Posted by Lieutenant Logan Drake (Chief of Security) in Holodeck Graven XII…City Slickers

Posted by Lieutenant Olivia Grace (Counselor) in Holodeck Graven XII…City Slickers

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Holodeck Graven XII…City Slickers
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

Cochrane shook his head and tried, mostly successfully, to hide a small smile. “Well, it just so happens…” and he looked up at the sky - slash - ceiling. =/\= Computer, end program. =/\= and the Wild West disappeared and was replaced with the familiar black with yellow grid of the holodeck. =/\= Computer, run Cochrane simulation Graven - Alpha - Alpha - One.=/\= and there was a small pause and then the team found themselves on a street in a city not unlike many scattered throughout the galaxy. Buildings of various heights flanked streets bordered with sidewalks. Trees dotted medians and what appeared to be a park of some kind was visible down one the streets. Vehicles were paused on two and four wheels, seemingly stopped in time as were the plethora of figures around them. Various styles of dress were seen, no one look seemingly over-arching. Pants, shirts, light jackets, shoes and the like adorned the bipedal humanoids who looked remarkably human save for the deep purple hue of their skin.

Cochrane looked at his crew and said “How about everyone go and change, and meet back here in ten minutes?” and he glanced at Jasmine. “Unless you are really wanting to wear that particular outfit, Lieutenant?” he asked with a slight grin.

Cochrane, CO

“No, she isn’t really wanting to wear that.” Max said, raising an eyebrow at his wife. “Not in public anyway, let’s go and fix that.” He turned, and offered his elbow in the old western style, then smirked, “Before someone offers you a tenner, yes?”

Lt Cmdr Wynter, CE

“I dunno,” she linked her arm in his. “The bust of this outfit could work as an easy in the eyes distract or before I jab you with a hypo,” she laughed.

After finding a discrete corner and Max watching for the coast to be clear, Jasmine emerged dressed in something far more relevant for the time period. After rejoining the group she looked around and then up. “You know it’s kinda weird knowing you have no idea what is above you except a concept called a star. It’s gonna be hard not sharing all the wonderful things we know about all the races in the Federation. It feels so isolating,” she looked up into the sky again.

While the sky was only a hologram the idea behind her sentiment held true. What would it be like to love a life looking at the vast infinite of space and wondering what was out there you would never see in your lifetime.

Lt Jasmine Wynter. CMO

“Sounds good to me, though I think I’m liking this jacket,” Walker said as he headed to one side of the holodeck. It only took a minute to update his outfit to something a bit more modern, though he kept the duster that the program had given him originally.

“I can see how this would make working here slightly more easier.”

WO Darach - COO

Cochrane looked around and said “Everyone a bit more comfortable?” and without waiting for a reply said “Good.” Turning and looking at the motionless scene before them, he said =/\= Computer, run program. =/\= and the ground vehicles and pedestrians all began moving. There was s light breeze and the sun shone brightly; the temperature comfortable. Turning back he said to the assembled crew “Welcome to Graven. I think you will find this… interesting.” and just as he finished a small Graven child, his purple-tinted skin darker than that of the adults, looked at them and said loudly to the female holding his hand “Oh! Look Mommy! Off worlders!” which brough a soft smile from the female who looked down and said “Yes. Just like the ones who spoke at your school last year, remember?” and she looked at the Manhattan crew. “Well…” she continued, a small furrow to her brow, “… not exactly like them. But as you know, the galaxy is a big place with many different species.” and the child waved as the they continued on their way.

Cochrane looked at the crew and said “And that is what we are up against. The populace knows of other species, other technologies far more advanced than theirs. But they, as a species, choose to remain at this level. And don’t ask me why. No one outside of Graven seems to know, and the question is seen as… inappropriate… to the residents.”

Cochrane, CO

Walker shrugged, that didn’t surprise him to much. “So where to first Cap?”

WO Darach - COO

OOC: is this only open to senior staff?

OOC: Nope, feel free to join in. We’re checking out a simulation of the planet before we arrive in person

IC: “Well, one bonus to their level of tech is that the food and alcohol is real at least.” Max grinned, then looked at the vehicles with a concerned look. “Those things are slightly uneconomical to the environment with long term impact and sustainability in mind. Why would they choose to keep them when cleaner and safer methods of energy and propulsion are available? It’s a destructive attitude to keep by choice.”

Lt Cmdr Wynter, CE

“Do we know for certain that they aren’t using an alternative form of energy to move the vehicles? All we know is that they have ground vehicles, we haven’t even had a chance to see one up close and personal yet.”

WO Darach - COO

“Baby…Prime Directive which also translates to bit your tongue even if we do now better because we would rather have them die of diseases we can cure or engines that won’t pollute their environment until they ask for something they don’t know we have. It’s the logical and open-minded thing to do when you come in peace.” Jasmine’s tone was snarky and sarcastic but she had no idea why the policy was in place. The Federation came in peace and when you didn’t want their help they left. Still, as Starfleet officers you followed orders and the Prime Directive was your first order you based your career on.

Lt. Jasmine Wynter CMO

“The prime directive does not apply in this case,” a small voice spoke up. Kaia had been there for a little while, but only now decided to speak up. “The prime directive applies to pre-warp civilizations, primarily those which have not discovered the presence of aliens yet. As far as I am aware from what I have been told, this is a post-warp civilization which has chosen not to use said technology anymore. The people of Graven XII are fully aware of us, and of their own formerly warp-capable existence. Therefore, I would conclude that the prime directive does not apply.”

She looked to her own DH. “I agree with officer Darach regarding the propulsion. I see no reason to assume that they are using environmentally safe modes of energy.”

She sighed slightly. “I am not sure why they have chosen to live this way, but personally, I can see the appeal. Not having to worry about inter-planetary politics. Think of being back home and going camping, or people on your own planets who live slightly more primitive lifestyles. There is a certain satisfaction in seeing the things that you have made of your own labour. And maybe these people had some event in their past that drastically changed their views on Warp. We do not know, and it is not right for us to judge them based on our own views of what is ‘proper’ or appropriate. If they want to live as a non-warp civilization, none of us have any right to judge them. We don’t know their reasoning.”

Kaia, eng

Cochrane flashed a smile at the junior Engineer. “Well put, Ensign. And spot on.”

“But perhaps we can find out.” Walker raised his hand to forestall the inevitable response. “I know it isn’t kosher to ask them, but perhaps through our interactions they will open up. I know we will be there to do a job, but it would be interesting to find out why they chose to live the way that they do.”

WO Darach - COO

Logan entered the holodeck from an innocuous location. He was conservatively dressed in a dark suit and red tie, with a dark fedora. And he was unarmed. He looked around to get his bearings.

CoS

Kaia wasn’t wearing Starfleet standard, but she wasn’t exactly fitting in either. She wore a flowing garment that seemed to be made of a single piece of soft material. It was light in colour, and had soft patterns all over it. “What is the job we are going to the planet for?” She asked.

Kaia, Eng.

Cochrane looked around for a moment and then said =/\= Computer, pause simulation. =/\= He then stepped forward and turned to look at the assembled crew. “And this is why it was a grand idea to have a run through here. First, Ensign Kaia was exactly correct. The Prime Directive is moot here… totally inapplicable. This civilization was warp capable before most of ours. And they know about, and have relations with, many species and cultures in this part of the Quadrant. But what we have to keep in mind - ” and he looked at Darach in particular, ” - is that our job is not find out why they made that choice. It is to assist them in some rudimentary matters, infrastructure repair, and speak with them about the Federation and some of our species. This isn’t an investigation. It’s a cultural exchange. So let me be very clear: We are not to delve into their reasoning, whatever it may be, for why they chose to revert to a previous technology level. We are visitors, lending some small assistance and hopefully laying the groundwork for future cooperation and introductions to other civilizations in the Quadrant. Are we clear, ladies and gentlemen?”

Cochrane, CO

“Crystal, Sir,” Logan replied. “It should be easier for us to revert back to an earlier tech, then to advance to a higher one.”

CoS

Cochrane grinned slightly at the Security Chief. “I wouldn’t put real money on that wager, Mr. Drake. Especially when it comes to some of the engineering requests we have.”

Cochrane, CO

Olivia had been listening to the conversation that had been going on

Logan took in their current holodeck setting. He had arrived rather late. Those infernal security reports hsd taken him longer to complete then he had figured.

CoS

Walker shrugged. “As you wish Captain.”

WO Darach - COO