but it is for one being trapped in one place, isn't it? Still, it's weird how this place works like that. To be able to take someone away from their time and put them here. She hadn't known he had gone missing, then again she had no idea what he did while she was odd having her other life. So who knows.

She leaned heavier on both arms though, staring at him like she was trying to figure him out. "If it's too great a cost, I'm not sure I want to see you try it, but I am pretty curious to what it is you're thinking of."

She's always curious of what he's thinking of though.

[not_the_question]

"Attempt to crash or blow up the ship."

He says it simply. Plainly. Like saying, 'That sky is purple.'

"'Make noise' - isn't that what everyone accuses me of? But more importantly, if this is a test, then we are the most important things in creation to Q. So, what happens if we try to take ourselves out of the picture? And if it's boredom, well, blowing things up is far from boring, right?"

It's spoken softly because it is one option among several dozen that he's considered. It's just the most dramatic. Because, this is Clara and he can afford a bit of drama with her.

[braveheart_clara]

He can be dramatic around her, because what he said, though horrific as that could end, didn't ultimately surprise her. She didn't react in shock of judgement. she didn't draw back and gasp or anything of the sort.

No, instead she tilted her head, eyes watching him as he said it all. Blow up the ship. Make noise. It was what the Doctor did. How he got attention. He got loud. In truth, she could see why he would think that though. He made good points. "If we're important enough at all to bring here, blowing something up should result in the Q rebuilding it and putting it back in place. Then again it might just let us blow ourselves up and let that be that. X amount of lives lost and he just goes and finds more. I can see where that test might come at a great cost."

"Or... we can try blowing up something smaller. A section and not the whole damn ship. Less cost but still test worthy." Note that she said 'we'. He wasn't doing anything stupid without her. She was a goner anyhow, so she might as well help, right? Though this is all theory anyhow, and she doubted he was going to do something like... explode a TARDIS in order to take out a ship just to see if it reset or not.

[not_the_question]

No, exploding the TARDIS is strictly for saving the Universe Moments.

"But will that be enough to get a god-like's attention? Something small?"

He's tapping his hand on the table top. Not trying to be annoying. But it is purposeful. As if he's typing on one of the keyboards of the console. He's plotting, working out calculations.

"We would probably only get one-shot at it."

'We' - echoing her use of the word.

[braveheart_clara]

The tapping thing wasn't really all that annoying. It only got annoying when she too as in an agitated state and couldn't concentrate. Right now she was more just... calm. Maybe a bit drained feeling. There was so much information to take in and information to remember not to say. Things she couldn't do or say or else give away spoilers to his future.

She was calm and relaxed, as best she could be at least, rolling her wine glass between her fingers to keep herself occupied as he thought. She recognizes the tapping as thinking. Working things out.

"Perhaps not. If it's too small and inconsequential, and we lived through it, I can see the Captain of the ship trying to put us in the brig. Which Captain is it, anyhow?" She suddenly asked, realizing she wasn't sure. Seriously, she should have watched more Star Trek on TV. She waved it off with a shake of her head though, frowning. "I would want more proof though. Before we tried to take out an entire ship. How many people are on board?"

She was glad to see he wasn't fighting the 'we' part of this.

And making up numbers as I go along...

[not_the_question]

"The Captain is Jean-Luc Picard. He seems to have a good enough head on his shoulders."

Though the brig would be less than ideal.

"Approximately 350. With 100 of that being crew. If I had access to the TARDIS, it wouldn't be an issue. Project a hologram of the Enterprise exploding. but the ship safe inside the TARDIS."

He sighs and sips down the rest of his drink.

"But nothing can ever be easy."

Seems reasonable!

[braveheart_clara]

As he said the captains name, she ran her hand over the space above her head, curved hand as if rubbing back and forth over a dome. A brow raised. It was a very simple look of 'Do you mean the bald one?' That was the one her mom loved. She really should have paid better attention, huh.

The numbers he quoted though, were small in comparison to some things that had... been destroyed tragically. But honestly, even one person who might end up dead in this seemed like a bad idea. Still, his talking about projections and holograms and the ship safe inside, she took interest again. Now this sounds like a doable idea. Acceptable.

"And even a TARDIS key wont work?" She asked, moving to rest her hand at her chest, above the breastbone where her key rests, hides, safe and close to her poor single heart. "That does beg to wonder, if this Q is all powerful and watching, wouldn't it notice if the ship and all his people were somewhere else and a projection is all it sees?"

[not_the_question]

He cracks a small smile at her gesture and nods. And if a small snort escapes him, well. He's needed this. He's been more or less on his own here for far too long. Sure there's the humanish-TARDIS, but she's from so far in his future, it's difficult.

"Nothing works. Keys, telepathic link, help from others..."

He shakes his head. Honestly, that causes him more pain that he can admit.

"And letting her fleshy version try, would be bad. That might actually destroy everything."

He pauses in thought. "Well, given what the TARDIS can usually do, no. Even Cridhe still has some of those abilities. She transformed the Enterprise gardens fairly effortlessly. But making the whole ship appear to crash, well, she'd need the support of her boxy components to accomplish that."