Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, and if I did, I wouldn't fill it with surreal holodeck programs like I'm doing now. Well, not all the time, anyway.

Anyway, here's the first in a series of short fics about random holodeck programs that I would love to see. I came up with this one in the middle of a rather dull History class, when I happened to think to myself "Wouldn't it be fun to be on a..." well, you'll see.

Sometimes the strain of command can get too much for even the best.

Captain Jean Luc Picard blinked at the blurred words on the screen, the endless status reports melding into one long finger of pain and irritation digging at his brain. He shoved the computer to the side of his desk and stood up, already pulling off his uniform jacket as he strode towards his wardrobe...

Geordi La Forge's eyes were pulled away from the attractive young ensign that he was flirting with, as his gaze followed the arresting sight of the Captain of the Enterprise strolling away down the corridor in a loose long- sleeved T-Shirt and baggy trousers.

Hesitantly and curiously, La Forge began to follow Picard, giving a vague gesture of acknowledgement to the young woman, who let out a sigh of relief and made her escape as quickly as possible once the Engineer's back was turned.

Picard felt many heads turning and gazes following him all the way to the holodeck doors. That was another stressful thing about command; everyone knew you, everyone wanted to know what you were doing. But it was all alright now: he could relax in the oasis of peace and tranquillity that this particular program gave him. He saw Geordi La Forge approaching him and pretended not to, slipping between the doors of the holodeck before his Chief Engineer could reach him.

Once inside, Picard leant back against the doors and gave a sigh of relief. Locking the holodeck doors, he allowed himself a small grin as he imagined his hapless crewmember outside, unable to get in. That was good: Picard had never told anybody about this holodeck program. He keyed in the code, and suddenly let out a cry as the floor pitched underneath him. His cry of pleasure died away as he bounced up again. The holodeck arch faded away, along with Picard's troubles, which melted as serenity overtook him, a white cloud of bliss filling his senses as he fell back into the innocent freedom, bouncing from floor to the air and back again, springing off the walls, off the ceiling, into another brightly coloured chamber, this one full of wobbling, flaccid pillars that swayed as the room rocked with the vibrations of Picard's body smacking into the heaving floor.

"Computer!" Picard shouted, breathing heavily, but with a grin of ecstasy on his face. "Code: spin!" Jean Luc gave a scream of delight as the room spun 180 degrees and he plunged towards the ceiling, bouncing from its rubbery surface. Laughing maniacally, he paused in his activities for breath, wriggling with pleasure on the ground.

Here, in the heart of his favourite program, a vast, multi- chambered Bouncy Castle that was, to all extents and purposes, infinite, he was truly at peace.

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, sighing as he realised that it wasn't that much fun anymore on his own. In that moment he made up his mind to share his secret with his friends.

In the years to come, the senior staff would look back on the two- month trial period where all important staff conferences had been held on the holodeck and agree that, in terms of things done, it had been a dismal failure.

But damnit, it had been fun.

Yay, infinite Bouncy Castle! Erm, I've just done a spot of research (i.e. wikipedia) and discovered that they don't call them Bouncy Castles in the USA. Just read as "inflatable structure."