If people had known they might have been quite shocked, but John McClane was a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was a short while after the events at Dulles International Airport and he was getting ready to watch the latest episode. His wife Holly had the kids in California for a few weeks which was just fine with John. The microwave beeped and he pulled out a now hot pizza. He then grabbed a beer from the fridge.
Walking into the den he put the pizza and beer onto the coffee table next to his gun and grabbed the remote.
Sitting in his old beat up easy chair he aimed the remote and fired. And nothing happened. He pressed the button several more times and still nothing happened. "Shit!" he exclaimed as he got up to turn the TV on manually. A few seconds later he was back in his chair just in time for the show to start.
Riker was in the transporter room with Geordi and Chief O'Brien.
"All right commander," O'Brien was saying. "The new calibrations are complete."
"Then let's see what this thing can do," Riker responded. "Energize."
John was just reaching for his first slice of pizza when he felt the most peculiar sensation, and the room started fading around him. After half a second or so the room resolidified.
"That didn't seem to work," Riker replied casually.
"Try turning up the gain," Geordi recommended. "This new setting relies heavily on the secondary power loop which isn't as strong as the primary one."
"Already ahead of you commander," O'Brien replied.
John McClane was only thirty five years old, but he had a feeling that with the stress of a few months ago, he might be cracking anyway. For some reason, he was under the impression that he was the item being beamed onto the Enterprise. The momentary dislocation he had felt a moment ago further justified such thoughts. He could see that they were about to try again. Frantically he reached for the remote hoping that if he could turn the tv off in time he'd be fine. He aimed and… nothing. The remote of course, wasn't working. Feeling the now familiar tingling sensation, he panicked and grabbed for his gun, just as the room dematerialized around him.
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Riker stared at the shock stricken man on the transporter pad who was dressed in jeans, work boots and a wifebeater. "Well, it looks like it worked, but this is not at all what I was expecting."