Ghosts at Home (Backpost)

Posted on Tue Dec 29, 2015 @ 2:43pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

3,706 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: The Fall
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: Prior to Colony Mission

Since his evening with Doc Nicole, even with its strange ending, Chris Halloway's mood couldn't be dampened. Even the mystery surrounding what was going on with the gel packs wasn't diminishing his spirits. However, one side effect was that he had a bit more difficulty concentrating on his work. To work it out of his system, Chris spent almost 2 hours doing strength training of his own style: warhammer and morning star versus an Orc pack.

"Computer, end program," Chris ordered. The computer beeped in acknowledgement as the pile of dead bodies disappeared around him and the morning star vanished from his hand. He examined his hammer, tunic, and trousers while catching his breath, grateful as always that the holographic blood didn't stay behind when the program ended. He didn't want to clean the deck plates after dripping blood all the way back to his stateroom.

Chris slung the hammer over his shoulder and began exiting the holodeck. Just before the door opened, he sensed a powerful, familiar presence approach. It took most of his effort not to grin like a smitten teenager.

****************************************************

Nicole didn't do 'off duty' much but she had something she couldn't resist. She walked up to the holodeck controls and was relieved to see no program running. She pressed the controls, opening the door and rushed inside, colliding with a solid mass in front of her and rebounding back a bit.

"I'm sorry, I--Mister Halloway," she said, at a loss for what else to say and suddenly very aware of how cornered she was as the holodeck doors closed behind her.

"Miss Anderson," Chris replied, unable to hide his smirk. He could sense Nicole's embarrassment, but she refused to let it show on her face. Chris took a step back to give her a little room after the doors shut. "Please, once again, call me Chris. I assumed we were past that level of formality." Especially after the other night.

Nicole flushed slightly, her skin taking on an almost normal shade. "Sorry, Chris," she said, stepping to the side. "I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"I just finished another workout with the orcs and was about to put my equipment away," he replied, noting the added color to her face. That shade goes well with her eyes, he thought before reigning it in. What is she doing to me? Gathering himself, he asked, "What brings you to the holodeck this fine evening?"

"I was just going to try a program I got," she said. "Some friends recorded some messages for me and reconstructed a festival from home."

Chris nodded slightly. "You've spoken rather fondly of your home. Perhaps you could show me sometime," he said. Way to not sound desperate, lunkhead.

"Well, I don't think you'd care for it much," she said. "No battles to fight, or giant, smelly creatures to kill."

Chris chuckled. "That's mostly for working out." He caught himself just before adding, "Or for trying to impress a beautiful woman." Instead he said, "Or when I want to see what I'm in for should I anger the lady. It's certainly not my only interest."

"Good to know," Nicole said, not quite knowing how to respond. She tapped the data rod against her palm idly, the awkward silence getting more awkward by the moment. When she couldn't take his moony-eyed stare any longer, she sighed and turned towards the holodeck controls. "Well leave your weapons underneath the arch," she said, "and you're welcome to take a brief look around."

Chris sensed a bit of nervousness from Nicole. He wasn't sure if it was just because of the conversational gap or because he might be having a similar effect on her as she on him. He hoped for the latter and was pleased that she invited him to join.

"Thank you, m'lady." Chris took removed his hammer from his shoulder and placed it in the archway. "Shall we begin?"

"Already regretting this," Nicole said under her breath, plugging the data rod into the computer console and activating the program.

The City of Ancient Grace was small by some metropolis standards, but on Rigel it was rather large. Buildings were several stories tall, and although the woods surrounded it in the distance on all sides, from their vantage point by the central hospital, there was nothing but roads and buildings around them.

Nicole looked up at the hospital building, a place she'd spent a significant portion of her life, and felt a pang of homesickness, but she turned and got her bearings quickly. "City center is two blocks that way," she said, pointing down a main avenue. The buildings and apartments were all decorated with brightly-colored flags and banners, all the colors of the trees and plants around the city and in the city's many window boxes. Overall the city usually had a bit of a beige dominance to it, but for this week, things were brightly colored almost to the point of garishness.

There were some people going in and out of the hospital, but the streets were somewhat empty. She assumed most of them would be at the festival, since that was what the program was intending to recreate. Her mind was already going over who should be on staff at the Hospital, but she pushed that aside quickly, focusing on not losing herself in work--especially when it wasn't her job anymore.

Nicole started down the street, hearing Chris' footsteps fall in line. "Do you find Earth to be more 'home' for you than, say, Vulcan or Betazed?" she said, trying to make conversation.

"Definitely Earth. Although I had elements of both cultures in my home, I wasn't raised to be Vulcan or Betazoid. My parents wanted the maximum insight to humans, so I was emersed in that. Sometimes I forget my ears are pointed."

"Sometimes I forget mine aren't," Nicole said idly.

Chris looked around at the city. He could almost feel its vibrance. "We explored my interests last time we were here. I want to learn about your home and interests." he commented. "Tell me, do these colors carry any specific meaning, or is it just about brightness and excitement?"

She pointed at some of the clusters of flags. "Heart Clan, Soul Clan, City-Borns," she said. "Every clan has representation here," she said. This is one of the few times of the city really interacts with the surrounding clans, barring general trade." *Now tell him about the fascinating water reclamation system,* she thought, chiding herself.

"The majority of the planet is woodlands and some grassland," she said. "Any city kid worth their salt would be out climbing trees as much as playing in the city parks." As they walked, they heard music from around the block ahead of them. Rigel used a combination of electronic instruments similar to guitars and violins, as well as old-fashioned wind instruments to pluck and blow through. A former shipmate of hers described one as "the bagpipe's cousin." She thought it sounded a bit better than a bagpipe, but the name was apt.

She pointed at a tall building past where they were going. "That was my home, down that way," she said. "My mother never did care for country life. She was far too attached to modern convenience."

"You seemed very at home in the woods. Is that where you would prefer to be?" Chris asked. Although the music surrounding him was new to him, it was not unpleasant. He made a mental note to look into it more.

"It's where I spent a lot of time as a child," Nicole said, admiring the detail in the program. "My best friend and I would take the transmat system out to one of the far stations and then run into the woods. It's one of the reasons I'm so good at gymnastics: years climbing trees."

"And yet, I was still faster than you, pas-kaluk," a voice said from their left.

Nicole turned quickly, and lit up. "Harranipa?" She ran full speed away from Chris across the street towards the Rigellian woman who was coming towards her equally fast.

They met in the middle of the road, hugging hard. Nicole pulled back, then looked at the other woman sideways. "Wait..."

"Some of your friends came to Rigel and asked your mother for people to interview for this program," Harranipa said, smiling. "We've all been spending the last several weeks giving them anecdotes, psych profiles and such so they could build something interactive for you where we would be able to respond the way our real selves would."

"Who else is in the program?" Nicole said.

"Well, quite a lot of us," Harranipa said, glancing over Nicole's shoulder. "But, maybe you should introduce me to your friend before we get into that."

Nicole spun around, Chris having been completely forgotten in the excitement of seeing her oldest friend. As he walked up to them, she swallowed. "Sorry," she said. "Um, Lieutenant Halloway, this is my friend Harranipa."

"Call me Harra," the other woman said.

"Pleased to meet you, Harra. I'm Chris. Nicole seems to feel the need to be formal with names around me," Chris replied while reaching to shake her hand. Having overheard a portion of the exchange, he thought, I hope they bug checked their holograms to get the personality right. He'd heard stories about people who got attached to a holographic recreation of a real person only to find out the computer's estimate was far from perfect. "Please tell me, does Nicole tend to keep sharp objects within her reach?"

Nicole shot Chris a dirty look and folded her arms.

Harranipa shook his hand and gave a chuckle. "Usually," she said with some amusement. "I expect she has a few on her now, so I'd watch what I say." She looked Chris over approvingly. "I love your ears. Half Vulcan, I'm guessing?"

Chris grinned mischievously at Nicole. "And half Betazoid. Raised on Earth, so culturally human," he finished, turning back to holo-Harra. He wanted to ask more of her but didn't want to push his luck too far with Nicole. There's a fine line between banter and spite, and Chris still wasn't entirely sure where Nicole drew it. Besides it's her program anyway.

Harra gave Nicole a grin. "Well, at least you found a handsome one. If his ears are any indic--Cole!" she shouted suddenly, looking past Nicole to a small intersection with a statue in the square. Sitting on the statue's raised arm, several meters above the ground, was a young pixie-looking Rigellian girl, smiling and waving at them. "Mama! Look how high I got!" she shouted across the distance.

The three adults rushed over to her, looking up at her dangling feet above their heads. "Cole! What are you doing? Why did you climb up there?"

"Because Ja'reth said I couldn't!" she said, her tone nothing but defiant triumph. "But I showed him!" She looked down at the trio and grinned. "Hi Auntie Nic!" she said, waving at Nicole.

"I'll get her," Nicole said, taking a few steps and leaping up. She quickly scaled the stone man and plucked Cole from her perch, carrying her back down to the ground.

Cole gave her godmother a hug and leaped down to the ground.

"When I get ahold of your brother--" Harra said.

"I'll go find him!" Cole offered, running off at full speed before her mother could chastise her more.

Harra sighed and gave Nicole a small smile. "Sorry. Your Engineer...Riley? He said there would be some 'fun' unexpected elements based on what he saw when he made the program. I suppose this was one."

She gestured towards the square they had been approaching. "Shall we? The festival's getting into full swing. This year's crop of yan-savas is rather impressive. She grabbed Nicole's hand and squeezed it, looking past her to Chris. "So, how did you two meet?"

"We work on the same ship," Chris explained. "I was on the bridge doing my check-in with the captain when she came up for something. Her presence was an overload to my senses. Shortly thereafter, I was doing my medical check-in, and managed to snag a date out of the deal."

"Ah, met on the job," Harra said as Nicole turned almost a normal shade of pink.

"Harra," Nicole said, gently.

"Oh, stop," Harra said, shaking Nicole roughly in that way only old friends can get away with. "I told you almost every day you need to get back out there and meet someone. And now you have!" She grinned and hugged Nicole again, steering her towards the music.

"Harra it's not like--" she stopped as Harra shoved her forward into the city's main park where there was already a crowd of people dancing, talking, eating, drinking, laughing and, in general, doing everything other than being a sourpuss. Nicole looked around and smiled in spite of herself.

"I'm sorry," she said to Chris. "I'm being a rotten host, aren't I?" She pulled Harra to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Christopher Halloway, may I present: Harranipa, my absolute best friend growing up. And this," she said, sweeping her arms out to encompass the entire city center, then turning to face him, "is home." She grinned and took his arm and led him into the fray.

Chris noted Nicole's irritation giving way to embarrassment prior to her re-introduction to her friend and world. "Nicole, your home is delightful. As are you." Chris couldn't help it - he beamed at Nicole. "Let's enjoy all that your home has to offer."

Twenty minutes later, Nicole was thinking that what her home had to offer was embarrassing anecdotes. At least they were all laughing. If they weren't careful however, her skin tone would be stuck on her 'less pale' blush permanently.

"So I'm sound asleep," Harra said, refilling their cups, "and suddenly I hear her shout, 'bollocks!' She leaps out of bed, starts throwing clothes on, screams, 'how did I forget my alarm?' and races out of my apartment."

"I was almost late for my test in my Intro to Diagnostics class," Nicole said, looking at Chris trying to explain herself, "and Professor Verrana has this policy that if you get to the class after he does, you're locked out of the classroom."

"She'd have been closer," Harra said, "except she had stayed over at my place because we'd been out with--"

"We can skip that part," Nicole said, blushing heavier. She cleared her throat and continued. "So I am running at full speed through the city back to the academy grounds, and just as I reach the building where my class is, I see Professor Verrana reaching the door. He looks behind him, we lock eyes and he just shakes his finger at me and shrugs and walks inside."

She sat back and tossed back her glass, hiccuping slightly. "So, now I'm rodgered, and I know I am about to fail a test. So, with little to lose I take a running leap and grabbed the awning over the entrance and swing up."

"And scaled the building," Harra finished.

"I just wish I had a holorecorder to capture the look on Professor Verrana's face when he walked in and I was in my seat ready to go," Nicole said, laughing. "I was in such trouble with the peacekeepers, but I aced my test."

Chris continued to chuckle and laugh throughout the story. I wonder who she was out with, his errant mind conjured. Pushing that aside he followed up with his own story. Chuckling some more he said, "Well, I never almost missed an exam, although my Electrical and Plasma Engineering professor probably wishes I had. Are you familiar with old Earth audio equalizers?" Seeing Nicole and Harra's blank stares, he continued, "I guess not. Simply put, they're luminous representations of the relative volume of various frequency bands of sound. They're used for both diagnostics and decoration.

"In my sophomore year at the Academy, a group of my friends and I snuck into the Applied Engineering building every night for a week. We installed circuitry for each room's lighting to make the east side into a giant equalizer." Seeing the continued puzzled looks, he added, "The east side was all windows. Anyway, we set up some audio speakers all around that building. At midnight the Sunday before finals started, we fired it up with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Between the bright lights and huge volume, we woke up over half the campus. Commander Magnotta was not happy."

"I'd imagine not," Nicole said, laughing. "Glad I wasn't one of the ones woken, I'd have given you a serious thrashing." She eyed him. "Just make sure you don't try anything like that on board."

Chris laughed again. "Trying to avoid that thrashing was where I learned the value of martial arts. I'm starting to get a feeling that I would have a challenging sparring match with you. Perhaps we could try that sometime."

The conversation had helped Nicole pass the rest of the evening rather smoothly. She hadn't even realized the sun had gone down until someone stepped by her to light some of the lanterns around her. She pushed her plate of food back and sighed. She'd gotten to hear from her mentor, some friends from home, neighbors and the like, and she was smiling ear to ear.

She looked over at Chris and smiled. "I'm sure being at someone else's family reunion isn't that exciting," she said. "Sorry if you got bored."

"Not at all. My whole life has been about seeing and understanding other people's homes. I'm glad for once that it's on a personal not a professional level." He gave her a wink. "Besides, these figures from your past have been rather insightful."

Nicole snorted a laugh and tossed back her drink. "'Insightful' hm? Well, good thing they're only holographic messages, so that you can't peek at their minds and get anymore dirt...on..." she stopped, looking at something in the distance. Her face lost whatever traces of color it had, and she gripped the table, her knuckles going white.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice straining to maintain an even tone. She turned and strode quickly across the square to Harra, and began having a rather animated conversation with her.

Chris craned his neck around to see what she was staring at, but didn't see much beyond more party goers. Some Rigellians were dancing around and a few humans were walking along a path.

She moved back to Chris quickly. "I think that's enough recreation for one day," she said. "You may want to stand up from that bench before I end the program."

Chris stood up quickly and as Nicole glanced over her shoulder, he realized who she was looking at. He appeared to be a balding, middle-aged, Caucasian human male wearing a suit and smiling at her, although, Chris noted, he appeared sad. "Maybe we should--"

"End program," Nicole said quickly, everything around them vanishing quickly.

"Who were you looking at?" Chris said.

"It doesn't matter," Nicole said, not meeting his eyes. "Thank you for accompanying me. We'll have to do this again some time." She stepped around him and headed for the exit.

Chris reached out and took her arm. "Wait, talk to me. Who is it that can get you so rattled--" before he could finish, he suddenly felt himself flipping onto his back, Nicole standing over him with his arm in her grip. "Good night," she said, her voice cold as ice. She dropped his arm and continued for the door.

"Like hell," he said, swinging around, his leg striking out and connecting with the backs of her knees, sending her to the floor. "You're not getting away that easy."

The shock of the impact stunned her for a moment, and by the time she turned around he had scrambled to his feet and was standing over her. She looked up, a mouse caught under the paw of a cat, and actually flinched when he held his hand out to her. Realizing she wasn't going to just walk away from this one, she took his hand and let him help her to her feet. "It's personal," she said.

"What isn't, with you?" he countered. "Obviously someone from your past, guessing by the hair, the age and the eyes, a relative." The twitch in Nicole's jaw was enough confirmation and he nodded. "Issues with your father?"

Nicole's hand was flying through the air before she was even consciously aware of it. She didn't even realize she was going to slap him until his hand shot up and caught her arm. She was somewhat gratified to see the strain he was showing at keeping her arm at bay. But as she looked him in the eye, she felt her resolve weaken and she sighed and dropped her arm.

"Not everything that upsets you is a reason to hit someone and run," Chris said.

"I know," she said, annoyed. "Just easier, usually faster. Frequently less bloody."

"So, your dad?" he said idly, leaning against the door frame of the holodeck.

"Yes, my father," she said. "Someone I have only met once in my life, and have no desire to ever meet again."

"He hurt you?" Chris said quietly. There was no pity, no sorrow in his voice, just a question for clarity. He saw her glance around the room as if looking for the right answer,

Nicole finally crossed her arms. "He made me what I am," she said. "And that is all I am prepared to say."

Chris digested that for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough," he said, then stepped aside and let the holodeck doors open, giving her an exit.

She looked down the corridor, then at him. "Good night, Mister Halloway. Thank you for the company." She took a deep breath and walked out, head high and planning the various ways she was going to kill a certain Commander Riley when she next saw him.


JP


Nicole Anderson
CMO

Chris Halloway
Engineer

 

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