Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in Too Often to be Coincidence

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in Too Often to be Coincidence

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in Too Often to be Coincidence
Posted by… suppressed (68) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Sisnil went to the holodeck and got to work. He started programming a holo program. He created the environment - a zen style building with hardwood floors and sliding doors, red trim with wood walls, thatch roofing.

It was fully stocked with several different foods and drinks, mostly teas and water, and robes and comfortable clothing for meditating as well as traditional atires for a number of cultures.

Outside, a koi pond, beautiful, with a small waterfall, stretching into a river running around a lovely garden with lightly scented plants and herbs: lavender, mint, some Betazoid and Vulcan plants too.

In the koi pond, he programmed several different koi, and gave them a complicated behaviour pattern and ‘personalities’ to replicate real fish. There were a few turtles, and some other fish compatible with koi as well. Birds and other wildlife occasionally landed, stopped, or passed by.

There was a zen sand garden, with a rake, and the stone in the middle. The sky was blue with scattered clouds. The little property was surrounded by lush temperate forests, complete with ambient, relaxing nature sounds.

Next, he programmed in actual holographic monks to maintain the property and give zen-goers tips on mediating. Some were Vulcan, some were Betazoid, others were human, or Orion. Each he gave names to, personalities, and programmed them to respond in accordance with their personalities. They would seem like people, as much as a hologram could.

He based their meditation tips on other meditation programs, or to pull answers from the computer’s mainframe. He set them to go about their holographic day.

Sisnil spent all day, making sure every detail was perfect, realistic. The whole nine yards. When he was happy with it at last, he called Dradvia on her communicator. =^= “Dradvia, come to my location. I’ve got something to show you.” =^=

~ Zoi

It was after her shift. Not by much, but she was curled up in her silent, empty quarters trying to read. The sound of her comms made her jump. It took her a moment to steady her breath and answer. =^=Alright. On my way.=^=

The whole way she wondered why she was going anywhere without knowing why. She shook her head and reminded herself of where she was and she was fine. It was just Sisnil. It couldn’t be anything bad if he wanted to show her.

She arrived a few minutes later.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil stood outside the door, grinning. “Step inside and see my monkish activity for yourself,” he said to her. “I think you’ll approve.” And with that, he let the door open and stepped inside his holodeck with her.

~ Zoi

Her brows went up. He’d taken her suggestion? She stepped through the doors, eager to see what he had come up with. She stopped right inside looking around wide eyed. It was so detailed and lifelike. The smells, the sounds, the movements of the people. Had he already let other people try it out? Those couldn’t be holograms. “Wow…”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled at her reaction. “No one else has seen it yet.” He said, catching her thought. “I just barely finished it. Thought I’d show you before putting it on the mainframe for anyone’s use.” He ushered her in further, “Go ahead, explore.”

~ Zoi

She glanced over at him and then headed into the program. She found a pebbled path that wound around and through the different areas and followed it. She stopped, examining every small detail, from a different colored pebbled to the shape of the clouds to the smells of the different flowers. She soaked it in.

She watched the monks raking the sand garden for several minutes as they created simple beautiful patterns. She didn’t venture inside rhe buildings, not yet. She was enjoying the outside far too much. The more she explored, the more she forgot about all the things that hounded and haunted her, and she just was.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil quietly stood on the rock in the middle of the sand garden while she wandered around. “The paths and trails will always be the same, but the exact details will change, as they would in a natural environment.” Sisnil said, making the holoprogram make it so she’d hear him. “So long as the process can run in the background, the program will continue to run, the monks will take care of the place, walk the paths themselves, meditate, feed and care for the animals. The animals will age and change too.” As he spoke a small black cat came out of the garden shrubs near Dradvia and mowed cutely, looking up at her.

~ Zoi

“This is amazing. So it will never be quite the same experience.” She stopped and squatted down to pet the cat. It was extremely soft and purred hard enough to make its body vibrate. She grinned at it and made soft kissing noises as she scratched behind its ears. The cat rubbed and wove around her. Dradvia was totally enthralled with it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I always like cats,” Sisnil said standing a distance away as he watched. “Couldn’t resist including one. Her name’s Umber.”

~ Zoi

“Did you have one as a pet? Ever? I’ve never had a pet.” She turned her attention back to the cat. “Umber. That sounds very serious. Are you a serious cat?” Umber did a little hop-head butt and meowed at her. Dradvia laughed in delight and sat down cross legged on the path. The cat crawled into her lap.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uh, no. I’ve always liked cats, though. Odd little critters, they are.” Sisnil said. The way he said “no” though, well, Dradvia didn’t need to be a mind reader to know he was lying to avoid talking about something.

~ Zoi

Dradvia didn’t ask. She played with the cat, pulling a long strand of grass and dangling it in front of Umber to bat at. “She’s so cute.”

“And a total menace. Leaves paw prints in the middle of the sand, tears the hanging vines down, and terrorizes the koi.” The deep voice rumbled on a chuckle, “She brings necessary chaos to our peace.”

Dradvia grinned and looked up… and up, into the dark green, bald visage of an Orion male.

Ice siezed her body making her shake, and it froze and burned her throat, chocking her until even air couldnpass through. Her fingers and feet went numb, and her vision tunneled and darkened. Her heart was going to Crack through her ribs.

A scream squeaked out, like she was caught in sleep paralysis. But the mental cry of terror was loud enough to deafen Sisnil.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil jumped and turned to look at her and then raced to her and hugged her gently. “Dee, it’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen. He’s a hologram, okay? He can’t hurt you.”

~ Zoi

She was too far lost in the shock and terror and flashbacks for his words to register. When he touched her, she cringed, curling into herself, covering her head as if she expected to be beaten. She was waiting for the massive fists to strike.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

The punches never came. Instead, Sisnil held on to her quietly. The Orion man apologized quietly and retreated into the house. Sisnil, meanwhile, used the same method he had before. Letting calm ooze away from him and envelope her. Staying with her, hugging her gently, until she started to relax.

~ Zoi

Dradvia calmed. Slowly at first, and then all at once. Then she felt cold, shaking, and exhausted. Her body felt lethargic and like lead. He was hugging her. She felt uncomfortable and awkward. She didn’t like people close, but it had been so incredibly long since anyone had hugged her, tried to comfort her. She was going to cry, but she couldn’t do that. She just couldn’t be that weak, be that embarrassing.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“It’s okay, Dee.” Sisnil said softly as he let her go, though he was still crouched next to her, close to her. “I’m here, remember? Even if something does happen, I’ve got your back. Always will.”

~ Zoi

Her emotions said that was absurd. He didn’t know her, he was a pawn of the Syndicate and of Star Fleet. He had very little control of where he went, just like she had no control. Maybe, maybe while he was around he would watch out for her, but there were no promises in life.

She was frustrated with herself. First the feel of the engines, and now a holographic image of a fake person. She couldn’t function like this. Jumping at every small thing. She would have leaned against him in pure exhaustion and temporary emotional defeat. He saved her from that disgrace though, by letting her go.

Instead, Umber head butted her hands softly, purring and pawing at her until she pet her again. It was too bad she wasn’t real.

Dradvia took a few slow deep breaths before speaking. “I’m sorry. It’s a lovely program. I think the crew will enjoy it.” She was so sorry. There was nothing wrong with his program at all.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“It’s okay, Dee.” Sisnil said. “He will be around, but he won’t approach you again. He will talk to you if you approach him.” He looked at her, his gaze careful, studying, but.... concerned. He reached over and pet the little black Bengal. “If I had a cat, I’d want it to look like her.” In truth, that was why he’d designed her to look like that.

~ Zoi

It wasn’t okay, though. No one should have to live with this kind of psychological disability. There were so many of them that did. It wasn’t okay.

She could feel his stare. The intensity, the whirling gears, the pity. Well maybe not pity. Sisnil didn’t strike her as someone who had time to pity other people.

She reached out to pet the cat again, careful not to let her fingers touch his. No accidental physical contact, no eye contact, no speaking, no body language, don’t get noticed.

The cat was gorgeous. She had never seen a color or pattern like it. Of course she didn’t really know anything about cats.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

They weren’t common on his colonial homeworld, but people had brought them there. He coaxed the cat towards Dradvia. He wanted her to pet it, to let it relax her. In his world, everyone was touched by those kinds of psychological issues. everyone. You just pretended you weren’t and if you needed help… Well, you hoped you didn’t.

~ Zoi

It was like that on Risa as well. It was just hidden from the tourists.

Dradvia slowly stroked the cat on it’s head and scratched the back of it’s neck. The cat wove back and forth around her and then finally forced its way onto her lap. Dradvia ran her hand all the way to the tip of Umber’s tail and smiled softly as the cat arched it’s back and flicked it’s tail.

Then Umber stuck her nose out, head down, sniffing Dradvia’s lap and began to knead. Claws extending, paws pushing and then retracting and switching. Her claws snagging her pant leg. “Oh! Whatisshedoing?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“She’s happy. She likes the pet you’re giving her. It’s called kneading.” Sisnil said, watching the cat. “Some cats will accidentally dig their claws into you, some learn that hurts and learn to be gentle. I’ve programmed her to be gentle.”

~ Zoi

“Oh…” Her voice was soft and a little awed. The cat liked her. She’d never been this close to an animal before. It was soft and gentle and openly affectionate. Sisnil had done such a good job with the programming it was quite easy to forget Umbra wasn’t real. Dradvia buried her fingers in the soft thick fur and then both hands. “She’s wonderful.” That cat had an amazing calming effect on her, letting Sisnil get a good glimpse of the person she was before the Syndicate. Bright, happy, affectionate, curious.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. There was no way to turn her back into that person. But the glimpses of it were adorable. “She is.” Umbra purred loud and hard as Dradvia pet her. She kept jamming her nose into Dradvia’s hands for more pet.

~ Zoi

Dradvia was happy to oblige. She pet and eventually picked the cat up and cuddled her. The weather in the program was perfect and every was serene. It was bright and calm. She looked up from the cat, finally, and looked around, taking a deep breath. “It’s so beautiful. Is it real this place, or all from your imaginings?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shrugged. “It’s based on a Vulcan monastery on my home world, but I made up most of it. The monastery building gets its style from Earth’s Japan.” He was happy to sit and watch her. He’d made it to oblige her idea: confuse everyone by doing something nice. But it was really helping her and he liked that.

~ Zoi

“We don’t have anything like this on Risa. I mean we have temples, but nothing is so calm and serene, so… so simple as this.” She looked around again, Umbra held tight to her chest, the purs rumbling through her chest. “It seems something out of child’s fairy tale. Ideal and impossible.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’m putting it on the holodeck’s mainframe under the name “Zoi’s Gardens”. You’ll be able to access it anytime, as will anyone else.” Sisnil said. “I um.... It’s not my business, but the effects of being captive like you were… Well, it seems being here is helping you. I think you should try to come here regularly.”

~ Zoi

Her body posture stiffened at the mention of her past. She hated being reminded, hated having to talk about it. It wasn’t quite so hard around Sisnil though. Probably because she didn’t have to explain every minute detail.

“It’s very different than any place I have ever been.” She hugged the cat closer. In here, for a few minutes she could forget she was on a spaceship, taking her places that she had no control over or knowledge of.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. He sat quietly with her while she snuggled the cat. “I think you like cats.” He said after a while.

~ Zoi

Just a tiny bit of color lit her cheeks, but simple happiness sparked off of her. “I guess so. I’ve never been around a real one.” She set the cat back in her lap wishing she was real. “Do you want to show me the rest?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil heard her thoughts. He wished she was real too. “Okay,” he said and stood up. “Let’s go inside the building.”

~ Zoi

She lifted the cat to her feet, very gently. Then she stood, dusting off her pants. She smiled as Umbra swirled around Sisnil. “I hope you get a real Umbra one day Sisnil.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “I… I think I’d like that,” he said as he slid open the door and led her inside. “This is the inside of the building. Go, look around.”

~ Zoi

He had put so much effort into just the cat, she could tell it meant a lot to him. She hoped he got his pet cat one day.

She stepped through the door. She noticed immediately the cubbies for shoes, and robes hanging that the few people she saw were wearing. She immediately slipped off her shoes and put on one of the robes. It had been trained into her to notice such small details. It often meant the difference between being ignored and incurring someone’s brutal wrath.

She moved quietly around the edge of the room, again taking in all the small details.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil also put his shoes into the cubby but he did not change into a robe. He followed her around the room. There were hardwood floors and several different rooms, a stocked kitchen, and meditation rooms stocked with various supplies.

~ Zoi

She was cautious as she peeked into each room. As if afraid that a minster might jump out at her. That was until she realized the walls were paper thin and she could hear and see shadows through them.

The kitchen was wonderful. Her stomach growled as the scent of something hit her nose. “What is that?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uhm…” Sisnil sniffed. “Some kind of Earth fish? I think one of the monks I programmed in is cooking.”

~ Zoi

“Well it certainly smells better than anything in the lounge. Should… should we try some?” She asked, turning to look over her shoulder at him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shrugged. “Why not? It’s the same as food out of a replicator. Actually, it might taste closer to real food, since somebody is actually cooking it.”

~ Zoi

She continued quietly into the kitchen. Two monks were there working silently side-by-side. Since they were not talking, Dradvia didn’t either. After a few moments a plate was set down in front of her. She whispered her thanks and took the plate to a table.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head to a plate and pointed to Dradvia’s. He’d try off hers, he didn’t want a whole plate for himself. He turned to Dradvia. “Try it, Dee,” he encouraged.

~ Zoi

The fish was breaded, but lacked the oily nature of most fried foods. There was some kind of grain and vegetable. The fish broke in tender flakes, and she scooped a bite together and tentatively tried it. The flavor was quite bland compared to what she grew up with, but it was the mix of textures that madlong while.

It was the most interesting thing she had eaten in a long while. She took another two bite before she realized he wasn’t eating. “You’re not… not having any?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’m really not that hungry. I thought I’d just try a little of yours. But if not, that’s okay too.” Sisnil replied, shrugging.

~ Zoi

Nerves shocked through her system then quieted. She slid the plate towards him. “It’s good.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil tore a piece off, sniffed it carefully, then tentatively tried it. “Hmmm.” He said, swallowing it quickly. “I… Don’t think it’s for me.”

~ Zoi

“It’s very simple. It fits, you know. Adding a taste element to the whole calm and peace of the program.” Dradvia took another bite. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Her nerves from that morning had made it impossible to eat.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled, happy to see her eating. “I’m glad it helps,” he said. “I really was just doing what you said I should do.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia grinned, “Be careful with that. Unless it’s Medical advice I can’t guarantee I know what I’m talking about.” She glanced around. He’d done all this because of her. That made her feel funny. “You could make a career of programming and selling holoprograms.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“And give up on the adventure and fun in what I do?” He said playfully. “Settle down on some boring planet and program all day?” He smiled, “I don’t know, you seem pretty smart all around.”

~ Zoi

An adrenaline junky. “Well for when adventure is scarce, or you know, for when you’re too old and arthritic to keep up.” Though she couldn’t imagine that. She played with her fork. “There are all kinds of smart. And sometimes smart is just experience in disguise.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil almost wanted to hug her. “Me, arthritic and old? I think Noril and I would enact a suicide pact first,” he joked. He pointed to her plate. “Are you full?”

~ Zoi

Something he said hit her like a sucker punch. It flashed through her eyes and emotions for just a moment before she buried it. She looked down at the plate. It was only about half gone. “Yeah. Do you want it?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil felt it. Hadn’t Kryssa commited suicide? He shouldn’t have said that. His face fell. “Sorry. No, I really didn’t like it that well. Let’s just clean it up.”

~ Zoi

“Don’t be. I just… I just hope you never have a reason to do that.” She took her plate and moved into the small kitchen, and following the monks silent directions, she cleaned up and then went back to Sisnil.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Let’s just say the only reason I’d consider it is to escape the consequences of the Syndicate, and the Syndicate does not like it when you do that.”

~ Zoi

“No, they don’t.” She stepped out into a kitchen garden, ignoring the fact she was barefoot. Eager to return to the warmth of the artificial sun. She took a deep breath and let it out with a forceful smile. Then she turned to him. “What was the hardest part to make?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“The people and animals. Replicating life is a complicated field of programming. Akin to AI, but they aren’t true AIs. They’re like early AIs, they study behaviour patterns and replicate them, but can’t make their own.”

~ Zoi

“That makes sense. They can replay a recording, but not make a new one.” She looked around and sighed again a sense of calm slowly filling her. “I can see why people would want to live in a place like this.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Visiting is okay. Living would get boring for me.” Sisnil said. “Imagine: living in a place like this just selling Holoprograms.”

~ Zoi

“I suppose it would. But imagine a place like this where everyone is safe.” Dradvia shook herbhead, “Nothing like that will ever exsist.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, it won’t. And if it did, it would be fake.” Sisnil shrugged, “The best you can do is find things to be content with in what you have.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia gave him a considering look. “Is that what you are doing now? Finding something to be content with?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“More like trying not to go insane of boredom.” Sisnil replied. “I need my brother. And something to keep busy.”

~ Zoi

She started walking, “Have you ever been away from him?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil followed her. “For less than a day or so, for jobs. Not for an extended period of time, never.”

~ Zoi

“This must be horrible for you both.” Dradvia was a bit envious of Sisnil. To be so connected to someone. To have one person in his life that was always there. “I… I was thinking…”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

It was great, but when something like this happened, devastating. Sisnil glanced at her curiously. “What?”

~ Zoi

“Well,” she couldn’t believe she was offering this, “the next time we stop at a non-Star Fleet location I uh I could send your brother a message.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil looked hopeful. “You would? Really? You’re okay with that?” He asked, almost rapid fire excitedly. “I wouldn’t want you to send anything much, just ‘Sisnil’s alive, caught by Starfleet, all’s well’.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia blew out a breath. “Yes,” she would feel better if she had the CO’s okay, but what she was suggesting wasn’t illegal. “I would compose the message and go alone. That way no one can accuse you of sending anything in code.” She stopped not looking at him for a moment, and then she did, “and I trust you won’t give me a correspondence code won’t get killed or worse.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No one is getting killed,” Sisnil promised. He looked at her, “Thank you, really, thank you.”

~ Zoi

“I told you I would help. I don’t know when we’ll get somewhere I can, but when we do.” Assuming she got permission to leave the ship, she would try. “I wish I could wait for a reply, but that probably won’t be possible.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer