Holodeck Problems: Part 1

Posted on Sun 6th Aug, 2017 @ 9:48pm by Lieutenant Thomas Maynard & Captain Gunnar
Edited on on Tue 8th Aug, 2017 @ 3:20am

1,668 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Unity Week
Location: Holodecks 2 & 3

Upon entering holodeck two, Gunnar, went over and activated a custom program he brought with him from his previous assignment and soon the holodeck changed to a plains landscape and upon it had numerous obstacles that normally a human would be unable to train on, or most anyone as he chose to train his translocation ability, hoping to get them stronger and stronger with few side affects.

Thomas had set the holodeck to bring him back to his house on Earth that he had lived with his wife Chloe and his son George. He liked to go back and see what normality was like before the accident that had killed Chloe. The accident that his son forever blamed him for and drove him to his alcoholism. Being able to go back made him feel happy about the memories, but guilty at the same time. He knew he had nothing to be guilty about, but always felt that way because of George. He never knew if his son would ever forgive him. The house was vast, with many rooms and acres of lands that could be seen out of the window. They were lucky to have ever owned a house as grand, but that's what Thomas inherited from his father. It was soon sold after the accident and when he moved onto Vanguard. He was rich, but nobody ever knew. Most people saw him as a strict worker or a bumbling drunk. He walked over to the dining table and picked up a picture of himself, Chloe and George. He smiled.

As Gunnar was training, the holodeck began to malfunction as he finished his translocation training, he saw his own environment began to shift as he found himself in a building of some sort, pictures everywhere, he looked around, drawing his peoples spiritual weapon and hissed as he wondered if he had been transported somewhere. He began to traverse the buildings hallways and rooms, systematically searching each one, until he happened upon some sort of eating area, and a man standing nearby. "Who are you?" Gunnar hissed out expecting it to be some sort of alien trickery.

Thomas frowned as he heard the voice, there shouldn't be anyone here at all, not even the any holograms. He turned around, "What the-" An 8ft furball was standing in front of him. He had never seen anything like it. He pulled himself together, before realizing he had pretty much been staring at this creature. "My name is Thomas Maynard, pleased to meet you," The fake politeness came out and he pushed a hand forward to shake the creature's own hand. "And whom might you be?"

Noticing the facial features of the man before him, he quirked his eyes slightly as if a teacher would towards a suspicious person, and yet still remained guarded with his weapon at the ready. "I am old enough to know when someone is faking politeness, its quite alright to drop the act. Infact, I prefer it." Gunnar said gruffly. "Marine Captain Gunnar, Just arrived on the station. I think your program and mine, merged together somehow. So I ended up in yours, while mine ended up as small parts of yours. The two merged together essentially." Gunnar growled out.

Thomas shrugged, "Very well. Lt. Thomas Maynard Chief Intel Officer. I would say nice to meet you, but you told me to drop the nicene-"

Before Thomas could finish the room they were in flickered briefly into darkness before blinking back into existence. They weren't in Thomas' house no more, but in a desert like space. Two suns were shining down on them, blistering heat boiling through the pair of them. "What the-" Thomas said, his brow starting to sweat already.

"Hmmmm, definitely a mix. This one is a reminder of where I came from. What my home planet looked like after I was rescued, so long ago." Gunnar said as he bent down and grabbed a handful of sand and let it fall from his paws as if reliving what his world looked like in its prime.

"As gorgeous as it looks, it's bloody hot out here. Exit," Thomas said indicating the holodeck to end. Nothing happened. "Computer, Exit program."
Nothing continued to happen. "Oh that's just ruddy marvelous." He took his trusty hip flask out of his pocket and took a sip. "Want some?" He gestured to Gunnar.

"You dont understand. This is my homeworld, 400,000 years after it fell to invasion, my people resisted but they died outside of a few who lived, the resources mined, water dried up, nothing left but sad and dust, this is now just a memory of what time can do to a civilization that is unprepared. This is what the Federation will be if it fails in its unified goal of life. Believe it or not, my world was much more fantastic, plains as far as the eyes could see, water made up atleast 80% of the planet, we knew nothing of war but war came to us regardless, and like the Bajorans of your time, we were peaceful, then became warriors, then instead of winning, we lost and thus a memory to learn from. Find something to fight for, and fight until you cant fight anymore. Dont ever become a slave to another's will. You do, you mind as well die." Gunnar got up and took the flask from the human, took a sip and gave it back.

Thomas took the flask back and took two swigs of it, "Maybe not so gorgeous then. I will bear that in mind," He quipped, not really knowing what to reply to the creature.

"I wonder why your technology has failed to obey commands?" Gunnar asked curiously.

"I honestly have no idea, plus it has also pushed our holodecks together," Thomas stated.

The desert land flickered in front of them and a flashing red of light filled the sky. Thomas shielded his eyes and as he looked up the door to the holodeck had appeared in the desert unopened. Thomas walked up to it, failing to open it. He tapped a few commands into the arch and still it did not open. "Ruddy technology!"

"This is why I dont rely on something that can break." Gunnar said as he went over and attempted to use the manual release which caused it to open slightly, and without waiting, he managed to get both of his paws into it, and forced it open with all of his might and a few grunts in the process, it swung open, then Gunnar managed to get himself between the two doors to hold it open. Then used his free paw and grabbed Thomas and shoved him threw the opening to the other side and Gunnar followed as the doors snapped shut and disappeared.

"Cheers," Thomas said as they walked out onto the corridor. Something was different about the corridor. It looked very similar to the corridors on Vanguard, but something was different. Thomas couldn't put his finger on it. "I don't think we are out of this fine mess yet, this corridor is different. Computer, where are we located."

"You are located in holodeck 3...2...3....2....3...2.3..2..3.3..2.2. Unknown," The computer glitched.

"Great, thanks for clarifying," The sarcasm oozed out of Thomas.

Gunnar was not very pleased, so wanting to get out of this place as he was starting to feel like a caged animal being backed into a corner. "You humans and your reliance on technology and this is what happens when you rely on something that breaks. Upside is, we dont fry to death or die of dehydration first." Gunnar said without breaking the look on seriousness on his face.

"We might have an over reliance on technology but without it over the last few centuries our species wouldn't have gone anywhere near space!" Thomas raised his voice with a slight air of authority. "If you're not going to say anything helpful, then I will just walk off or we can actually solve this together!" He took a swig from his flask.

"Why cant you be a Vulcan? at least they would see the logic in not dying." Gunnar said shaking his head 'Humans' he thought as he thought for a moment. "Well if you walked away it would not solve anything, it would just continue with the same problem over and over again. You will still be stuck in here with me." Gunnar said gruffly as it was a bit more authority as he tried not to take the humans stand on things as a challenge but when he raised his voice it was hard not too but he chose the calmer of the options and decided to let it go 'for now' he thought to himself.

"Screw the Vulcans!" Thomas said, swigging even more. "If I die, I die. I have nothing to live for." He took more to drink. "I spend my time working, then drinking, working then drinking. My wife is dead and my son blames me. I have nothing else." He let out a small laugh. "Now I'm stuck in a holodeck with a grumpy Marine Captain. Thank my lucky stars!" He sarcastically laughed again.

"You may have lost your wife and son but I lost my entire species, three billion of my people down to only around seventy five, so don't speak to me as if I know nothing of loss. If you wish to kill yourself because you lost your wife and son then that is your choice. I lost billions of my family and I live on to remember them because I know they would not want me to wallow in self guilt over their passing. Live to remember them, not drink yourself to death. If you want to die, I can solve that right here and now and then I can tell people it was a mercy killing and you asked me too. Make your choice." Gunnar said taking out his ritual weapon of his species.

"Piss off!" Thomas replied.

 

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