Jane Sinclair’s Busy Day, Part the Third: Sampling the Entertainment
Posted on Thu Oct 21st, 2021 @ 2:23am by Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
Edited on on Mon Dec 6th, 2021 @ 9:06pm
1,250 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Handling the Fallout
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Noon
Lieutenant jg Jane Sinclair had completed her phaser trials. She had seen the doctor and had her physical.
There was a little bit of time before she had to eat. She couldn’t explore much in that time, but there was one thing she could check out.
An important aspect of this trip would be entertainment. There was no denying that a ship’s crew worked best when their time off duty was enjoyable. Most ships had a bar, a gym, and a few other amenities. Beyond a certain size, they had some kind of holodeck too.
The Myogi was big enough to have four single-deck holodecks. Enough to entertain the crew, but not so many that one would always be free. Most of the time, one would need to be reserved in advance. But right now holodeck 2 was free.
“I can explore the catalogue,” she said to herself. “I have time.”
Just inside the room, she accessed a panel on the arch. “Hmm,” she said to herself. “Ooh! A few good racing programs. Gothic noir holonovels, I’ll review those later. A stealth game, that sounds fun. Some Japanese-origin roleplaying games. Oh, what’s this?” She found a word she recognized. A holonovel called ‘Shoot to Kill: A 007 Adventure.’
She was a big fan of the stories of the fictional spy James Bond, 007. She had read many books and watched quite a few of the films (though given that they had been made consistently since the mid-twentieth century, she had by no means exhausted the entire catalogue). But somehow she had never tried an interactive holonovel of one of his stories.
"Hmm. Let's see. Computer, load prologue for 'Shoot to Kill'."
The computer chimed. "Specify parameters." The screen on the arc displayed a variety of things that needed to be decided.
"Right," Jane said. "Okay. Wow, lots of customization options. I'll play 007. Keep character parameters normal but change sex to female. Name…apparently it’s common to use your own so Jane Sinclair works fine. Keep romantic and sexual preferences as for the default male player. I'll handle clothing myself; no overlay. Difficulty…easy, I’m here for the story." She paused a moment. "Computer, what’s the year in the story?"
"Story written by William Farrant and published in 2110. Story is set in the year 2004. Programmed for the holodeck by Felix Knightly in the year 2380." A short text appeared on the screen, giving Jane a few additional pieces of context for her.
“Alright. Run program.”
**
The holographic emitters disappeared, replaced with what appeared to be an upscale hotel bar, with lots of red and gold. Jane stood out like a sore thumb in her Starfleet uniform as wait staff and guests alike were dressed in suits, tuxedos, cocktail dresses, and ballroom gowns. Outside the large bay window stood the Eiffel Tower in its lit glory.
"Pardonnez-moi, madame," said the Maître d', fixing Jane with a judgmental glare, "but while we thank you for your service, we have a strict dress code in place."
"She's with me."
Both turned and saw one of the most beautiful women Jane had ever seen. Almost Jane’s height (with the help of two-inch stilettos), she wore a long black dress, with a leg slit that went past her hip, a very low cut front, and which hugged her curves so tightly Jane wasn't precisely sure how she got it on. Her wavy blonde hair fell loose around her shoulders. Her blue eyes stayed locked onto Jane's. She spoke excellent English but with a Parisian accent.
The Maître d' bowed humbly. "Apologies, Mademoiselle Toussaint. Right this way."
Jane’s eyes flicked toward the bar, where the man was gesturing, and took note of a few features:
The sign advertising the special party for the International Arms Expo 2004.
The well dressed men of multiple ethnicities, whose suits obviously concealed weapons.
The embossed hotel logo. The Toussaint.
"Angeline Toussaint," Jane said to her social savior, the daughter of the hotel’s owner. "You have my thanks."
"No thanks is necessary, Mademoiselle Sinclair. But if you insist on it, perhaps we can discuss it over a drink in private." Angeline's long, graceful fingers gently slid along Jane's forearm.
Jane smiled. "Monsieur," she called to the man who moments earlier had judged her harshly, without taking her eyes off of Angeline. "Have the barman bring a bottle of the 1990 Veuve Clicquot, on ice, with two glasses, to Room 1227, please." She offered her arm to Angeline, who took it and allowed herself to be led to the elevator.
The twelfth and highest level of the Hotel Toussaint was as extravagantly arranged as the rest of the property, with vibrant colours, gold trimmings, and modern art lining every wall, all of it speaking to the opulence of not only the Toussaint family but also its clientèle. This was where the ultra rich spent their nights, arranged business deals, and enjoyed that which brought them pleasure.
As they reached the door to room 1227, they heard the sounds of two pistols being cocked. Two thugs came out of the linen storage room across the hall.
“Friends of yours?” Jane asked her guest.
But Angeline stared daggers at their attackers. “Non.”
“Come on, doll,” said one of them. “Mr. Graham wants to do business. Come with us nicely and we’ll talk with him.”
After a tense silence, the same man spoke again. “Take her. And dump the uniformed one.”
Jane acted fast. When the thug’s friend took aim, Jane caught his wrist. His shots went wide, harmlessly hitting the wall. She disarmed him with a twist of his wrist, but found the speaking man’s gun aimed at her head before she could use it.
The door to the service elevator, at Jane's right, interrupted them. It was the barman, with a tray containing a bottle, in a bucket of ice, and two crystal flutes.
The lead thug turned his head to see. The perfect distraction. Jane took the bottle and smashed it over her assailant’s head, shattering both the glass and his skull. Next she grabbed one of the glasses and sliced at the second man before he could get his gun back.
Both attackers were down, and Jane’s uniform was torn from the fight.
Breathing heavily, Jane looked at the champagne flute stem and the neck of the bottle that had been her makeshift weapons. They slipped from her fingers and shattered on the ground.
She looked up at Angeline and they locked eyes again. Jane cleared the space between them, wrapped one arm around her waist to pull her close, and opened the door to the suite with the other. She closed the door behind them sharply.
“Waste of good champagne,” she quipped before locking Angeline’s lips with her own. The kiss, passionate and intimate, lasted a few seconds as what sounded like the opening theme song began to play and the holographic environment, including Angeline, faded away.
Jane couldn’t help but laugh. What fun!
“Computer, save and end program, and exit.”
As the scene disappeared and the holographic emitters became visible once again, Jane left the holodeck. She needed to eat and fix her torn uniform, but she was energized to continue her busy day. And eager to continue the adventure of Agent Jane Sinclair, British Secret Service.
Posting by:
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
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