From: Nai Lara (nai_lara_at_internode.on.net)
Date: Fri Apr 18 2008 - 18:47:49 PDT
========== “Victorian Gothic” Continued from my “Mysterious” ========== Location: USS PATRIOT Stardate: 2424 [2.8] 1904.1145 Scene: Clarkson's quarters Daniel scowled at his vision in the mirror as he hastily tried to button the cuff around his waist. "I feel absolutely....weird in this!" He grumbled loud enough for Catherine to hear through the door. He finished fumbling with one cuff and got to work on the other. "Come on, lets see you." His wife begged playfully. Daniel frowned and felt his frustration rise...the button was stubbornly refusing to slide through the hole. "Who's idea was this outing?" He demanded, trying to wedge the hole open with a nail and awkwardly trying to push the metal button through with his third and fourth fingers. "I believe it was Tam's." She said as it slid home. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief and after a quickly glance at himself in the mirror, he stepped out of the bathroom. "Oh my." Catherine gasped very softly. "No way would you catch me dead wearing..." he slowed to a stop, looking at Sterling. She couldn't take her eyes off him, staring at him. It was kind of creepy."...why are you looking at me that way?" He asked as her cheeks blushed red. Catherine cleared her throat and stepped up close to him and gently smoothed out the creavat of the wrinkles and slid it under the collar of his coat. "Because if we didn't have to be at the holodeck in five minutes, I would have to be a very naughty girl and have my way with you." She ran her hands down his chest. "You may not believe it, but my goodness, you do look handsome in that." The woman teased him. Daniel grinned ruefully. Here he was in full Victorian garb. Black pinstipe pants, white flouncy shirt with a creavat and ruffles, black vest. All topped with a great black coat. "I feel like an idiot." He moaned softly. "You look like a gentleman." Catherine shook her head in complete disagreement. He never looked better in her eyes. "Damn." She said softly, under her breath. There was no hiding the lust in her eyes. "Easy girl." Clarkson laughed and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and patted him on the arm as they walked out of their quarters arm in arm. "Not to worry, you're safe. It's just too hard with this skirt and the petticoat, and the top coat." Sterling replied, gesturing to her own Victorian garb. Full length dark emerald dress, with a fitted bodice and heeled boots. Even her hair was coiffed properly - although she did draw the limit at the notion of a hat. She felt rather unweildly, and constrained, but like him, she had to deal with it. She had gone full out and was even wearing the emerald necklace that Daniel had given to her years ago. "Never thought I would see the day you would willingly get into a dress though." He teased her back as they walked down the corridor. Their image of an English gentle-couple not very congruent through the hi-tech walkways of a starship. They drew the occasional odd stares but ignored them. "Who said it was willingly?" She asked him, arching an eyebrow. Daniel nodded companionly. "Ah, so under protest then." "Our counsellor did issue a directive." Catherine pointed out as their turbolift journey took all of a couple of seconds. "Apparently we all need some reprieve from the trials and tribulations of the Dominion." "So why the costumes anyway?" He asked. "All will be revealed I'm sure." =/\= Scene: Holodeck - English countryside, circa late 1800s. =/\= All was revealed when they walked into the holodeck. Well maybe not all, but most of it. Every member of the away team was there, and every member was similarly dressed in Victorian finery. All the men of the group, Kenta, Gorman, Clarkson and even Maverick were all dressed smartly in dark pants, shirts, vests and black coats. The women were also wearing similar clothing, but with more varied colours. Niala was in dove grey, and Tanith in mauve. Together they stood in a loose group, waiting for Niala to explain to them why they were here. The grass underneath their shoes was a little spongy, as if damp from rain. And they were standing admist a formal garden of some sort. There were dainty little paths that meandered every which way. They were bordered by trimmed hedges and bushes with sweet scented roses and lavanders and lilacs. There were trees too. Mammoth oaks, and yews and ashes. It was all very civilised. Once everyone had assembled and greetings were completed, Tam cleared her throat to draw the group's attention. "Thank you all for coming. I'll give you a brief introduction as to why we're here and then I am going to let you enjoy yourselves for the rest of the afternoon. We've got the holodeck till 1900, and we are going to take that time to relax and enjoy the sunshine." She smiled, pointedly ignoring Maverick rolling his eyes. As a marine, he saw little need in such diversations. She knew it, and had expected his reaction. "This program is based in England, late 1800s. Over that hill is the Crystal Palace. This was the first time in Earth's history that all of the major inventions of the industrial age were assembled in one place for the consumption of the ordinary person. It's a good place to remember where we came from." The woman gestured to an apex of a hill a couple hundred meters away, where holographic people were slowly headed towards. "The Crystal Palace was purposely built for this exhibition which ran for two years before being dismantled and moved. It was considered one of the technological marvels of the age." "And what's the goal of this exercise?" Maverick asked, running a finger under his creveat to loosen the stricture around his neck. Tam sighed softly. That was the problem with goal orientated marines. They had to do everything for a reason. It went against the grain to have no goal, or no motivation. Of course Bret understood that. It was just his passive way of making his displeasure known. "There is no exercise Maverick. It's simply a chance for us to forget about our world and enjoy this one for a while. Walk through the gardens or observe the exhibition. It doesn't matter, do what you wish." "Counsellor..." Bret began. "No, Colonel, you cannot leave until 1900 hours. The computer has been programed to refuse exit to anyone, how ever you manage to contrive a way. That is final. Short of a red alert signaled by the bridge, or a medical emergency here, you cannot leave till the 21st. So I suggest that you just accept it and move on." Tam replied firmly. She turned her head and glanced at Jeff and raised her arm pointedly. "Commander Gorman?" "Er...yes?" He looked like a deer caught in the headlights, not quite sure what it was he had to do. Tam waited there, with her arm raised. "Shall we?" At that, Jeff got the hint and in two long strides, covered the ground between them and took her arm in his. "Of course." He replied, trying to be gentlemanly. At that the group dispersed. Kenta, Tanith and Maverick went in one direction. Jeff and Tam veered off by a few degrees. Catherine and Daniel watched them disappear from under the overhanging leaves of the oak tree above them. "I'm beginning to think this is revenge for us getting her to ice skate." Clarkson muttered softly. =/\= Scene: Garden and side entrance of the Crystal Palace =/\= Tam allowed Jeff to walk her towards the side entrance of the Palace. "I hope this is a good idea." She said softly, a faint look of worry on her face. This was the only way she could get senior officers to relax and get their minds off work, and that was to stick them in a holodeck with no way out. "I'm enjoying myself." Jeff smiled and glanced up at the baleful yellow orb in the sky. "Haven't seen the sun for a while, even if it is holographic." He replied. "The perils of life in space." Tam smiled warily. It was the simple pleasures that they yearned for, but couldn't forgive themselves for partaking. The warmth of the sun on the skin, the brush of a gentle breeze, the sharp tang of pine resin and grass underfoot. Wonderful sensations all, but people envitably felt guilty in enjoying themselves when they had more work to accomplish. In the end, she had had to force it to happen. "Do you miss Gateway?" She asked quietly as they strolled around the side of the Palace and enjoying the gardens. "I..." A look on his face changed, hardened slightly. "Sometimes. I miss my family mostly." He replied with a casual shrug, trying very hard not to think about things too much. "It must be hard," The woman commented, "leaving your wife and children behind." The counsellor tried to pry, but he was having none of it. Jeff just didn't want to discuss that part of his life, not now, and perhaps not ever. "It's a part of this job, admittedly, the worst part of it." He cleared his throat and launched off on another topic altogether when he got the feeling that she was going to push a little more. It's not that he didn't respect Tam, but he didn't feel like it was the right time to get into such things. He didn't know Tam well enough to divulge something that was so personal and private. "Did you read Hibben's disertation on localised intravascular coagulation to stablise endothelial vessel walls to prevent dissection? Ground breaking stuff." He chatted happily. Tam hid the frown and mentally regrouped. "I haven't read it." She replied. Perhaps she would try again later. "You should. Might be a new way to treat trauma in the field." The enthuasium was a little too wholesome, but she let him have his way this time. "I'll try and remember that." Jeff glanced up as a cool breeze came in from the west. "Maybe we should go inside, you're looking cold. And its getting darker." He pointed out, eager to get inside where he could lose himself in the technology of the day. She reluctantly agreed. "Autumn in England...must get darker quicker here then I thought." The woman muttered under her breath and allowed him to lead her into the hall as the mammoth gas lamps were ignited against the impeding dark. =/\= Scene: Refreshment Arena =/\= Maverick sat down in his booth seat and impatiently eyed the clock over the rim of his frothy beer. Still another two hours to go. Two torterous hours. He mentally cursed all counsellors to a specially reserved dark pit of hell. "Cheer up, it could be worse." Ben gave Maverick a rare half-smile as they sat down next to him to wait out the time. "I don't believe how primative you humans were." Tanith shook her head sadly as she sat down on the edge of the seat, picking up a small phamplet on the table surface, giving it a quick look over. "Five hundred years ago we had space flight. You barely had electricity." With a jerk of the head she indicated the flickering electric light overhead. "We caught up well enough." Bret said as he took another swing of his beer. Tanith scowled. "Only because you found the Vulcans and they helped you." She pointed out. "Yeah, and look where we are now, unofficial masters of the universe." Maverick teased her with a grin, knowing it would drive the alien a little nuts. No one liked to say it, but a lot of people thought it. Humans had sprawled across the galaxy in a short space of time. Some would liken it to a weed in a prize garden, others might consider it more like a cancer. Ben Kenta didn't want Maverick needling Tanith. For one thing, Tanith was young and liable to take Mavericks bait, and it would just lead to acrimony he didn't need on his ship. "There is some beauty to these designs." He said, changing the subject. They had seen some impressive machines. Everything from enormous engines with steam boilers that moved cogs and chains in particular ways to have a desired effect, down to the smallest pocket watch with the tinest pieces of hand made machineray. Everything was gleaming and clean, and brightly painted. "If you say so, sir." Maverick shook his head, although his eyes stayed fixed on a spot over Ben's shoulder. After a couple of moments of staring, Kenta resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder, instead pressing Maverick for answers. "What are you looking at?" He asked quietly. Bret's eyes didn't divert away from what he was seeing. "That man over there. Tweed coat, with red lining. He's following someone, just can't make out who." He muttered quietly. Tanith shook her head. "Like it matters. This program expires in just over an hour." It was a holoprogram, with all sorts of stories and backup stories to keep its participants amused. If one hologram was following another, it could be for any reason what so ever. It was up to the participants to take the bait, and for one, Tanith was not going to do it. Not when the end was in sight. "I suppose so." Maverick grumbled and went back to his beer. =/\= Scene: Hall Main Stage =/\= Catherine stood quietly at the back of a spellbound crowd, listenign to the dulcet tones of a young girl singing on a small stage. Blonde hair tumbled down the girl's shoulders in tight little ringlets, and were held back from her face with small red ribbons. Like most girls of the era, her white beribboned dress ended at her knees, with stockings and little back shoes. She had the voice of an angel, high and light. Maybe it was more of a siren song then an angel's. anyone who walked past the girl would slow, and stop to listen, their mission forgotten. It took a while for Catherine to realise that someone was standing next to her. She glanced at this man from the corner of her eye. He was tall, and dressed in a grey suit, with a red creveat at his neck. A man of high social standing. He had green eyes that scanned the crowds, and an almost bored expression on his handsome face. "She sings well, does she not?" He asked of Catherine after allowing her to study him for a few moments. "I guess so." Sterling nodded slightly, half turning so she could address this holographic stranger. The young dandy smiled and tipped his hat in a mixture of apology and greeting. "I must apologise for being so forward. Let me introduce myself, I am Mr. Gray." He said warmly. Jade paused for a second. "Mrs. Clarkson." She said after a hesitant pause. Gray tilted his head towards where Daniel was in discussions with another man. "Ah, then that gentleman who is casting his eye at you would happen to be your husband." He theorised with a faint smile playing on the corner of his mouth. "You are very observant, Mr. Gray." "It pays to be observant." He tipped his head at the compliment, and moved the weight on his feet, changing his cane from one hand to another. "Your accent, I gather that you are not from these parts." He continued. Daniel started making their way over to them. "No, I am afraid we've from a distance away. This is my husband, Mr. Gray." She introduced Daniel to Gray. The two gentlemen shook hands. "Mr. Clarkson, it is my pleasure to meet your acquaintence. The lovely Mrs. Clarkson was just telling me you've travelled here from a distance." At the phrase of 'Mrs. Clarkson' Daniel's eyes flicked over to Catherine and there was a faint smirk in his expression. Catherine scowled back at him. "Across the Atlantic, I'm afraid. I'm from the new colony, Minnesota." Daniel replied without missing a beat. "The Americas. Intriguing! You must tell me more." Gray laughed and clapped his hands together and grinned. "Unfortunately, I must be off, however, I am here in conjuction with a painter by the name of Basil. He has a stall in the north corner. If you have the time, I would love it if you would grace us with your presence." He extended the invitation to the young couple with a smile. "We look forward to it." Daniel nodded and they watched as Gray left the conversation to get swallowed up by the thickening crowds of hte Crystal Palace. Once he was safely gone, Daniel looked down at his wife, unable to hide the big teasing grin any longer. "Mrs Clarkson? You told him you were Mrs Clarkson?" "Had to. Women took their husband's name, and if I had used my name, it would have caused a scandal, and I didn't want to try to explain." Catherine muttered, following Gray with her eyes, unable to tear herself away. "What's wrong?" Clarkson asked. "I don't know." Sterling replied. There was something familiar about the name, but beyond that, she couldn't place it. She shook her head and gave him a big smile. "Nothing. Let's see who we can find." =/\= Scene: Refreshment Arena =/\= Maverick finished his second drink just as the hall clock's hands moved into position. "1900 hours. That's it, lets get out of here." He said happilly. "Computer, arch." He turned his head, expecting the arch to appear a few meters away. Only it didn't happen. "Oh no, not again." Tanith groaned softly and slumped her head into her hands. Everyone knew it happened from time to time. In fact, it was like a turbolift. Everyone was bound to get stuck in one during their career. Holodecks were the same. They sometimes, through faulty programming or bad command just woulnd't work. "Computer, arch." Maverick ordered again. When the computer ignored him, the marine sighed and tried a second tact. "Maverick to Bridge." There was no response. The three officers glanced at each other. No one was panicking just yet, but they were getting a little concerned. "Computer, three to beam out to Transporter Room 1." Bret tried another avenue, using a ship to ship transport. But again, the computer failed to respond or initiate the transport. The Colonel scowled darkly. "Nothing." "You think?" Tanith muttered under her breath. Ben cleared his throat before Maverick let fly and rose onto his feet. They weren't in any danger, so this was more of an inconvience then anything else. "Lets find Tam and see what's happening." He suggested and led off, forcing Maverick and Tanith to follow in his wake. ~~~~~ NRPG: Okay, your mission is this...if you choose to accept it. The senior staff are in a holodeck, with a program that has transported then to England in the late 1800s. This is the era of the industrial age, and yes, the Crystal Palace and the World Fair. Our character's problems is that they are stuck in the holodeck until 1900 hours on monday following night - approximately 30 hours their time. Now, ordinarily, that wouldn't be sooooo bad, however, aside from the marvels of England in those years, there are also the horrors. English fiction exploded with the genre of gothic horror. So we have characters like: Dorian Gray, partnered by his future victim Basil, Dr Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty, Dracula with his nemesis' John Harker, Mina Harker and of course Professor Van Helsing. I know there's more characters out there. If you're not sure about any of these, just check them out in wikipedea to give you a good summary. Just remember, but because I've mentioned these characters, doesn't mean that they have to be here. All we know for sure is that Dorian and Basil are at the Fair. As to who else is there, it is up to you. Have fun, interact with characters and each other, explore the world, get into trouble like we do so well. Naomi Lara Lt Catherine Sterling-Jade ILO USS PATRIOT and Teneill Danara-Bennow Civilian From HyperNews_at_youth.net
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Mon Sep 08 2008 - 03:10:58 PDT