Trouble at the Museum

Posted on Mon Jun 3, 2019 @ 10:11am by Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD
Edited on on Thu Jun 6, 2019 @ 12:56am

2,653 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: Holodeck Two

T'Mira had just finished an upsetting encounter with the CMO. She hadn't let it show of course but it riled her that the woman now was forcing her to write down all her previous injuries not on her record and the trip to the counselor along with weekly sickbay visits? She wanted to punch something but that was not very Vulcan. She decided, specifically since she was off duty until tomorrow, to take in the holodeck.

It didn't take her long to arrive there. Having not unpacked her programs she decided to look through a list of the ones that were there.

"Computer isolate all educational programs available and display list."

The computer chirped and started running titles. It took several minutes but one caught her eye. "Hold. Isolate program 115-3374. Is it an owned program."

The breathy voice of the computer came through, "Affirmative."

"Who owns it?"

"Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque."

"Is it locked?"

"Program is open to public use."

"Display schematics on popularity."

"Program is new recently imputed. Never used."

T'Mira tilted her head to the side. "Excellent. Play Galerian Museum program. Interactive version." She had heard of the Galerian's they were a race that were part of the Federation but not serving actively. They were the historians of the galaxy. An old shipmate of hers had told her the programs were....quite interactive but didn't go into details. He just said to keep the safeties on full.

"Program set," the breathy voice interrupted her thoughts. She shrugged and entered. T'Mira resisted urge to gasp. The hall was huge it seemed as if the ceiling was so far away and the images of nebulas of all colours dotted the ceiling swirling and turning about as if you could reach up and touch them. She watched as an arrow appeared on the floor as a guide. Rubbing her hands on her jeans and then pulling the jacket she had on off she placed it in the corner. She might as well be comfortable.

"Computer increase temperature in holodeck by 35 degrees. Make it like summer on Vulcan." She felt the coldness of the holodeck dispel quickly. This was going to be interesting. She began to follow the arrows.

Meanwhile, Camille was finishing a quick meal in the mess hall. She needed to find inspiration for her problem with the virus. Nothing made sense. She needed to think outside the box, and she found the best way she did that was wandering in museums. Regardless of the type of museum, the objects therein often gave her bursts of inspiration.

“Computer, are any holodecks available?” she asked the ship once she stepped into the corridor.

“Negative. All holodecks are presently in use.”

“Câlisse,” she muttered to herself. “I was hoping to spend half an hour in the Galerian Museum.”

Though not intentionally prompted, the computer chimed and volunteered new information. “That program is already in use in holodeck two.”

She raised an eyebrow. Who was using her program? Not that it mattered, but perhaps they wouldn’t mind sharing? She made her way to holodeck two and stepped inside.

Camille was immediately hit with the high temperature, for which the small Canadian was not prepared. She left it alone, as it was obviously programmed intentionally by the user. But she walked into the lobby and began following the tour arrows. “Allo?” she called out ahead of her to whomever might hear her.

T'Mira had not gotten far in the museum when a voice called out. She stopped just before entering the section on galactic painting styles and turned. She walked back a ways and then stood at the arch that was leading back to the great hall. She saw a short, lovely blonde woman with green eyes and glasses that complemented her face. T'Mira's mind went into computer mode images flying through it at an alarming rate. She tilted her head. "Camille Amélie Lévesque PhD, Lieutenant Junior Grade Chief Science Officer, twenty-nine years old, five foot three, one hundred and sixteen pounds upon last weight. Birthplace Montreal, Quebec, species human." She walked further into the room. "You joined the grew in 2389. I am Lieutenant T'Mira..." She paused. "I am new."

“Wow,” was all Camille could say, she was so shocked by her greeting. Still, not wanting to be unfriendly, she caught up to the taller (at least, taller than her, Nicole, Penny, Maggie, And the Captain, though not as tall as Cassandra or Sam) woman. “Welcome to the ship then, T’Mira,” she said with a smile. “What brings you to the Galerian Museum?”

"The chief medical officer...a woman who by all rights should have been an interrogation specialist." She sighed. "I needed some peace and for me that means something educational." She looked at the woman. "My apologies if I stepped out of line with using the program. If you wish I can go."

“Non, non,” Camille said. “Please, enjoy the program, though I’d like to as well. I need to clear my head and think outside the box on something, and museums always do the trick for me.” She looked up at T’Mira. “Though before you say anything else, you should know, the Chief Medical Officer is my girlfriend.” She gave the Vulcan a wink.

"I see." She shrugged, "Not many doctors can say that they will strike fear into a Vulcan's heart...I believe I should create what you humans call a merit badge for her."

Camille grinned widely, but held back a laugh.

She saw nothing funny about what she'd just said. "It is true I feel like I was interrogated by a Section 31 agent....and I am an intelligence officer. In under one hour she got me to reveal my medical secrets..." She sighed, "Well all of that aside thinking outside the box then. I am told I am good at that." She motioned "Shall we proceed then? Perhaps I can assist."

“Nicole can come across harsh,” Camille admitted. “But it’s because she cares. She was equally rough with me when we first met, but now I’m in love with her. Though I don’t think you’ll go quite that far.” They walked past the art displays and into a room full of life-sized sculptures of humanoids and animals, each done with some artistic licence that accentuated some trait, like larger than normal eyes, ears, hands, or heads. She didn’t notice that the faces of the sculptures slowly turned to face them when they weren’t looking.

“I’m working with Nicole and her father, one of the Federation’s top geneticists, to find a cure for a virus. The virus is 100% fatal. It’s artificial, based on a Terran childhood illness. And our attempts at treating it have all failed.” She turned back towards the statue of Surak with a cutaway showing an enlarged heart, and noticed he was looking at her. “T’Mira. Have you noticed something strange about this room?”

Now that she mentioned it. "I feel like we are being watched yet I know that we are not. Perhaps it is the exhibit." She motioned. "Let us move towards the Klingon wing." She thought a moment. "Sounds like a difficult problem. Have you tried all that would be probable in terms of a solution?"

Camille nodded as they walked towards the Klingon wing. “All that is probable and much that isn’t. We engineered prions to reshape the viral envelope, physically destroying each virion. The virus ignored the prions in a way that doesn’t even seem possible.”

They walked into the room with the Klingon exhibit and the computerized voice began. "You are now entering the Klingon exhibit. The battle of Khaless and Mogeroth."

T'Mira's well honed ears heard a low whistle of something flying through the air. She gasped pushing her companion down and catching a Mek'leth in mid air. She watched in horror as the statues began moving. "I think this is the interactive part."

“Osti!” Camille said as she pulled herself up. She knew the museum was strangely interactive, which was partially why she wanted to try it. A bit of insanity and distraction might give her inspiration. But she forgot about the moving Klingon warrior statues. “Um, T’Mira, I’m not a good fighter. I’m a lab geek. Let’s get to the next room quickly, eh?”

"Right." As they turned T'Mira felt as if her feet were knocked out from under her. She turned and ducked in time to avoid a bat'leth. She shimmed sideways and stood up grabbing a bat'leth off the wall. She swung meeting the Khaless statues bat'leth with a klang. "It had to be Klingons!" The statue gave chase and she ran using the wall as a jumping point. Her body lifted off the ground twisting in mid air and knocking her opponent down. The Khaless statue swung again and she turned knocking the statue back. "Let's go. I keep the bat'leth."

Then she thought of something. "Computer end program."

There was nothing.

She looked at Camille. "I believe we are in trouble."

“There! Exit!” Camille pointed to the other side of the hall. They weren’t far. “We can block the door behind us!”

She gave a nod. "I will cover us." As they ran T'Mira used the Bat'leth over and over again. It was slow going but they got to the exit. She let Camille go first while she finished off another round of fighting.

Sliding out of the Klingon hall before her Vulcan friend, Camille got to a console and got control of the door. She waited until T’Mira was through and then closed the door and locked it tight. For good measure, she took the Bat’leth and swung it as hard as she could into the door control, shattering it completely and causing sparks to fly. Handing it back and catching her breath, she then finally looked around the next room and swallowed hard. “I don’t think the Klingons were that bad actually,” she said as she realized they were in the middle of a life-sized recreation of muddy trenches. “Um, T’Mira. I recognize this place. It’s from my own people’s history. This is the Second Battle of Ypres.”

She'd just made it inside sliding through at the last second heaved a sigh of relief as the door closed. Her sigh of relief was short lived. "Battle of Ypres," she said a little out of breath. "Excellent. I my admiration for the Galerians is fading quite quickly." The guide voice came through.

"Welcome to the Battle of Ypres. Interactive battle museum two of twenty five."

She looked at Camille, "Stay behind me."

“No!” Camille explained. “We need to get out of here. And we need to find something for our faces.” She could bear soldiers in other trenches closer to the front lines begin to cough. She looked and saw two men in a corner relieving their bladders. She snatched two clothes and doused them in the stream. “Merci, mes grands, she said to the holo soldiers as she passed one to T’Mira. “Hold it to your face as we get out. I know it’s gross, but it’s how we avoid choking to death. Trust me.” She then pushed her way through the trenches, looking for the exit, glad to remember her organic chemistry and her Canadian history as the soldiers around them began to choke.

T'Mira looked at the rag, "I believe I would rather choke." They moved swiftly through the room. It was getting hard to breath but in the nick of time they exited.

"Welcome to Vulcan." She looked around a feeling of dread coming over her. "Oh this is not a desirable location."

“I’m just glad to get out of those trenches,” Camille admitted. “That was the first day the Central Powers used chlorine gas. Thankfully a Canadian Officer happened to be a doctor as well and recognized what was happening. Ordered his men to do what we did and they survived long enough to hold the line.”

She looked around at the beautiful landscape. “Why is this not desirable? Vulcans are one of the most peaceful people in the Galaxy.”

"Yes well while Vulcans are a peaceful people...this is pre reformation. We're at the plains of blood."

“Oh...” Camille said. She remembered what she’d read about pre-Reformation Vulcan. “What do we do?”

Before she could respond a crash from across the room alerted her that they were not alone. Looking across there stood what looked like hundred of Vulcans. They had long flowing hair, savage looking lirpas and they charged. T'Mira pulled the tiny woman behind her. "Stay back...." She wasn't convinced she could defend her. She wondered if the safeties were off....before she the charge could complete there was a whooshing sound. T'Mira chanced a glance to see the Arch opening. She grabbed Camille's arm and pulled her out knocking down a surprised looking Bolian Ensign.

Standing as the door was closing she heard the computer say, "You have not completed your tour. You must not leave."

Camille couldn’t help but notice that the computer’s voice was different than normal. As if it were modeled on a different woman’s voice.

The door closed and with a few quick button pushes she deactivated the program. She leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. "That was ...fascinating."

The Ensign stared at the two. "Good program? I was just going to ask if I can join."

Camille looked at the Bolian Ensign and smiled as she caught her breath. “Computer, save and close program,” she said. “Another time, Ensign. For now, I need to process what just happened. I knew the program was interactive but I didn’t think it would try to kill us.”

"I do not believe it was." T'Mira said. "I believe that this is the way that they structure their programs. The point was not to hurt us but to attempt to get us participate; however," she paused. "The fact that we were unable to call for exit from the inside made me wonder if the safeties were engaged." She thought a moment. "I had a thought." She looked at Camille as the young Bolian left. "That virus you were trying to defeat. You've tried everything to destroy it or render it inert from the outside. Correct?"

“Oui,” Camille replied. “The immune system won’t touch it, and efforts to reshape the virus’s structure didn’t work. Now we’ve just learned it doesn’t even really do what we think viruses are supposed to do.”

"Have you tried to feed it? As in introduce something it would find palatable and absorbed that could activate from the inside and start rendering the virus inactive or in essence something that will eat it from the inside where it is more vulnerable."

“Huh,” Camille thought a moment. “It’s an idea to keep in our pocket at least. We have to break the envelope to get to its insides. Or maybe we can intercept the viral DNA once it leaves the particle and enters the cell. All interesting ideas...”

"Perhaps." She studied the woman. "For a rather tiny woman you are quite good at in combat situations. If you should like to go through the museum simulation I would like to go with you. I will surly be trying it again."

Camille pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled. “Me, too. Let’s plan to come back sometime. And thank you for your kind words. I need more combat experience and confidence. Maybe you can help me sometime, and the museum is a good start?”

She gave a nod. "Until the next time then."

 

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