Posted by Cadet Henry Rodier (Security Officer) in Side-Sim: Gym Junkie (Open to all)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Vanessa Lofton (Counselor) in Side-Sim: Gym Junkie (Open to all)
OOC: This is a “side sim” - it happens outside the main sim - before or after the main events, or maybe during the downtime segments between scenes that we see in the main sim. Sometimes you may see side sims like this labeled as “Pre Sim” or “Post Sim”, when it is much more necessary to know exactly when something is occurring. In this instance, this is happening before the events of the main sim, before everyone beams down. I’ve added a note that anyone who wants to can join in, so feel free to bring your character in to work out! You can interact with mine, interact with each other, or just describe your character’s workout if they would be a loner.

IC: Vanessa needed to zone out. It has been a day jam packed with evaluations: incoming cadets, crew reviews, standard pre-transfer assessments. She loved people, loved her job, but sometimes it was wearying.

It was times like these she needed to sweat.

She entered the ship’s gymnasium in loose black pants and racer-back tank top, small duffel in hand. The room was spacious, and wasn’t yet crowded. A couple of people worked out in the combat area, while one was using the adjustable free weights on one side of the room. No one was using the treadmills. Good, she thought.

She dropped her bag and stepped on to the closest one. The display lit up, recognizing her, and she activated the health monitor. Her heartbeat and oxygen levels immediately appeared on the screen. She tapped another button, and the wall ahead of her transformed into a road cutting through a desert. She shook her head, once again wondering why this scene attracted her before she began a long, loping pace.

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS

Cadet Rodier entered the Challenger‘s gymnasium, not for the first time (it had been on his tour of the ship), but certainly his first time out-of-uniform. After the more formal setting of the rest of the ship, it felt odd to step into such a space, dressed only in basketball shorts and an old Academy shirt, which was only accentuated by the presence of the Lieutenant Commander. Henry felt remarkably comfortable around her, but that officer-cadet dynamic was still there.

Hesitating slightly at the door, Henry entered, choosing a treadmill two to the right of Vanessa. Activating the health monitor, he looked through the machine’s available settings, hoping his favorite from the Academy was still there. It was, and with a few clicks (he clicked the wrong button a couple times, glancing with some embarrassment to his left) a rural road appeared in front of him, lined on both sides with layers of trees, many showing the bright reds and yellows of early autumn. The Cadet then switched on the treadmill, starting with a walk and slowly moving up to a jog. He absentmindedly started to hum Kryptonite, a favorite classical tune of his.

~ Cadet Henry Rodier - Security

Vanessa’s vision was focused on a point off in the distance, her ears hearing only the rhythm of her own footfalls on the treadmill, so she was blissfully unaware of Henry’s issues with the treadmill. She didn’t notice him at all until a new beat interrupted the static echo of her pace, and she glanced to her right. He was ramping up his pace and she made eye contact with him briefly, offering a nod and a half smile before focusing back on the view ahead of her. A quick look at the treadmill display showed she was nearing the three mile mark, her goal for the run. Just a couple more minutes. What next? she mused.

She slowed her run when the machine beeped that she had reached the target distance, walking for a few minutes to allow her body a cool down before she deactivated it and stepped off. She pulled a towel and water bottle from her bag, wiping the sweat from her face and arms before taking a deep swing from the bottle before replacing them both and carrying the bag across the room to the calisthenics and combat area. The people occupying it earlier had left, so it was empty now. She pulled a judo-gi from her bag and tied it on, beltless.

=^= Computer, male opponent, judo program… 3. Random. =^= The computer beeped in response and a male human opponent appeared in the same uniform. The two bowed to each other, and then began circling. He reached and grabbed the shoulder of her uniform, pulling toward him. She stepped in and dropped to one knee, grabbing his arm on the way down. The momentum shift spun him up and over to slam on the mat. She quickly stood again, while he shook his head - an affectation, of course, as he was computer generated, but designed to react as a human opponent would.

This time she didn’t wait and attacked first. He was heavier than she, and taller, so leverage was difficult, but she applied a circular upward jerk at the end, increasing torque, and he again flew to the ground. It was clear he was trying to position himself to counter as he landed, but that jerk had off-balanced him, and she roped an armbar before he could do anything else.

The two stood again, eyeing each other, and then clashed again.

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS