After Allucia had appeared to come to terms with her situation she proceeded to get her hands into all the new technologies that fascinated her. But after about a month passed, the novelty of being aboard Voyager was beginning to wear off for Allucia, although she had ended joining the crew, and was given a field commission of ensign.
Since she had told the Captain she had dropped out of high school because they had given her problems and she was also from a time period where education was vastly different, after some trouble, Allucia and Kathryn had reached an agreement in that a more vocational education might be the most beneficial, with part-time studying to catch the teenager up to the 24th century. After all, half of Voyager's crew were provisional officers... what was one more?
Along with this came some changes to the young new ensign's appearance, since she now had Starfleet regulations to adhere to. She wasn't too happy about it, either. Most of her earrings were gone (but not forgotten) as were her nose ring and belly ring; however, her tattoo was not. Her hair was also back to its original hue, which turned out to be jet black.
She entered Holodeck Two with a black mesh bag slung over her shoulder and dressed in denim shorts, a purple tank top, and sneakers. "Computer, activate program Lusha-1." A softball field appeared, in the midst of Central Park, New York City. The temperature and humidity immediately shot up to summer temperatures. As this was based on the park of Allucia's time, it was incredibly hot due to climate change. A holographic sun shone overhead in a blue cloudless sky. The one thing the teenager liked most about this new century she was thrown into was the holodecks. The replicators ran a close second.
Allucia breathed in the dusty musty odor of the field. Now it was time to begin her work out. "Computer, catcher's equipment to my preset specifications," she said, dropping her bag in front of one of the dugouts. She first took out a PADD and pressed a couple of controls on it. A moment later the catcher's equipment appeared behind home plate. Allucia smiled and dug into her bag again, producing a newly replicated softball glove.
The teenager held it in the air with two fingers and dropped it to the ground, jumped on it a couple of times, and rubbed it in the dirt until it was good and dusty. Of course when she took the glove out of the holodeck all the dust would disappear, but the damage inflicted upon it would not.
She donned the leg guards, chest pad, and helmet, and settled into her crouch behind home. "Computer, add team Valkyries." Her softball team from home appeared on the field, warming up. The opposing team was sitting in their dugout.
After warming up for a few minutes, Allucia decided against playing a game. "Computer, remove all characters." The holograms disappeared. "Add pitcher number two."
A tiny figure with brown hair appeared on the pitcher's mound. Allucia smiled. Chrissy Lorenz. The sixth grade pitcher who could match and probably even beat the high school varsity pitcher back home. It was hell to catch for her, especially since Allucia didn't have nor want a catcher's mitt. Her hand would hurt like hell after catching for her, even if the inning was only nine pitches long.
Then Allucia had a burst of inspiration. "Computer, confirm: are the safeties off?" she asked, removing her equipment.
"Confirmed. Holographic safeties are disengaged." came the crisp electronic reply. Allucia smirked to herself. Normally, the computer required a high ranking officer to disengage the safeties, but the teenager had been able to hack into the system to find a way around it. As much as technology had progressed, programming languages all had the same roots and it hadn't even taken a week for her to adapt to it.
Allucia settled back into her crouch. She loved to catch without equipment, the freedom of being unburdened and easily able to move about; not to mention on a day like this it was a portable oven. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the hem of her shirt, held her glove up, and gave a slight nod.
The pitch came and the slammed into her glove at sixty miles per hour. She grit her teeth. Damn, that hurts but the speed is perfect. Allucia dropped to knees and threw the ball back, grunting softly as her bare knees hit the dirt; propping her glove on the ground she pushed herself back into her crouch.
This exchange between catcher and pitcher was going on for thirty minutes when the holographic Chrissy began pitching somewhat erratically, but Allucia had programmed that in, like the real Chrissy would be hurling when she was tiring. She was regretting taking her equipment off, since most of the balls she missed hit her legs, but she didn't want to break the steady rhythm she had fallen into.
A particularly high pitch came, and Allucia sprang up from her crouch, her knees cracking like dry kindling as she arched up and safely cradled the ball in her glove.
By now, Allucia, despite the lack of equipment, was so hot she could feel the heat radiating off of her body. She decided to take one more pitch then call it quits for the day, as her allotted holodeck time was probably almost up anyway.
The last thing she saw before blackness was the softball heading directly for her.
"She's coming around, Doc," came a voice. Allucia opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, the two figures with red and blue-shouldered uniforms slowly coming into focus. It was Tom and the Doctor.
Allucia smiled. "Did I'z oversleep?"
The HoloDoc rolled his eyes, but the pilot chuckled. "You could say that," he said, helping the girl sit up. Allucia put a hand to her temple; she was dizzy as hell. "Ensign Gerron found you on the holodeck unconscious when he went to run his Bajorian meditation program."
"So what's my souvineer?" Allucia asked.
Tom made a weird face for a moment, not knowing what she meant. Then it dawned on him, a look of comprehension spreading across his face. "Your left eye was swollen shut, it looked as though you were hit by something. What happened?" I still can't get over that accent, he thought. But by now he'd caught on that it wasn't her normal mode of speaking. He wondered why she faked it. If she hadn't dropped her guard a few times around the pilot-nurse and spoke normally, he never would have caught on.
"I was tryin' out da softball holoprogram I'z made. I was catchin' for the pitcher an' the last thing I rememba was the ball flyin' at my face." Allucia explained. "The holographic safeties was off and I wasn't wearing my catching gear." She looked to the Doctor. "Can I'z go now?"
"No." the Doc stated firmly. "I want to run a few more tests." he said, then walked off to get another scanning device.
"Softball is a variation of baseball, right?" Tom asked.
Allucia nodded. "Pretty much."
"Just how fast were those pitches coming, Lush?" he asked, using his own nickname he'd come up with for her. She hadn't told him to not use it so it'd quickly become habit. The two had grown somewhat closer over the past month as the teenager was still very shy around the rest of the crew.
The ensign grinned. "Fifty-five, sixty miles an hour, maybe faster."
Tom gave the teenager an incredulous look. "And you were catching without equipment. You're even crazier than me."
"Thanks," Allucia replied, still grinning.
Tom shook his head, chuckling. For looking so delicate, this girl sure is a masochist! She'd probably get along with B'Elanna well.
The Doc returned and began scanning Allucia with another instrument. "Miss Banks, the holodecks have safety protocols for a reason. Make use of them."
"Aw, but then it ain't no fun!" Allucia whined.
"Then wear the appropriate safety equipment." the Doc retorted.
"But that's no fun either."
"Fun is not so important as safety!" the Doctor snapped. "I speak from experience."
Allucia's expression softened. Although he was a hologram, the teenager somehow knew the hologram meant what he said. "But I want to take the risk." she said quietly.
The Doctor sighed audibly, turned off his scanning instrument, and went off to retrieve yet another. Upon returning he scanned the impatient teenager with one last appliance. "All right Miss Banks, I have completed the physical you have managed to elude these past few weeks. You are free to go now."
"Wha?! You mean..."
"Ooo, Doc, that was sneaky," Tom put in.
"An' youz kept me busy while he was doin' it! Accomplice!" Allucia stuck her tongue out at Tom.
"Hey, I wasn't even paying attention!" the lieutenant retorted, holding his hands up in self-defense.
Allucia decided let the subject drop for now. She'd get him back. She didn't know how or when, but she would. "Anyways, what's tha damage?"
"You got clocked right here," Tom said, placing a finger between his right temple and eye on his own face. "Broke the—" he broke off as the ship convulsed for a moment.
Then Kathryn's voice came on over comm. "Red Alert. We are under attack. All crew to battle stations."
Tom quickly left Sickbay without a good-bye, but that was understandable. But now, Allucia didn't know what to do, she was part of the crew, but off-duty. As it was, she didn't officially have any sort of position yet, and was trying out everything in every department until something clicked.
The ship shook again. She looked to the Doc hoping he could tell her what to do but he was busy prepping Sickbay for possible casualties.
By now Allucia herself was beginning to get a little nervous. She finally decided the best thing to do was to go back to her quarters. As she stepped out into the corridor and began to jog towards the turbolift, a low-pitched pulsing tone began to sound. The girl stopped dead in her tracks.
She recognized the sound, couldn't place it, but knew it was bad news. It wasn't until she heard the increasingly loud, unfamiliar voices coming from down the hall and around the corner—that she realized it was Intruder Alert. Then she heard pounding feet right behind her. Before Allucia could turn around, she felt something, presumably a firearm, prod her in the base of her skull.
"Don't move," hissed a deep masculine voice, "or I will shoot."
Allucia held her hands out to her sides. "I ain't movin'!" she squeaked. Then, in an attempt to elude whoever was behind her, she pivoted her hip down and to the right, but cried out when the alien's grip tightened.
"Quiet!" the voice barked, and shoved her forcefully from behind. Allucia stumbled and fell to her knees. The entity behind her grabbed her right arm and Allucia felt and heard an ominous pop come from her elbow as he yanked her back towards him, and bit back a cry. She felt the firearm butt her in the back, pushing her forward.
She could hear the murmuring of the other intruders in the group. But from what she could deduce, the individual who had a gun to her head also happened to be their leader. Allucia let out a shaky sigh. What a day she was having. She half-hoped the alien would shoot her.
"Captain, we have intruders on Deck Five."
Kathryn, who had been making laps around the Bridge since the beginning of the unprovoked attack of the still-unidentified ship, quickly strode up to the upper level to join Tuvok at his station. "How many?" she asked.
"Six. And they have a hostage: Ensign Banks." Tuvok replied, indicating a monitor showing the young girl being yanked roughly by her arm.
"Security to Deck Five," she ordered, nodding to Tuvok. The Vulcan nodded back and exited the Bridge.
Allucia was being half-dragged down the corridor when Starfleet officers in security colors rounded the next bend.
As soon as Allucia's captor caught sight of Tuvok and his security force, he grabbed her by the neck and yanked her to him; putting what Allucia assumed to be the same firearm that was formerly aimed at the back of her skull at her temple instead, his fist curled quite uncomfortably against her windpipe. Feels just like home, she thought sarcastically.
"Lower your weapons," Tuvok commanded.
"Lower yoursss or zee child diesss!" the alien snarled back, tightening his grip on Allucia's neck. She gasped for air, beginning to feel dizzy.
There was a moment of stalemate. Then Allucia's eyes rolled up into her head and her body went limp as she collapsed against the alien. The momentary surprise this caused the leader and his followers gave Tuvok and his force the time to rush the attackers. The Vulcan fired and hit the leader while his team rushed the other radicals. The incident was over and under control in less than forty-five seconds.
Tuvok ordered his officers to take them to the brig, then knelt by the prone Allucia. To his surprise, the girl opened her eyes. "Are they gone?" she wheezed.
The tactical officer raised an eyebrow, in realizing what Allucia had done. "They are indeed," he said.
Allucia stood up and nearly toppled back to the floor. The Vulcan steadied the girl. "You require medical attention."
"I can make it to Sickbay." she replied quietly.
"Are you sure?"
Allucia nodded. "It's just down the hall." Tuvok nodded and walked off. It wasn't until he entered the turbolift that he absently noted that the teenager had spoken without her odd accent.
She slowly walked down the hall, placing her good arm on the wall for balance. Her head was spinning; she hadn't needed much help in pretending to pass out. What a day I'm having, first being beaned by a softball and taken hostage in the same day. It's quite ridiculous.
The teenager could barely see for all the stars spinning around her head by the time she reached the Sickbay doors. They swished open and she stumbled in, leaning against the nearest biobed. Her chest felt heavy as well and she regretted not having the chief of security assist her. She lifted one leg up onto the bed and rolled herself on.
"Hey Doc you have another visitor..." Allucia whined. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a long, long time.
"What is it now, Miss Banks?" the Doctor asked with an impatient sigh, coming over with a tricorder. Opening it, he began to scan her.
"Remember how we had an intruder alert a few minutes ago?"
"Yes..." he said, frowning over the tricorder readouts.
"Well, their former hostage, she can barely breathe after being held awkwardly by the neck, and heard a nice pop come from her elbow as well during the ordeal." Allucia rasped.
The Doc's eyes widened as he realized and deduced that Allucia was the aforementioned hostage. Her aloof manner when she came in had him assume otherwise. But with the day she was having, it was understandable. "Well, that would certainly mandate a visit to Sickbay," he said, walking over to a nearby cabinet and loading a hypospray. "You have a dislocated elbow and a bruised trachea." He pressed a hypospray loaded with tri-oxine to her neck. "This will help you breathe." he said. Allucia immediately felt better as the weight in her chest seemed to lessen. She closed her eyes then felt a sharp pain in her elbow, and another pop.
"Owwww! You coulda warned me first, ya jerk!" Allucia squeaked, rubbing her elbow and sitting up. She immediately laid back down again from dizziness.
"If I had, you would not have cooperated."
She shrugged. "You're probably right. Can I go now? I really do feel better Doc. I'm sure you don't want me cluttering up your Sickbay." she bartered, sounding hoarse.
"On the contrary, I want to keep you overnight for observation in case you go into respiratory distress again." Additionally, the psychiatric aspects of his program wanted to find out why she kept switching between dialects of Federation Standard as quickly as breathing.
Allucia would have let out an exasperated sigh had she been able to, so she settled for a pout instead, and looked to the left as the Sickbay doors opened with a hiss. It was the Captain. She immediately walked over to where Allucia was laying, who immediately sat up again despite her spinning head upon seeing Kathryn.
"Are you okay, Allucia?" Kathryn asked, placing a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.
The ensign nodded weakly, putting a hand to her head to stop the spinning. "I think so. Just scared senseless is all." she said hoarsely.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "She comes in suffering from respiratory distress and says she's fine. Teenagers." he snorted, rolling his eyes.
Allucia smirked in return, and Kathryn shook her head with a smile. "Report, Doctor."
"Miss Banks had a dislocated elbow and has a bruised trachea. I am about to treat the latter." He turned to his patient. "Please lay down again, Miss Banks." She rolled her eyes, but complied. The doctor ran the regenerator over the girl's throat for a minute, casting a blue light, then shut it off. "That is all."
"Can I leave now?" Allucia repeated, as she once again pulled herself to a sitting position. Her voice was a little less hoarse. "I don't wanna spend the night in Sickbay."
Kathryn could see the teenager's desire to get out of Sickbay. After all, she had spent most of her waking time here today. "Oh, Doctor, I'm sure there's some way to monitor her from here, isn't there?"
"I suppose so," he replied, rolling his eyes again. He removed an object from a nearby cabinet. "This cortical monitor will monitor your lifesigns," he said, attaching it to the base of Allucia's skull, behind her ear. She nodded in reply, giving him an impatient look. "Yes, you can go," he said, giving up at last. "Just be easy on your elbow, it's liable to dislocate again." Allucia nodded again. She felt like what a certain teacher used to call a "bobble-head doll." The thought made her happy and sad at the same time; she was so homesick...
"Allucia, care to join me for lunch?" Kathryn asked the girl. The ensign bobbled in reply.
They exited Sickbay, and began walking down the hall to the turbolift. "So Ensign, I understand that you've had a rather tumultuous day."
Allucia snorted. "You could say that." she said, looking at the floor. "Captain," she added respectively, straightening up as they entered the turbolift.
"Deck Two." Kathryn told the computer. "What happened?"
"Well I made a softball holo-program and wanted to try it out." Allucia began. "After a while, I took off my safety equipment—I'm a catcher—and got beaned in the head by a wild pitch. Which reminds me... are you sure you don't mind eating with a sweaty softball player? I could stop by my quarters to clean up."
Kathryn shook her head. "It's quite all right," she said as the turbolift doors opened. "Besides, you don't smell that bad." A shocked expression appeared on Allucia's face for a moment until she realized the Captain was joking. Kathryn gave the younger girl a teasing push on the shoulder as they entered the Mess Hall, Allucia giggling at how she'd been so foolish.
"You poor girl, what a day!" Kathryn sympathized, hearing the teenager's version of the day's events.
Allucia nodded her total agreement. "I felt like some outside force wanted to torture me." she said while rubbing at the area around the appliance on her neck. "Damn this thing is itchy... yeah, just one of those days, I guess." She removed her big bowl of macaroni and cheese from the replicator, and Kathryn her own baked potato with all the fixings from the adjacent replicator, and the two found a place to sit.
The teenager promptly shoved a large mouthful of mac and cheese in her mouth, then made a face, then swallowed. "Fourteen varieties and they still can't get plain macaroni and cheese right." she muttered.
Kathryn smiled, remembering a pilot with a similar complaint. Which brought up the next subject. "So Allucia, how are your piloting lessons going?" Kathryn asked.
"Pretty good. Currently Lieutenant Paris is teaching me atmospheric piloting; or more accurately, we just finished it. I dunno what we're doing tonight."
Kathryn looked up in surprise from her potato. "Already?" she asked. He wasn't kidding when he said she was a natural.
Allucia nodded. "Yup; he says I'm picking everything quicker than he thought I would. It's difficult though. I never thought there were so many atmospheric conditions to learn, and what to do when you encounter them. The simulators back in the 21st century didn't have those details, except for wind direction and velocity."
Kathryn chuckled. "Don't worry. Tom says if you keep whatever you're doing now up, you'll be ready to fly a real shuttlecraft by the end of the month."
The ensign's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really?" she asked, a big grin spreading across her face.
"Yes," Kathryn replied. "Have you been working on starship piloting as well?"
"Mm-hmm. Except I haven't worked on atmospheric piloting for that yet."
"That's understandable. Piloting a starship through an atmosphere is a very delicate operation and is a very big responsibility." Kathryn said. She smiled wryly. "Most starships don't, however. They're entirely too big. But Voyager has specifications as such."
"Big responsibility... I can imagine," Allucia replied, finishing her rather large bowl of macaroni and cheese. Kathryn was always surprised at how much Allucia could eat (and the amount of time she could eat it in) and not appear to gain anything. Must be her youthful metabolism.
Kathryn finished the last of her baked potato. "I'm glad you know," Kathryn said grinning as she and Allucia both stood to bring their empty dishes to the recycler, "because Tom doesn't seem to." The women shared a laugh as they deposited the dishes into the recycler.
Allucia quickly looked at the chronometer on the Mess Hall wall. "Oh fu—excuse me Captain, but I have a shift in Engineering in fifteen minutes and I gotta get ready. Thanks for lunch!" she said very quickly, waving to Kathryn as she bolted out of the Mess Hall.
Kathryn shook her head. This girl reminded her of herself once upon a time...