TEST DRIVE #6 - The Bridge and Ten Forward

[ten_fwd_mods]

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 Enterprise's 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. The Bridge: Well, aren't you a lucky duck? You've found yourself in hallowed quarters. Wherever you were before, you're not there anymore. Now you're in a room that could be some kind of command center or control room; there's a captain's chair flanked by seats for his chief officers, computer panels and stations at each interior wall, and before you a broad viewscreen that shows the wide expanse of space rushing towards you. Have you ever wanted to be a starship captain for a day? Well, here's your chance. Feel free to roam around, but try not to touch anything shiny.


[OOC: The Bridge isn't usually available for in-game posts, so if you've ever wanted to play there, here's your chance!]

Comments

Gaheris Rhade | Andromeda | Option 02

[truth_is_cold]

Gaheris Rhade had resigned himself to a somber fate- he had to betray his captain. His best friend. Somewhere in the back of his mind Dylan Hunt had crossed the borders from friend to extended ideological family; they came from opposing views but Dylan's ideals gave him conflict and a constant drive for improvement. It was only that for as intelligent as Gaheris was, he was also blindly in favor of his people. The same traits that he cursed among the High Guard, their inability to see the threat of the Magog because of their loyalty to the Commonwealth state, he unfortunately was susceptible to.

He didn't realize that he wasn't supporting his real family. He was a tragedy in the making.

But he wasn't a tragedy yet. He hadn't made the final move to betray his captain. He had still been dropping hints to him, in hopes that he would catch on that the Commonwealth's allies were less than pleased and that brute force would not be necessary.

And then suddenly? A bridge he wasn't used to. One with seats that weren't just the pilot's.

He startled in his sudden place, eyes going wide. To his credit, he did't react more than that. He just turned smoothly, examining unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar uniforms, his hand loosely near his force lance and his bone blades flared because, predictably, he was suspecting the worst.

"Where is this?" he demanded calmly, though in a voice more boyish than would be expected of a man of his size. "Where am I?"

[dreams_dont_die]

It was like walking into a twisted dream.

Not a dream. A nightmare. A nightmare Dylan'd had more times than he'd care to count since the day his world was torn apart. In the nightmare -- the memory, the true events that had actually happened, had changed Dylan's world even before the black hole stole his life -- the bridge was the Andromeda Ascendant's, not the Enterprise's. The crew was High Guard, not Starfleet, and there were just two of them, Dylan and Dawn. It was the middle of a battle, a desperate gamble as they tried to escape their deaths, not this moment of traveling through space unmolested save by Q.

The thing that hadn't changed was the man standing in the middle of the room, bone blades extended, fingers held in a deceptively relaxed-looking position next to the weapon at his side. Not the uniform, not the cool voice that he remembered too well, that had called taunts across the Andromeda's bridge during that last fight when the friendship he'd relied on most turned to violence.

Gaheris Rhade, alive and apparently well, looking like he'd just stepped out of the past. Dylan, though, looked different than the last time they'd met: his hair shorter and no longer curling at the back, his face older than it should be after less than two years, aged by the stress he's seen.

"The USS Enterprise."

Dylan's hand, too, dropped to his side, near to his force lace. The last time he'd seen Gaheris, he'd been forced to kill him.

"Hello, Gaheris."

[truth_is_cold]

The letters "USS" were completely unfamiliar, as was the name Enterprise. The voice was, though, at least welcome. Until he turned to see that... well, Dylan looked older, was no longer in the Commonwealth uniform familiar to him, and his hair considerably shorter.

There was an odd sense of nameless dread filling Gaheris's gut, and while he didn't relax out of the defensive posture completely, he was at least inclined to be more curious than aggressive.

"Dylan, what's going on?" It really didn't matter what the changes were in his friend (possible friend, maybe no longer), he usually had some answers. Not always the correctly assessed ones in Gaheris's opinion, but answers in any case.

[dreams_dont_die]

He'd managed, through some force of will, or perhaps some unacknowledged part of himself that missed his friend, even after everything he'd done, to keep his voice steady when he spoke. He'd sounded almost like any other time the two of them had spoken.

Not like he'd spent so long hating Gaheris for what he'd done, for betraying not only Dylan, but the Andromeda, the Commonwealth, everything Dylan held dear. Was Gaheris standing there, talking to him like they were friends, and underneath, planning to betray him? Was he feeding information to the rebels? Was he already plotting the downfall of the Commonwealth that would see the Known Worlds thrown into chaos and fear?

Dylan couldn't look at the man who'd been his friend and not wonder that, not question everything they'd ever had and been. Not blame him for Hephaistos and everything that had happened afterwards.

Gaheris Rhade was a traitor to the uniform he was wearing.

"You've been brought here." It was a struggle to keep his voice steady enough to respond, to see the Gaheris standing in front of him instead of the one fighting him across the bridge of his own ship in his memories.

He mostly managed it.

"Into the past, in some sort of alternate universe. This ship belongs to the closest thing this world has to the High Guard."

[truth_is_cold]

"Oh. Good. An alternate universe. You know your High Guard career isn't complete until you have a ridiculous story involving errors in physics to tell." He feigned enthusiasm (as enthusiastic as he ever allowed his even tone to be).

But there was something, harder, about Dylan. On one hand it was appealing in a very relatable way; somehow his friend's optimism had annoyed him like a sibling's long tolerated gibbering would annoy anyone. But there was also something about it, something nearly Nietzschean (something that he taught him without realizing it) that set him on edge.

But Gaheris had always been an expert at schooling his expression. It was a matter of survival. He also always had a knack for being painfully blunt and obvious at the same time.

"Something's different. Not your hair." The matter of fact way he said that last sentence would have been funny if the situation weren't what it was.

[dreams_dont_die]

If Dylan were the same man Gaheris expected him to be, that quip about errors in physics would have earned him a laugh, a wry smile, a retort about not knowing the half of it, but it didn't. Not here, not now. Because Gaheris didn't know the half of it, because errors in physics had cost Dylan more than he'd ever imagined he could lose, and because it was Gaheris' fault.

"I've had more than my share."

If Gaheris hadn't sabotaged the Andromeda, Dylan and Dawn had stood a chance of pulling off the slingshot and getting away from the battle. The path of what ifs was always a dangerous one to go down, but Dylan knew that things would have been different if the Andromeda hadn't been sabotaged at that critical moment.

For so long, the friendship they'd known had burned into something bitter, angry. Dylan had wanted to blame the entire Nietzschean race, not only for what they did to the Commonwealth, but for what Gaheris did to him. It had been a dark road, one he'd only strayed from when the horror of what he'd had to do at Witchhead had sobered him.

Dylan still couldn't look at Gaheris and see the friend he'd known. All he could see was the betrayer, the man he'd killed.

Yet ... just like he couldn't tell Telemachus what Gaheris had done, he couldn't tell Gaheris, either. Couldn't say that now, instead of three years of friendship, he had to fight back flashes of a violent fight to the death, of Gaheris' dying breaths. Understanding a little more of what Gaheris had done then he did at first didn't mean he'd forgiven, would ever forgive, him.

"It's been a long time since I saw you, Gaheris. A lot's different."

[truth_is_cold]

"You're at least still terrible at hiding discomfort." Gaheris wishes a little that he wasn't quite as good at it, maybe Dylan would notice all the signs he had been leaving him. Or would at least, when the time came, would appreciate the efforts he had put into sabotaging himself. Gaheris had been loyal to his people, but not so loyal that he didn't want to give his ship the chance to prove it's superiority, to let it win.

"I want to find a way out of here. These people are strangers. If you want to talk, then after that." And he trusted them as much as he trusted any strangers, human or not. For all he knew, this could be an elaborate trick to get information out of him.

At least he could acknowledge that was a bit of a stretch.

[goldencobra]

Henry had finally done it. Found the bridge of the ship without running into any problems or security along the way. He was surprised to see Rhade there and smiled at him but it faded at the questions.

"You're on the Enterprise. This is the bridge. It's cool, right?"

(P.S. Henry is friends with Telemachus Rhade so I hope you don't mind Henry mistaking Gaheris for him.)

[truth_is_cold]

Gaheris could be a relentless, harsh man when his family and his people were concerned. But first and foremost he was a Nietzschean and a father, and his expression ebbed ever so slightly.

Even in such disorienting circumstances, some instinct (or habit from a more cultured era of Nietzschean) kicked in, and he let his hand slide away from the weapon to dangle loosely at his side. He wasn't so set in his suspicious ways that he wouldn't give a child the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm used to another ship. I'm from the Andromeda Ascendant. And this style of vessel is completely unfamiliar to me."


OOC: I'm totally fine with that!

[goldencobra]

"Yeah. I know." Henry gave him a surprised, sideways look. "You're from the same ship as Dylan." He was unsure why the man was telling him things he already knew but he shrugged it off. Must be a Nietzschean thing.

Looking around the bridge, Henry was very impressed but he was careful not to touch anything. He didn't want it to be his fault that something happened to the ship. After a moment, he turned back to Rhade. "Still not thought of that weakness yet?"

[truth_is_cold]

"I-" he said hesitantly, stumbling over it. How did this young boy know what he was? Who he was? The Andromda was a well-known ship but-

Oh that was a peculiar question. Still not thought of that weakness yet? "Everything has a weakness, though I might need reminding of what particular object, person, or place I need to find a weakness for."

Considering what he was planning before his sudden arrival in a strange location, that question was very unsettling.

[goldencobra]

"That's not what you said last time." He gives Rhade a questioning look. "Did you hit your head on something and forget?" After all, the last time he'd seen the man, he'd been told Nietzscheans didn't have weaknesses.

[truth_is_cold]

"Last time?" As if it wasn't making any sense already, it had reached the point of utterly baffling. He looked earnest and shook his head. "I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else."

Rhade did think that Nietzscheans had weaknesses, but it was their job to patch them or hide them well.

Hi Grandpa!

[not_gaheris]

Alright. Something was wrong. Either Rhade took a wrong turn, or he was really, really drunk. Quite possibly both were the correct answers because he was on the bridge....and his great-great-great-great-great-very great grandfather was standing in front of him.Telemachus was really, very happy he didn't have a bottle in his hand at the moment. That wasn't the best way to impress your ancestor.

If this had all happened a year ago, Telemachus wouldn't have a problem. But now? Now he was a shell of himself, having shaped himself into what he hated the most, rather than striving to be the most perfect Nietzschean he could be.

Still, he should try. He owed his family, his ancestor that much.

"You've been abducted, transported to another universe. It's..." Rhade paused." It's an honor to meet you."

Hi youngin'!

[truth_is_cold]

Gaheris would be appalled and ashamed if he knew. Nothing was more cruel than the look of disappointment on a great⁷-grandfather's face. But there would also be pride that the rarest of circumstances had occurred- that somehow his genes had found themselves revived.

And it wasn't as if he weren't disappointing himself. He was, after all, setting himself up for death.

Though right then all he could do was be surprised. That slightly startled look on his face? It didn't leave it. It was a fixed expression and that normal blather he could produce ad infinitum just couldn't be mustered up. Not even a greeting. Telemachus had managed to render Gaheris speechless.

At least he finally blinked, as if that would clear his vision.

[not_gaheris]

If only Gaheris knew him before, well, before Seefra and the death of Louisa turned him into everything he hated. He might have been more proud. The rank of admiral was certainly impressive, although one had to wonder whose boots Telemachus pissed on to be demoted down to Lt. Commander upon joining the Commonwealth.

In Telemachus' eyes, Gaheris setting himself up for death wasn't the same thing as dying. Gaheris had thirty children and ten wives. He'd lived a life his great grandson envied, although might not endeavor to repeat.

"I'm Telemachus Rhade....it's an honor to actually meet you. I'm you're great, great, great great, great," Telemachus paused to count generations, "great great grandson." In case it wasn't completely obvious.

[truth_is_cold]

At least, for the moment, there wasn't much room to be disappointed. To be frank, between being in a strange place and seeing his own face presented in front of him, an Umbrite in nipple pasties and on fire might as well have walked up to him and earned a more controlled look.

Then came the explanation. He stared around the room.

"This is... the future?" Oh, temporal anomalies and adventures in space travel. They were in Commonwealth records and as a part of Argosy's Special Operations he had access to some of them, so he could accept that Telemachus was possibly what he said he was. (Nietzscheans, though, he wanted a DNA test to be sure even if he liked the idea of having a genetic reincarnation.)

But the technology in here was absolutely primitive. "What happened?" His questions were curt, but he tore his gaze away to walk around Telemachus and look at him. As if he had to check from every angle that this was, indeed, a shadow of himself.

[not_gaheris]

"No, This is the past. But not our past. We're in another reality I believe. Similar, but different. 24th century. I'm from CY 10090. "

Telemachus was well aware of the need for certainty. He'd had his DNA verified and re-verified numerous times. Besides, it would give him the opportunity to study his great-grandfather even more closely. Only so much could be reported, studied, learned second or third hand. This was a chance to get to know the man himself. A man whom both sides viewed as a hero, to some extent.

Telemachus stood still for his ancestor, but couldn't keep his eyes off him as well. Everything looked familiar. Identical. It was one thing to know you were a genetic reincarnation of someone, but to have them right next to you was something else.

[truth_is_cold]

Gaheris reached up and rubbed his clean-shaven face, wondering about Telemachus's. Odd, subtle difference. He wasn't as hardened military as Telemachus noted.

"How did you come to the past?" he really had too many questions, and couldn't pick which one he wanted to ask first. That just managed to work it's way out before any of the others.

[deus_ex_harper]

Harper was on the bridge. While this wasn't anything more than a normal day for the engineer to find himself on the bridge back on Andromeda, it was a big difference being on the Enterprise. It probably only meant trouble as he had been poking around trying to find more differences than just the obvious ones.

He also now had a list of things that could be 'improved by Harper'. Dylan might have agreed with some of them but there was no doubt that Picard wouldn't let him make any changes. No matter how good his ship would be afterwards.

"Rock head!" Then Harper realized. "Hey, wait, you're not rock head you're the other one." The one he'd heard about. That had caused a lot of trouble. Harper's hand went to the pistol but he didn't draw it.

[truth_is_cold]

His eyes trail up to Harper's face, and down to where his hand is near his pistol. That's enough to get Gaheris to hold the force lance. Not yet aim it, but hold it. He didn't have a deathwish.

Not yet, anyway.

"Who are you?" he asked. He suspected greatly that the security on this vessel wouldn't take kindly to too much aggression, so he merely remained defensive.

"The other one? What does that mean?" He was all flat, concentrated business. These people were all unusual to him, but this one seemed vaguely aware of him in some context and that didn't settle right.

Sometimes you just want to say Harper shut up. He didn't.

[deus_ex_harper]

"Seamus Zelanzy Harper. Chief engineer of the Andromeda Ascendant and the Eureka Maru, proudly from Earth." His hand didn't move from the pistol but he didn't do anything either. After 'accidentally' knocking out the chief security officer with his own force lance he didn't think it was wise. But this Uber didn't need to know that. Harper didn't want to end up in the brig and even less with Dylan shouting at him. Again.

"This is some sort of Nietzschean genetic thing, right I get it. I do. I'm a genius." Harper smirked. "So of course I do. You don't. Huh. That's..." Harper finally moved his hand away from the pistol. It was hard to keep it there when he started talking, bordering on ranting even, he talked with his hands more. "You Über's," He pointed at Gaheris, "Go on all the time about 'when Drago Museveni returns... blah blah blah.' Because you think you're all so special and it's just about genetics. Thinking you're better than us kludges. But you're not, without humans there wouldn't be Nietzscheans." He mutters more under his breath about Earth and the Drago-Kazov pride. For a few moments he was lost to how own world before looking back to Gaheris.

"Telemachus Rhade, he's the other one. You can't be him because you're in uniform." That ridiculousness like Dylan always seemed to wear. Too smart. And stuffy. Not suitable for crawling about in the ducts and access points to fix everything. Nothing like Harper would wear out of choice. Thankfully Dylan didn't even seem to consider making them wear it when they'd signed up for the crazy mission.

[truth_is_cold]

"What are you going on about?" Gaheris asked dryly because a lot of things came out of Harper's face at once, many of them hateful, and "Uber" didn't even exist as a racial insult in his time. All he could tell was this small human didn't like him, that he was the other one, that genetics were involved, and Drago Museveni?

"If I subscribed to the belief that some miraculous prophetic child alone would be born to save my people, then I'd be as delusional as Wayists. Wayists have their place but not among Nietzschean beliefs." He also wouldn't be about to betray the Commonwealth if he thought there was another way to unify his people, separate, and destroy the Magog. He wanted his people to reflect Drago Museveni's teachings but it was going to take far more than genetic reincarnation to bring about the golden age.

So... when he said the other one...

And Harper was from the Andromeda...

Supposedly, but he wasn't in uniform.

This was a confusing and sassmouthed little man. Who claimed to be a genius which is possible, as he seemed as hyper and overly enthusiastic as a neurotic Perseid. Gaheris's brain had to work through a dozen things at once before he could respond, and he picked the most important one first. "Can you get me in contact with the Andromeda?" He asked bluntly.

[deus_ex_harper]

"I know I'm the go to genius for these kinds of things but so far, zip, nada. No such luck. Our beautiful, sweet and gorgeous Rommie is out of reach, as per usual but I digress, no contact from our lovely warship personified. We can't talk to her, she can't talk to us. It's just me, Trance, Dylan, Rock-head and Tyr. Oh and you now." He added quickly.

"Just Beka left with Andromeda." He made a face. "Which isn't fair, if anyone should be left with Rom-doll then it should be me. I know how to look after her. Treat her right. Make sure she's not lonely..." He stopped. "I was talking out loud wasn't I?"

[truth_is_cold]

There was so much information that came out of this man at once. It was extremely hard to follow. His lips formed a small "oh", as Harper was speaking, not so much in understanding of what he was saying but at the realization that he probably wasn't going to understand it yet. Just the part about Dylan.

"Whoever is here, I would like to convene with them. Work on a solid strategy for exit." Strategy was the only way he could think in. "And yes, you said quite a bit out loud." He replaced the force lance in his holster, remotely pacified for the moment- at least to the point that he didn't need to be bearing a weapon.