Authors Note: This is the fourth story in what will hopefully be a long line of stories. This story continues the adventures of the Lieutenant Simon Hartstone. While not necessary to read the three stories "Punishment", "Captured!" and "Happiness" it would be advisable to set up why this new character is aboard Voyager. This is a little break from the norm; while there is action there is no actual threat to Voyager and her crew. Also trying to write humour and maybe a little bit of romance (my Achilles heel) so please R + R, its really important to me!
ChallengesChapter 9: Living Up to the Hype
Saturday 12:00
The doors closed behind the flushed Simon, who managed to recompose himself as he re-holstered his weapon and looked at his opponent, her auburn hair shining in the light of the hologrid. She turned round to face him wearing a black velocity suit with a red trim round her neckline, her phaser tucked into a belt around her waist.
"Good afternoon Lieutenant" she said to him as she walked towards him slowly, staring at him all the while.
"Good afternoon Captain" was his somewhat un-original reply but still he stared her down like he stared down the Borg queen all those months ago. Simon thought about why he had picked this particular time, used in the old west in North America high noon was used for all those old fashioned shootouts when the sun was directly overhead. No shadow, no sun in the eyes, no excuses.
"I don't see an reason to delay this any further, unless you have a reason." The Captain noted dryly still not taking her eyes of the Captain. Simon slid off the black leather jacket that he had worn into nearly every battle he had ever been in. He threw it in the corner, revealing his phaser in a less customary shoulder holster that he had replicated. The Captain pointed at it
"Interesting" the Captain noted, "not content with a phaser on the hip" she somewhat modelled the phaser that she carried still in the holster
"I like to keep a weapon close to my heart" he said, he and the Captain now stood staring at each other no more than 10 feet apart. He pulled the phaser out of his holster with his right hand, spinning it freely in his palm before gripping the weapon tight. The Captain noted this, maybe Tuvok was right, he was a bit of a showman and maybe she could pull it out of him and score some easy points. She drew her own weapon still looking at her opponent.
"Computer begin Velocity game, 10 rounds, begin" a disc emerged in between them it span in the air with alternating colours between red and yellow, the disc trying to decide who it attacked first before it settled on yellow, forcing a quick reacting Simon to almost dive to his left to get out of its path, when the disc passed him he turned and hit it with a clean shot turning the colour to red at which point it changed his target to the Captain.
The disc whizzed towards her, she sidestepped to avoid it and it whipped around in an instant and come in for another pass, as Simon just watched the Captain move keeping his phaser steadied and at the ready. She shot at it when it hit the arc of its turn causing it to change trajectory in an instant to target Simon once again.
The disc whizzed towards him, Simon ducked and it hit the wall behind him he rolled forward to avoid it hitting him in the back, as he spun round and shot the disc as it was about a metre from jabbing him in his chest. The disc was still for a split second as if it was confused before it established its new target in the Captain and whizzed towards her once again. The Captain simply shot it as it whizzed towards her in a straight line, the disc turning on itself as Simon was getting to his feet he looked at the disc spinning towards him. He could not raise his phaser in time but flicked his left side out of the path of the disc at just the right time he spun and fired. The disc whizzed right back at Simon but whizzed around him catching the Captain on her blind side as it struck her in the right shoulder.
"Impact Janeway, Round 1 Hartstone" the computer recorded.
"Damn" Janeway said as she got up "First blood to you Mr Hartstone it would seem"
"Yes Captain" Simon got up slowly.
"But it isn't over yet!" she wagged her finger preparing herself again. Simon smiled
"Not by a long shot" he readied himself "Computer begin round 2"
"What did I miss?" Tom said, casually zipping up his trousers
"I told him not to have that second fruit juice at breakfast" B'Elanna said, with Tom rolling his eyes at her. Harry let out a little chuckle. The game was being watched mostly all over the ship, every move and play. Even the crew on duty on the bridge were keeping up to date on the score.
"Its 2-2 the Captain just pulled it level with a spectacular move, she ricocheted a shot off the wall of the hologrid onto the disc, completely took Simon by surprise, he didn't stand a chance"
"Wow, you always miss the good bits when you go for a toilet break don't you" he put his hands on his shoulders and sighed
"Well I told you not to have that second fruit juice," she mocked. They were all sitting in the shared quarters that Tom and B'Elanna had together with various snacks and drinks on the table beside them, they had put in the request for a shared quarters with Chakotay when they started to become really serious and they had the request granted only about 6 months ago.
"oooooooo" they all said, noticing that Lieutenant Hartstone had just taken a hell of a tumble, and they also noted that play had been paused. The Captain obviously good enough of an opponent to make sure he was ok before continuing.
Simon got to his feet, shaking some feeling back in his left arm. Simon had tried to somersault landing on his hands but his left arm buckled under the weight and he had hit the deck floor with a loud thud
"Are you ok?" the Captain asked, looking at him with a sad little face.
"Fine Captain, the doctor always warned me that my left arm would never be as strong as the right arm"
"After what happened on the moon with the religious cult leader" she guessed correctly
"Yeah, he shook the arm more, the knife slashed up all the muscle and nerve tendons and he turned the knife while it was still in me which made it worse, also any movement that I made while the knife was still in me made it even worse."
"Can you continue" asking the question that was probably on everyone's lips
"Yeah I will be fine" toughening up putting on his tough side.
"Are you sure, we can suspend the game if you need to go to sickbay"
"No Captain, I am sure" he said, the Captain smiled and looked up and around where she knows cameras had been placed.
"Y'know Lieutenant I bet you somewhere on this ship the Doctor is fuming" Simon laughed out loud at this, he thought it was hilarious
"I bet he is Captain" he shook life back into his arm one more time "shall we continue"
"If your ready Mr Hartstone" he looked at him with her command face in full effect
"Yeah I am ready" as he levelled himself, ready for the re-start.
"Computer re-start round 5" the Captain called to the computer
It was a tight match and that was no mistake, Simon thought as he ducked the whizzing disc that almost hit him square in the forehead. It whipped around for another pass, Simon followed it tracking its trajectory, and he shot it at the maximum arc of its turn as it came screaming at the Captain. This round had been going on for at least 10 minutes back and forth and the participants were getting tired.
The Captain was running from the disc as it chased her across the width of the hologrid, she hit the wall, turned round and rolled forward, she span and fired. Simon not willing to be outdone, ran towards the corner of the hologrid as he got to the corner, he turned to see the disc zeroing him in, when the disc was about to hit him, he dropped his legs out from under himself and hit the deck on his back and he shot the disc with a prolonged shot which caused the disc to ricochet of both corners of the wall and sent the disc flying back at the captain spinning, on its axis. The Captain shot the disc and missed as it righted itself and zoomed towards her she pulled her right side back as the disc zoomed past, it whipped around and come at the Captain again, this time she pulled her left side back to dodge the disc this time she shot the disc as it zoomed past her which immediately set its target for Lieutenant Hartstone, the move catching him by surprise as he could only watch as the disc zoomed towards him and hit him in the chest.
"Impact Hartstone, Round 5 Janeway, Score 3-2 to Janeway" the computer announced, Simon looked down at himself as he placed his hands on his hips
"Another good one from you Captain, I never saw that coming" she smiled,
"Would you like a little half time break, I think we could both use it" Simon smiled, as the Captain called for a bench and they both sat on it. Both of the called for towels to wipe the sweat from their faces as the also both called for water all courtesy of the Holodeck materialised out of thin air for them.
"So" the Captain said wiping her face with the towel "do you think we are living up to the hype Lieutenant" Simon looked at her and smiled
"Oh yes Captain, I think this half time break is not only good for us, probably good for them as well" he pointed around, referring to the cameras and sensors watching their every move. The Captain chuckled lightly
"I bet they do, it has been quite a cat and mouse game hasn't it" she looked at him sipping her water lightly.
"It has Captain, I think your showing me that speed and fitness are just one of the things, some of it is up here," he pointed to his temple. The Captain laughed again
"Thank you Lieutenant, and you are showing me that I can still cut it despite the fact that I am getting on a bit in my years" Simon smiled
"Captain it doesn't matter how old you are or you get, you will always be able to cut it" the Captain smiled at this confidence boost that she received from her crewman.
