Una Notte de Ricordare (A Night to Remember) (Part 2)

Posted on Sun Oct 27th, 2024 @ 2:27am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Keisuke Takahashi 'K.T.' & Commander Elisabeth Churchill & Lieutenant JG Takumi Fujiwara 'Tak' & Commander Ichika Misono & Commander Victor Delling MD & Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Commander Chiyomi Anzai & Lieutenant Karen Kujo 'Union Jane'
Edited on on Sun Oct 27th, 2024 @ 2:28am

1,074 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Twilight Zone
Location: Holodeck One
Timeline: After 'Una Notte de Ricordare (A Night to Remember) (Part 1)'

Previously, on The Twilight Zone:

As darkness fell, dinner was served in the Colombo's dining rooms. Naturally, the grouping of Myogi crew had chosen to eat in First Class, and were serenaded by the sights, sounds, and food of Italy in the 1950s.

"So, I take the Ambassador, fly him back to the Starbase, lead him to the Admiral, and I'm like 'Boom: Is this who you're looking for?'"

The holographic diners at Elisabeth's table burst into laughter.

"Oh, that's-a great!" One of them proclaimed. "That-a sci-fi story is-a gonna be a bestseller!"

Keisuke sat twirling an unlit cigarette in his hand: He had been offered it from a fellow passenger, but had refused a light. Keisuke was slightly anxious, as he had invited Lieutenant Fujiwara to join the rest of the crew on the holodeck. Takumi had said he would as soon as he could find someone to take over helm.

And now, the continuation:

Evidently, Fujiwara was taking his sweet time... Keisuke thought before looking up and spotting Takumi hobbling into the dining room.

"Ah, there he is!" Keisuke said, standing up and motioning Takumi over. "What took you so long, Fujiwara?"

"Sorry, Keisuke." Takumi muttered. "I got someone to cover for me, but I got lost a few times on my way here. It didn't help that it was so damn foggy."

Naturally, Elisabeth picked up on Takumi's comment about the fog:

"Sorry, Tak; you said it was foggy?" She asked.

"Yeah." Takumi responded. "You guys aren't aware of it?"

At that moment, the muffled sound of the fog horn pierced the sounds of the lounge, though the holographic diners naturally didn't pay it any attention:

"Procedurally-generated weather?" Karen suggested as she took another bite out of her Sirloin Steak (a recommendation on Elisabeth's behalf when the BBQ parmo wasn't exactly an option).

"But, the Colombo never encountered fog on her maiden voyage..." Elisabeth responded.

"Wait, this is supposed to be the Colombo?" Takumi asked, confused. "Then, why the hell did I see signs with Andrea Doria on them?"

"Computer glitch, then?" Ichika remarked as she turned to Maho with a look of concern. "Should we terminate the program, just to be on the safe side?"

Maho and Elisabeth shared a nod.

"Computer, terminate program Steamship Cristoforo Colombo." Elisabeth ordered.

"Error. Program not found." The computer responded.

"What do you mean 'not found', you bloody thing?" Elisabeth responded. "I made the damn program."

"Well, that's unusual," Ichika muttered. "Computer, run executable emergency holoprogram termination."

"Program running is currently 'Steamship Andrea Doria', set to condition 'July 25, 1956.'" The computer explained. "This program cannot be terminated until clearing conditions have been met."

"Oh, bloody hell..." Elisabeth groaned, turning to the command staff. "Some of the infamous liners I've made sink modes for as a learning tool; and as a safeguard from people getting scared and trying to terminate the program as a kneejerk reaction, when the sink mode is set as a program condition, it can only be terminated prematurely with an instructor override."

"You're telling me that you created a holoprogram that overrides the emergency shutoff?!" Commander Anzai growled, evidently not one too pleased with this newfound revelation.

"I didn't hear any command codes used in that last attempt." Elisabeth pointed out.

"Hold on a second, Commander:" Maho put up a hand to Commander Anzai before turning to Elisabeth. "Commander, what was so bad about the Andrea Doria?"

"She collided with another ship in the fog before capsizing and sinking." Elisabeth explained.

"I see." Maho said. "Computer, are the holodeck safeties active?"

"Holodeck safety parameters are currently active." The computer responded

Nodding, Maho turned back to Elisabeth. "Then I see no reason to terminate the program as long as the holodeck safeties are active. Commander, you said that our command codes still work?"

"That is correct." Elisabeth nodded.

"Then if at any point, the holodeck safeties disengage, we'll see to it that the program is immediately terminated." Maho said. "Does anyone object to this course of action?"

"Captain, you're nuts!" Elisabeth protested. "Think of your baby."

"She'll be fine." Maho responded. "Any other concerns?"

Jane had left her table and joined the group when the conversation seemed to become more intense. "Given how the program seemed to have changed without anyone noticing, perhaps we might confirm that the safeties are engaged? Computer seems a bit untrustworthy right now." She held her hand to a candle on the table, just in line for her to feel the heat get too intense if the safeties were off. Seemed a safer test than trying something with a knife for fork.

The flame remained cool to the touch, seeming to confirm the computer's word that the safeties were still engaged.

"What would happen if we went off-script?" Ami asked out of the PADD she was glancing over readouts from. "If the Andrea Doria was intended to sink, what would the program do if she didn't? That may cause the program to self-disengage when it determines that the clearing conditions cannot be met and give us our way out."

"Avoiding the collision would disengage the July 25 parameters." Elisabeth noted several holograms leaving the dining room to retire to their cabins for the evening. "But we'd need time to be able to do so... Computer, what's the current program time?"

"Current program time is 2259 hours." The computer responded. "Eleven minutes to collision with Motor Ship Stockholm."

Maho turned to Ami.

"You have eleven minutes to prevent a major ocean liner disaster:" She said. "Are you that confident in your abilities, Lieutenant?"

"You know she is" commented Victor from behind them, his chuckle making an odd echo in between them.

"Should be easy to do!" Ami grinned, "Just gotta avoid hitting another ship? A change of course and-or speed is the easiest way to do it! I'm heading to the bridge. Don't wait up for me, you hear?"

Ichika looked over at Elisabeth as Ami disappeared around the corner. "Is she even allowed on the Doria's bridge?"

Elisabeth sighed.

"Well, once she has them distracted trying to get ahold of the master-at-arms to arrest her for trespassing, the collision will happen anyway." She purported.

Jane grinned and followed Ami up toward the bridge. "You'll need help, and I'm the helmswoman!" she called ahead.

To be continued...

RSS Feed