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

[postorganic]

"No. Though, as... Lenient as I know this Captain to be with Starfleet procedure, we will likely be left at the nearest Starbase. That is why I'd like to return us to where we belong as soon as possible. A fate decided by Starfleet is not entirely enticing to me." His complete disdain for the organization slips into his words. He doesn't trust them at all, or agree with their practices

[usescontractions]

"The computer can be accessed verbally from any location on the ship. If you require a terminal I can show you to one. I can also provide beverages if you have changed your decision." Ever helpful, and pushing those drinks.

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

Picard utters a soft noise, both curious and impressed by the notion. The woman joining him seems to carry many secrets behind her eyes, but her loves are not among them. He wonders about where she is from, and if all the people there are as charming.

"Really? She does sound like quite the host. The Enterprise, even with her variety and capabilities, does have her limitations." Though he has yet to find a limitation he couldn't overcome with a little persistence. "Do you know, my first day aboard this ship I could not get a decent cup of tea? You and I may be a dying breed, Miss ... ?"

[not_annika]

"I believe I can manage, thank you," Seven replied, politely. "I do not wish to distract you further from your duties."

[trial_never_ends]

If it's a hostile act, it's a surprisingly harmless one. Usually people get angry with him, start shouting and waving their hands around, and this isn't like that. Benefit of the doubt, and all.

Besides, no one's brought him a drink in a long time. There's a reason he likes people, generally speaking--sometimes they surprise him.

Still, he's not about to sit around in a wet uniform, so no harm done: he picks up the once-again full glass. It's good to be him.

"First day on the job?" he asks.

[so sorry for being so slow! it's been a bad time lately healthwise]

[usescontractions]

"My first duty is to study human behavior and socialization." She pauses after she says this. She had almost continued in the same vein, offering more assistance. But, she is gaining more of an understanding of normal conversation. Frequent refusal, even if polite, often means that the other participant wishes to terminate the conversation. So she modifies her reply accordingly.

"But, if you don't need assistance, I can return to the bar."

[trial_never_ends]

Look at it as a library full of books, each with similar binding and no pictures on the covers. There's not much to help guess at their contents from across the room--you've got to pick each one up, look through it, consider what it holds. And so, his current little game. Getting a look at these self-contained stories from up close.

But books don't change their contents or tell different stories when you move them to a new shelf, while people can and often do change in a new situation. Shake them up a little. Take them out of their comfort zones and see what they do.

It's not exactly like scientists and rats and mazes. It's nicer than that.

Honest.

"Was I interrupting something?"

[so sorry for being so slow! it's been a bad time lately healthwise]

[not_annika]

Seven's eyebrow raises slightly. She's simultaneously sympathetic to the assignment and convinced of her less than suitability for study. "I do not," she replies, nodding her gratitude and dismissal.

[usescontractions]

"Today is my third day assigned to this task." It's plainly stated, as she tilts her head to one side, staring at the glass. She's sure it had been emptied, and its current state is even more curious than his reaction. In her other four mishaps that involved spilling drinks on people, they had always jumped from their seats and immediately moved to dry themselves. It had come to be the expected result.

"How was the glass refilled?" Not giving him time to answer, she launches into her next query. "You are not bothered by my mistake?"

( No worries! I hope you're doing okay! )

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

There, now there is a slight downturn to Captain Picard's lips. He keeps his focus keen, and his words diplomatic. If Andros is bristling, it'll do no good to bristle in return.

For now, that is. "I'm familiar with the concept of rangers. Even the Earth I come from has used the term for many centuries; however, no, I have not heard of you or your current organization until this moment, although I follow along quite well.

"Starfleet has been around for several centuries, and the Enterprise is only one ship of thousands. As I had begun to explain, the space you now find yourself in belongs to the United Federation of Planets - an interstellar federal republic, if you follow. There are likewise thousands of planets who have all agreed to exist autonomously under this central government, and we all work together in peaceful cooperation and exploration. Starfleet is part of the Federation, and maintains all exploratory, scientific, diplomatic, and defense functions, rendering most everything else unnecessary."

He pauses. "Which would make the culprit behind this mess part of our jurisdiction, rather than the Rangers'."

This may not be the precise truth, given Q's unique ability to travel anywhere he likes, but Picard doesn't know how this young man handles his quarrels, and does not want a "situation" on his hands.

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

Provincialism?

"All right, then explain it to me," he says, hands on his hips. To argue would take far too much effort for little to no results. He knows what Q wants. He wants to be needed, admired; for Picard to claim defeat. "What are your rules?"

He is far from claiming any such thing, but as he is responsible for the lives on this ship, he will play along if it is necessary.

[awol_redranger]

Andros hated that. Absolutely hated that this Captain could just stroll in here and take the case. But, (and he hated this too), from what he could tell, the man was right. It was Picard's case, and Andros was down 5 team members. And a ship. And a computer. And an Alpha unit.

But, besides all that, Andros was completely fascinated by the idea of the United Federation of Planets. The mere idea that it worked in this universe was wonderful--and completely frustrating. Andros was used to being able to stroll in somewhere, and take control. He was a Ranger, entrusted with the Power and that meant something. But, in this universe, he was out-bureaucrated.

"Fine. For the moment I'll defer to you. But keep in mind this culprit went into my universe too."

Just the fact that Andros was capable of saying those sentences out loud showed just how far he had come in the past year. "Now, why don't you tell me more about this United Federation of yours. Do you truly not have anyone trying to disrupt it? Interstellar war and invasion isn't an issue?" It sounded like in this universe he'd be out of a job.

[holds_her_own]

(Au contraire, don't count your chickens before they're hatched, Rogers.)

"Believe me, if I thought Asgard was behind this I wouldn't be sitting here."

She'd be hunting down a certain prince with really nice arms.

"You aren't the only one asking questions. People keep showing up, demanding to know what's going on."

It's been enlightening.

Hill arches an eyebrow.

"Would you like a beer, Rogers?"

[i_candozat]

Pavel rattles it off, and pinches the bridge of his nose as he begins to wonder what he just walked into and where in the world he is.

"Zen...you know about ze mission ve are on?" he asks. "To Wulcan?"

[abyssum_invocat]

"Wouldn't something else evolve to be harmful?" she asks. She thinks this is how evolution works; school was not so much a thing for her. Isn't still, really, but she's intelligent.

<3 Either way, you are awesome.

[i_candozat]

"Nyet," he says, brows raising. "But I do not know vhere else he vould go. Maybe ze bridge?" he asks. It seems the logical place for their illustrious captain to end up, given how he seemed magnetically pulled there in the first place.

"You zhink ve are allowed to leawe?"

[abyssum_invocat]

Her eyes go wide at the mention of a starbase, because this is not good information. Not at all. Sinthia doesn't even belong in this year, much less a place this far away from her own home, her country. Hell, her planet.

"Will they leave all of us there? Even the ones like me? I didn't do anything to them, we don't even have a Starfleet where I come from."

[abyssum_invocat]

"I don't want to be alone," she says, as if that's about the only thing she's sure of, because...well. It is.

"And I know you. Kind of." Maybe. She knows of him, and that counts.

[abyssum_invocat]

"No," she answers, because if he says she's going to end up floating in space she's definitely not going to chance it. She lowers the teacup until it rests back in his hands gently.

"My father...put me in a machine that gave them to me. A year ago...for me." Much longer now.

[abyssum_invocat]

She hesitates for a moment, and blinks, and looks up to him. "I don't know," she says quietly. "I don't know how it works at all. We don't have anything like this where I was. Only in stories, and they never say how the systems work."

She admits that last part softly, because she shouldn't have been reading the stories to begin with. She should have been sleeping, but children and rules, what can you do?

And so are you! <3

[shut_up_dammit]

The bridge. Yeah, that seemed like the place Jim would run to if someone told him that he wasn't the captain. Leonard got up from his seat.

"Only one way to find out."

He headed for the door, hoping Chekov would follow.

[holds_her_own]

"Yeah, yeah. Saint McCoy."

She gets it.

"Must have missed the lesson on you in Catholic school."

It's all in good fun, Leonard.

If she wanted to fight, you'd already be on the floor.

"Lucky for you, I'm more the fighting type so others don't have to."

[tea_earlgrey_hot]

He sighs, mouth pulling into a wry twist of a smile. It is as much a victory as he can hope to win.

"Please understand, I in no way mean to discredit the work you do," he adds. "I'm sure in your own time and place you are a boon to the people you protect.

"As for the Federation, oh no. There are some who have refused to be any part of it, and to those we give a wide berth. We do not cross into their territory, and they do not cross into ours. Disagreements are to be expected in any time and place, I should think."

[she_listens]

She recognizes his clothes, his mannerisms, even the shapes and sounds his words make. He's from a time when, if you weren't too careful, you could find yourself strung up for talking about anything remotely resembling magic.

Granted, he has just been pulled onto a ship traveling through outer space, but Guinan is trying to be gentle with him.

"Think of it as a mother's intuition. Sometimes I can sense danger, and when it comes to your daughter, I believe she's safe."

She retrieves a bottle from behind the bar. He might recognize the amber color as being a good bourbon whiskey.

"Would a drink calm your nerves?"

[she_listens]

She smiles brightly, pleased.

"You have a discerning palate. That's right."

Some will swear up and down that the differences are unmistakable, but the reality for many will come down to a 50/50 chance like Ian's.

"Sometimes, just the taste and smell of a good drink can have a placebo effect. It relaxes us, much the same as the real thing."

She leans in conspiratorially.

"But the real thing is always just a little better."