TEST DRIVE #5 - Low Gravity Gymnasium and Ten Forward

[tenforward_m]

Option 01. Ten Forward: The first thing you see is a bar. A large, lively bar filled with many different faces and many different smells, sights and sounds. This is Ten Forward, the Enterprises' off-duty lounge; feel free to get acquainted with your fellow travelers and try to find somebody who's in charge: this is your new home now, after all...



Option 02. Aboard the Enterprise, The Low-Gravity Gymnasium: The gym is a large room with several alcove-like sections housing the aerobics and martial arts areas, a parrises squares area, an anbo-jyutsu court, and a separate fencing room. While there is normally a zero-gravity area as well, today all of the gym is in zero-gravity conditions.

Zero-gravity can be, well, kind of weird, because it's not like a gradual loss of the pressure holding you to the floor--you may have taken the turbolifts, just expecting to take a leisurely run, or maybe work out with a treadmill to get in some cardio, but the minute you step into the gym you're floating, as is anything you might have been holding or bringing with you.

Do you freak out, start flailing and trying to swim through the air back to where you can escape? Do you make the best of it and tough it out to get your exercise in, or do you start having fun with the sudden game of weightlessness? Pick your personal scenario and have fun with all the other weightless people.

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Captain Malcolm Reynolds | Firefly

[gotnorudder]

The idea of space travel wasn't something that was foreign to Malcolm Reynolds. As captain of his own Firefly vessel, he was used to flying through the darkness of space. Still, that didn't prepare him for waking up in the middle of a ship that wasn't his own. After wandering around lost for a few minutes, Mal finally made his way into Ten Forward.

Slowly, he made his way up to the bar. Anyone who looked at him would see the hesitance in his eyes and the way he was struggling with the situation. He looked awkward. It was clear that he stood out from the others, not wearing the standard uniform. He frowned, not liking his chances of survival.

"You got whiskey?" He pulled up a stool and sat down, trying to look inconspicuous among the others. A shiver ran through him and he prayed that he wasn't on an Alliance ship.

Ten Forward!

[donthidemycigs]

"You look like shit," the woman beside him offers helpfully.

She's older, pushing 60 (but don't you dare say she looks a day over 35), ginger hair a little tousled. She's slouched in a lab coat, taking drags off a cigarette while the bourbon in her hand settles. It's her fourth, so there's no rush. Let the ice melt.

She eyes him sidelong, crow's feet marking years of speculation and doubt. "Try the blue stuff. It'll give you a kick in the ass you could use."

[notalwaysstrong]

And Mack turns slightly in his seat to look at the older woman. His steely blue eyes cast down her quickly, taking in everything they can in the split second Mack allows his gaze to linger. Unless you're good at spotting that kind of thing, you'd be forgiven for thinking that nothing happened at all...

Instead, Mack seems to continue with the conversation with a derisive snort.

"Think I've had my ass beaten enough times, thanks." He remarks, taking up the bottle of beer set in front of him. He takes a gulp, before pausing...

And takes another, swilling it around his mouth... Then he frowns at the bottle.

Evenin', Cap'n. :)

[someonetocarryyou]

"Muddlin' your senses in unfamiliar territory? āiyā, didn't the war teach you anything?"

Zoë comes up on his right, palms resting flat on the bar. Not before she deposits an empty tumbler in front of her, though. Could be its contents weren't exactly chocolate milk, but she'll never tell.

The corner of her mouth tucks into a smile that's just barely there. Part of her's relieved to see the Captain. The other part of her, well. "Guess I should be glad you haven't started a fight. Yet."

There's still time.

<3

[gotnorudder]

He turned, looking up at Zoe with the slightest sliver of a smile on his face. He's never been more grateful or happy to see her. He's still not sure what is going on, but having her there with him made things a little better. His voice is quiet when he speaks, barely audible to anyone but her. "Never said I was the brightest bar in the protein pack."

He sighed, taking a sip of his drink before gazing down at her tumbler. He says nothing about the drink that might have been in it. He looked around the bar, taking note of the other patrons before looking back at her. "Not anyone here I want to start a fight with. Now, if they start one with me..." His voice trails off and his smile widens just a little.

"Can you tell me a little bit about this unfamiliar territory, Zoe?" He pauses, his smile fading. "Are we on a gorram Alliance ship?"

[notalwaysstrong]

And Mack twists at the familiar-sounding voice next to him, a look of dumb-founded shock twisting at his features for a second.

But only a second.

"Bob?"

Re: <3

[someonetocarryyou]

"Not Alliance."

The assurance comes first, before she nods her agreement to his first remark, before she lets herself smile just a little more when he does. Some things just take precedence.

"Not anythin' like I've seen in the 'verse," she goes on. "They call themselves a Starfleet. I don't think we're anywhere close to home."

She's visibly uncomfortable, but the fact that her hand isn't on her mare's leg is telling. If she ain't shooting, then the environment isn't hostile. Drinking just means she's under the impression they won't shoot her if she don't shoot them first, but she still has her wits about her.

She arches an eyebrow. "Serenity?"

[meimeimechanic]

Wasn't an Alliance ship, wasn't their girl either. Kaylee did think of Serenity as hers in a way, she did spend a lot of time looking after her and keeping her going, so Mal was going to have to share her.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee said mostly to herself as she caught sight of the familiar figure at the bar as she headed in. "Cap'n!" She squeaked a little bit louder as she scurried over to greet him.

[notalwaysstrong]

And Mack shifts, too, scooting a bit closer to whisper in Bob's ear.

"I don't know. They say we're on the Starship fuckin' Enterprise, but I don't buy it."

He looks around the bar again, eyes lingering on the high windows depicting space going past at Warp speed. He frowns, returning his attention fully to Bob.

"They got some damn impressive props, though."

[decideformyself]

Philip just raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Who in the world are you?"

[architekt]

Well, he's learning and that's kind of the point. Annabeth can forgive him for his blunders because he's just so earnest about them.

"Mm." For a moment, Annabeth simply stays where she is, breathing Percy in, relishing in his warmth and this one moment of calm before the inevitable storm they're going to have to deal with.

Ah, the life of a demigod. There truly is no rest for them.

"There's a lot I want to do to Gaia right now, drop-kicking her being the gentlest of the options running in my head," she says, breaking away from him. She'll keep her hand in his though, unless Percy has an issue with that.

"Surprisingly, though? This has nothing to do with her. Or any of the other gods, Greek or Roman."

[neverenoughluck]

Nothing easy.

That sounds rather too much like someone she knows who likes to make a similar complaint, and that's bittersweet. Dylan's tone, though, is always different, usually weary and rueful, not self-effacing like this woman's.

"You're not feeling well?" Molly asks. "You need a doctor or something?"

She does look a little queasy. Then again, there have been times recently when Molly hasn't been either looking or feeling well.

Molly returns the smile, her own a little brighter, less hesitant than Ezri's.

"Molly. Nice to meet you."

/slinks in

[osirian_doctor]

Simon had been seated at a table with a PADD in front of him, continuing his ever-constant research into the medical science of this time. This may not be his time or his place, and he may not have River to look after here (though he misses her every moment), but neither of those things is going to stop him taking his new work in the Enterprise's infirmary (sickbay, as they call it), extremely seriously.

Very little would be capable of distracting him once he's lost in medical texts, for Simon is the sort of person who not only constantly reads, but who deeply enjoys it, no matter how obscure the reading matter.

Something guaranteed to catch his attention, though, is the familiar voice of Captain Reynolds heard from the bar.

"Captain?"

He looks up and stands, tucking the PADD under his arm as he does so.

It is the Captain.

[gotnorudder]

His shoulders relax and it's clear that he's happy to hear he isn't on an Alliance ship. Still, he is on a ship that is not his own. That bothers him. "Starfleet? What is a gorram Starfleet?" He frowns and reaches for his drink, taking a long sip of it.

He doesn't want to think about Serenity. It hurts to consider his ship somewhere that isn't here. Having Zoe here helps, but what about the others? Wash. Book. Inara. It concerns him greatly.

"Don't know. Woke up here," he groused.

[gotnorudder]

"Kaylee?"

His eyes widen and his arms reach out, wrapping around her and hugging her tight. He can't believe that Kaylee was here. Loosening his arms, he stepped back, but still kept one hand on her shoulder.

"You wanna tell me what's going on here, Kaylee?"

[gotnorudder]

The Captain's eyes narrow and he reaches up, pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course he would run into a Tam here. At least it wasn't River? He's not sure he could deal with crazy too. He sighs and glances over his shoulder, blinking at Simon.

He tries to keep his face impassive, but there is a look of something in his eyes. Surprise. Maybe a little hope. Even if it's Simon, it's someone from his crew.

"Doctor. Didn't expect to see you here," he mumbled.

[in_the_wrong_q]

"My, they don't build them smart in the 21st Century, do they?"

Excuse Q's complete lack of tact.

"But, then again, compared to the vast majority of species, Humans are pretty... lacking in the cranial department." And he's just going to motion to the big windows. "Take a look outside. You're on what you primitive forms call a starship. Because it's a ship that sails through the stars."

A sigh.

"Never could get over those oceans of yours. I found them rather dull."

[kelpface]

Percy is never going to complain about any affection Annabeth shows him, he doesn't have some boys hangups about a girl touching him in public. It would be embarrassing to admit, but as long as he and Annabeth were touching, they could get through anything.

"I've got a mean drop kick." Percy frowns at the new information. "Then who is? Have we stumbled into another monster food chain big enough to rival McDonalds?"

[architekt]

Annabeth would never admit it aloud, at least not to anyone else except for Percy Jackson himself, but she feels the same way. So long as they were somehow connected to each other, even if it's sitting close enough that she can feel his solidity next to her, then she knew they could and would be able to get through anything.

Ah, young love.

"Well, I don't know about monsters." Annabeth laughs at the joke. "But aliens? If you could believe it? Some alien with god-like abilities thought it'd be hilarious to pull a prank of universal proportions on the captain of this ship."

She shrugs.

"I think it's safe to say that no one finds this funny at all."

[kelpface]

Percy thinks that nothing should surprise him anymore, if he believes in the Greek gods, which he has no choice but to (thanks dad), then aliens and Santa Claus were both plausible. "Does this mean we need to start wearing those tin foil hats?" He remembers a kid at his third school who always wore one and it is easier to joke while he works things out.

"So all we need to do is beat this new bad guy and we can go home?" Home, Percy's stomach wrenched, hopefully they would still have a home to go back to.

oh my god, I'm sorry it's been so long, extended brain fail

[osirian_doctor]

He never precisely expects a warm welcome from his captain, not even when Mal needs the medical attention that only Simon can provide on Serenity. He supposes that should not change, even here; it's not the Captain's way.

That doesn't mean it's precisely flattering for the Captain to pinch at his nose as though Simon's mere presence were giving him a headache. It is, however, about what Simon's come to expect.

He hasn't forgotten how that whole mess before he'd wound up on the Enterprise had started: with Mal willfully putting River into danger, and Simon refusing to allow it. A lot had happened since then, though, and Mal had risked a great deal. For River. So Simon lets it slide, particularly when he sees that look in Mal's eyes that speaks to the fellowship their crew shares, even those of them who don't always get on particularly well.

"Did you expect anything about being here?"

Simon certainly hadn't.

my turn to grovel?

[gotnorudder]

Unfortunate as it is, the headache isn't from Simon's arrival. No, this ship and all the elements of it seemed to be infecting his head, not the good doctor. He just happened to be making it a little worse. Of all the people on his crew, Simon wasn't the one he would expect. At least it wasn't Jayne, he thought to himself.

Though really, Simon was right. He shouldn't have been expecting anything.

"No, not really," he muttered, grabbing for his drink and taking a long sip of it. "Best way to be is to expect the unexpected. Then ya can't get hurt, can ya?" He sighed and turned to face Simon properly. "Been here long, doc? Just arrived myself. Funny place, this is. A lot cleaner."