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

Re: Poe Dameron | SW:TFA | Option 2 (will do my best to avoid spoilers)

[the_blood]

The man sitting at a nearby table might catch his attention, as he finished taking a long drink out of an ornate goblet and the the cup simply... vanished. That was so not the force. Though when the decanter on his table floated back to the bar, it was possible that was.

The man had gold eyes and sun kissed skin, his black hair slicked back with water, rather than product. He was keeping a somewhat subtle eye on a woman with the same coloring, as she puzzled over what looked like a game of sorts. She had a deck of cards, dice, and several kinds of tokens and small coins. Every now and again, one of them would glare at the other, though nothing was said, and the man steadfastly made sure not to so much as brush a piece with his sleeve.

[resistancepilot]

There's a couple, probably related by the looks of it, who wouldn't be out of place in his galaxy. The game's not one he's familiar with, but he knows even less about the games of non-human species than he does about the species. He doesn't play a lot of games during his downtime for the resistance. He doesn't even have a lot of downtime.

If they're communicating silently, that sounds like it could be possible, with what he knows of the Force. Not that he's seen many personal demonstrations of it.

He's not sure he should interrupt, so he'll just be watching them while keeping an eye out for someone who looks familiar.

[the_blood]

The woman finally looked up, her gold eyes irritated. "Help me test this variation, Prince," she said, coldly to Theiorn.

"Not a chance," eh said simply. "I know better than to play cradle with you."

Her eyes flashed with ire and she looked around. She spotted Poe and her temper sparked up again. "I suppose you're too afraid to play a game with me as well?" she asked, acid in her tone.

[resistancepilot]

Well the fact that at least one of them is some form of royalty explains a lot. Though it doesn't have to, of course; General Organa is former royalty and she treats people better than this. He has a feeling that he wouldn't want to spend as much time with this set as he would with others he's known.

It's not fear that causes him to decline her offer though. He's been through too much to be afraid of a board game. "It wouldn't do much good. I'm not familiar with the game."

[the_blood]

"Of course not, I'll teach you. It's simple enough."

Theiorn gave a rude snort.

Her gold eyes flashed. "It's not like I asked him to play chess," she snapped.

Theiorn smiled up at the stranger. "If any female of my world asks you to play chess, I recommend your run. Save yourself the headaches."

[resistancepilot]

"Only with the females? Are the men just that bad at it?" Or is this some strange sort of game?

[the_blood]

"Males cannot play chess properly," she said, primly.

He snorted. "Men have a sense of strategy and play rationally."

"Women are better, and we have better strategies," she said, her gold eyes flashing with anger.

"Sacrificing the Queen is not a better strategy! The Queen is to be protected!"

"The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board, Prince, it is her duty to protect the other pieces. that's all there is to it, Prince."

"The Queen gets killed the game is over, what happens to the other pieces then?" he snapped. "The pieces are on the board to protect the Queen."

They gared at each other with such an intensity, it looked like it very much might come to bloodshed if someone didn't stop them.

[resistancepilot]

"I think I'll pass. I have more important things right now than learning a new game." Like figuring out where he is. Hopefully that will be sufficient to distract them from their impending argument.

[the_blood]

"Given that we are all trapped here, Prince, what could you possibly have to do that was more important than learning a new game?"

[resistancepilot]

"I'm not a prince. And I don't even know where I'm trapped. That would be helpful to know." Because he can't find a way home until he knows where he is now.

[the_blood]

"You could always ask," she pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Males," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

"In that, she is right," Theiorn said. "Ask what you want about this place, if we can answer, we will."

[resistancepilot]

"Alright, so where are we then?" A quick look around the place reminds him that it's new to him, and obviously not where he intended to be. "And how did I get here?"

[the_blood]

"This is the lounge of the Enterprise. It's, well, they claim it is a ship that sails through stars as though they were water," Theiorn said. He floated a carafe and a glass to the stranger. "Feel free," he offered. He had no clue that made him look like a Force user. He had no clue what the Force was.

"It is commanded by Picard, the Warlord Prince of the Enterprise," Ailyshia said. "They call it Captain. We serve him while we are here."

"Can you tell how thrilled she is about that?" Theiorn said dryly. "We were brought here by a powerful being called Q, I would say male from the stories we have heard, but it is hard to believe any male would have that much power."

She nodded, for once agreeing with him.

"And even if he did, even the most powerful males are always beholden to a female, always serve. The more powerful the male, the stronger the need to serve."

[resistancepilot]

"I figured we were on some form of star ship, given the view through the windows. It must be some sort of cruiser, based on the size of it."

He hasn't seen many personal demonstrations of the Force, since the last user of it disappeared over a decade ago and his rogue student only used it to interrogate him, but he knows it exists and has no problem with its use. He picks up the glass and fills it from the carafe, smiling his thanks.

"You don't think men can be powerful?"

[the_blood]

"Of course they can," Theiorn said, "But there is always a woman more powerful somewhere, even if she is not yet born. And his soul yearns for her."

Ailyshia made a face. "That sounds like something the High Lord would say."

"It's something he has said," Theiorn said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and muttered "males" under her breath.

[resistancepilot]

"Then maybe there's someone more powerful than this Q person." Following their own logic, of course.

[the_blood]

"Exactly," he said with a nod. "We would do better to find his queen and speak with her than to try and reason with him."

"like a male knows how to reason with anyone," she muttered darkly.

[resistancepilot]

"I think you underestimate men." He's known some very capable men, after all, as well as some very capable women. "What would you do if he didn't have a queen?"

[the_blood]

"Win," she said simply.

Theiorn chuckled lightly. "The bond between us is our greatest strength.