Posted Nov. 7, 2022, 5:02 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Eulailia Dacascos (Chief Operations Officer) (Mika Jackson)
Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Holosuite- Growing Pains
Posted by Lieutenant Commander Eulailia Dacascos (Chief Operations Officer) in Holosuite- Growing Pains
Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Holosuite- Growing Pains
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
“Hunny, Elidra isn’t a place for fragile princesses, but sure, come with me,” Lady M said. She tapped her hand on the bar three times and a few seconds later, someone else showed up to take her place. Lady M all but sauntered around the bar in her form fitting jumpsuit and gestured with a finger for Laila to come with her.
Laila silently resented that Lady M had called her a princess. She suddenly regretted showing how vulnerable she was and remembered when Dr. Ryley gave her advice on making sure she did not show fear, else she would be eaten alive. She lifted her head and said, “I am much stronger than you think.....it’s just I…I mean it’s scary when beings chat about eating you for dinner. You know? I just freaked out a little.”
A throaty chuckle ensued from bar’s owner. “Depending on the circumstances, that could almost be a proposition.”
Elidra? Laila had never heard of such a place and she’d traveled the universe extensively with her parents. “What planet are we on?” She asked as she followed Lady M.
“It doesn’t have a name, just a number. Everyone just refers to this settlement,” Lady M said.
Weaving through the bar, the patrons all seemed to cut open a path for the Bajoran without her even saying anything.
Laila stayed very close to her, seeing that the bar patrons seem to respect her and moved out of the way as she approached them.
Around the corner there was a set of stairs that went up to the next level and Lady M strode right by it, her heeled boots sounding on the wooden floors. Through a door, they were in the back area, which had storage space, but also a door. Lady M pressed a button keyed to her fingerprint to unlock the door and she was able to push it open. “Stay close,” she said, dropping her voice.
Laila nodded eagerly as she said, “Yes, ma’am” as she continued to follow her closely.
Lady M led them out into a back alley and simply walked up it like she owned the place, entirely unafraid. “Your friend. You said you were supposed to meet her here. How do you know she’s even still alive?”
~Lady M
As they entered the alley, Laila looked around nervously. She’d barely heard the question, but when she was able to process it, suddenly an amused look appeared on her face. They obviously were telling the truth about one thing, they did not know who Shara was. “If you knew Shara, there would be no doubt in your mind that she is still alive. She is nothing like me.” She pointed back toward the bar, “They had better be glad it was me back there and not her....” she shook her head, “....because I dont think there would be anyone left back there to buy any drinks from your bar.” She folded her arms casually then said, “I am sure she is looking for me right now.” Laila was exaggerating in hopes it would deter Lady M just in case she has any nefarious intentions.
Dacascos, COO
“Then wouldn’t it be prudent to just stay put? If she is able to take care of herself so easily, doesn’t it make sense to let her find you?” Lady M said as she came to the end of the alley. It opened up onto the main street, which was lit from other establishments still open, but left plenty of dark shadows. It certainly wasn’t the nicest area but it was hard to tell if there even was such a thing as a nice neighbourhood in this settlement.
“What? Stay at the bar?” Laila shook her head, “No.” She said as she sped up to get even closer to Lady M.
Lady M looked over her shoulder and for a moment actually looked offended.
“Now I can send you to a place to sleep if you really want to. Three doors down on your right. You tell them I sent you and they’ll take excellent care of you. oR you can hang out at my place. Either way, it’s your choice,” Lady M said.
~Lady M
Laila looked at the street and the shops, but really noticed the dark spots. “Um…I would like a place to sleep but you are not going to accompany me the rest of the way?” She nervously clasped her hands in front of her, “What if....what if that being that tackled me back there, in your bar, is waiting in the shadows for me? I don’t want to disappear before Shara finds me.” She said as she looked at the woman with pleading eyes.
Dacascos, COO
This whole thing could continue just as is, but there was a point to the entire charade. Lady M stared at Laila and then simply shook her head. She reached up and touched the bridge of her nose where the ridges were and peeled them off. Then she reached up and pulled at the blond hair and it slid off her head, revealing brown hair. “Computer, end program, Authorization code Gamma-Eight-Zero-Two-Delta.”
“Code accepted.”
Everything shimmered and the grungy setting disappeared leaving the COO standing with none other than Shara. Her face shape hadn’t been all that off, and her eyes were still the wrong colour, but she twirled the wig, still dressed in the fitted clothes and high heeled boots. “Boy do we have our work cut out for us,” she said, her voice shifting back to what people were used to with her. “You have some of the worst sense of self-preservation I’ve seen in awhile.”
Commander Calloway, CIO
Laila’s eyes lit up, “Shara!” She shrieked as she ran and threw her arms around the woman. “I am so glad to see you!” Then the relief and happiness fell from her face as she backed away from Shara and a frown formed, “Wait…this was all a test? I thought the Holosuite had malfunctioned.”
Dacascos, COO
The sudden hug startled Shara slightly, but only for a moment. Twirling the wig in her hand, Calloway gazed intently at the COO. “Consider it reconnaissance.”
“What?”
Shara started to walk away and then turned back to Laila. “Was there some risk here? A tiny bit. In a real world scenario, you don’t get the option of holodeck safeties. But you’re not an Intelligence officer, Laila, and I’m not going to treat you like one. Do you really think I’d let real harm come to you? A few bruises can disappear with swipes from a dermal regenerator, but if you think for a second I’d risk your life for the sake of some secondary training, you know shit-all about me.”
Laila lowered her head, she knew that Shara wouldn’t put her in any real danger.
“Take some time and go over this scenario. Walk through it in your head and study your own reactions. We meet here tomorrow, same time. Bring an open mind but leave your expectations in your quarters.” Shara smirked. “Oh, and this”-she gestured to her now partial-disguise-“now you know that yes, I am that good.”
And with that, Shara left the holosuite.
Commander Calloway, CIO
She knew she’d failed miserably. I just need to learn to…to take risks. “Computer restart the last program.” Then she had a idea. Laila was going to prove that she could make it in the fake seedy world on her own. This was going to be the biggest risk she’d ever taken in her life and she was scared but it had to be done.
Dacascos, COO
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