Off The Clock

Posted on Sun Oct 31st, 2010 @ 10:56pm by Lieutenant JG Jerreck O'Connor

334 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Peace, or Something Like It
Location: Holodeck 3

It felt like there were a million programs in the Holodeck's database, especially when you just needed one to blow off some steam. Popular programs abounded, but he couldn't find one that suited. Sherlock Holmes required a mindset he'd never had. Jerry wasn't a problem-solver (or at least refused to admit that he was), he either could look at a problem and solve it, or he considered it beyond his ability. Usually, it was pointed out to him that he was wrong in this respect, but that was beside the point. He almost laughed at the idea of a "Holiday on Risa" program. Why in the world would he want to go there, only to get homesick when the people he knew who were undoubtedly in the program just felt like helpless zombies to him? That was the problem, maybe. Whatever had happened down on Turkana IV, it had knocked the genius off his pins. It didn't make his life any easier feeling there might just be something wrong.

But this was where he'd wanted to be. Starfleet. This ship. This Holodeck. It was what he wanted, wasn't it? So, here he was. Over his head. Fine. And there was a program, not very commonly accessed, titled Speed Racer. The first chapter looked like fun, so he tried it.

[...time passes...]

Jerry walked out of the Holodeck, a lot happier. He carried the Speed Racer helmet in his hand as he waked back to his quarters. Even with safety protocols on, the Mach 5 had been hurtling down the track fast enough that it could have hurt him, very badly. Adrenaline helped. So he'd been able to think, and get a handle on what was happening. Something had clicked in the whole idea of a crooked corporate group involved in the race. Which race could it be?

The human race, perhaps, on Turkana IV?

But, who benefitted from it? From people being turned into zombies?

That was what needed to be figured out.

 

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