Miles and Rick led Corvin into a dark room, several meters across in any direction. The black walls, ceiling and floor were all covered in a bright yellow grid that looked digital in nature. The footfalls of their boots echoed across the high ceiling. Corvin noticed that the grid pattern seemed less built into the walls and floor, than it was a projection overtop of it. He could tell his feet were breaking up the grid, not just covering it up. He tried to gauge how far up the ceiling was, but the repetitive lattice pattern made him dizzy. When the door closed behind the three men, it too blended into the wall it was installed on, adopting the grid pattern.
"So, what does this room do, aside from making your eyes ache?" Corvin asked, glancing around.
"Glad you asked." Rick responded, the broad smile still on his lips. "Computer: load New York City, Times Square, New Year's Eve 2019." The pattern on the walls and floor began to blur, and the space around them began to resolve into a broad cityscape that seemed to stretch on infinitely. People materialized out of thin air, dressed for cold weather, and all were decorated with brilliant, sparkling hats, eyewear and streamers. Corvin suddenly felt the chill of winter around him, and his first astonished breaths fogged the air. Music, confetti and sounds of revelry filled the air, and brilliant signage adorned the walls of the towering skyscrapers on either side of him. One of the people who had appeared from nothing bumped into Corvin's shoulder as he passed, offering hasty apologies before rejoining his "friends" nearby, bottles in hand that were frothing at their mouths, and he caught a vaguely familiar scent of an alcoholic beverage in the bottles as the digital man passed. On top of the building in front of the crowd, a giant, multifaceted orb was suspended from a massive rig, and was slowly descending towards the roof of the skyscraper. A countdown timer was directly below the contraption, and as it hit zero, the crowd erupted in cheers of "Happy New Year!" Couples around him shared impassioned and joyful kisses and a mirthful song began playing on the loudspeakers around the pavilion.
"Computer, freeze program!" He heard Miles call over the crowd, and all at once, the confetti hung frozen in midair, the cheers stopped abruptly, and the people around them froze in place.
"This is... I... I don't even know where to start!" Corvin said, pure amazement in his voice. He waved his hand in front of a petrified character, getting no reaction.
"This is one of two such recreational and research holodecks on board," Rick said, sweeping his arm across the scene. "We can program hologramic recreations of pretty much anything you can think of. From classic books and film, to sporting events, historical landmarks back home, if you can dream it, the holodeck can take you there."
"Most impressive. Is this what you wanted to show me, some Earth party?" Corvin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, of course not. This was just to give you a taste of what these rooms can really do. We have something far more useful in mind. We got some specs and information from your droid, and with a couple of your pilot buddies filling in the blanks prior to the memorial, we came up with- here, let me just show you. Computer: load program Chase-Paxton 38."
After a few moments, the celebration around them blurred, fizzled and disappeared, replacing itself with a replica of the Valor's hangar bay. The temperature returned to a more comfortable setting, and the sounds of X-wing engines powering down filled his ears, and he whipped around to see his own X-wing settling down on its repulsorlifts to the hangar deck behind them. While he knew his actual fighter was in Orion's Shuttle Bay, he was taken aback at how perfect the replica was, down to the eleven various TIE Fighters painted along the fuselage. He made a mental note to ask the techs brought along by Valor to add the four from his earlier dogfight to his total. The fighter's landing gear clanked as it settled onto the struts, and steam hissed as it vented excess heat. Holograms of Rebel techs scurried underneath the craft, setting up a pair of ladders and platforms on either end of the fuselage. The ambient sounds of the hangar instantly put Corvin at ease, the familiar din of the hangar melting the stress away from him. The recreation was accurate even down to the smells of coolant and oil in the bay. Then, at the sharp report of excited whistles and warbles behind him, he turned to see Date rolling into the room from an archway that seemingly had been manifested out of thin air, escorted by Ensign Romanov.
"Date! You little scoundrel!" He exclaimed, patting the droid on the dome as it tottered next to him.
"Thanks for bringing our little co-conspirator by, Tanya." Rick said with a polite wave in her direction.
"My pleasure, sir." She said, sketching a quick salute before turning on her heel to leave.
"Wait a sec," Miles called after her. "Wanna stick around and help out? We could always use an extra set of hands."
"Well, I don't know how much help I can be, but I suppose someone has to break up the boy's club you've built here." She said, turning back away from the arch.
"Perfect!" Miles said, clapping his hands together. "Then let's get to testing!"
"You still haven't told me what we're doing here," Corvin said, rubbing the back of his neck quizzically. "What exactly are we 'testing?'"
"Some modifications to your engines, that should solve your fuel problem." Rick said, punching in orders on a datapad, and multiple crates of parts and various shelves lined with tools appeared out of thin air in the simulated hangar.
"Well, I think the arrival of a friendly warship from my own galaxy kind of solves that, doesn't it?" Corvin said, kneeling down to inspect the unfamiliar parts. "They brought enough fuel for a squadron and then some."
"True, but this should make it so you don't need to use their supply while you're here," Miles said, lifting one of the crates and moving it towards the fighter. "We're hookin' you up with a dilithium crystal matrix."
"Emphasis on should," Rick amended, pulling out a tricorder and running some numbers through it. "We're mixing two vastly different technologies here, so we need to test it in a place with safety protocols so we don't, you know, die. Best case scenario, your fighter will basically have a hybrid hyperdrive/warp engine, and rely on refueling significantly less as long as we replace the dilithium crystals every now and again. Also, if and when you return home, the modifications we make will be easily removable so you can go back to using the fuel this thing used to take."
"And, what's the worst case?" Corvin reluctantly asked.
"The worst case, is that we turn this X-wing into a flying antimatter bomb," Rick said grimly, and Corvin took a step back in astonishment. "Don't worry kid, it won't come to that in the real world. A simulated antimatter bomb won't kill you, which again, is why we're testing this stuff in holo first. If it's not 100% safe in the sim, we don't implement it for real."
Corvin let out his breath, and picked up a simulated hydrospanner offered to him by his astromech. "Well then, what have we to lose?"
"I concur, sir! Let's go!" All four of the human occupants in the room turned and stared, mouths agape at the little white and orange R4 unit, who up until that moment, had only ever communicated in beeps and whistles. The droid now possessed a spry, enthusiastic mechanical voice emanating from a tiny speaker that had discreetly materialized on his dome shortly after entering the holodeck. Corvin let the holographic tool clatter to the floor, and he stood frozen for a moment, too stunned for words.
"Well... that's a new one on me," he said at last.
"Ah, of course! My apologies, Darick!" Date said, teetering back and forth on his two main legs. "This was a little something special I worked into the program I gave Mister Chase when he proposed this little presentation! I figured it would aid the process if you did not have to rely on outside translation to understand me!" The droid leaned forward a bit, as if hanging its "head" in shame, but his tone remained excited and jubilant. "Please forgive my failure to make this addition to the program known beforehand, I merely wanted to surprise you as well!"
"That's... okay, Date. I get it. But, why do you sound so... happy all the time, even when you're clearly a little remorseful or ashamed?" Corvin asked.
"I didn't have enough time to program a full range of simulated emotions! This tone is all I can manage! I do hope that won't be a problem!" The droid said, as ecstatic as ever.
"I think we'll get by. So, how long will this last?" Corvin said.
"No holograms will persist outside of this room, so only while he's in here, and I think only while this specific program is running," Miles responded, jerking a thumb towards the door.
"Correct, Lieutenant Chase! This new freedom of communication is something that will take me a long time to get over losing once this simulation is complete! At least, I imagine it would, if droids could be depressed, that is!" Date extended a manipulator arm to the floor and picked up the hydrospanner, handing back to Corvin as he had done moments before.
"Well, let's delay both our respective existential crises until after we've got this project done, buddy." Corvin said, accepting the tool and striding confidently towards the holographic X-wing.
The five of them quickly got to work. Rick and Miles called upon the program to add in the appropriate parts they thought they would need for the fuel line conversions, and for the modifications for what they dubbed the "hyper-warp drive." The conduits that would carry power from the dilithitum matrix easily fit the contours of the fighter, and Corvin was relieved that most of the additions wouldn't increase his target profile by any significant margin. The X-wing's slim design and split wings presented a narrow target from in front, from behind and to the sides of the craft, with most of the danger of hits coming from attacks from above or below. The dilithitum chamber was mostly housed in the fighter's engine compartment, nestled in beside- and wired into- his hyperdrive generator. The slight protrusion was deemed insignificant enough that Corvin wasn't so worried about taking more hits in combat.
If an enemy hits anywhere near there, I'm dead anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.
The first test of the hybrid engine had not gone to plan, with the ersatz X-wing detonating shortly after remote start-up, filling the simulated hangar with a large antimatter explosion, leaving the entire area little more than free particles in hologramic space. The holodeck safeties meant that the occupants felt none of the effects, with Miles and Rick simply frowning in mild annoyance as the antimatter bomb they had designed enveloped them in its destruction. Corvin had instinctively recoiled in horror as the wave of energy engulfed them, but realized that he was neither blinded nor deafened by the explosion, in addition to still being alive. Date shrieked with his holo-speaker, a high-pitched wail that cut above the reduced noise of the explosion. Tanya also took a step back, but her reaction was far more reserved than Corvin's.
He heard Miles issue a command, and within seconds, the holodeck resolved into a fresh, undamaged version of the hangar, with all of their modifications up to that point still on the simulated craft.
"Okay, well we obviously did something we weren't supposed to," he announced to the group, as if no one else has figured it out.
"You don't say," Rick muttered, walking up to the flying warhead they had created, and giving his work a once-over. He took notes on his datapad, inspecting each adjustment and modification they had installed. Still unfamiliar with the workings of the unmodified fighter, he asked Corvin and Date to make sure everything that was on the ship to start with was working fine as well. For half an hour, they inspected every centimeter of their work, then decided to check out the rest of the ship, just to be safe. Rick stopped as he passed by the torpedo launch tube on the starboard side of the X-wing.
"Just out of curiosity, Mr. Corvin, what kind of ordnance is this?" he asked, pointing to the launch tube.
"Proton torpedoes, why?"
"Proton, eh? Just a hunch. Computer: remove proton torpedo magazines and launchers from the X-wing, and reinitialize remote startup." The tubes on the side of the fighter vanished, and soon after, the X-wing again flared its engines to life, and the repulsors kicked in, as the fighter lifted from the deck, perfectly stable. Rick scanned the back of the craft with his tricorder, and nodded.
"How do those torpedoes work, exactly?" He asked, setting the tricorder aside.
"Like I've said before, I'm no tech, but one of our flight crew mentioned something about an element called baradium, that is energized by the proton reaction for detonation, or something in that realm. Why?"
"It would appear that this 'baradium' in the torpedoes and the dilithitum matrix don't get along. The torpedoes are unshielded in the magazine, and the extra energy produced by our modifications is adding a lot of radiation in the engine that's unaccounted for. That's setting off the proton reaction your torpedoes use, detonating them prematurely. And when that explosion reaches our miniature warp core here, you've got a rather insidious and destructive hybrid proton/antimatter bomb."
"That doesn't make any sense," Corvin said, perplexed.
"Fifteen years as a Starfleet engineer means I've seen a lot of shit that just doesn't make sense, but exists nonetheless." Rick put the tricorder away and folded his arms across his chest.
"So, what are our options?" Miles asked in return. Rick began counting off his fingers.
"Option one: We scrap the project. Option Two: we design some special shielding for either the torpedo magazines or the antimatter chamber. Three: You remove the launchers permanently." Corvin began pondering the options, before Tanya spoke up.
"What if we just replace the torpedos?" she asked. "This can't be the only munitions you guys use back home, right? And Valor brought extra supplies, right? Maybe they have some other ordnance you can use."
"Excellent thinking, Ms. Romanov," Rick praised the young woman. "You sure you don't wanna ditch Ops to come work in Engineering? We could use a good problem solver like you."
"Thanks, but I think you boys would have gotten there regardless. I'd say it's not rocket science, but, well..." she gestured to the snubfighter.
"Right. So, how about it, Darick? Any other munitions we could load you up with, instead?" Rick asked.
"Well, the A-wings pilots said they use concussion missiles. The launch tubes will have to be modified, but I know the techs have done it in the past, so I think that could work." Corvin said, looking down at his little astromech droid. "Date, did you get a chance to see Valor's inventory while we were aboard?"
"I did! But while they appear to have adequate supplies of missiles, there are no X-wing compatible launch tubes on board." The droid said in its artificially cheerful voice.
"We could replicate some if we get the specs. In the meantime, I suppose we can try to develop some kind of shielding to cover the magazines or the new parts," Rick said, picking up his PADD and creating new simulated components. "We can fall back on the concussion missiles if we can't get this figured out before we hit DS9."
"Sounds like a plan." Miles grabbed one of the hydrospanners on a rolling cart nearby, and pried open a panel on the rear of the X-wing.
The three men, Tanya and Date worked late into the night. For sake of argument, the X-wing was tested again with concussion missiles subbed in for the torpedoes, and the results were acceptable. But while they were trying to figure out how to adapt the existing launchers to take the missiles, a breakthrough from Rick brought them the solution to making the proton torpedoes compatible.
One of the valid concerns Corvin had about the entire project was weight. Space combat was less affected by the relative weight of a ship the size of an X-wing, but in atmospheric flight, the snubfighter would almost certainly suffer a hit to speed and maneuverability. While Rick and Miles had insisted there would be almost no chance of an atmospheric dogfight anytime soon, Corvin insisted that any modifications be as lightweight as possible, just in case. The answer was a simple wrap made with a bismuth trioxide compound, that fit snugly around the magazines and the internal portion of the launch tubes. The X-wing now hovered a meter off the deck, the hyper-warp drive- and a full complement of torpedoes- safely onboard.
"I guess simple really is best," Corvin said with a whistle of amazement. "Where'd you hear about this stuff?" He asked, holding a sample of the stretchy, flimsiplast wrap in his hands.
"They used to line the old space shuttles with something a lot like this back in the 20th and 21st century," Rick said, also stretching a piece of the material absentmindedly. "Mostly for solar radiation, but it looks like it works just fine for this purpose as well. My thesis at the Academy was all about the engineering techniques at that time, and any modern applications it could still serve." Corvin clapped the elder man on the shoulder.
"Can't wait to get the real thing done," he said through a yawn that formed mid-sentence. "But I suppose that will have to wait until after a few hours' rest."
"Which reminds me: we should check and see where we are outside," Rick responded, reaching up to his chest to trigger his combadge. "Paxton to bridge."
"Varik here, sir," the Vulcan Tactical officer replied.
"Ah, Varik, I was expecting the Captain. Requesting ETA to Deep Space Nine, if you don't mind."
There was a pause on the other end of the combadge. "Commander, we have been docked with the station for approximately one hour. The Captain is already ashore."
Everyone's eyes went wide as they checked various timekeeping devices and realized how long they had been working. Rick tapped the badge again. "Right, er... thank you, Varik. That'll be all."
Miles tossed his tricorder onto the tray table next to him and frowned. "We missed the docking?! I love bringing us into DS9!" He threw up his hands in exasperation.
"Yeah, you just can't help but admire those pylons as you fly by," Tanya said wistfully. Corvin looked at his friends, a slightly puzzled look on his face. His gaze slowly shifted to the simulated walls and ceiling around him, and the imaginary glow rod in his head lit up like a beacon.
"Well, we are standing in a room that can show us anything we want to see, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Rick, Miles and Tanya all shared a look with each other, and then turned their gaze on their visitor from another galaxy.
"Corvin, you're a goddamn genius," Rick said.
"So, DS9 entry then a nap?" Tanya asked.
"Fair enough," Miles concurred. "Computer: save current program, and load bridge of U.S.S. Orion, NCC 2510-C, on approach to Deep Space Nine."
The X-wing faded to nothing, followed closely by the rest of the hangar. The room slowly rearranged itself into a perfect replica of Orion's bridge, the sounds of the consoles thrumming to life filled their ears. The holodeck did not render in facsimiles of the bridge crew, so the four of them plus Date were alone in the room. Outside the main viewescreen, a giant space station slowly rotated, a central structure with a great ring encircling it. Six curved pylons, three above and three below, jutted out from points along the station. Several hundred kilometers above and behind the facility, a massive wormhole of blue, gold and white swirled around, and Corvin's eyes got wide.
"That's not..." he began to say.
"The wormhole that can take you home? Sadly, no," Tanya said, resting a hand on Corvin's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "That's the Bajoran wormhole, the conduit to the Gamma Quadrant of our galaxy."
"That thing will take you almost a hundred thousand light years in the blink of an eye," Rick added. "When it's open, of course. It's the only stable wormhole in the known galaxy, but 'stable' in this case just means it's points are fixed. It opens and closes when it wants to," He continued. Corvin only stared in amazement. He took a seat at one of the bridge consoles and watched the station and the wormhole with wide eyes.
"Can't say I've ever seen anything like this back home," he mused, his voice taking on a slight tinge of sadness, as his mind drifted back to the homeworld he suddenly remembered he could never return to. Miles noticed the change in his mood, too.
"Hey, why don't you take the con? I can bring us into the station, but we need someone to give the orders," he said, winking back at Rick and Tanya, who simply smiled and took their stations. Miles did the same, sitting at the hologramic recreation of his actual bridge workstation, then turned his chair to face the Captain's chair, motioning towards it with his hand.
"Sir. The bridge is yours," he said. Corvin shook off his growing sorrow, and put on a smile of his own. He got up from the random console he had sat down at, and cautiously approached the con. He sat down, marveling at how much better padding was afforded in the Captain's chair as opposed to the one he had vacated. Perks of command, he guessed to himself. Date rolled up next to him and warbled a few encouraging sounding beeps, his holo-speaker having vanished with the old hangar program. Looking back out at the station, he gestured with a commanding point.
"Helm: take us in." He stated in his best imitation of every commanding officer he'd ever had.
"Aye, sir," Miles said, his hands dancing over the controls. The image outside began to move as the simulated Orion began its approach to Deep Space Nine. The course Miles took brought them twice around the facility, giving all of them time to appreciate the station's grandeur, the massive docking pylons especially. On the third pass, Miles expertly weaved the ship into the inner reach of those pylons, choosing one of the upper arms to dock with. The holodeck shook as the simulation mimicked the connection of the pylon with Orion's docking station. The four of them shared another look, each of them exhausted, but satisfied with their time on the holodeck.
"We'll look into requesting what we can from the real station while we're there, and replicate the rest," Miles said, rising from his chair. "But first, I would say that nap is in order. Computer: end program."
The ship's bridge faded, returning the holodeck to its default configuration. The five occupants left the chamber, and began to make their way to their respective quarters.
"And make sure you comm that Ensign!" Miles called out as Corvin, Date and Tanya split off from the other two.
"I will," Corvin promised, blushing slightly as Tanya gave him a sly grin. "What Ensign?" she asked. Corvin sheepishly explained the situation with the Andorian woman in the corridor prior to their arrival at the holodeck, to which Tanya beamed.
"Oh, Talee! She's an absolute sweetheart! We go way back!"
"You know her?" he asked.
"Yeah, we met at the Academy. We actually went on a couple of dates after we graduated, but that didn't last long."
"What went wrong?" he asked, a slight concern in his eyes.
"Oh, nothing really. We just worked better as friends, as opposed to escalating to lovers. But, she did introduce me to my current boyfriend, so you can be assured there's no hard feelings." she smiled and patted his arm. "He's actually doing a rotation here on DS9, so maybe the four of us can meet up for drinks or something!"
"That'd be nice. I don't have much experience dating, even less outside my own species, so it would definitely help having some backup in another friendly face," he said. The two of them talked for another few minutes, mostly Tanya explaining some of the quirks that made Deep Space Nine unique, and issuing the almost mandatory warning about the station's greedy Ferengi bartender, Quark. She laughed as she told a story of her and her friends being guilt-tripped into buying a bunch of worthless Spican flame gems from the barkeep, as well as a healthy supply of the Antarean glow water needed to polish them.
"That's a scam that dates back all the way to the 2260's, and we ran headlong into it," she said in between her and Corvin's laughter. It's a damn shame his bar is as nice as it is, because he's a piece of work, that Quark."
Corvin stopped in front of his door, with Date rolling up beside him. "Well, this is me. I suppose I'll catch up with you at the station."
"Of course. Have a nice nap, Lieutenant," she said, giving him a friendly shoulder-to-shoulder hug, and patting Date's dome as she departed. Corvin keyed the locking pad, shuffled into the room and peeled off his boots and flight suit. The orange garment had been basically the only thing he had worn since his arrival, and while it had been cleaned since coming aboard, he had decided a change of clothes was very much in order.
Moving to the replicator, he asked the computer if it could replicate garments as well. The display showed him several different varieties of civilian clothing popular among humans in the Federation. He chose a pair of black slacks, matching shoes, a red undershirt, and a stylish white and red jacket. He laid out his new outfit on the table in the center of the main living area, before making his way over to his quarters' refresher chamber to finally figure out the intricacies of a sonic shower.
He had assumed the process was much like a sanisteam, augmented by sonic vibrations in the water. The actual sonic shower surprised him. The shower stall consisted of several panels on the wall in the refresher room, and upon activation, the panels produced low frequency sound waves that pelted his body from both directions, causing him to flinch slightly. There was no water to be found. The sound waves were not loud, but the vibrations produced seemed to break up dirt, grime, dried sweat and dead skin off his body. He could feel himself being cleaned by the sound waves, and marveled at the process.
Once he was clean, he donned a simple shirt and shorts produced by the replicator. Dimming the lights, and with Date instructed to hold any messages and wake him in three hours, he poured himself into bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep.