Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Commanding Officer) in Holodeck 5, Tag Captain Holloway
<snip>

Molly nodded, her mouth full with the last bite of her cheesesteak. She took a look around as she waiting to make sure she wasn’t speaking with her mouth full. One thing was certain, though, it wasn’t until that very moment that she realized that she actually missed home.

“I’m glad you agree.” She said cheerfully, but her eyes were still on the stalls around them. “In a certain way, you are very much like a cadet in training.” Molly smiled. “But given your… different… background, I just want to make sure there’s nothing in that ‘training’ that might trigger undesirable reactions that may make it more difficult for you to get used to each of the environments we will be going through.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

“Most everything good or bad has happens to me in space, I would doubt that my past, other than the novelty of the environments would effect our training sessions.”

Stores polished of the sandwich. But he never quite relaxed. It was obvious that he was hyper vigilant, not only did he track movements out of the corner of his eyes, but he also tracked them in defective surfaces. All the wile maintaining unnerving eye contact as the Captain spoke. His curiosity about the Captain was growing, scuttle but had her Peter as the ice queen, but their was more humanity than they gave her credit.

Clinton”Stores”Reed, Supercargo

“Alright.” Molly said as a small smirk curved on her lips. “What about something to make you relax? I know it is probably a very hard adjustment, but you seem to be painfully alert to your surroundings.” It was clear that Holloway’s Intelligence training didn’t make her miss most of what was going on with the Ensign. “We are in the Holodeck. Nothing can hurt us here, and contrary to popular belief, rest assured I am not going to unleash a horde of dragons on you. If you feel like you need to take a break we can stop whenever you like.” Amusement and concern both seemed to mix in her expression. “Is there anything that would help making you more comfortable through it?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Stores grin turned to laughter “ Sorry about that, the witch doctors say I may never get over the hyper vigilance, or the nightmares for that mater.” The laughter seemed to expel some of his stress. “I am game, M’am for what ever you have in mind.” Even the knowledge that the people around him weren’t real didn’t completely erase the fact they weren’t crew, and you simply didn’t trust anyone else.

“One thing I have to ask”, he looked up and around”what is that annoying noise?”

Clinton”Stores”Reed, Supercargo

“Maybe you should see a real doctor, then.” Molly replied. Even though her tone was serious, the hint of a smile played on her lips. “I can’t speak for the hyper vigilance…” Holloway herself suffered from it at times, although the nightmares were what she could relate to the most. “… but they can help you with the nightmares.” It was the tone of someone with personal experience on the matter.

Stores grinned at the Captains joke” I have heard that advice some where before”

“Annoying noise? What annoying noise?” Molly looked around at the people happily chatting away around them but failed to hear what the Ensign was talking about or even spotting any kind of source that could produce an ‘annoying noise’. Could Reed possibly be mentioning the human chatter? But if he had grown up around other people and had been to something as big as Io, he was surely familiar with the noise. Clement Street, where they currently were, was also far away enough from the sea that it would make it impossible for them to hear the waves crashing on the beach, especially with all the movement going on around them. Could it be the traffic, shuttles, any mode of transportation going around the busy streets around them? Molly was sure that, as an Engineer, Reed would be able to identify those… right?

Furrowing her brow, Holloway turned to Reed. “What kind of noise is it? I’m afraid I don’t know what you are referring to…”

Capt. Holloway CO

“It’s a mix of sounds, but one that sticks out sounds like an old communicator call indicator” turning around looking for the source he points out one of the trees growing in the market. “I think it’s coming from the trees”

Clinton”Stores”Reed, Supercargo

An old communicator indicator? In the trees? There wasn’t any chirping sound around them… And then, it hit. The birds.

The laugh escaped Molly’s lips before she could stop it. She knew she shouldn’t, that he might think she was mocking him but that was not the case. “Oh, those are birds, Mr. Reed.” Holloway’s expression became suddenly serious as a new thought dawned on her mind. “Have you ever seen a bird?”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Stores turned back to look at Captain Holloway, then back at the tree. When he turned back tears were welling up in his eyes as he was laughing so hard. Trying to catch his breath” only…”
“…In…”
“…Books!
It took a few minuets for him to regain his composure. “I noticed the birds and the noise in front of the academe, but I just didn’t make the connection.” The merriment was still evident in his eyes. “All I could imagine was all the warning klaxons and buzzers going off in engineering and no one paying it a bit of attention” still shaking his head amusement. “Birds”

Clinton”Stores”Reed, Supercargo