ADVENTURER 005 - Future Near and Far

"Well, what do you think buddy?" Max asked with a keen smile.

Toban gazed around at the verdant landscape that encompassed them both. The bright sun high above shone its warmth down on them from a cloudless sky. Mountain ash and willows of all varieties danced in the gentle breeze. Meadow pipits and wheatears chirped happily in the long grass nearby. At their feet a small brook babbled merrily in its course and straight ahead of them, a gently rising green slope that steepened and towered into a high hill in the distance.

"Where are we?" Toban asked, his eyes wide with wonder. "I thought we were still on your ship...did, did we use the transporters?"

Max chuckled. "This is a holodeck, my friend. We're still on Venturer, but this room creates a virtual environment, any that we choose."

Toban shook his head in wonderment. "It's...it's so real!"

"Good, isn't it?I call it 'Maxwell Prince training program number one'" he said proudly. "The first of many, I assure you."

"How does it work?" Toban asked, still none the wiser.

"Uh...bit complicated. I'll explain another time if you don't mind. I've only got a couple of hours free so, shall get we going?"

Max lead the way and Toban followed as they began to ascend the hill.

"I hope you don't mind if we up the pace a little" Max asked, as he breathed the simulated air deep into his lungs and the muscles in his legs began to burn. "I want to push myself, improve my stamina if I can. I was a bit disappointed with my last performance."

"I'll keep up" Toban assured him. "I like walking."

They continued on for quite a while until Max stopped at a rocky outcrop that jutted out from the side of the hill to give them both a breather.

"Look at that view Toban" he remarked from their high vantage point.

Toban came and stood at his side. "That's where we started!" Toban pointed out. "It's looks so far away now!"

"We could do this often if you like" Max smiled. "I'd invite Simon of course, but I don't think this is really his thing. Maybe a holoprogram that involves a lot of sitting down" he grinned wryly. "Come on. Let's keep going."

Both lads pressed on and now, the higher they climbed the rockier their route became. Soon they had to watch their footing for loose rocks and gravel.

Max glanced back and was pleased to see Toban not far behind him. "You're doing well Toban" he commended. "Fun, isn't it?"

"I love it" Toban declared happily.

All of a sudden, Max halted in his tracks. Instead of the steep hill looming ahead of them, there was now a vast coastal plain and just beyond that, a gently lapping silver-grey ocean lay in their path.

Max squinted and saw a man slowly walking along the waters edge. The man's skin was tinged with green and his ears were pointed.

I recognize that gait anywhere! Max said to himself.

"Dvir!" he called angrily, walking onto the plain to catch up with him. "Dvir! What are you playing at? I've got this holodeck slot. You can't gatecrash it like this!"

As Max was almost upon him, the whole coast scenario disappeared, leaving the original mountain landscape beneath him. Max stumbled on a rock as Toban ran up to him.

"Are you ok Max?"

"Twisted my ankle I think" Max huffed, holding it in an attempt to alleviate the pain, "but, did you see that?!" he added annoyed.

"I saw something briefly" Toban replied. "Like the hill had flattened out. I thought it was part of your program though."

Max gave a sigh. "Computer, end simulation."

Toban gasped as their beautiful surrounding instantly melted away to leave the empty cuboid room of the holodeck.

"Help me up will you Toban? I'd better head to sickbay."

Toban helped Max to stand and supported his weight as Max hobbled out of the room.

Pretty soon Max was in Med-Bay 1 and Dr Richards had Max sit on a medical bed.

"Can I help?" Toban asked eagerly.

"No need to worry Toban. I've got this" Dr Richards smiled.

"Go and get some fluids in you Toban, we're probably both a bit dehydrated" Max suggested.

"Fluids?"

"Drink plenty of water, and I'll see you later, yes? I might pop round after my shift."

Toban nodded. "Simon said you might invite yourself over later. He said you seem to have...um, 'developed a taste for his brandy.'"

"He said that? Well I'm cut to the quick!" Max groused.

Toban frowned.

"Never mind" Max said, shaking his head. "Thanks for coming with me today Toban, it was good fun."

Toban smiled. "Good health to you Max" he nodded courteously. "I hope you are feeling your best very soon."

They watched as Toban exited sickbay.

"He's a good lad that one" Dr Richards smiled. "Now, how did you do this, young man?"

"On the holodeck. Twisted my ankle on a rock" Max said glumly.

"Safety protocols were on, I presume?"

Max winced uncomfortably.

Dr Richards gave an exasperated sigh. "What have you all been told about making sure safety protocols are on?" he bristled.

"Well, where's the fun in that?" Max countered. "How can you have a realistic experience knowing that you can never put a foot wrong?"

"So you'd rather a sprained ankle then?" Dr Richards quipped. "Wait, you mean to say you took Toban with you - on your danger walk?"he asked dismayed.

"It wasn't dangerous, just some hill climbing" Max shrugged. "It wasn't too challenging, and, well, we've always got you to patch us up afterwards" he smiled cheekily.

Dr Richards stopped and glared at him in disbelief. "Well that's not the point, is it Mr Prince? What if you had fallen to your death?"

Max sighed deflated. "Anyway, I'd have been fine if it hadn't been for Dvir messing around with the simulation" he grumbled.

"Dvir you say? You must be mistaken. Dvir has been here since 0900hrs." Dr Richards pointed to the other end of the bay, where Dvir was lay on a medical bed.

Max frowned.

"Well there you go" Dr Richards said as he finished tending to his ankle. "It will be tender for a while, so go easy on it for now."

Max nodded. "Yes I will. Thank you Doctor."

"And, remind me to run through safety guidelines with you sometime, yes?" Dr Richards added purposefully.

Max got down off the medical bed and walked over to the reclining Vulcan.

"Dvir, were you just on the holodeck?" he asked accusingly.

"Ah Mr Prince. Good day to you too" he replied with a nod.

"Did you slip out of here when Dr Richards wasn't looking?" Max continued.

"Certainly not! I have been here ever since I arrived this morning" Dvir objected. "What is this about Mr Prince?"

"So, you weren't just in holodeck 6 - walking on a beach?"

Dvir frowned. "As I said Mr Prince, I have been here in Medbay 1 all morning and most of the afternoon - but that is most curious you say that."

"And why's that?" Max inquired impatiently, folding his arms.

"Because I was intending using the holodeck once Dr Richards had finished with me. I was thinking of walking the beaches of the Voroth. It was my favourite place to meditate on Vulcan when I was younger."

"Fascinating" Max replied uninterested. "So, you haven't pre-programmed the holodeck, to run in your absence or anything clever like that?"

"No Mr Prince. I'm not sure that is even possible while the holodeck is in use."

"Ok, I'll believe you" Max replied fairly satisfied. "Well I'll love you and leave you. I need to the hit the shower."

"Yes Mr Prince" Dvir replied, quirking an eyebrow. "I would certainly do that, if I were you."

...

Simon stepped into Cargo Bay 3, but it was curiously empty.

"Hello! Anybody here?" he called out, but all that greeted him was his echo.

He checked his PADD. Yes, the supplies he was sent to fetch were definitely stored in this bay.

He walked to the centre of the room but as he did so the room was suddenly crowded with people seated on chairs. Simon fell backwards onto his rear with the shock. He stood up again quickly though. He had just fallen through somebody! They hadn't responded at all. Simon waved his hand through them. Was somebody running a holodeck program in here?

Simon noted that some of the people were dressed in Starfleet uniforms, others in civilian clothing and there were even official-looking Cardassians and Romulans in the crowd. One or two faces almost seemed familiar. In fact he would have sworn that that was Lori, if she had not been twenty or so years older. The man sat next to her looked familiar too.

Simon turned his head as the crowd applauded the man who now walked out in front of them all. Simon saw that the man was an Admiral. He seemed pretty old.

"Thank you. Thank you" he began. "Well, we all know why we're here" he smiled proudly. To bestow this honourable award to the man that many of us know and have served with closely over the years. Some of us have even had the rare privilege of serving with him during this time of his very special commission. A man devoted to peace. A man who has achieved what many have tried to over the last four centuries. A man we all would do well to aspire to. A humble man who asked me to merely introduce him as...Mr Simon Tarses!

Simon looked on in astonishment as he he saw an older version of himself, walk out in front of the crowd and shake the hand of the Admiral.

"Thank you Admiral Chapman" he greeted him warmly.

Simon shook his head in disbelief as the crowd rose to their feet with applause, and began to cheer. The cheering rang loud around the cargo bay but no sooner had it started than the whole scenario disappeared and it became merely a ghostly echo in a once-more empty cargo bay.

...

Lori slumped down into her chair in her quarters. It had been another long and exhausting day. Maybe she shouldn't keep volunteering to work overtime? But the truth was she loved her job and she loved working with Doctor Hunter too.

Doctor Hunter was so fascinating. She was very friendly and caring and seemed pretty quiet and ordinary to speak to but every now and again she would come out with some details of her past or something she knew that were a complete surprise to Lori. Like how she had spent a year or so homeless. Doctor Hunter hadn't elaborated on any details and Lori certainly didn't want to question her about it for fear of prying, but it had intrigued her. Lori didn't even know that there were any homeless in this day and age.

Maybe Max was right. Maybe this was a ship of secrets.

Lori closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She could have fallen asleep there and then but decided she needed something first.

"Cocktail" she said to herself with a nod.

She got up out of her chair to walk over to the replicator but instead she froze where she stood.

Right in the corner of her dimly lit room, near the plexiglass window, two people were stood.

Lori let out a yelp of shock but the two people didn't seem to respond, they continued looking out of the window. Lori looked too. Peculiarly, there were no stars, just deep black space.

Lori screwed up her eyes and opened them again wide. That was her! And by her side stood Max.

Lori kept watching, not knowing whether to scream or run out of her room, but the whole scenario was too captivating to resist.

Max leaned in nearer to the other Lori and said something quietly, Lori couldn't hear what he said. Her counterpart turned to face him and looked up into his eyes. They held each others gaze for a brief moment, then they moved their heads closer together and soon they were kissing.

Lori blushed and glanced away. When she looked back Max had his arm around the other Lori's shoulder and she rested her head on his chest; they were looking out into space once more.

Then just as soon as the two had appeared they disappeared again.

Lori gave a shudder. Had it been a vision? It was quite unsettling and she felt she needed to leave her quarters. Should she tell somebody? But who would believe her?

As she walked the quiet corridors she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. Max just wasn't her type though, however attractive he was - and he certainly was very attractive. She liked more sensible men, men like Simon. She stopped in her tracks. Did Simon like her though? She thought she had put out little pointers for him now and again but he had never seemed to respond. She gave a sigh. She needed to talk to someone, anyone. She began to walk again but now more purposefully. This time she knew where she was headed.

...

"Hold her steady Mr Reeves" Captain Isaacs ordered his helmsman. The young Ensign obeyed and Adventurer slowed its approach to a standstill just hundreds of metres away from a wildly gyrating asteroid.

"Mr Campbell" the Captain addressed his Operations Officer. "Let's see what data we can get from this rock."

"Scanning now Captain" the Lieutenant replied in his dulcet Scottish lilt. "I'm reading a nickel-iron core, an olivine mantle and a basaltic crust, with trace elements of silver and titanium.

"Interesting, but nothing overly peculiar" the Captain replied. "Any other asteroids in the vicinity or evidence of collision?"

"Nothing showing up on scanners Captain. Widening the field..."

Suddenly, a gigantic Starship appeared on the main viewscreen, apparently out of nowhere and positioned on the other side of the asteroid. The starship was a mirror image of Adventurer itself.

The Captain read the name emblazoned on its bow and stood up in total astonishment. "Explorer!" he exclaimed.

...