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

[bobbyprentice]

"Three and a half weeks, sir," Bobby says as the red alert sounds. He's about to say something else, but it goes out of his head as all his muscles tighten.

Stay calm, he tells himself; but usually at red alert time he's got something obvious to do, even if it's just get into uniform and rush to Engineering. He takes a deep breath and looks to La Forge for instructions.

[mr_laforge]

Geordi never stops moving, his pace quick but not rushed. As he turns to speak, he even manages a smile.

"Then welcome to the Enterprise, Lieutenant Junior Grade Prentice," he says, in a tone Bobby should get used to. Geordi can intimidate when the situation calls for it, but he's quicker with his sense of humor. "You'll get used to it."

Or he won't. Only time will tell.

Geordi leads them onto a turbolift and gives the order to be taken to Main Engineering. "Have you heard of The Q?"

[bobbyprentice]

"Thank you, sir," says Bobby. He supposes he will get used to it. He even manages a faint smile back, though he's still very nervous. He keeps up with La Forge well, not even out of breath. "I've heard a bit about them. Aren't they some kind of powerful alien?"

That's what he's heard, though he's not sure whether it's rumour or fact. He supposes he's about to find out.

[mr_laforge]

"That they are, Lieutenant Prentice," he says. "To be precise, they're a race of some kind of omnipotent beings, who possess the abilities of instantaneous matter-energy transformation and teleportation. And one of them has taken a liking to our captain."

It's possible this is much worse than it sounds. Captain Picard, for one, isn't happy about the relationship. "It seems this Q is the cause of the disruption in Ten Forward, and that's not all."

[bobbyprentice]

"Wow," says Bobby. He'd heard they were powerful, but omnipotent, he thinks, is a bit out of his league.

He glances sideways at La Forge as they walk; he seems to be taking all of this in his stride. "So what else?" he asks.

[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."

[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.

[mr_laforge]

He arches an eyebrow, chuckling wryly. "To the Q? Yeah, maybe. The last game he had me playing involved life or death consequences where the odds were stacked against us."

That was not a good day, though the worst of it may have been seeing Commander Riker drunk with power. "But I'm only speculating."

[bobbyprentice]

"That sounds awful, sir," Bobby says, because it does.

But they got out of it alive, apparently, which makes him look at his superior with a new admiration. He already looked up to La Forge, of course - he's the chief engineer of the flagship, how could he not? - but this is a new level.

[mr_laforge]

"It was, lieutenant," Geordi says. "But it's just the type of thing you'll have to get used to serving aboard the Enterprise. Old girl's seen worse."

He's fond of the ship. It's hard not to be after all this time keeping her in working condition. "How long have you been out of the Academy?"

[bobbyprentice]

"Two years," Bobby says, and the question makes him wonder about the Commander. It's not really an appropriate question - not to ask your CO, not really - but it slips out of his mouth anyway. "How long have you served aboard the Enterprise?" He catches himself. "Sir?"

He's a good engineer, but after four years at the Academy and two years as an officer, he still struggles sometimes with military protocol. All that yes, sir, no, sir, three bags full, sir stuff. To be honest, most of the time he'd rather just keep his head down and get on with the work.

But he wanted to see the universe - and if you want to do that, really do that, Starfleet's the only place to be.

Well, he's definitely seeing the universe now.

[mr_laforge]

Geordi glances at him, but if he's offended by the question it's not for long. He shakes his head, chuckling again. "Just passed my three year anniversary. I started out as the conn officer, after serving on the USS Victory and the USS Hood."

He's packed a lot of living into these past three years, not to mention two separate promotions. "This is your first assignment, isn't it?"

[bobbyprentice]

"Yessir," Bobby says. "First in space, anyway. I was at Utopia Planitia for my first two years."

It was nice there. Not exactly exciting - and Gray, assigned to sickbay on a science ship right out of the Academy, wasn't exactly within reach - but it was steady, and Bobby's good at the kind of repair work he was assigned back there.

And whether or not Gray's in reach doesn't exactly matter any more, Bobby thinks bitterly.

[mr_laforge]

Geordi is curious about what's going on in his mind. He can tell the cogs are turning.

"That's not a bad assignment," he says diplomatically. "But you were eager to see more of the universe, I bet."

[randomling]

"Yes, sir, I certainly was," Bobby says with a grin. "They do good work there, and I enjoyed it, but - "

He hesitates for a moment, not sure quite how to go on.

"Yeah," he says eventually. "I wanted more, I guess. And I'm definitely getting it now. I never expected to be assigned to a ship like this."