TEST DRIVE #1 - Ten Forward

[tenforward_m]

You know how you were standing there, back in your home world, just minding your own business?

Time to forget all about that.

Instead of doing whatever the heck you were just doing, you're standing in the middle of this very stylish, sedate barroom. Happily, you're not alone there - in fact you're surrounded by people who seem to be as confused as you are...and some of them look a little, well unusual

Now would be a great time to do....well, something. Ask some questions of the person nearest you, throw a fit, stage a coup....maybe do a little exploring? No matter what you do, you're going to be here for a very long time.

For others might call it the USS Enterprise, but for the foreseeable future, you'll be calling it home.

[OOC: this test drive's open until the next app period.]

Comments

D: All the sadface. I highly recommend messaging the mun. The more the merrier?

[i_candozat]

Pavel's brows shoot up at that, and he glances at the door, and back to Bones.

"You think zey are here? Eweryone else seems to be in zis room, doctor..."

Ahh, I don't know. I really don't want to force someone into something they don't want. D:

[shut_up_dammit]

"You honestly think that Jim's gonna stay in here if someone tells him he's not the captain of the damn Enterprise anymore?"

He's not trying to sound rude, Chekov. Not really. He's just mad at the situation.

[daddy_kirk]

George is about to laugh and explain he’d be fine but the idea of interacting with someone and getting his mind off what just happened—even if just for a few moments—is tempting.

As is the idea of a warm drink. And really, who is he to decline someone’s help when he would have done the same thing?

With a small nod George walks over to her table and takes a seat in the chair she’s pulled out for him. “Thank you, mrs…?”

[daddy_kirk]

Though he’s shaking himself it’s still all too easy for him to feel her hand doing the same in his. And yet somehow he’s grateful for it because it pulls him from the spiral he was heading in, letting him focus on something else, getting him into the mindset that this—wherever this happened to be—was real and not some… afterlife.

No he can’t focus on that, or that he didn’t know the fate of his family even if he’s nearly sure they’re alive. George is trying with all his remaining might not to dwell on the smaller but still overwhelming possibility he didn’t save them at all. In fact, the only thing holding him together is that they’re in a public place.

Although her introduction does him one better, his eyebrows lifting high. “…Kirk.” He repeats not as quietly as her, the one wrapped in suspicion. “I’m uh. I’m going to guess that’s not a coincidence.” Swallowing the lump in his throat, George voiced the trailing question, “Are you…?” As he tried to think of a reason they could share the name.

When he does he eyes get a little wider and he finally lets go of her hand. “—I’m sorry. A-are you Jim’s daughter? ...Are you my niece?” She had to be, because that was just about the only thing that made sense to him right now.

[tased_lightning]

Darcy should have a witty remark, but she's actually pretty surprised. Not that he thinks she's cute, hell no – Darcy is flipping adorable, and well aware of it.

Most guys don't care about overstepping.

"Cute duty, got it," she says, tucking a piece of hair back behind her right ear. Her hand lingers for a moment by her neck before she remembers to drop it. "Um, thanks."

Subject change. Uh. "Well, it tends to work best with older people --50s, 60s. That's more important for guys; you'd freak out any of them who'd help just to hit on me. Any friendly looking female officer's probably fine, as long as I'm shorter than her. Nobody's happy with two people looming over them."

Except Yoda, speaking of references he wouldn't get.

[not_annika]

Getting examined is the last thing she needs.

"I do not believe that is necessary at this time," she replies. "But I appreciate your assistance, Lal."

[punch_it]

"No." She shakes her head and doesn't flinch at the silent accusation. "No, it's, it is definitely not."

Jane draws her hand back slowly and then runs it through her loose hair. Being Jim's daughter would be the sane explanation, but then again when was any of their lives sane? They were Starfleet. You had to be semi-insane just to join up.

"What do you know about parallel universes?"

Re: a picture's worth a thousand words?

[trial_never_ends]

That face.

It brings such joy to what would be an omnipotent being's heart-area, or... well, never mind the anatomy. Picard just gets so entertainingly crinkly in despair, but only for a moment before the wheels start turning and he finds a solution.

Eventually.

Listen for it; you'll hear the wheels.

"Miss me, mon capitaine?" he asks, with a cheerful grin.

[bet_on_the_river]

That seems reasonable enough.

Well, there's no overtly apparent danger here. Just being dropped into some other place--but maybe that's normal? Maybe she's here, but in another room.

You have to weigh the pros and cons of actions. Cause a fuss, get himself arrested and El put in danger? Or wait a little while and see if she turns up on her own? She's got ways.

"She's not used to being on her own. Sheltered, you know? So being pulled out of her room and brought somewhere like this... I don't know how well she'll handle it."

[pyrrha_pandora]

"I gave a guy a cheese-grater to the face once," she says. "But he totally had it coming, and we were in the kitchen of a pizza place. It was right there."

A bit messy, though. But you take what you can get.

"Yeah, it's... I know people are people everywhere, but this here is a lot to get used to. I used to think I'd seen just about everything, all the time I'd spent on South Street. It didn't prepare me for this."

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

"Q, you must stop this madness!" he cries, 'crinkles' set in firm disapproval. "These are lives you are tampering with. Whole galaxies, not chess pieces to move about as you see fit."

[mr_laforge]

"The 24th Century," Geordi repeats, standing up. "Captain Christopher Pike is a legend. I learned about him while I was in the academy."

As well as Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, which Geordi almost says out loud before he stops himself short. "I'm sorry, this must be strange for you. What's the stardate?"

[mr_laforge]

"Well, it seems he's cut off power to our engines," Geordi continues. "The commander wants us to see if we can get them back on-line, though past experience tells me we may be stuck here for a while."

They're the only ones in the turbolift as it makes its way to Main Engineering. "Q likes games. Whatever is going on, I've got a pretty good idea that's what this is all about."

[and_she_waited]

"Pond."

Beat.

"Well, Williams. Williams-Pond. Haven't quite got that settled, actually," she says, before bellowing across the room to catch the bartender's attention.

George could have argued, but the woman is more tenacious than you'd think, so it's good all around he decided to have a seat. "But you can call me Amy. You? Are you one of the officers around here?"

[splendid_roman]

"Well, no, I suppose not," he said slowly. And to someone who'd never see an aeroplane, maybe it would be just as exciting as a spaceship. "I've just never seen a spaceship quite like this. They're usually small and functional and most ordinary people would never get to go into space. They're only this big in science fiction."

[abyssum_invocat]

"Sometimes science fiction is the predecessor to science fact," she says, trying to be helpful when she's entirely out of her depth.

[splendid_roman]

"Sometimes," he agreed. "It can inspire people to make it fact, but spaceships are hard. What's the power source? How come the gravity is the same as it is on Earth?"

Re: I thought perhaps new arrivals should meet their distinguished captain...

[awol_redranger]

Andros ordered something non alcoholic and slightly caffeinated. He didn't care what it was, as long as it helped him blend in and didn't affect his judgement. He slid into a seat next to the older, who, at the very least looked like he knew where he was. And if it was one thing Andros liked, it was information. Particularly when he had just been abducted. Was it a terrible thing to say that he enjoyed being abducted much more than browsing through clothes at the mall? Not that he didn't love his girlfriend with all his heart, but it was hard to focus when people were trying to randomly touch you and cameras were going off in your face.

Sometimes it seemed like people didn't understand the basic tenants behind personal space.

"Does this happen often?" Andros asked the older gentleman. Based on the man's uniform(there were plenty others peppered around that looked similar, with some sort of color coding), and the symbol on the button on his chest was also on the doors. So, naturally, the other man was actually supposed to be here.

[bobbyprentice]

"It's... a game?" Bobby said, frowning.

How was disabling the Starfleet flagship a game? Wasn't that an act of war?

He clasped his hands in front of him nervously. At least if the engines were offline, he could try to be useful. "I'll do whatever I can to help, sir."

That was a redundant thing to say, of course. It was his job.

[awol_redranger]

Andros looked over at the other young man, and gave a mock salute.

"I have no idea what you just said, but I think I can agree with you."

Despite himself, Andros relaxed a tiny bit, since no one seemed to be outright attacking him. So, he just found a chair and sat down, eyeing the man who kind of reminded him of a Russian Alpha unit. Maybe one with the translator matrix broken.

Wherever he was, Andros felt better in uniform. Just because he put on civilian clothes didn't make him a civilian. And that was something his team had a hard time understanding.

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

Her physical reaction is alarming. It puts Picard even more so out of his comfort zone.

"On the contrary," he says. "One of my most trusted advisers is a Betazoid. Her species can sense the thoughts and emotions of others. It makes her well suited to be the ship's counselor; however, I am not fond of those who abuse their powers as Q does, in tampering with lives."

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

Picard makes a low, considering hum. The past has always interested him, particularly when it comes to pursuits such as archaeology. He frowns, wondering if Velona is a lesson he has merely forgotten.

"Before or after space travel?" he asks, gathering this man may be older than he appears.

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

Picard can't help but look mildly amused, though any hint of a laugh is kept to a quiet "ah," to avoid appearing as if he is mocking her.

"Captain James Tiberius Kirk is by far the more prolific name when considering Starfleet history," he agrees. "But if you are from the past, then perhaps he is a close relative."

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

"More often now than in the past, perhaps," he replies. The youth beside him is regarded carefully. At his likely age, Picard had already begun his Starfleet Academy career.

Ah, youth.

"It is an unfortunate side-effect of playing host to one of our more stubborn visitors."

[holds_her_own]

Her hand relaxes.

Anger she can handle.

"I think you heard me just fine, Captain Rogers."

It's less an insult and more a mark of confidence. Rogers is a smart guy, which means his female counterpart must be even smarter. She's already putting the pieces together, if Hill knows anything about her people.

Still:

"All I know for sure is that one minute I was walking into the Capital, and the next I was here. From the intelligence I've gathered, this is a 'Federation' starship; some future form of government descended from the old Anglo-American world power. It's a science ship, not a battle cruiser, and if you take a look around the room you'll see the people here are diverse, if nothing else."

Aliens walk among us, Rogers.

Hill hopes you got around to catching up on the last 70 years of science-fiction.