Playing Hooky

Posted on Wed Mar 13th, 2024 @ 12:48pm by Lieutenant Dovenice Nyx & Commander Lorut Vila

4,686 words; about a 23 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Follows After Hours

Vila led Dove to the corridor and then the Turbolift that would take them to the opposite end of the same deck. That's where the Holosuites were located.

"So. Tell me about yourself," Vila said.

Dove laced her fingers behind her back as she looked up at Vila, "What do you want to know?"

Vila shrugged. "Are you married?" She figured that was as good as any place to start. "I was. I don't recommend it," she said. "Most especially to a human."

"I am," Dove answered slowly as she considered her next words with care. "I was young and had a crush, he was young and very drunk. It wasn't the wisest decision at the time, but it was all fun and games. There were a lot of mean words and hurt feelings to start. We're a lot better now, twelve - no, thirteen, years later." She corrected herself. "I'm not sure what species origin has to do with it, but he's not human, so I can't say if that's a factor," Dove smiled. "I'm sorry you had a bad experience. Yours is in the past tense. Does that mean you're divorced? Widowed?"

"Divorced. My ex-husband was human," she said. "I am not sure it matters much, per se, just that they are a little less...advanced than the rest of us and let their egos get in the way." She sighed deeply. "I am glad it's gotten better for you." Would this ride be over soon?!

"How about you," Dove aimed the question at Jared while the turbolift doors opened. "Are you married, single, in limbo?" She took the lead as they headed towards the holodeck.

Jared followed Dove and Vila down the corridor. “Single. I’m not quite ready to settle down, actually. Focused on the job and my Starfleet career. I like to live life to the fullest when I can. And makin’ friends along the way. So…. what’s in store for us in the Holodeck?” Rush asked as he looked over his lovely colleagues.

Vila looked surprised, though she didn't know why she was. She had just pegged him for the "marry young and stay steady and loyal" type. She had once believed that something like that was possible.

"That depends whether Vila has decided on adventure or relaxation?" Dove said. She stopped in front of the controls. She confirmed it was unoccupied before pulling up a root directory of program options.

"Around this place? Relaxation," she said. "Do we happen to have a replicator around?" She asked. She could go for a Springwine or five.

"The holodeck can do some replicating... Card game or dice game?" Dove asked.

"Card," Vila said, looking to the others.

Dove narrowed down her program preferences and asked, "Beach or pub?"

Vila decided that she would let the others choose. "That part, I don't care about, so you pick," she said, busying herself with replicating another Springwine. "Anything to drink?" She asked her companions.

"Margarita on the rocks, plenty of salt on the rim. Thanks, Vila,” said Rush. And to Dove, he said, “Beach. Definitely, beach.”

Vila nodded and replicated a few drinks. "Here you are," she said, handing Jared his drink. "And yours," she said to Dove. "What did you decide on?" She asked.

Dove had been busy entering the remaining details into the holodeck arch, so when Vila handed her a drink, she accepted it with a bit of surprise. The scene on the holodeck changed from the blank grid to one of a tropical cove. A salty sea lapped at the white, sandy shore. The warm air held a touch of humidity. Aside from a picnic blanket, the rest of the shore was empty.

The engineer set the drink by the arch momentarily and picked up a deck of cards to hand to Vila. "Do you want to do the honors of the shuffle?" Dove asked.

"Sure," Vila said, shuffling expertly. "I have done many a card game; needed something to do while baiting the Cardassians. What're we playing?" She asked. She was ready.

Dove's expression was enigmatic as she took the deck of shuffled cards back and placed them in a reader next to the arch. They promptly disappeared. "It's a mystery," she answered while retrieving her drink. The arch disappeared and the holodeck filled in the missing tropical scenery. In the sky, a bird hung on the updraft before flapping its large wings, heading to a new destination. "But feel free to enjoy the sun and sand before the first card is drawn."

Jared took a sip of his drink, “Mmmmm. Very nice for synthehol. Haven’t had a real margarita in quite awhile. So, are you going to keep us in suspense all night, Dove, or do you want me to guess what we’re playing?”

"I'd like to hear your guesses," Dove answered.

Vila was kind of impressed. "This is...nice," she said. "Um...a card game in the tropics?? Certainly not Dabo," she said. "Fizzbin," she said. "And yes, I agree. A real margarita would definitely be nice about now. I have some Kanar in my quarters but I need to refresh at the next planet," she said. "So. Earlier, I asked Nyx about herself. Tell us about you," she said.

Jared answered, “I was born on Earth, United States, North American continent. Virginia, specifically. Kind of a large family, really. I’m the middle kid of 5 children. Two older brothers, two younger sisters. Still very close with them. Especially my sisters. My big brothers grew up and left home and I was left home with the girls. I try to talk to them at least a couple times a month. My folks still live in the house I grew up in.”

Dove walked over to the shore as Jared gave Vila a quick rundown of his family history. She slipped out of the flat shoes she was wearing and dipped her toes into the water. She picked up her shoes and linked her hands behind her back before she stepped further into the water. She took a breath, but before her question could be asked, a small, rotund child ran onto the beach.

Vila listened and nodded along as Jared spoke. "Ah, sounds nice," she said. She turned her head to Dove. What was...happening?! Weren't they supposed to be playing cards? But actually, taking off these shoes was a good idea. A better idea would be to change her clothes altogether. "Want to go sit on the beach, I guess? What is WITH the child?" She called out to Nyx.

He had come out of the trees that lined the beach, "Please, please help!" he called. Dove guessed he was around twelve, fourteen at the most. "My three friends are in trouble! We weren't doing anything wrong," he qualified, "but we got separated in the house and now I can't find them. Please, can you help me?"

"I know you said 'relaxing' but I heard adventure. The cards you shuffled were part of the random generator for the program," Dove explained. "The kid, I believe, is our quest giver. What do you want to do? He sounds desperate."

Rush shifted his eyes to his companions and then spoke to the boy.

“What’s your name, kid? We’ll help you. I’m Jared and this is Dove and Vila. Show us where you last saw your friends.”

Vila shook her head. How come she always got caught up in this kind of bullshit? Still, she nodded. "Alright, kid. Calm down. Where's this house?" She asked.

The kid looked between Jared and Vila, not sure who to answer first. So, he waved them to follow as he started back into the trees. "This way," he pled.

From the water, Dove waded back to the shore. With a bit of a skip in her step, she scrambled to chase after the kid. There was a narrow path that opened in the trees and as the house came into view, the path opened wider. On the approach, the sky ominously grew a dark grey with a thick cover of clouds.

Vila looked at Jared, and shook her head. She broke out into a dead run, having abandoned her cute-but really impractical-high heeled shoes in the sand near where they had sat just a moment before. "Let's go. So much for relaxation," she noted.

“All part of the fun, Commander. Hey! Wait up!” Jared said as he ran to catch up with Vila. This was going to be interesting, he thought to himself. He hadn’t really spent much time with the other senior staff and the adrenaline was pumping inside him as he anticipated what would happen next.

The house was large and looming. From the path, at least three stories could be seen. Scalloped fascia outlined the structure with the paint peeling from the old wood. Almost every window was boarded shut, missing glass in most of them. Classically describing the house, it was haunted. "You went in there?" Dove asked the kid, having caught up to him.

"Yeah, get my friends out, please..."

Thunder boomed in the distance as they climbed the stairs to the front door which creaked open in welcome.

The trio of officers momentarily froze as the door opened. “What the hell? We volunteered to help the kid. Come on. Let’s go in,” Jared said. He nonchalantly slid his hand into Vila’s and they moved forward into the large foyer.

“Hello? Who’s there?” Rush asked.

Vila bit her lip, but instinctively took his hand. The Bajoran kind of thrived on danger - a harkening to her time in the Occupation, but she didn't do well in enclosed spaces with strangers. They had only worked together for a few weeks now -they weren't friends yet. Still, she moved forward cautiously.

In her periphery, she could see the boy disappear. She shot a look to the other two, but paused. "Do you hear that?" She hissed. "Voices," she said. "Should we follow?" Damn it, where was a phaser when you needed one?!

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Rush asked Vila. “What the hell? I wish I had a tricorder. Could see energy signatures, even in the holographic environment. Gotta follow - come with me.”

Vila nodded. "Yeah, I saw him...do you hear whispers?" She asked. "The room...next door? Across the hall? They sound...close. Too close. Listen, fall in behind me," she said. She was unarmed but she had fought the Cardassians for years. She could handle a child. As they moved closer, she looked around. "Nyx?" She said in a stage-whisper. The voices rose as her voice did-the words were...in Bajoran. A lullaby from her childhood. Almost in a trance, the woman couldn't help but follow, like a sailor to the Siren's call.

"Go back, go back." Dove could hear in one set of whispers while another implored, "Come in, come in." And another pleaded, "Help me." Each whisper mixed with the next and she struggled to make sense of any one message. There had to be more, and there had to be a source. "Um... where did he go?" Nyx asked when she returned her attention to the available doors.

Vila shook her head. "I...I don't know," she said. "Are you hearing the voices?" She asked the other woman. "What is happening?" she said, though it was rhetorical.

"I hear whispers," Nyx confirmed as she searched the dusty floor for tracks. She'd like a light but didn't see any way to turn on the overhead lamp and the windows only let in flashes of lightning. "Let's try going this way," she suggested and followed the clearest route to the next door. The door was heavy as she pushed it open, but it wasn't impossible to move. It creaked on its hinges as she put her weight into it and the whispers disappeared after crossing the threshold.

Rush felt the need to “shoosh” everyone after hearing the creak of the door. He continued over the threshold into the next room. It was a plain space, furnished only with light sconces on the wall and a large wooden table in the center. There was also a book of unknown origin sitting on it.

“What kind of material is this?” Jared asked of the table. “I can’t even lift it. Not that that should be necessary. What do you think about this book?,” Jared asked his comrades.

Vila followed Jared to the next room. "Why is everything so DARK?" She asked. They should've replicated a tricorder before following that cursed child. "Wood?" Vila ventured. "I don't know, I was a science officer, not an engineer!" She shook her head. "I could tell you if you can take it apart and I can look at it under a scope," she said, helpfully (or not).

She fingered the book, and then flipped it open. "Poetry. A bit of Cardassian, a bit of Vulcan. The rest I can't make out. The only lines I can read go "Sõunmirdeŧa tahkmar"-"Those were the days, my friend." The Vulcan part says "ma suras srashiv"-"We thought they'd never end." She smiled lightly. "An old Terran poem," Vila said. "I think it was an old love song, actually," she said. "Why is it in a house with a cursed child and whispers alone?"

Nyx scratched her head, silently wondering why an engineer would be more qualified to identify a wooden table than a scientist. While Vila and Jared looked at the book, she crossed to the sconces and found controls to turn. Opening the aperture, the gas lights cast away some of the shadows in the room, slightly solving the problem of the darkness.

The door creaked; she turned back to it just in time to see the door shut with a loud clunk. Nyx rushed over to it, but in the slam, the door had also locked itself. "Well, we're not getting back out that way," she commented. Unfortunately, she didn't see any other doors.

Vila startled when the door slammed shut. She sighed. "What the hell?" She said. "Rush, you got a tricorder handy?" Really, Vila, who brought a tricorder to a party??! She certainly didn't have one in this dress. No pockets. Damn. "Perhaps there's some kind of clue or riddle in this book?" she asked. What was she, Rumplestiltskin?

"Yeah, let's take a look," Nyx agreed. She stepped away from the locked door while giving it a suspicious eye. She rubbed her hands together as she reached the table and picked up the book of poetry. Using the table to sit, she put the book in her lap and flipped through the pages. She kept one finger marking the page that Vila had originally opened to, in case that was the clue.

No one page looked more important than the next until one of the pages, loosened by Nyx's handling, fell to the ground.

One by one
It cannot be done.
Two by two
You cannot get through.
Three by three
Now you can see
The next door to your journey.

Vila nodded. "So... three people need to work together," she said. She looked at the other two. "What now?" She asked.

"Well, it says 'next door,'" Nyx rationalized, "so we're not going through the door we came in from again. But, that's the only door in the room." Or was it? "Is there a hidden door somewhere?" She scanned the walls of the room to look for any unseeming cracks in the smooth surfaces. But the only thing on the walls were the sconces and the first door they had come through. The ceiling, likewise, was smooth across the entire surface.

Nyx hopped down from her seat on the table to investigate closer and just as she was about to call it quits and admit that her idea of a mystery escape room game was dumb, something caught her eye and she returned to the table. It sat on an area rug. On her hands and knees, she could feel the framing of the next door under the rug, which was under the table.

She grabbed an edge of the table to drag it to the side. The table was heavy, so very heavy - like it was made of stone topped by a high-security vault door. She realized Jared had already discovered the heavy nature of the table when they first entered. One person couldn't lift it, but... "Help me move this. I think the door is under the rug." One person couldn't move the table on their own, but maybe three could?

Jared looked at his partners in this little adventure and took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s push on 'three.' Give it everything you’ve got. See what’s under the table here and get on with…. whatever we’re supposed to do. Ready….1….2….3!”

In this dress?! She sighed, but helped to push the table over. After a short struggle, the three officers had the table moved over and the carpet lifted. She couldn't see super-well. "Rush, move your giant head," she said, stepping around the man. "Is that...what I think it is?" She asked.

Nyx stepped forward, "If you think it's the way out of the room, I think you're right." She pulled the latch and heaved the hidden door open. A rickety staircase led down into a room with two corner lamps that threw down odd shadows. "Who wants to go first?"

Comms opened from the real world. They called Jared away from the party. Vila watched as Jared left and the doors closed after him. Damn. "Me, I guess," she said.

Dove gave her a smile that was a bit more of a grimace than she intended. She couldn't remember how the program handled a loss of a player in the middle of the session. "Good luck..." But when Vila didn't start down the stairs after a minute, Dove made the next move.

Vila followed Dove down the stairs. She reminded herself it was just a holoprogram.

At the bottom of the stairs, Nyx could see an old wheelchair that was previously hidden from view, but more importantly, two young boys had suddenly become alert and stood up from where they were huddled by the wall. They said nothing but eagerly motioned for the two women to stop and go back. "But," Nyx said and their next motions were for silence and all eyes looked to the wheelchair in the corner.

Vila reached for her waist holster for a moment, before remembering she didn't have it. Damn. She watched as two young boys appeared again, and a wheelchair. An old woman, like a witch from the old Earth fairytales, sat, staring, petting a black cat in her lap. Was...this the next riddle out of this house of horrors?

"Oh, please help," the old woman pled. "These boys have been so much trouble."

Dove looked between the boys and the chair-bound woman. "Where's the other boy? We heard that there were three boys trapped in here - we're here to help the boys..."

Though her eyes were cloudy, they gleamed with malicious intent at Dove's questioning. "There are only two boys."

Dove took a step back to consult with Vila, "There's a water bucket by the boys or a furnace... what kind of witch do you think this is? Destroyed by fire or water? Or something else that I don't see?"

Vila shrugged. "Try both, I'd guess," she said. "Got a phaser handy?" She asked.

Dove rolled her eyes, "Do you know how to play any games at all? Ever read fiction?"

Vila sighed. "Indeed," she said. "It's been awhile, I haven't had much free time lately," she said. "So, what do you suggest, then?" She asked. She'd need to check the engineering logs; if Dove had enough time on her hands to read or play, she certainly couldn't be working enough.

"Typically, this is the point in the game for the final battle between good and evil. We're the good guys," Nyx added in case there was any doubt. "The game hasn’t given us physical weapons on our person, that's why I pointed out the fire place and the water. In classic stories of old hags versus children, elements of nature are their downfall... I'll have to remember to keep the cards out as an actual deck for you next time..." The last thought was a mental note which was not meant to be spoken out loud.

Nyx counted the elements out on her fingers, "Earth, air, fire, and water... I don't see air or earth weapons, but there's a bucket of water... one of us should grab the bucket of water and see if it causes splash damage. I've heard of water destroying witches. And if that fails, we need to push her into the fire.... and we need to be careful... work together, because she probably has magic defenses at her disposal."

Vila sighed. "I haven't believed in good since the Occupation," she said. "But ok," she said. She grabbed the wooden bucket. "Be careful that I don't splash you!" With all her might, as if she were facing the Cardassians again, Vila dumped the bucket of water on the "witch."

The side conversation was ignored by the program as the woman plotted their actions. Nyx was fully prepared for the water to not work, but Vila's sudden movement surprised both Nyx and the witch as the old woman let out a shriek of horror and pain. "What have you done?" the hag called out, her skin blistered, bubbled, and oozed. It sloughed off her bones and left a raw skeleton dressed in ragged clothes.

Nyx stepped back to keep the puddle of witch goo from reaching her feet. Then she spotted the ray of light coming through a boarded-up window. "The way out," she pointed and quickly found a lever she could use to pry up an opening to the outside.

Vila stood, horrified, but instinctively stepped back, as well. She looked at Nyx. "Let's go," she said. "Is she going to be...ok?" She sighed. Dumb question. Oh, well, she was still in a little bit of shock. "Nyx, if any other fuckery happens, I swear to the Prophets that I'll demote you," she said.

Nyx pulled the last board from the window down. "You shuffled the cards," she answered. I didn't plan any of this. She looked back to where the boys had huddled but didn't see them in the corner. "Where are the kids?" she asked. Dove hadn't been watching them while making the opening to the outside...

Vila made a face. "Actually, I think that damned Jared whatever his name is did," she said, referring to the card shuffling comment. Vila looked around as they climbed out of the window. "I have no idea. Hopefully they went to turn off the simulation," she said, grumpily. "Do you want to go look for them?"

Nyx climbed through the window. The ground was level with the bottom frame of the window. She offered a hand to help Vila up and out. “They’re part of the program. They can’t turn it off,” she answered. “Boys?” She looked past Vila, back into the dark room and noticed the reason they had run off. They dragged a third boy by his arms and legs towards freedom of the open window.

"No kidding," Vila replied. "I guess we can go find them," she said, landing on her feet with the grace of a cat. She was used to running around in stiletto pumps, the only thing from the civilian world she still kept around much currently. It was her signature, after all. "Children?? Where are you?" She called out, hoping her voice sounded calm.

"Right there," Nyx pointed beyond Vila's head. "Help them get him over here..." She repositioned herself at the window, reaching in so she could pull the boy out. The rain fell, wetting her back, but next to the house, the ground remained dry from the protection of the eaves.

Vila started to heave a child up through the window. "Christ, kid, what are you EATING?" She said. Vila had never been able to have children, a fact that still soured her, but if this is what children felt like to lift, she was sort of glad she never did. She passed the one to Nyx. "Let me find the other," she said, darting off after him as he ran away. Damn it.

Dove hefted the unconscious child the remaining way out of the window, and pulled him clear of the opening. She left plenty of room for the others to climb out while she looked for lifesigns on the boy in front of her. He appeared to be near the same age as the quest-giver from the start of the adventure. She felt his shallow breath on her cheek as she leaned in for a closer examination. She felt his pulse - first on his neck, then the wrist. Carefully, she felt around his neck and the back of his head, looking for a reason why he was not moving despite all the dragging and commotion.

Her hand encountered a good-sized lump. She imagined something heavy was used to knock him out. When she pulled her hand away, relief washed over her that there was no blood. Biological leaks quashed her childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian - blood left her the most squeamish.

Satisfied that the kid did not need immediate resuscitation, she chanced a look back to the window to see why the others hadn't climbed out yet. She laughed at the sight. One of the boys was half out of the window, fighting against Vila's assistance. "Let go of me, Lady. I'm not three years old." He smacked her hand away from under his arm. "I needed a boost for a second, you can stop helping." Gas escaped him as he scrambled and kicked his legs, trying to find footing.

Dove swatted down, grabbing his arms and pulled him the remainder of the way out of the window. He promptly rose to his feet and went to his friend. There was an unasked question on Dove's face as she squatted down by the window again. The third kid's hands were at the broken frame of the window.

She helped the third kid and then Vila out of the haunted house. At their exit, the house creaked loudly. The roof collapsed first, then folded in on itself from there in a strange version of reverse-origami. Then it was flat. Then it was gone.

The scene faded to complete black for no more than ten seconds before the lights came up again and Dove found herself with her toes in the sand once more. The water lapping at her toes. Across the beach, a disheveled Vila held a margarita glass in one hand, staring daggers at Dove. In the sky, a bird hung on the updraft before flapping its large wings, heading to a new destination. "Computer, end program," Dove called out quickly.

The grid of the holodeck reappeared. Dove smiled, showing her teeth, attempting to placate Vila. "We win..." she said. She couldn't fully read what the expression on Vila's face meant.

Vila let out a sigh. "Oh boy," she said. She sipped her drink, trying to collect herself. "Let's not do that again," she said. "We win, huh? It doesn't feel like it," she mused. "Anyway. I think I'll turn in. Thanks, Nyx," she said, turning away quietly. What had just happened?

Nyx let out her breath with the closing of the holodeck doors. Then she laughed to herself. There was a point where she was certain Vila would chew her out for the adventure. Instead, she decided the executive officer secretly enjoyed the program. With a yawn, Nyx left for her quarters.

 

RSS Feed