Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. I do not claim to be authorised to
speak for Paramount nor any other person that makes more in one day then
what it would cost to bury me. I am a poor person who is a fan of the Star
Trek phenomenon who is just trying to keep the dream alive by this
fanfiction. Gene was a visionary whom we should all owe a debt of
gratitude to for bringing us a positive view of the future. I do not
intend to make money by this work of fiction or gain in any material way.
If in the event an emergency landing occurs you can exit this fanfiction
*points* here and *points* there. Thank you for flying Mojo Fantasylines,
and remember....when in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and
shout!
Star Trek: Dreamweaver
By
Mojo2722
Chapter Two
"Fallen"
A rift had formed across the daytime sky. As wafts of smoke from the wreckage drifted past it the unmistakable sign of the holodeck program degrading and exposing the holoemitters lining the walls of the holodeck shined through the rift.
In an almost panicked state the wounded Tyler jittered out, "That looks like a holodeck!"
Zabok looked to Monet and asked, "I take it this is part of the problems you have been having?"
She pulled out her tricorder and began to scan in the direction of the rift. "Yes," came here simple answer.
Zabok stood back up from Tyler's side, began to walk towards Monet and asked, "Did you try checking the holobuffers to see if their was a cascade feedback loop in formation?"
Tyler propped himself to a sitting position by his elbows and asked, "Are we in a holodeck program? What the hell is going on Zabok?"
Monet reached into her suitcase and fished around with her free hand for a second. She quickly retrieved a hypospray, tossed it to Zabok said, "Catch!"
Zabok caught the hypospray and shot Monet a quizzical look.
"What the hell is going on Zabok?" Tyler reiterated with urgency.
Zabok looked at the thumbnail sized display on the hypospray and saw that it was loaded with a tranquilizer. He looked up to Monet and even though she didn't look up from her scan of the tricorder, saw her gently nod her head. "Mr. Tyler you are hallucinating due to your injuries," he said. He walked back to Tyler and knelt beside him. He held the hypospray up to Tyler's neck, plunged the administer button and comforted, "Don't worry old friend. This will help with the pain and I'm sure I'll have the chance to win back that 20 credits at next week's poker game." Tyler grew limp, and Zabok laid him back against the ground. Zabok stood up, looked at the hypospray, tossed it aside, looked to Monet, and asked, "Do you mind telling me what that was about?"
Monet pulled the small cylindrical probe out of the tricorder base unit and began to do a more detailed scan of the rift. Not looking back to Zabok she responded, "This program isn't quite ready to be ran. As you can see by the 'hole' in the sky there are problems with it. I can't very well have the characters of this program realizing that they are on a holodeck. That would put the chances of the program being effective and my mission being successful to about zero, Zabok."
Zabok studied the rift in the sky as he walked towards her, "Why not just pause the program then? Why go through the charade of a holographic hypospray loaded with a tranquilizer?"
"The characters of this program may not be as complex as most self- sentient holograms, but they are way more complex than the average holographic characters you are used to dealing with," she explained. She walked over to Tyler and scanned him with the tricorder. She continued, "If they were biological and not holographic their level of complexity would be about that of a dog or a cat. Just putting them on pause would be cruel. Would you like it if someone put you on pause, Zabok?"
Zabok paused to think about what she had just said.
She expounded, "In any case, each character in this program was written as an individual program and not just a subroutine of a larger program. They utilize type seven dynamic feedback subroutines. Pausing the characters potentially runs the risk of damaging their subroutines beyond repair. Their matrix would fail."
Zabok arched a brow and responded, "I know we are out there on the fringe of Federation space, but I would like to think I have kept up with all the journals on holo-technology. The last journal I read on dynamic feedback subroutines being developed at Jupiter Station stated that they were only experimenting with level five subroutines."
"I'm not surprised," Monet replied. She called for the arch and walked towards it when it appeared. She continued to explain, "There are less than a few dozen people in the entire Federation whom have knowledge of the Dreamweaver Project, let alone what developments have been made for it. As the project is years ahead of it's time, all information concerning the Dreamweaver Project is classified and I doubt you will ever read about it in the journals."
Zabok followed her to the arch. "Is this Dreamweaver?" Zabok asked and motioned with his hands about the holodeck.
She worked the controls of the arch and without looking up, answered, "No. This program is a product of the Dreamweaver Project. The Dreamweaver Project is a method of writing and modifying the programming of complex holodeck programs in real time."
Zabok studied what she was doing with the controls, "Even if a person had a neural interface and didn't have to code the subroutines by hand there is no way the mind could modify even an extremely simple holodeck program on the fly. It would be far to complicated and a person wouldn't be able to keep up with the changes."
"Maybe not your mind," She commented. With a few taps of the holodeck controls the photons of the program dissolved away as the program was shut down. She opened the door to the holodeck and began to stride out into the corridor. "Coming Zabok?" she asked.
Zabok tailed close behind her, and when he caught up to her asked, "So I suppose your mind was engineered to resolve the complex calculations and subroutine coding at the speeds that would be required?"
"My involvement on the Dreamweaver project is more of a creative advisor aspect. I make relatively minor changes to the program. The brute force calculations are done by Dreamweaver herself," she answered. They continued down the corridor until they reached a turbolift. Once they were inside and the computer was instructed as to what deck she wished to travel to, she continued, "I'm going to need your help to tie Dreamweaver into the holodeck's computers. Hopefully when we get Dreamweaver online the problems with the degradation of the program will go away."
The turbolift doors slid open and they made their way down the corridor. "What is Dreamweaver then, Monet?"
They were finishing their approach of the bulkhead doors that led into cargo bay 3 when Monet answered, "I think your just going to have to see Dreamweaver for yourself, Zabok."
"I take it you like surprises by your cryptic response," Zabok commented.
The doors to the cargo bay opened.
Zabok's jaw dropped.
Monet smiled, "You look surprised Zabok."
With wide eyes Zabok inquired, "Is that what I think it is?"
* * *
Ensign Krag was late.
Crewman Mason stood before the holodeck doors. She had been ordered, albeit reluctantly, by the Captain to take some time away from her duty shift to participate in some new Starfleet Study that took place on the holodeck. Several others of the crew had been given the same enigmatic order to meet at the holodeck.
'Oh well,' she thought, 'At least it beats overhauling the lateral sensor array again.'
"Natalie!" came the exuberant voice of Ensign Krag from behind her. She could almost hear his toothy Ferengi grin in his salutation.
She turned around to him and replied, "It's about time Krag. The Captain's orders were for us to meet down here at 0800 hours."
He reached up and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Relax hoo-man, I got held up in sickbay," he explained.
"Sickbay? Are you okay?" she questioned .
His jagged smile widened when he took his hand back down and replied, "I couldn't be better. I stopped by because Lt. Delfar's dog was having it's puppies."
"Oh don't tell me you fell off the wagon and wagered some credits in that stupid pool on the number of puppies she was going to have, Krag," Crewman Mason groaned and shook her head.
"Natalie, you are my sponsor. And while I know your addiction was to alcohol and synthahol and not to gambling, I would hope you had better faith in me than that," Krag replied his smile still remaining, but not as radiant as before.
She lectured, "The last time I saw you this happy you had fallen off of the wagon and had won a weeks worth of credits from 30 different crewman in the ship's 'Guess the weight of the next ambassador we transport' pool."
"Close but not quite right, Natalie," he commented. He walked with her over to the holodeck doors and explained, "It cost me a week's worth of credits to bribe Lt Delfar's girlfriend, however in the end she managed to use her feminine charm with him to allow me the pick of the litter. I was in sickbay reserving which pup I wanted when they get weaned."
She looked down to him and shook her head. "I thought you didn't like pets, Krag? Something about the pleasure versus upkeep cost ratio wasn't profitable enough. In fact I remember you telling me that the day you owned a pet is the day all the latinum on..."
His lobes were ever so slightly twitching nervously. "Ordinarily that would be true. But given my present circumstances the ratio is very profitable," he rebuffed.
Crewman Mason's head cocked back, and she raised a brow. "And what sort of 'circumstances' might those be, Krag?" she asked with a firm smirk on her face.
Krag rolled his eyes and replied, "The Chief Petty Officer Winchell kind of circumstances."
"Winchell? Is she still after your lobes Krag?" Crewman Mason laughed.
Krag forced a smile in sarcasm. "She's never stopped. You figure after two years of me saying no she would get the hint and stop 'accidently' brushing her arm against my lobes when we work together. Sometimes you hoo-mans make no sense to me," he answered.
"So how is having a dog going to help you get rid of her?" she asked and went on to expound, "Most human females love puppies. If you ask me all you are going to do is get her to think you are a softie at heart and paint an even bigger target on your forehead for her advances."
Krag's forced smile gave way to a genuine jagged tooth grin, "Not so fast hoo-man. I did my research on this one."
"How's that?" she asked.
He raised one hand and casually inspected each nail with his thumb, "I contacted her last love interest and asked him for help. As it turns out she is a devoted feline lover, and doesn't like the company of people whom own dogs. I figure that when the time is right I will spring it on her that the only way she can have me is if she accepts my dog as well. All my problems solved by a furry terran quadruped that I will be more than willing to share my quarters with."
"There's only one problem with your plan, Krag," she commented and actuated the controls for the holodeck door.
Krag turned to the door and asked, "And what is that, Natalie?"
"What if she says 'Okay'?" she smiled.
The doors to the holodeck moaned open and before them laid a large dark chamber with a single cloaked figure standing in an illuminated spot in the center of the chamber. They proceeded into the dimly lit chamber towards the hooded robed figure that stood motionless holding a scythe in one hand. He stood in the spotlight of the only source of light in the room. His hood obscured all but his nose and lips in the shadows of its folds. As they approached closer the robed figure began to drone off in a soft low monotone voice, "Welcome to the holodeck, I am the Dreamweaver. You are about to embark upon a journey into the world of my mind. Before you enter that world there are a few important things you must know."
"I don't suppose you got anymore information about this Starfleet 'study' than I did, Natalie?" Krag said out of the side of his mouth in a whisper.
"Heck no," she replied in a soft voice, "I was expecting a standard Starfleet drill or instructional program, not the crypt keeper here."
The Dreamweaver droned on, "The first and foremost thing you must realize is that all the holodeck command codes have been taken offline. Except by your actions you will have no control of the world around you. My control is supreme in my world."
"How are we supposed to enter and exit the program then?" Crewman Mason bravely asked.
"While in my world all you need do in order to enter or exit the program is to find a hand padd or computer terminal, find the file marked Dreamweaver Alpha One that will be located upon all of them, and enter in your command access code. The padd will then display to you the locations of exits near your location in the world where you may freely exit the program to this loading program you are currently in. Once you return to this chamber you may exit the holodeck as you need.
Krag asked, "Why not just let us be able to pause the program and call for an arch?"
The Dreamweaver continued on, "This is the second thing you must understand. At no time can the characters of this program be made aware of the fact that they are in a holodeck program. Your control of the characters and the environment has been limited to your direct actions to prevent you from doing damage to the program by letting the characters realize that they are holo-characters in a program on a holodeck.
Crewman Mason asked, "Is there any information as to what this program is about that you can give us before we enter it?"
The Dreamweaver raised his scythe and waved in the air above him. A three dimensional representation of a Federation Starship came to life above them. On it's hull was the name U.S.S. Rosetta. He began, "You were stationed aboard the U.S.S. Rosetta, a prototype starship with an experimental Coaxial Warp Drive capable of transcending the warp 10 barrier." The scene of the starship faded to a scene of chaos and exploding conduits and panels in the ships interior. The scene quickly changed to the saucer section being ejected from the drive section and escape pods launching from both sections. He continued, "Due to an accident on it's maiden voyage the survivors of the ill fated mission are marooned and must work to survive on an unknown planet."
Krag's eyes were fixated on the image of the escape pods making planetfall. "Anything else?" Krag asked.
The Dreamweaver lowered his scythe and the image of the pods on the surface of the planet faded into nothingness. "I have revealed all that I can, are you ready?" he asked.
Crewman Mason looked over to meet Krag's mutual gaze that twinged with nervousness. She looked back to the Dreamweaver and replied, "Okay let's do this."
The Dreamweaver lifted his scythe out towards them, and as if being transported, they disappeared in a million shimmering points of light. In the span of a short second they found themselves to have rematerialized onboard a shuttle craft that was inside of a shuttle bay. Warning klaxon rung out through the shuttle's com system. "Warning! Plasma pressure at critical levels. Coaxial warp core overload in 60 seconds, all crew abandon ship."
"We must be onboard one of the Rosetta's Shuttlecraft inside a shuttlebay just before the Rosetta exploded," Crewman Mason commented. She made her way forward in the shuttle and eased down into the pilot's chair.
Krag followed her forward took the copilot's chair. "Well in about 60 seconds it won't really matter where we are if we are still here. How's the condition of this shuttle?"
Crewman Mason brought the controls to life and did a cursory examination of the shuttle's systems. "I've got a green light all across the board. All systems are operational," she answered.
"Good," Krag said. He began to actuate the remote controls to the shuttlebay doors. The doors began to open.
Suddenly the shuttle rocked and a thunderous vibration shuddered through the bulkhead. The lights of the shuttlebay flickered and then cut out entirely.
Crewman mason turned on the external illumination for the shuttle and it's lights shown off of a frozen and partially open shuttlebay door. "This can't be good," she said.
The computer rattled off, "Warning! Plasma pressure at critical levels. Coaxial warp core overload in 30 seconds, all crew abandon ship."
Krag's eyes grew wide. "Use the phasers to blast a bigger opening in the shuttlebay doors, Natalie," Krag hurriedly suggested.
"This is a short range personnel transport shuttlecraft," she remarked, "It isn't equipped with phasers." She deftly worked the controls and ordered, "Krag, shunt all power to shields and get ready to hold on."
He tapped the controls and did as she commanded.
"Hold on!" she exclaimed. She depressed the engage button for the thrusters which she had set to full.
Krag began, "Hoo-man you are not going to..." His words fell silent as he braced for the impact. The shuttle hit the doors with the thrusters set to full. The impact of the shuttle's shields against the shuttlebay's doors at full thrust tore the doors loose and shot them into space. Several panels shot sparks and exploded in the shuttle.
Krag breathed out a sigh of relief that he wasn't about to visit the holographic equivalent of the divine treasury. He quickly examined the shuttlecraft's status and reported, "Well the good news is that we are free of the Rosetta, The bad news is that the shields are all but gone and the Coaxial warp core of the Rosetta is about to..."
* * * [end chapter two]
Coaxial cliffhangers, Batman!!! What did Zabok see in the cargo bay? Will Crewman Mason and Krag survive the explosion of the Rosetta's warp core? What new mysteries will be generated with the next chapter? Tune in next time, because this story is.......
TO BE CONTINUED!
Star Trek: Dreamweaver
By
Mojo2722
Chapter Two
"Fallen"
A rift had formed across the daytime sky. As wafts of smoke from the wreckage drifted past it the unmistakable sign of the holodeck program degrading and exposing the holoemitters lining the walls of the holodeck shined through the rift.
In an almost panicked state the wounded Tyler jittered out, "That looks like a holodeck!"
Zabok looked to Monet and asked, "I take it this is part of the problems you have been having?"
She pulled out her tricorder and began to scan in the direction of the rift. "Yes," came here simple answer.
Zabok stood back up from Tyler's side, began to walk towards Monet and asked, "Did you try checking the holobuffers to see if their was a cascade feedback loop in formation?"
Tyler propped himself to a sitting position by his elbows and asked, "Are we in a holodeck program? What the hell is going on Zabok?"
Monet reached into her suitcase and fished around with her free hand for a second. She quickly retrieved a hypospray, tossed it to Zabok said, "Catch!"
Zabok caught the hypospray and shot Monet a quizzical look.
"What the hell is going on Zabok?" Tyler reiterated with urgency.
Zabok looked at the thumbnail sized display on the hypospray and saw that it was loaded with a tranquilizer. He looked up to Monet and even though she didn't look up from her scan of the tricorder, saw her gently nod her head. "Mr. Tyler you are hallucinating due to your injuries," he said. He walked back to Tyler and knelt beside him. He held the hypospray up to Tyler's neck, plunged the administer button and comforted, "Don't worry old friend. This will help with the pain and I'm sure I'll have the chance to win back that 20 credits at next week's poker game." Tyler grew limp, and Zabok laid him back against the ground. Zabok stood up, looked at the hypospray, tossed it aside, looked to Monet, and asked, "Do you mind telling me what that was about?"
Monet pulled the small cylindrical probe out of the tricorder base unit and began to do a more detailed scan of the rift. Not looking back to Zabok she responded, "This program isn't quite ready to be ran. As you can see by the 'hole' in the sky there are problems with it. I can't very well have the characters of this program realizing that they are on a holodeck. That would put the chances of the program being effective and my mission being successful to about zero, Zabok."
Zabok studied the rift in the sky as he walked towards her, "Why not just pause the program then? Why go through the charade of a holographic hypospray loaded with a tranquilizer?"
"The characters of this program may not be as complex as most self- sentient holograms, but they are way more complex than the average holographic characters you are used to dealing with," she explained. She walked over to Tyler and scanned him with the tricorder. She continued, "If they were biological and not holographic their level of complexity would be about that of a dog or a cat. Just putting them on pause would be cruel. Would you like it if someone put you on pause, Zabok?"
Zabok paused to think about what she had just said.
She expounded, "In any case, each character in this program was written as an individual program and not just a subroutine of a larger program. They utilize type seven dynamic feedback subroutines. Pausing the characters potentially runs the risk of damaging their subroutines beyond repair. Their matrix would fail."
Zabok arched a brow and responded, "I know we are out there on the fringe of Federation space, but I would like to think I have kept up with all the journals on holo-technology. The last journal I read on dynamic feedback subroutines being developed at Jupiter Station stated that they were only experimenting with level five subroutines."
"I'm not surprised," Monet replied. She called for the arch and walked towards it when it appeared. She continued to explain, "There are less than a few dozen people in the entire Federation whom have knowledge of the Dreamweaver Project, let alone what developments have been made for it. As the project is years ahead of it's time, all information concerning the Dreamweaver Project is classified and I doubt you will ever read about it in the journals."
Zabok followed her to the arch. "Is this Dreamweaver?" Zabok asked and motioned with his hands about the holodeck.
She worked the controls of the arch and without looking up, answered, "No. This program is a product of the Dreamweaver Project. The Dreamweaver Project is a method of writing and modifying the programming of complex holodeck programs in real time."
Zabok studied what she was doing with the controls, "Even if a person had a neural interface and didn't have to code the subroutines by hand there is no way the mind could modify even an extremely simple holodeck program on the fly. It would be far to complicated and a person wouldn't be able to keep up with the changes."
"Maybe not your mind," She commented. With a few taps of the holodeck controls the photons of the program dissolved away as the program was shut down. She opened the door to the holodeck and began to stride out into the corridor. "Coming Zabok?" she asked.
Zabok tailed close behind her, and when he caught up to her asked, "So I suppose your mind was engineered to resolve the complex calculations and subroutine coding at the speeds that would be required?"
"My involvement on the Dreamweaver project is more of a creative advisor aspect. I make relatively minor changes to the program. The brute force calculations are done by Dreamweaver herself," she answered. They continued down the corridor until they reached a turbolift. Once they were inside and the computer was instructed as to what deck she wished to travel to, she continued, "I'm going to need your help to tie Dreamweaver into the holodeck's computers. Hopefully when we get Dreamweaver online the problems with the degradation of the program will go away."
The turbolift doors slid open and they made their way down the corridor. "What is Dreamweaver then, Monet?"
They were finishing their approach of the bulkhead doors that led into cargo bay 3 when Monet answered, "I think your just going to have to see Dreamweaver for yourself, Zabok."
"I take it you like surprises by your cryptic response," Zabok commented.
The doors to the cargo bay opened.
Zabok's jaw dropped.
Monet smiled, "You look surprised Zabok."
With wide eyes Zabok inquired, "Is that what I think it is?"
* * *
Ensign Krag was late.
Crewman Mason stood before the holodeck doors. She had been ordered, albeit reluctantly, by the Captain to take some time away from her duty shift to participate in some new Starfleet Study that took place on the holodeck. Several others of the crew had been given the same enigmatic order to meet at the holodeck.
'Oh well,' she thought, 'At least it beats overhauling the lateral sensor array again.'
"Natalie!" came the exuberant voice of Ensign Krag from behind her. She could almost hear his toothy Ferengi grin in his salutation.
She turned around to him and replied, "It's about time Krag. The Captain's orders were for us to meet down here at 0800 hours."
He reached up and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Relax hoo-man, I got held up in sickbay," he explained.
"Sickbay? Are you okay?" she questioned .
His jagged smile widened when he took his hand back down and replied, "I couldn't be better. I stopped by because Lt. Delfar's dog was having it's puppies."
"Oh don't tell me you fell off the wagon and wagered some credits in that stupid pool on the number of puppies she was going to have, Krag," Crewman Mason groaned and shook her head.
"Natalie, you are my sponsor. And while I know your addiction was to alcohol and synthahol and not to gambling, I would hope you had better faith in me than that," Krag replied his smile still remaining, but not as radiant as before.
She lectured, "The last time I saw you this happy you had fallen off of the wagon and had won a weeks worth of credits from 30 different crewman in the ship's 'Guess the weight of the next ambassador we transport' pool."
"Close but not quite right, Natalie," he commented. He walked with her over to the holodeck doors and explained, "It cost me a week's worth of credits to bribe Lt Delfar's girlfriend, however in the end she managed to use her feminine charm with him to allow me the pick of the litter. I was in sickbay reserving which pup I wanted when they get weaned."
She looked down to him and shook her head. "I thought you didn't like pets, Krag? Something about the pleasure versus upkeep cost ratio wasn't profitable enough. In fact I remember you telling me that the day you owned a pet is the day all the latinum on..."
His lobes were ever so slightly twitching nervously. "Ordinarily that would be true. But given my present circumstances the ratio is very profitable," he rebuffed.
Crewman Mason's head cocked back, and she raised a brow. "And what sort of 'circumstances' might those be, Krag?" she asked with a firm smirk on her face.
Krag rolled his eyes and replied, "The Chief Petty Officer Winchell kind of circumstances."
"Winchell? Is she still after your lobes Krag?" Crewman Mason laughed.
Krag forced a smile in sarcasm. "She's never stopped. You figure after two years of me saying no she would get the hint and stop 'accidently' brushing her arm against my lobes when we work together. Sometimes you hoo-mans make no sense to me," he answered.
"So how is having a dog going to help you get rid of her?" she asked and went on to expound, "Most human females love puppies. If you ask me all you are going to do is get her to think you are a softie at heart and paint an even bigger target on your forehead for her advances."
Krag's forced smile gave way to a genuine jagged tooth grin, "Not so fast hoo-man. I did my research on this one."
"How's that?" she asked.
He raised one hand and casually inspected each nail with his thumb, "I contacted her last love interest and asked him for help. As it turns out she is a devoted feline lover, and doesn't like the company of people whom own dogs. I figure that when the time is right I will spring it on her that the only way she can have me is if she accepts my dog as well. All my problems solved by a furry terran quadruped that I will be more than willing to share my quarters with."
"There's only one problem with your plan, Krag," she commented and actuated the controls for the holodeck door.
Krag turned to the door and asked, "And what is that, Natalie?"
"What if she says 'Okay'?" she smiled.
The doors to the holodeck moaned open and before them laid a large dark chamber with a single cloaked figure standing in an illuminated spot in the center of the chamber. They proceeded into the dimly lit chamber towards the hooded robed figure that stood motionless holding a scythe in one hand. He stood in the spotlight of the only source of light in the room. His hood obscured all but his nose and lips in the shadows of its folds. As they approached closer the robed figure began to drone off in a soft low monotone voice, "Welcome to the holodeck, I am the Dreamweaver. You are about to embark upon a journey into the world of my mind. Before you enter that world there are a few important things you must know."
"I don't suppose you got anymore information about this Starfleet 'study' than I did, Natalie?" Krag said out of the side of his mouth in a whisper.
"Heck no," she replied in a soft voice, "I was expecting a standard Starfleet drill or instructional program, not the crypt keeper here."
The Dreamweaver droned on, "The first and foremost thing you must realize is that all the holodeck command codes have been taken offline. Except by your actions you will have no control of the world around you. My control is supreme in my world."
"How are we supposed to enter and exit the program then?" Crewman Mason bravely asked.
"While in my world all you need do in order to enter or exit the program is to find a hand padd or computer terminal, find the file marked Dreamweaver Alpha One that will be located upon all of them, and enter in your command access code. The padd will then display to you the locations of exits near your location in the world where you may freely exit the program to this loading program you are currently in. Once you return to this chamber you may exit the holodeck as you need.
Krag asked, "Why not just let us be able to pause the program and call for an arch?"
The Dreamweaver continued on, "This is the second thing you must understand. At no time can the characters of this program be made aware of the fact that they are in a holodeck program. Your control of the characters and the environment has been limited to your direct actions to prevent you from doing damage to the program by letting the characters realize that they are holo-characters in a program on a holodeck.
Crewman Mason asked, "Is there any information as to what this program is about that you can give us before we enter it?"
The Dreamweaver raised his scythe and waved in the air above him. A three dimensional representation of a Federation Starship came to life above them. On it's hull was the name U.S.S. Rosetta. He began, "You were stationed aboard the U.S.S. Rosetta, a prototype starship with an experimental Coaxial Warp Drive capable of transcending the warp 10 barrier." The scene of the starship faded to a scene of chaos and exploding conduits and panels in the ships interior. The scene quickly changed to the saucer section being ejected from the drive section and escape pods launching from both sections. He continued, "Due to an accident on it's maiden voyage the survivors of the ill fated mission are marooned and must work to survive on an unknown planet."
Krag's eyes were fixated on the image of the escape pods making planetfall. "Anything else?" Krag asked.
The Dreamweaver lowered his scythe and the image of the pods on the surface of the planet faded into nothingness. "I have revealed all that I can, are you ready?" he asked.
Crewman Mason looked over to meet Krag's mutual gaze that twinged with nervousness. She looked back to the Dreamweaver and replied, "Okay let's do this."
The Dreamweaver lifted his scythe out towards them, and as if being transported, they disappeared in a million shimmering points of light. In the span of a short second they found themselves to have rematerialized onboard a shuttle craft that was inside of a shuttle bay. Warning klaxon rung out through the shuttle's com system. "Warning! Plasma pressure at critical levels. Coaxial warp core overload in 60 seconds, all crew abandon ship."
"We must be onboard one of the Rosetta's Shuttlecraft inside a shuttlebay just before the Rosetta exploded," Crewman Mason commented. She made her way forward in the shuttle and eased down into the pilot's chair.
Krag followed her forward took the copilot's chair. "Well in about 60 seconds it won't really matter where we are if we are still here. How's the condition of this shuttle?"
Crewman Mason brought the controls to life and did a cursory examination of the shuttle's systems. "I've got a green light all across the board. All systems are operational," she answered.
"Good," Krag said. He began to actuate the remote controls to the shuttlebay doors. The doors began to open.
Suddenly the shuttle rocked and a thunderous vibration shuddered through the bulkhead. The lights of the shuttlebay flickered and then cut out entirely.
Crewman mason turned on the external illumination for the shuttle and it's lights shown off of a frozen and partially open shuttlebay door. "This can't be good," she said.
The computer rattled off, "Warning! Plasma pressure at critical levels. Coaxial warp core overload in 30 seconds, all crew abandon ship."
Krag's eyes grew wide. "Use the phasers to blast a bigger opening in the shuttlebay doors, Natalie," Krag hurriedly suggested.
"This is a short range personnel transport shuttlecraft," she remarked, "It isn't equipped with phasers." She deftly worked the controls and ordered, "Krag, shunt all power to shields and get ready to hold on."
He tapped the controls and did as she commanded.
"Hold on!" she exclaimed. She depressed the engage button for the thrusters which she had set to full.
Krag began, "Hoo-man you are not going to..." His words fell silent as he braced for the impact. The shuttle hit the doors with the thrusters set to full. The impact of the shuttle's shields against the shuttlebay's doors at full thrust tore the doors loose and shot them into space. Several panels shot sparks and exploded in the shuttle.
Krag breathed out a sigh of relief that he wasn't about to visit the holographic equivalent of the divine treasury. He quickly examined the shuttlecraft's status and reported, "Well the good news is that we are free of the Rosetta, The bad news is that the shields are all but gone and the Coaxial warp core of the Rosetta is about to..."
* * * [end chapter two]
Coaxial cliffhangers, Batman!!! What did Zabok see in the cargo bay? Will Crewman Mason and Krag survive the explosion of the Rosetta's warp core? What new mysteries will be generated with the next chapter? Tune in next time, because this story is.......
TO BE CONTINUED!