Hello again! It's been such a long time… I'm sorry. But I promise I haven't forgotten this story. See, I just posted a new chapter. I hope I didn't lose everyone's attention because of the gap in time.

As usual, a big heartfelt thank you for my reviewers :) and please, keep reviewing (: I hope you enjoy!

Chapter XI. Holodeck programs

Merrrshika met Kathryn and Chakotay at holodeck two. After the statutory salute, she explained her project to the captain and her first officer:

"I want to begin to trrain pilotsh forr my shuttles with hologrrams. I thought it would prrevent inexperrienched pilotsh to do terrible mishtakesh with rreal shuttles. Sho I prrogrramed two trraining prrogrrams forr pilotsh. One is a shimulation of my shuttles' pilot shaddles. The otherr one is a prrogrram of a herrd of horshes."

"I can understand why you did a simulation of a shuttle, but why a simulation of horses?", Chakotay inquired. "And where did you learn of horses?"

"I jusht ashked arround. Prretty much everry rrache of humanoids used shome shpecies orr anotherr of beasht of burrden to rride and move morre quickly in the firrsht times of hishtorry. Tom was the one who told me of the horrshes of Earrth, if you wish to know, and the database told me the rresht. As forr the rreason why I prrogrrammed a herrd of horrshes… Therre," she sighed, "is a prroblem with shecurrity," she admitted grudgingly.

Janeway and Chakotay glanced at each other. You had to expect security failures with a hacker around, Janeway thought, chagrined that her beloved Voyager was falling from her pedestal since Merrrshika was around.

"Yourr computerr can't prrogrram a shecurrity line againsht falls," Merrrshika clarified.

The captain shook her head.

"How is that a problem?"

"Do you rrememberr all the moves Pshi did the firrsht time I rrode him? He rrolled, pitched and moved to trry to get me out of the shaddle. He bit my arrms, too, and shcrratched my hands. Yourr computerr can prrogrram a securrity againsht bitesh and shcratches, but not againsht falling off the shaddle. And everrybody falls the firrsht times they rride."

"You mean that our computer can't prevent people from physically falling on the ground when they fall off the holographic saddle?", Chakotay asked, trying to clarify things.

"Yesh. I could inshtall a rreal shecurrity net, sho people would get bruises in the worrsht cases. But I wanted a prrogrram that could be a trraining forr the shuttles. Horrses arre alike my shuttles; they have theirr perrshonnality, theirr fears, theirr bad moods, but their fachial exhprresshion is easierr to guessh, if you know what I mean. Alsho, horrshes arre not as dangerroush as shuttles, because bitesh, rrearrs, crrushed toes and kicksh can be painlessh with shecurrity prrotocols."

Merrrshika paused, then went on, a bit embarrassed:

"I wanted to warrn you beforre I let people trry my prrogrrams. You can rrefuse them the accessh to my prrogrrams; nobody will everr hack thrrough my shecurrity. But thish is my only way to trrain them and my only way to pay you all back."

Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Two more shuttles with good pilots couldn't hurt in all the battles we've been through. But I can't let my crew get injured in a holodeck simulation. I will consult the Doctor and ask him what he thinks about the risks of your programs, if you install a security net."

"Alrright, Captain."

Chakotay and Kathryn left the holodeck space, while Merrrshika was calling the Doctor, activating her horses program and starting a simulation with the medical officer.

Five hours later, the security net was installed and the Doctor had declared the programs' use to be without serious danger. He recommended strongly, however, the use of protective equipment. He also advised in favour of a maximum number of people to be in simulation at any given time, and a prescribed number of hours of riding with supervision before the loading of Merrrshika's program by a rider was allowed.

This last measure forced serious restrictions on the total number of people that could try the program. In consequence, Janeway decided with Merrrshika that she should begin by testing the thirty or so pilots on board Voyager, whether they were pilots to war vessels or civilian transport ships, then choose five that she would train intensively. Once those pilots would be experienced enough to train alone, she could train five other pilots.

With her days of thirty hours, she could easily train two groups at a time, one after the other, and experienced pilots could train alone while she was sleeping, before giving them another lesson in her "mornings".

Merrrshika approved, only she had one more request to the captain:

"I would like to trrain two morre perrshons, who arre not experrtsh pilotsh, but I think they could be exchellent too."

"Of course, we will try to arrange their schedule to match one test, if they wish to participate. Who were you thinking about?", Janeway asked.

"Enshign Kim and lieutenant-commanderr Tuvok."

Janeway and Chakotay again glanced at each other, this time a look that made Merrrshika fear that she would be dismissed so they could discuss matters privately. She hurried to add, before she was ordered away:

"I would like Tuvok to be trrained because he is a telepath and that can help a grreat deal with orrganic vesshels with prrimitve communication shyshtems. I believe Harry would be good because he is an easy-going perrshon, but he shtill manages to be rreshpected. It is a good attitude with horrshes and shuttles."

Tuvok was almost sick with curiosity – judging by Vulcan standards, of course – regarding those mysterious holodeck programs. It was certain he would agree to participate. Kim, for his part, gave the impression that he would not refuse a training program that allowed him to spend time with Merrrshika, especially if she asked herself.

ooooo

The next day, on Merrrshika's biological calendar, she was in the faithful holodeck two with a happy group of five potential pilots who felt very privileged and were impatient to discover what awaited them. Nobody had the slightest idea regarding the programs' contents; she had not been generous on details and the officers had not slipped a word.

When she arrived, she harboured her ruffled hairstyle, wore clothes slightly different than the ones she usually wore, taller and thicker, wore no gloves and was smiling with all her pointed teeth. The group facing her comprised Tom Paris, Harry Kim, Tuvok, Kathryn Janeway and the beta-shift pilot, Brad Murphy. She welcomed them, then asked Janeway:

"Captain, did you tell them anything?"

"No ma'am," the captain answered, amused.

"Verrry good," Merrrshika rejoiced with a worrying glee. "Don't tell them now. Ok, I want you all to shtay calm. Computerr, rrun the holo prrogrram HRSHRD, folderr TRAINPROGMERRR, in the auxiliarry HD."

The computer produced two sounds one after the other; the first one meant that it tried to connect to an auxiliary network and the second one showing that the connection was established.

"Password?", the feminine voice of the computer inquired.

"Hey, what's that irregular procedure?", Kim rebelled.

"Shterrika lock," Merrrshika said with a wink.

"Wrong password," the computer intoned. "Preparing emergency shutdown. Please confirm password."

"Merrrshika, thrree times zerro, one, fun."

Immediately a landscape materialized around them. They were in the middle of a vast plain, with a sun that was far and cold. The air was dry, as were the few bushes and grass. On the far away slope of the gentle hollow where they were, there were trees with orange-coloured leaves. On their right was a building, long and low, with numerous windows and tall doors. Closer to them, however, were four fences forming a paddock, and the six horses held within the paddock.

Said horses were galloping towards them happily in a thunder of hoof beats and a cloud of dust.

Merrrshika laughed as her potential pilots all disappeared running the other way and slid between the fence's bars. After a while, though, she noticed that Harry was still somewhere behind her, relatively close, and it was written all over his stance that the only thought that held him in his spot was the existence of security protocols. His eyes were shut tightly. He showed more logic than even Tuvok! Merrrshika laughed and paused the program once the horses had slowed down to a reasonable pace.

"Damned, are you here to test us or to kill us?", Tom exclaimed with his usual spirit.

"To tesht you," she answered with a smile. "Everrybody, come back herre. I will reshtarrt my prrogrram. Rrememberr, therre is no dangerr, shecurrity is online."

The potential pilots were visibly calmer when she restarted the program and the horses moved about them at a leisurely pace, smelling them curiously.

"Come on," Merrrshika encouraged, "thish can't be worrshe than Shtarrfleet shelection teshtsh?"

"It's not," Harry admitted, "but at least we have an idea of what we should prepare for!"

"And you werre prreparred to end up in the delta quadrrant?", Merrrshika replied coolly.

There was a silence and Tom appeared to grow a backbone.

"Now," Merrrshika announced, "I will intrroduche you to each horshe. Therre arre sheven horrshesh: one shtallion, one prregnant marre, two geldings and thrree morre marres. You will make a choiche and I will obserrve you a while as you carre forr them."

The stallion was called Oural and was the colour of shining copper in the sunlight. He also happened to be quick, but not mean, and readily ran quicker than the rider intended to. The pregnant mare was a thoroughbred called Eclipse, full of energy and nervous, but listening to her rider attentively. The two geldings were gray: one was Hoshaba, an Arabian horse of steady calm and assurance in all circumstances, the other Garranos, an Andalusian of massive built that was hard to get moving, but very affectionate. There was another thoroughbred, a black mare by the original name of Daisy, born and bred to race and with the fiery temper that came with it. There was also a jumping horse by the name of Walendorf, with an unstoppable enthusiasm that made her playful and hard to keep still. The last horse, Ossétie, was a fearful white mare with a sure foot that required much patience and gentleness from a rider.

Janeway chose Oural, the stallion, almost without hesitation. Harry went with Ossétie. No real surprise so far, Merrrshika thought wryly. Tuvok hesitated a while before he chose Garranos, the dressage horse that was prone to like his riders. And the Vulcan tried to maintain the claim that he had no feelings! Paris chose Daisy, probably seduced by promises of speed, but looked at the halter in his hand as though it was a threatening object. Murphy, as any fighter pilot would, chose Walendorf; it seemed a good choice since she would be willing to try everything he dared to.

Merrrshika looked at her group with a fond smile as they all turned back to happy teenagers under her eyes as they tried to catch horses by giving them a handful of oatmeal. Kathryn was the first one to manage to put the halter on despite the agitation of the stallion. The last one to succeed was Tom, although the blame was to be laid at Daisy's feet.

Once all the horses were tied to the stables' wall, the group followed Merrrshika's instructions and started to rub down their horses. The Mirrresh walked among them, observing them to see who were the most at ease.

Tom was having trouble, obviously, since his horse was the hardest to deal with, but his own attitude too was wrong. Tom was a nervous kind, impatient and a little curt. He said what he thought, when he thought it, and how he thought it. His moves reflected the same vitality. With horses and organic shuttles, it was better to be calmer and more deliberate, unless one planned to race for speed, win, be rich and pay a groom full-time to care for the animal without driving him crazy with agitation.

Tom's character somehow reminded Merrrshika of the male shuttle she had rescued from the herd of Mirrresh ships. She knew Tom's fighting style was not in finesse and elaborate evasive manoeuvres. Brutal assault was likely to suit both Tom and the shuttle. On the other hand, Merrrshika hesitated to entrust the male shuttle to someone so spontaneous. She could not afford a brutally efficient shuttle whose aggressively forced it to isolation. There was not enough place on board Voyager for such a rebellious shuttle.

And so, with Tom more or less eliminated because of his fiery attitude, Janeway was the first choice to pilot the male so far. The simple fact that she had chosen the stallion was already telling much. She seemed relatively at ease, but not quite assured enough, according to Merrrshika. It was already certain that the male shuttle would have a hell of a temper; he would need someone firm with him and Merrrshika was not certain that Kathryn could be. She had already seen the captain use the "iron fist in a velvet glove" tactic many times in interstellar diplomacy. Maybe she would attain the same attitude with horses and shuttles, with time…

Murphy was getting along marvellously with Walendorf. He was brushing her with one hand and playing with her with the other, pulling at a rope she was holding in her teeth. He seemed to be having fun and was keeping the mare busy in an ingenious manner. Merrrshika decided to keep him in reserve as a pilot for the male in case Janeway could not free herself from the captain's responsibilities.

Garranos seemed to appreciate Tuvok's presence, who seemed to like the experience too. Merrrshika risked this assessment of the Vulcan's state of mind by his stance, that seemed less stiff and formal. His strokes with the brush were exaggeratedly precise, however. Merrrshika smiled to herself. Vulcans assuredly had an astounding success in dressage in all the galaxy, with their discipline and meticulous accuracy.

The most impressive member of the team, however, was Harry. Ossétie already showed him great trust. She was relaxed and calm, despite all the strangers present around her and of Daisy and Tom next to her, who were moving a lot. Kim moved around his horse with a lot of ease and softness. It seemed natural to him to always touch her and speak to her often to reassure her, which was exactly the attitude to adopt. He definitively was her first choice to pilot the female shuttle. Tuvok would have to be the second choice. With a pilot's helmet and reins in his hands, the Vulcan would probably know instinctively how to act. Merrrshika had seen him handle individuals of many unknown alien species in the exact way; he probably used his sense of empathy a great deal, but always staying respectful of other people's minds.

Seeing them on horseback only confirmed what she had already guessed. Kathryn had a great potential but lacked a bit of assurance. Tuvok had enough gentleness and steady precision to pilot the female shuttle. Kim was still as much impressive in calm and shared trust with his fearful mount. Murphy was doing good with Walendorf and Merrrshika saw in him the reflexes of a good acrobatics pilot: he was holding himself ready, his muscles half-tensed, scanning visually his surroundings repeatedly and quickly. Tom was having trouble, but his horse moved a lot, and Merrrshika finally opened her program's parameters to calm Daisy a bit; things were better for him after that, but he still had this nervousness that would not agree with the male shuttle.

After a mere hour on horseback, she ordered them to stop and care for their horse again. She observed them secretly a bit more, noting some more information on an holographic pad that would transfer everything to a database designed to help in the choice of the best candidates.

Then she pushed everyone out with a smile to greet the second wave of potential pilots coming to be tested. She ordered sternly to those leaving not to reveal anything of the simulation to anyone, knowing full well that, unless this was some freaky full-security military secret vessel, the whole vessel would know everything about her program down to the tiniest detail.

She smiled with her unnerving pointed teeth to the new wave of pilots, repeated her instructions to keep calm, and started up her simulation again.