Dialog Editions
Posted on Sat Jul 13th, 2019 @ 3:02pm by Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Sun Jul 14th, 2019 @ 6:53pm
1,572 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 7 - Home Again
Location: Deck 3 - Ovaa's Quarters/ Deck 5 Holodeck
Timeline: MD006 1330 hrs
Merriam was flitting around the quarters she didn’t so much share as she existed in with Tallida, when the Angosian of mention came crashing through the door. Well, as crashing as one could with pneumatic pocket doors and naturally soft demeanor. The older women looked over at the colorful blonde and her holographic heart went out to her. She had been watching over the young Angosian since she was seven years old and she was proud of the women she had become despite what she had been through.
“Tea or whiskey.” Merriam asked softly as she moved to the replicator. The silence from Tallida spoke volumes. “Whiskey it is.” She announced in a sing songy tone as she ordered a drink from the replicator.
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Neil stood under the shower trying to make up his mind on a course of action. He really couldn’t figure out why Cami had decided to avoid talking to him to talk to the Counselor, of all beings.
Behind him, he heard a cough and he turned to see Mik on the other side of the half-wall, leaning on the doorway. “You’re going to turn into a prune.”
Neil turned off the shower head and walked to the half-wall, picking up a towel and drying his hair.
“I was thinking,” Neil said, eyeing the old man through the towel.
“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” the old man snickered.
“Bite me,” Neil said as he tossed the dampened towel toward a bin and took another to dry the rest of himself off with and finally a third to wrap around his waist.
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“I can’t have whiskey, Mer.” Tallida said in frustration. “I am still on shift,” She let her head fall back. “I just needed a breath and to get away from that pompus ass Marine before I did something dumb.”
At this comment the hologram’s ears perked up. “Would that something dumb involve you blowing off some much-needed steam?” She asked with a sly smile as she handed the teacup to Tallida.
“I almost hit him.” Tallida admitted when she finally looked up at the other women and took the teacup. “I could have decked him right in his smug face in the middle of the holodeck.”
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“I think that young woman almost nearly did,” Mik told him. “I wasn’t sure if she was going to tell you off or climb you like a rope.
“Oh, I don’t think that was too likely,” Neil said as he walked past the wall, past Mik and into the locker room.
Mik’s bleary black eyes followed him as he passed then he turned in the doorway and resumed his leaning position as Neil opened a locker and began changing.
“You need to get laid more, if you’re missing signs like that,” the old man told him. “I haven’t seen anyone miss a pitch that bad since Mario Mendoza back in 1980.”
Neil pulled on skivvies and then uniform pants before looking at the coach and asked, “That another archaic dodgeball reference?”
“Baseball, you dope!” Mik exclaimed. “Maybe you’re just too soft between the ears after all those blows to the head you’ve taken.”
Neil turned and sat on the bench, pulling on socks then boots, seeing some scuff marks he made a mental note to polish them that night. “Regardless, you old coot, the doctor is most certainly not my type.”
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“Oh, so you like him,” The older women teased as she took a seat next to her.
Talli shot her an incredulous look. “What?” She asked with annoyance. “That baboon is so full of himself.”
“That isn’t a no.” Merriam pressed. “Spill it girly. Don’t make me delve into the ship's computers log. You know I will.”
“Nothing happened, Mer.” Talli started. “I stupidly thought that I could help another woman on the ship, but Lieutenant Tremble is impossible.” She scoffed, her denial in full force.
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Mik made a snorting noise and asked, “What about this Camille girl? She your type?”
Neil glowered at him and Mik gave him a leer, the hologram seeming to jump slightly. His voice changed slightly as he asked Neil, “Did you mount her?”
Shocked, Neil started to ask him what was going on and Mik kept right on going “Does she have big thighs?”
“Mi!,” Neil started, starting to laugh at the look on the holograms face…and the leer in his eyes.
“Well? Does she?,” Mik demanded and Neil, chuckling could only shake his head.
“No? Well then what’s the problem,” Mik told him, “If I were a young fellow like you, I’d be mounting every woman on the Pioneer.” Then he made a rude gesture and Neil rolled his eyes.
“Mik,” Neil asked, looking at him as he shook his head, “You ok. That doesn’t sound like you.”
“What doesn’t sound like me, “Mik asked, going back to leaning against the doorframe.
Neil stared at the hologram for a few beats, then stood and pulled on his undershirt. “Alright. I don’t know Mik, you sounded older. And a lot more…feisty.”
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“Interesting,” The hologram replied.
Tallida rolled her eyes as she looked over at Merriam. “I know that tone, what?”
The hologram shook her head. “Nothing, I mean it is just,” She started. “I have never seen you like this.” She used her hand to motion towards Talli.
“What pissed off?” The Doctor asked.
“No, like this” The women emphasized. “Wound up.” She added. “I haven’t seen anyone get under your skin like this since we left the Institute.” Her tone changed as the reference was spoken knowing it wasn’t a topic Talli was willing to discuss.
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Mik gave him a look and shrugged, “No idea what you mean, kiddo.”
“So you and this Camille got to know each other,” Mik asked again and Neil finally nodded. “Yeah for about sixteen hours give or take.”
“And?” Mik asked.
“And she showed up out of the blue and then apparently became upset when I wasn’t overjoyed at seeing her and went to Doctor Ovaa and had her come to me to see if I…I don’t know. Liked her I guess,” Neil related, confusion in his voice.
Neil started pulling on his uniform tunic then and heard Mik snicker again, “I told you boy. That Doctor was ready to jump you like a frog on a lillypad.”
Neil stopped, one arm half out of the tunic and looked at the coach again, wonderingly as Mik asked slyly, “Are you going to take old One Eye to the Optometrist?”
Neil slid his tunic fully on at that and shook his head at Mik. “Mik, she’s the ships Counselor. And no, I…I think that would be a really bad idea.”
“Bah!” Mik exclaimed, “You say Counselor I say tell her you’re Italian and want to show her your man sized cannelloni!”
Neil considered only for a second, then said. “Computer. Freeze Program.”
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Talli glared at the woman who was the closest thing to family she had. “Don’t,” was all she said.
The woman put her arms up in defense, “I am just saying.” She watched Talli drink from her teacup as she fought to keep her mouth shut. “Is he attractive?” The women may have been a hologram, but she knew desire. She also knew Tallida’s aversion to the opposite sex wasn’t out of a lack of attraction.
Talli let out a breath, “I guess, if you like that whole narcissistic alpha male thing.” She let out a groan of frustration as her head fell back before she looked back at Merriam. “Even if I were attracted to him.” she started as she put her cup on the table. “It would be only in the most primal sense driven by the biological need to reproduce, and we both know that doesn’t affect me.” She stood up, ignoring the pang of grief her comment caused. “I will see you at dinner.”
Merriam sat with an amused smile on her face as the pneumatic doors hissed closed. “Fascinating.”
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The hologram of Mik when static and he said, “Computer. There seems to be a glitch. Compare the programming for Mik that’s stored in the original version versus the one on display now and compare dialog to see if there’s a glitch?”
Several seconds later, the computer responded. “Variations appear past normal expectations. This version of Mik appears to have had dialog from other movies this actor performed in spliced in situationally. Do you want to override and correct?”
Neil thought about that, then asked. “Were these situational dialogs implanted on purpose?”
“Affirmative,” the computer replied.
“Thraggling Thomas,” Neil muttered. Then laughed. “Computer, don’t override. Save program and exit.”
The gym flashed and he stooped to pick up his gym bag, then stepped toward the exit and strode from the holo-deck. He had gotten the innuendo, but muttered to himself, “What the heck is a cannelloni?”
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
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