In Marissa's quarters, the dark red lights finally cleared. "The Federation observatory has been attacked." Came a voice over the intercom. "Survivors unknown - an investigation is underway."
Marissa thought about that last part - an investigation. Chances are that meant the ship's First Officer and security chief, in a dangerous environment, with only their wits and their phasers to save them. After all her years of fantasies, it hurt her deeply to hear that someone not too far away was living them out.
She decided to console herself with her favorite food. "Can I have some strawberry juice, Gramma?"
"Of course you can." Said Dr. Taylor. "Not too much, though, it's almost your bedtime." Marissa agreed to this - however, she was less amenable to sleeping after her third glass, though, and her grandmother had to dissolve a sleeping tablet in her fourth to calm her down.
The next day began slowly. It transpired over breakfast that there had been a power failure on the ship, and the backups had been engaged - nonessential things like lights and turbolifts were working on minimal power. The ship was a good deal darker, and it had reflected on its newest inhabitants. Marissa, Patterson, Clara, even Jay-Gordon with his newfound purpose - no one was in a good mood.
Dr. Taylor greeted the group in the morning. "Well, it's your first day back - what do you feel like doing?"
Reflexively, all heads turned to Marissa, who contemplated the question with an almost royal deliberation, before a matter-of-fact answer.
"The Holodeck. We want to go to the Holodeck. We weren't allowed to use it without our parents on the station, and we want to go to the Holodeck." And so it was - the group made their way to the technical decks of the Enterprise, which housed the huge banks of computers and replicators necessary for the Holodeck to function. As they arrived at the computer terminal outside the entrance, they noticed a red-bordered warning notice on the screen.
"As non-essential to ship functions", Dr. Taylor read, craning her neck to see, "The Holodeck is currently utilizing minimal power. Please limit use among personnel to a single user at any one time...and have a nice day." She smirked, and turned back to Marissa and her friends.
Anyone but a grandparent would have taken notice of all the intricate, wordless changes of power in what happened next: Patterson and Clara looked at Jay-Gordon and Marissa, then each other, then down, out of the running. Jay-Gordon was more obstinate, though, pursing his lips and looking at the inviting Holodeck door, but after a glance at Marissa and her massive arsenal of disapproving glares, augmented by the nuclear deterrent of Dr. Taylor, and gave a meaningful blink before nodding. The whole thing had taken less than ten seconds, but the ship's counselor would have had a field day.
Marissa stepped into the Holodeck, matter-of-factly reciting a string of LCARS computer code as the doors whooshed closed.
"Don't worry, everyone, Marissa won't have all the fun!" Dr Taylor said, smiling. "There's an observation room - we can see what she's doing! It'll be like seeing a movie!" The children were surprised at this - they had never heard of anything like this, but they were interested. The old woman herded them into a smooth, ovoid room, with a row of well-padded seats. As the door closed, everything started to go pure white. The walls, floor, chairs - even their own bodies seeped into a black, void nothingness. Startled, the children felt around for their limbs, only for Dr. Taylor to lay a comforting hand on their backs. "Don't worry, everything's working fine. It'll be like any other holo-program, but Marissa will be doing all the hard work."
Eventually, the void began to coalesce into a familiar shape - the bridge of a century-old starship, with Marissa in the captain's chair, and various men and women at the bridge stations. Everyone recognized Captain Picard wearing a First Officer's uniform, and Marissa's old friend Wesley Crusher at the ops station, but the others were strangers.
"That's James Kirk and Jonathan Archer!" Dr. Taylor said excitedly, indicating a curly-haired fat man, having a hushed conversation with a tall man with a squint. "Heroes of Starfleet!"
"Oh?" Jay-Gordon said. "No wonder - Marissa talks about them all the time. She wants to be just like them."
"Not just like them." Said Patterson. "Look at her!"
Marissa was in the Captain's chair - which was significantly larger and comfier than the standard model - with her eyes closed, her head lolling back, and a look of utter bliss on her face.
After she had evidently had enough, she opened her eyes. "Mr. Crusher, status report." She said, reverting to a level, mature tone of voice that did not suit the timbre of an eleven-year-old girl in the slightest.
The holographic recreation of the Enterprise's youngest crewmember didn't seem to care. "Entering the Romulan Neutral Zone, Marrissa." Though it was barely audible unless you were listening for it, Wesley pronounced Marissa's name with the same lilting, lisping r that she used - a feature that it had taken the girl hours to program.
"We'll reach the USS Kobayashi Maru in three minutes at present speed."