A Glitch in the Matrix
Posted on 31 Jul 2014 @ 1:20am by Civilian Reva Madhava & Ensign Natia Nechayev
1,562 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
M12: For Duty or Honor
Location: Holodeck
[ON]
Cammy's heart was in her throat as she raced down a corridor that seemed endless. She could hear several footsteps close behind her, but didn't dare turn to look. As she approached a junction, a Kar'takin swung out at her belly. Cammy barely managed to drop into a baseball slide as the blade nicked her ear, before jumping to her feet and continuing on. The offending Jem'Hadar joined the other pursuers, which included two Klingons, a Tal Shiar agent, three Nausicaans, and a Ferengi. Considering the way it drop kicked her across a room, She suspected the Ferengi was supposed to be an Augment, or the computer had long abandoned realism.
Cammy saw she was approaching a bulkhead, and sped up as much as her exhausted legs could muster. When she was about ten meters away, everything in the corridor powered down with a dying electronic hum. Not expecting to go from 120 lbs to 0 instantly, her last stride sent her hurling into the bulkhead. The gravity kicked back in seconds later, and she slammed into the deck. Cammy scrambled to her feet and started pulling the doors apart. They finally gave way as she fell into another room. The doors slammed shut, separating her from the mob. She sat on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath when the sound of a phaser charging up got her attention. As Cammy looked up, she saw five Vulcans pointing phaser rifles at her. "Oh f..."
[The Poisoned Arrow](Holodeck)
"Finally, you made it!" Lisa said, watching Cammy approach. "Lemme guess: you died again."
"That obvious?" Cammy groaned, as she sat down. She tended to play with the safeties turned down slightly. Not enough to be dangerous, but she definitely remembered it the next day.
"Your face says it all. Really, why do you insist on torturing yourself like this?"
Cammy shrugged. "I guess if I can beat an impossible mission, all the others should be easy."
"You know you can't win if it's Kobayashi inspired."
"That's just what they want you to think." Cammy added with a wink.
"Want a drink? You look like you need one."
"Yeah." Cammy said, sitting back in her chair. "Make sure it's got extra asparin in it too."
Lisa walked off to get the drink, as Cammy reflected on her latest effort. Of all things, one thought stayed in her head. ~Thank god Ferengi Augments don't exist~
Just then the ship went and blared with Klaxons, signaling 'Danger' within moments Lisa found herself staring into the eyes of a Ferengi Augment, who sneered at her and pushed her around. "Wheres my LATIUM!!, Take off your clothes let me see where you hid my latium!." The Ferengi screamed as he insisted the woman had her latium.
Just then Natia who was going to the bridge was suddenly stopped as she accidentally ran into the Ferengi Augment, who then turned on her as he screamed. "MY LATIUM!". Just as the Ferengi tried to caress Natias chair, insisting it was his latium. Then more Ferengi Augments arrived as they all were screaming. "MY PRETTY LATIUM!, MY PRECIOUS LATIUM!, You have more, where is it!." They screamed as the ship blared out 'Intruder alert'.
Everyone had been told to go about their normal routine and hadn't been given the slightest clue as to the nature of the program that was running. As Reva was 'off-duty' she was lounging on a beach in the holodeck when a shadow came over her. "Hey you are blocking the suns..." She looked up removing her sunglasses and rolled her eyes at the site of two Ferengi as the Intruder alert sounded and she rolled out of the way just as the pair reached for her. "LATINUM!!!!"
Matt'ew was busy battling Borg drones on a recreation of the Enterprise-E, when suddenly, a pair of Ferengi augments jumped out from around the next corner in the corridor. "WHERE IS OUR LATINUM? ! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH IT?!" Initially startled, Matt'ew quickly recovered and aimed his phaser rifle at the rapidly approaching Ferengi and fired. The shot caused one of them to stumble only slightly. They reached out at him and screamed, their sharp teeth gnashing.
He dropped the rifle and extended the talons that were hidden in the tips of his fingers. Roaring his own answer to their screams, he rushed them, his eating beak, as razor sharp as his talons, snapping loudly.
Cammy sprang up and got between Lisa and the other Ferengi. ~Dammit, I thought I was done with this~" She was still sore and tired, but wasn't going to give up just to end the program.
The mission was similar to the actual test that inspired the program: hostages were aboard an enemy vessel. The goal was to free them. The computer would use any tricks it had to prevent the player from doing so, including the downright impossible should a stubborn player persevere through any realistic challenges.
The hostages must still be alive if the program kept running. Cammy rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ~I didn't even reach them earlier. They must still be in their cells~
Her thoughts were interrupted as Lisa's arm wrapped around her throat like a tentacle; the skin on her arm appearing liquid. The woman morphed into a changeling, as the grip around Cammy's throat tightened. She reached down and grabbed her phaser, aiming a beam at the changeling's arm. When she was able to breathe again, she turned towards Matt'ew. "We have to get to the brig!" She just hoped he wasn't another shapeshifter.
Matt'ew was momentarily still, as he re oriented himself with his surroundings. He was no longer on the holographic representation of the Enterprise. The computer had changed the program to represent the Achilles. Clearly, the group part of the Kobayashi Maru test that they were running had arrived, he saw Cammy phaser a Changeling and then start to rush off for the brig. Knowing that there was strength in numbers, he took off after her, tapping his comm badge as he ran next to her. "All Intel group, this is Lead, sound off with your current holographic position."
[Holodeck within the Holodeck]
Reva had managed to use her physical attributes (pheromones) to deal with her attacker and as she was wiping the sand from her hands and shoulders the intruder alert sounded and the fake holodeck shifted. Darting out she began to run, clad in her bikini, to her duty station. As she did batch of Marines barreled her way shouting..."MAKE A HOLE!"
She managed to get out of the way and the trailing Marine turned grinning at her sheepishly only to be yelled at by another or the Marines. Reva rolled her eyes but at the same time admired the level of programming and attention to detail. Getting back to her feet she darted into a lift when he commbadge sounded and she replied careful not to reveal a specific destination. =^= Madhava here. I'm in a turbolift head to duty station. =^=
Hearing Reva report in, Matt'ew replied. =^=Negative, Reva, we are all to meet up in the Corral. Do you copy?=^=
=^=Copy that, headed to the corral...=^= She altered the lift destination and looked at her attire and added one last comment before breaking the channel. =^=...and could someone replicate me something to wear?=^=
Matt'ew shook his head and chuckled softly before replying. =^=Understood, Number One. I'll make sure you get a full bunny suit, complete with ears and a bushy tail.=^=
A few moments later Reva arrived clad in her bikini, that left little to the imagination, while toting a phaser rifle she had acquired along the way. As she entered the room she looked over to Matt'ew. "You're hilarious you know that. So where did these...Super Ferengi come from?"
Before he could reply sever of the computer generated hostiles bust through the doors and grabbed their boss from behind. The intrusion was so unexpected and swift it didn't seem possible and all any of them could do was watch in horror as they heard the snapping of his neck.
The Ferengi threw al-Altaa into the bulkhead and move for Cammy.
Reva shouted. "END PROGRAM!!"
The Ferengi froze mid rush and faded even as Reva moved to their fallen superior. Her head fell and she checked his vitals, he was gone.
Cammy was relieved to see the program finally stop. "What the hell just happened?" Her eyes drifted over to Reva and al-Altaa. It didn't take a medical tricorder for her to understand. Considering it happened on her simulation, she felt some level of responsibility. =^=Ensign Valentine to Sickbay; send a team to the Holodeck. The Chief Intelligence Officer is dead.=^=
She walked over to Reva. "The Rear Admiral will want a full report on the incident," her voice, smooth as a still pond, hid the turbulent waters deep within. She had outlived two superior officers, and she didn't like that.
Standing, Reva was angry more than anything. "What the hell happened!", she ask to no one. "Computer, status of holodeck safety protocols?!"
"Holodeck safety protocols are online."
Reva's head darted to Cami's. "What the hell...???"
Lt. Matt’ew al-Altaa
Chief Intel Officer
Lt.jg. Reva Madhava
NPC Intel Officer - Played by Da`nal
Ensign Cammy Valentine
Infiltration Specialist
Ensign Natia Nechayev
Intel Officer
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