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

[techno_galen]

"Of course." He wasn't going to let this person go that easily. But this way he was at least following out in the open, walking and staying visible.

"What are you?" He echoed the man's earlier question.

[destinysbitch]

Wesley led the way, heading down one corridor, then another, his knowledge of the ship apparent as he followed an internal map in his head. He had spent a lot of years running around this ship, for fun and duty, and he definitely knew it like the back of his hand.

"A human with energy-synergetic advances, either a misfit or an advancement of evolution." That much was known by enough people that Wesley didn't mind telling this man.

"Also, I'm Wesley."

He chuckled. "So, what are you, other than somehow both machine and man?"

[techno_galen]

Galen was impressed. He'd mapped some of the ship himself, but some of it remained obstinately blank to his probes. It reinforced his impression that Wesley had been here before.

His explanation explained some of what his sensors were picking up. But Galen didn't know any more whether it was his sensors that were at fault. But what was interesting was Wesley having detected his tech.

Galen gave him a curious look as he said, "I'm a techno-mage. A wizard, in your terms." There was something of a sigh in his voice, at the necessity of using such a crude approximation.

"So you believe the next stage of human evolution is to beings of pure energy?" Galen's tone suggested he didn't believe it.

[destinysbitch]

Finally, Wesley led the way into a room, and closed the door behind them, pulling the panel next to the door and pulling out a small circuit.

"There. Now the room is invisible tot eh internal sensors and the door wont open unless we want it to." He nodded.

Then he sighed. "Hardly. I have no idea what the next stage of human evolution will be like." He arched an eyebrow. "How long have you bee here?"

[techno_galen]

Galen would have loved to have confirmed that, but he hadn't been able to access the internal sensors. However, he wasn't too worried about being overheard - if he really wanted to make sure no one was listening then he had a few tricks of his own.

"Not long," he replied, turning to Wesley. "Long enough to know there is no arguing with a being more powerful than you or I."

[destinysbitch]

"Hm." Wesley's face transformed into something like a grim smile. "Then you haven't been around long enough. You can always argue with, and fight a being far more powerful, and sometimes, you can even beat them. Especially on this ship."

He rested one hand on the wall, and smiled a little. "She's a good ship, and she has a good crew." He took his hand down, then, and squared his shoulders. "Which is why I need to stay out of sight. They don't need to be confronted by the ghosts of futures unknown and unseen."

[techno_galen]

Galen raised his eyebrows. "That's an interesting perspective." Though he agreed to some extent, he knew it took the right person to beat a more powerful being. He knew that he was not that person. Especially not here.

"What is it that makes this ship so special?" There was certainly something, given that some of his probes failed: the ones in the most important places, which he was not granted access.

[destinysbitch]

"The people, the dedication, the ship itself, and it's history, the captain, and his loyalty, the skills, that somehow come together to get things done..." His smile was proud, and he nodded. "God watches out for children, fools, and ships named Enterprise."

It was an old phrase, and much beloved, and there had even been a plaque where it was engraved. He wondered if it was there in this timeline.

[techno_galen]

Galen nodded. He'd heard similar sentiments before - it appeared to be a human trait, no matter where or when you were.

"That is good to hear. If I am to be stuck in this place, I should like it to be on the best ship, with the best captain."

[destinysbitch]

Wesley smiled and sat down at a computer and quickly fired in an access code he was hopeful existed still. And computer data spilled out for him on the screen. "Good. It's still there. I was here, as a kid, before. Seems like somehow I'm not here now, but that means likely Q is somehow restricting temporal duplicates so as to reduce the strain of the relocation efforts."

He sat back after studying a few more lines of data. "Now I just have to figure out a way to either get off this ship or vanish while still on it." He fired a glance at the other man. "This is going to be fun."

[techno_galen]

Galen followed, so he could see. None of the data meant a great deal to him now, but his sensors recorded it, for later retrieval. "Why?" he asked, with a frown. He wouldn't mind going back to a place he once was, if only to confuse people.

[destinysbitch]

"Timelines and time travel cause issues, and there is an organization that monitors it, here. With Q being his big bold self, the last thing I need is the DTI getting involved."

Wesley disliked them, a lot.

[techno_galen]

"This happens often, then?" Galen sounded surprised, which was rare for him. He'd seen a lot of things, but never time travel. At least until he arrived here, but he had been assuming it was a rare occurrence.

[destinysbitch]

"In this universe, all too often. So much so that certain ships get bad names for having such incidents happen too much." He chuckled. "Not that most people know about them."

He had experienced far too many himself, and this latest one was just another crazy one in the list. He wondered how his mother was doing. If he was here, it was likely his younger self was not. He shook his head.

This whole situation was trouble. "Now to just try to figure out why. And how to reverse it."

He moved to the wall and replicated a current timeline uniform in his size using his remembered pass code. Without pips. He began to transfer pips from one uniform to the other.

[techno_galen]

"I think I prefer my universe," he concluded, while watching Wesley change his pips. Although being able to travel to the future would be useful Especially here, where he didn't know enough about the universe to predict what might happen.

Although it seemed like this was the person to stick close to. Although not literally. For now, he turned away, so Wesley could change without being watched. He took the time to examine the room and the data he'd recorded. There was nothing of use yet, but it may be in the future.

"I heard that Q enjoys causing chaos. That is all the why he needs." And he was in control of all these people he'd displaced. Galen wondered if he was in league with the Shadows.

[destinysbitch]

"I don't blame you, but I've become fond of this one." Wesley shifted over one, then hesitated, not sure how many he should transfer. Damn, this was already complicated. He needed to talk to Data... or his mom. One of those.

Wesley changed, sliding his tools and the other items he had been carrying into the new uniform's concealed pockets, then patting everything smooth. Perfect.

"I think he is mostly bored. He seems like a child who wants excitement. That's how he always acted, anyway."

[techno_galen]

Galen turned when Wesley had finished, as if he'd been looking. In reality he'd just been listening closely. "A bored child with power can be dangerous."

All this activity from someone more powerful than the average human made Galen think. "You have a plan for convincing Q to stop."

[destinysbitch]

"Exactly. And Q ia always dangerous." Wesley had always thought so, even as a kid. He only hoped he could come up with something to do.

Wesley blinked at the other man, then grinned. "A plan? Maybe... 12% of a plan. But I'm going to need time and information to fill it out. Hence the room, and the change in uniform. For now, I'm stuck here, but I don't plan on being stuck here forever."

And he had his mother's stubbornness.

[techno_galen]

"I dislike being stuck," Galen commented. He really disliked someone else being in control of his life, especially when he wasn't given an opportunity to air his opinion.

"If you require any assistance, I am available." He didn't say where he could be found or how he could be contacted. Techno-mages found people they wanted to see, not the other way round. To make sure he could find Wesley, he flicked a probe the size of a speck of dust onto his new uniform.

[destinysbitch]

"I think most do." He wasn't fond of it himself. Wesley might like this ship, but it wasn't his time. This could get very bad before it got better.

"Thanks." Wesley wasn't sure how much he could trust this guy, or if he could even help, but it never hurt to have more allies. He stuck out a hand to shake the man's hand. "I'll remember that."