action/video; @b.crusher | ota!

[dancingmd]

a. action
[Beverly walks down this same street almost every day, on her way to and from work. From that coffeeshop on the corner to the weird little knick knack shop full of bits and bobs from across the multiverse, the sights have become very familiar to her. Which is maybe why this particular door showed up on this particular street. Or maybe it's all a coincidence. It's hard to say sometimes, in the Quarantine.

The door in question would not be a particularly remarkable one save for a unique symbol etched in the center of it. Even so, she easily might have missed it - hell, maybe she already has before today. But now that she's seen it, there's absolutely no chance she won't be investigating. The door opens easily and she lets out a surprised gasp when she sees what's inside.]

Oh!

b. network; video
Good evening everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Beverly Crusher - and I found something a bit... unexpected today. [She grins.] A good sort of unexpected, though. Something from my home world that I'd like to share with you all.

[Here she carefully balances her phone against the wall so that it more or less shows both her and the room she's in. It's not readily apparent what sort of room it is as there is nothing in it and no windows or doors, only black walls, floors, and ceiling criss-crossed with glowing yellow grid-lines.]

Now, I know it doesn't look like much but! [She dances over to the middle of the room. She's really excited you guys!!!] Computer! Play File Dixon Hill, The Big Goodbye.

[Immediately, the room around her changes into a street scene from 1930s San Francisco. A figure wearing a fedora bumps into her. "Sorry, ma'am!" he says as he tips her hat and continues on his way, though not without first giving her an odd look - she is after all dressed in odd clothing for the era.]

It's a holodeck! Or well... I suppose since we're not on a ship it ought to be called a holosuite instead, but in any case, it's a holographic projection system that creates a virtual reality. There are only a few scenarios loaded onto the computer right now, but I plan on making more - with ideas and suggestions from you! I want this to be a collaborative creative project that we can all have fun with! There'll be a link below the video for more information and feel free to contact me with any questions you have!

[She gives a little cheerful wave goodbye before reaching down to turn off the video stream.]

ooc: And here is the info page for all holodeck related activities!

Comments

action

[scholiast]

What is it? (Lucretia calls from where she's been left standing on the sidewalk; Beverly had dropped her hand the moment she had seen the little door and gone to investigate, turning the knob. It doesn't look like a shop... but she recognises the little symbol etched into the wood for some reason.

Oh– wait. She's seen pictures of Beverly in her ship's uniform before. This must be something connected to her home. She comes closer to curiously stick her head around the door to look in, too.)

action

[dancingmd]

[What she'll find when she looks inside is one section of corridor from Beverly's ship. A large orange door is at the other end of the corridor.

Beverly's looking around with eyes wide and mouth partially open.]

It's.... The Enterprise! Part of it anyway!

[scholiast]

(The Enterprise?)

What's it doing here? (She wonders aloud, letting herself into the hallway too to look around. She knows that sometimes people receive things from home unexpectedly, but a hallway and adjacent room? Strange.)

[dancingmd]

I don't know... though I've heard sometimes bits of a world come through the portal too, not just people and objects.

(She supposes technically speaking though, the Enterprise is an object - just a really big one. She moves to one of the computer monitors embedded into the wall.)

Computer?

(There's no answer and the screen remains dark. Beverly hums thoughtfully.)

[scholiast]

(Speak for yourself! Lucretia has never heard of that. For a wild moment she imagines the portal delivering her the Starblaster, what it would feel like to walk the familiar corridors one more time.)

I didn't know, (she says simply, running her hand slowly over the wall. The large orange door at the other end is of most interest to her.)

How far back does it go?

[dancingmd]

(After the disappointment of the computer, Beverly tests the doors one by one as she goes down the hall, with no luck. She recognizes the numbers on the door panels though: 5013, 5014, 5015... these are the doors to the science laboratories, meaning this is a section of Deck Ten. But what is the point of a corridor that leads nowhere?

Finally she reaches the end of the hall. She knows she ought to be at an intersection with another corridor, but the left and right branches are abruptly truncated, like they were literally carved out of the ship. She calls back to Lucretia.)

This is it!

(Finally, she tries the doors to Holodeck Five. Miraculously enough, it opens!)

[scholiast]

(She had stopped to examine the dormant computer, giving the screen an experimental little tap with her fingernail. Nothing happens, of course; she whips her hands back as Beverly calls back to her.)

What is it?

(This is exciting! She follows Beverly inside the newly opened door with great curiousity.)

[dancingmd]

(The empty room doesn't look like it should be provoking this much excitement from Beverly, but her face absolutely lights up when she recognizes what it is.)

It's the holodeck!

[scholiast]

(Lucretia should probably be looking around but it doesn't look like there's much, and she's too charmed by Beverly's excitement to look away from her. It takes her a moment to realise she's been standing in place, watching her, and smiling.)

The what? (Wait, she's mentioned the holodeck before. When? Lucretia pauses, frowning as she tries to think back.)

[dancingmd]

The holodeck! A holographic environment simulator - oh here, I hope it works and I can show you!

Computer?

(There's a moment of silence before that familiar chirrup sounds. Beverly sighs with relief. It's such a simple thing, but just hearing the computer's voice heals a little bit of that homesickness.)

Play....

(She looks over at Lucretia in some consideration, then smiles broadly as she comes to her decision.)

Crusher-4.

(The computer chirps again in response and suddenly, they find themselves in a dance studio - hardwood floors, mirrors and windows that reach to the ceiling, and a barre along one wall.)

[scholiast]

(Oh, that's right. Lucretia's thoughts are interrupted by the little chirp of sound from the computer; she glances up in the direction of it, curious. A holographic environment simulator? The number of scenarios that could be programmed into it must be... endless. Another piece of tech belonging to Beverly for her to covet!

She looks to Beverly, returning her smile automatically; and then the room chances abruptly. They're in a dance studio, and Lucretia laughs in wonder, turning in a slow circle.)

Some sort of illusion magic? (She wonders aloud, walking over toward the barre to rest a curious hand upon it. It's solid as anything.)

[dancingmd]

(Beverly can't take her eyes off Lucretia. The look of wonder on her face is everything - Lucretia is never so beautiful as when something like this catches her imagination and pulls her in to explore and question and examine.]

No, not magic... nothing more than photons and force fields.

[scholiast]

Oh, of course.

(Barry stuff. Lucretia grins, still running her hand thoughtfully across the barre.)

You come here often? To dance?

[dancingmd]

Not too often... this is actually a recreation of the first dance studio I went to as a child. I made the program for Data, to teach him how to dance.

[scholiast]

Are you going to use it to teach me to dance?

(She looks back at Beverly, barely hiding a smirk.)

[dancingmd]

Naturally. If you're still interested, that is.

[scholiast]

Of course I am.

(And so private a place; it's perfect, really.)

[dancingmd]

Good!

(She comes over and catches Lucretia's hands excitedly.)

This will be wonderful - not just for the dancing, but we'll be able to do so much with this... I can't wait to show you more!

[scholiast]

Me too! (She smiles, and squeezes her hands happily. She's thinking of all the places she would love to show to Beverly, too.)

... Can you program anything into it?

Any environment?

[dancingmd]

Within reason - we can't program a whole planet! And admittedly, it will take a little more work for any settings the computer doesn't have information on already, but whatever you have in mind I am sure I can make work!

[scholiast]

Wow.

(She's a little overwhelmed by this, unsure of where to start.) Maybe I can show you the Starblaster some time.

[dancingmd]

Yes!

And that does remind me! Would you like to see the Enterprise next?

[scholiast]

Yes! (She comes over to stand with Beverly again, clearly excited.)

[dancingmd]

(She's too cute! Beverly is pleased with her enthusiasm.)

Computer, end program. (The dance studio disappears as abruptly as it arrived.) Show me the bridge of the Enterprise!

(This time, the computer responds not with a chirp, but with a very human-sounding voice:)

Please Specify Registry Number.

(Beverly laughs.) Oh! Right. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, please.

(This is apparently acceptable, as the holodeck changes once again, to the spacious bridge of the Beverly's Enterprise.)

[scholiast]

(Lucretia's first thought is that it's a lot bigger than she expected it to be. Beverly does live on the ship with hundreds of other people, though, so it does make sense. For some stupid reason she had been expecting a little room like the one on the Starblaster: a curving dashboard full of buttons, a solitary chair.)

It's huge, (she says, stepping away from Beverly so she can poke about the place, inspecting curiously.)

Multiple people fly this? Where do you sit?