Posted by Lieutenant Commander Avik (XO) in Side Sim: Zero-Gravity Therapy- HoloDeck 1

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Avik (XO) in Side Sim: Zero-Gravity Therapy- HoloDeck 1

OOC: Anyone interested in joining, I would appreciate if you contact me first before posting to this thread. Thank you.

{snip}
Lucius wasn’t one to be discouraged from his attempts to converse. His fingers continued to lead him upward while his voice raised above the clashing rocks. Every once in a while, he paused to tug out the lead and reattach it elsewhere on the rugged terrain.

“So, how is your family?”

Avik reached for her next step up as she answered, her eyes never traveled behind her.

“I’ve gotten in contact with them yesterday. Father seemed ill, but he refused to discuss it and I didn’t push,” Avik replied.

Instinctively she recalled the holo-call between her father, elder sister and herself. She silently feared her father had finally started to succumb to old age prematurely. While he lived a long, fruitful life, he had unexplained heart issues. Her sister seemed to believe it was due to the loss of their mom and it was finally catching up to him. Avik couldn’t accept that answer. It only poisoned her more against ever trusting such notions.

Deciding to change the topic, her eyes looked over to spot the counselor’s slight struggle. She inhaled then dropped back to glide beside him. The anchor had gotten stuck. Lodged between the crack in the wall, the magnetic surface refused to release and fastened tightly.

“How has your career progressed of late?” She questioned, her hand twisted and maneuvered it off the stubborn rock.

“Considering retirement. My granddaughter was finally born nearly a month ago and my daughter is pleading for me to come live with them. I’m also getting too old to be adventuring among the stars anymore,” Lucius’ tone held a slight wistful regret about getting old.

Avik stopped when the anchor released. Her eyes lingered on her friend as she considered what his words meant. While the lifespan for an average human had gotten considerably longer, the toll on their bodies hadn’t. Eventually everyone dies. It was a harsh, unignorable reality for all individuals. In Vulcans, it was easy to overlook that fact because the years blended together especially in an extended lifetime.

“You still got a few more years, I believe,” Avik commented in a positive note.

With those words set out, she began to return to climbing. They were nearly there and in less than an hour, they would end up doing the next stage of their exercise.

–XO, Avik, Lt. Cmdr

Finally at the top, Avik secured her tether then twisted herself about. She planted her butt vertically on the tunnel while the rest leaned outward. Her eyes watched Lucius scaling up behind her. His aged hands gripped the stone strongly and diligently before he managed to secure himself safely. He took up a seat beside her, staring down into the abyss from where they came from. The dust from the crushed rock swirled into lay patterns in their wake.

“I take it you’ve not taken the test yet, have you?” Lucius prodded at the sensitive topic.

His eyes looked over at her stone-like face. She didn’t seem to react, but her lip twitched slightly at his choice for conversation. Lucius sighed before he then commented.

“Let’s move onto the next stage, shall we?”

“Yes, please.” Avik stated as the holodeck erased the scenery to replaced it with a new one.

–XO, Avik, Lt. Cmdr

At Lucius’ signal, the holodeck changed. The rock-like structure that once surrounded them dematerialized back into the standard setting once more. Any cold, low oxygen and zero gravity faded with the scenery. Avik felt her center of gravity twisted about and once more was corrected, leaving her sitting upright on a bare metal floor. She had closed her eyes. When she sensed the shift was over, her right lid lifted to confirm it.

Lucius was already standing and had moved toward the console. His fingers moved across the buttons, typing in a sequence of numbers. Upon confirming, the holodeck carried out its orders. The metal became covered by a grey, lifeless landscape. Once more rocks hilled across the floor as far as Avik could see, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Stars twinkled in the skies giving off just enough light to see by.

Casually Avik lifted upright onto her feet. Her gear had vanished then reappeared for her to reattached as needed. She leaned down to snatch up her own, her eyes glanced to Lucius and finally broke the silence.

“Why did you visit? Was it really one of your friendly visits or were you illogically worried about me?” It took some courage on her part to actually voice her thoughts.

“A bit of both, Avik. You’re not exactly open about everything and I don’t think the Captain realizes that.” Lucius honestly stated.

They both knew lying wasn’t going to be plausible with her telepathy.

“So, how well have you been adjusting to the ship? It’s a new setting compared to the Janus.”

He asked as he placed on his harness once more, securing with a small tug then fixing it into the rock underneath.

–XO, Avik, Lt. Cmdr