Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
AN: I roll for everything, which makes writing this story fun. When I write, all the math is there, but I remove it during editing. Sometimes, I plot something out, then the dice gods decide it's not going to go that way. Jumpchain perks are similar to Celestial Forge, based on word count, 100 for every 1000 words, but have to be earned through story or quests. I pull from whatever relevant document I feel like.
Updates will be frequent for the first 30k words or so, then slow down to 1/week so I can keep a buffer.
Star Trek TNG: The Next Gamer
Episode 1.2: Enterprise Tour
Tyson was staying in guest quarters on deck 8 shortening Troi's walk; their quarters being on the same deck. Their first stop was the replimat, the closest of which was on deck 9. Replimats were found every 3rd deck up to 12.
Tyson was surprised at the size of the replimat upon entering. It was much larger than he expected, with a design similar to a mall food court. Tables of varying sizes from small 2-person seating to large cafeteria-style dominated the area. The walls lined with replicators, identical to the one in his quarters, provided the crew with food from around the Federation. Opposite the entrance were several recessed rooms with larger replicators for creating items that wouldn't fit in the standard model. These larger replicators were staffed with crewmen to assist in large orders. Tyson had ideas for the larger replicators but shelved those for the moment.
"Can I get you anything?" Tyson asked.
Troi responded, "Orange juice would be lovely."
"I'll join you in a moment then," Tyson replied then approached the nearest unoccupied replicator. "Orange juice cold, tall glass. 3 pancakes, 3 eggs scrambled, 5 slices of bacon medium crispy, coffee light medium hot, and some maple syrup on the side. Please"
The requested meal coalesced on top of a tray within the unit. Its appearance and smell mimicked the last big breakfast Tyson had before arriving here. He made his way to the small table Troi chose, placed the orange juice in front of her, and sat her opposite. "I'd like to get to know you, but first I have to ask. What's with the outfit? Most of the crew I've seen all wear a standard uniform. Both times I've seen you, you've been wearing a different outfit and it isn't the standard uni."
Troi responded, "As long as there isn't a diplomatic mission or admiralty on board, Captain Picard isn't strict about the dress code. So long as it's an approved uniform style. There are several uniform options we can choose from. Single suits, separated pants and skirts, there's lots of variety. Some enjoy following trends, and others like myself just like to change it up. When we're off-duty, dress code isn't enforced, though many crew members stay in uniform."
"And here I am, dressed three centuries out of date. I'll have to take some time at the replicator later and spin up something different. Maybe some black slacks so I don't look quite as out-of-place or look up current Earth trends." He hummed in thought, "I suppose there are a lot more trends to pick from now, with how many planets there are in the Federation. What planet are you from? Or do people not identify with their planet of origin? I'm lost when it comes to appropriate cultural questions or taboos."
"There are a few members of the crew who come from cultures that may be a little more sensitive to questions, like Worf, the man who escorted you to sickbay. In most cases as long as you remain respectful in your approach, it should avoid any issues." Troi informed. "As for me, I was born on planet Betazed. My father was human, but my mother is native to the planet. It's a lush, beautiful world, not dissimilar to Earth."
As they continued to chat, Tyson became enraptured by her. Beyond her obvious beauty, her empathic sense allowed her to control the flow of conversation easily. Never having been one to carry a conversation, he noticed how easy it was speaking with Troi. Tyson noted that his low charisma score may contribute to that, and wondered how high Troi's charisma score was.
The conversation shifted toward Troi's work and duties on the ship. The schedule on starships was different from anything Tyson was familiar with. Most adults in his time worked daily 8-hour shifts, 6 or fewer hours in progressive fields, or when employers tried to avoid providing benefits. Some healthcare workers did 3, 12-hour shifts.
The Enterprise crew worked 2, 4 hours shifts that started 12 hours apart. So the crewmembers who had 12 to 4 am also had 12 to 4 pm. There were three shifts, 12 to 4, 4 to 8, and 8 to 12. Tyson didn't particularly like this schedule. While it left 8 hours for sleep or leisure time between each shift, he thought it would make a week feel like a single, long workday. 4-hour shifts had merit by keeping active-duty crew fresh and alert. The work-shift schedule was handled by department heads and coordinated by Commander Riker.
Troi carrying the conversation allowed Tyson to quickly finish his breakfast. Completing the meal confirmed something that was alluded to in the television series. Replicators made sub-par food. Last night he thought the root beer was perfectly acceptable, good even. The pancakes were likewise, very good. Something was off with the maple syrup, eggs, and bacon. It was hard to determine why, but they didn't taste quite right. Not bad, but slightly unnatural.
His Observe skill had been leveling consistently as he'd used it on everything he encountered. The skill reached level 10 during their meal. Using it on what remained of his food revealed some new information.
Bacon
Negative Status Effect
Replicated - -10% to taste and granted food buffs.
Observe now displayed status effects. Tyson smiled, pleased with his progress. He could see leveling skills becoming his new obsession. He knew that progress would slow down as he advanced, but the visible, trackable progress was addicting.
The pair left the replimat after recycling their utensils.
"Was there anything on the ship you're interested in seeing first?" Troi asked
Tyson accessed one of the corridor wall screens and after a few minutes of navigating the interface, he leads Troi to the turbolift. After a quick ride to deck fourteen, and a short walk through the corridor found them in the transporter room. Tyson recognized the stage to the left side as the transporter pad. The slightly elevated area had matching circles embedded in the floor and ceiling indicating where to stand and that it could accommodate 6-8 people. Right from the entrance was an area containing a standing console that overlooked the rest of the room. It was manned by a human crewman with wooly brown hair.
As they entered, the crewman addressed them," Good morning counselor, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Deanna responds, " Good morning Chief. This is Tyson, he's a guest on the Enterprise and I'm his tour guide Tyson, this is Miles O'Brien, the Transporter Chief."
Tyson steps forward offering a hand to O'Brien," Nice to meet you and to hear an accent I recognize. Ireland?"
"Yes, sir. Have you ever been?"
"Nah." Tyson responded, "Closest I ever got was Spain. My mother's great-grandfather was an Irish immigrant. Left during the Great Famine."
Mile's face scrunched in thought. Tyson continued, "Yea, seems like I'm off by a couple of generations. Not only am I new to the Enterprise, I just arrived in this century thanks to yesterday's incident. I was born in the 1980s, so my Irish origins aren't as far removed as they'd seem."
The two Earthlings chatted about what the planet was like in Tyson's time. Miles was fascinated, but the man from the past's knowledge of his home country was limited. Tyson had never taken an active interest in Ireland previously and only knew what he'd heard and read in the news.
Their conversation shifted towards the transporter. Miles began by giving Tyson an overview of how the technology worked, removing the panel from his console, and showing him the various components and their function. The Enterprise had 20 transporter rooms scattered among its decks. Tyson was fortunate to choose the one with O'Brien as the man's knowledge made his breakdown of the tech simple enough for even a 'primitive' man to understand.
O'Brien walked him through the hardware first. Inside the console, Tyson learned about the Gravitational and Heisenberg compensators, the phase inducers and discriminators, and the phase transition and energizing coils. Afterward, he was led across the room and where O'Brien expertly exposed and explained the emitter array. Lastly, the chief explained how transportation worked, going through the process with the imaging scanner, targeting scanner, and pattern buffer. He also explained the rematerialization subroutine and how the annular confinement beam worked.
Troi patiently waited throughout the tutorial occasionally contributing information. Even though she was the ship's counselor, she was still a graduate of Starfleet Academy and had a baseline understanding of all Federation technology used on Starfleet vessels.
Tyson felt he had a grasp of how the transporter worked. He thanked O'Brien for his time and moved with Counselor Troi towards the doors. Tyson focused on the notification dully flashing in the corner of his view. A box had appeared during his lesson, but to avoid interruption, he'd relegated it to the corner of his view.
Skill Unlocked!
Engineering (level 3) - A skill to identify, build, repair, or disable technological devices. You can also assess the stability of structures and machinery, and arm and disarm explosives. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Intelligence.
Skill Unlocked!
Computers (level 2) - A skill to operate and manipulate computer systems. This skill governs starship operations, hacking, and coding as well. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Intelligence.
The gamer's wide smile was impossible to miss as they returned to the turbolift. Troi commented, "This is the happiest I've ever felt you."
Tyson replied, "I took a vacation to Thailand once. It took three flights, with a layover in the middle-east and a transfer to a smaller plane to get to the island where I was staying. Total travel time was 27 hours. On top of that, there's a 12-hour time difference between New York and Thailand, I finally got to my hotel and it was noon, but it felt like midnight to me." He continued," If you ever had to deal with the TSA you'd be hyped to see a transporter too."
The TSA reference went over Troi's head, but she didn't comment to preserve his enthusiasm. "If you're interested in fast travel, maybe we should head to Main Engineering next so you can see the warp core."
"Don't threaten me with a good time!" Tyson exclaimed enthusiastically; dragging his guide back to the turbolift.
The first thing Tyson noticed in Engineering was the ambient sounds produced by the warp core. "I should move my quarters down here. This is the most soothing white noise machine I've ever heard."
"After a while, you don't even hear it anymore. But if you like it, you can ask the computer to play the sound in your quarters at night." replied a beige-uniformed black man. He wore a sleek metal strip across his eyes. He approached Tyson," The man out of time. I was on the bridge when you appeared. Lieutenant Geordi LaForge." he said as he held out his hand.
Tyson shook it. During the next 30 minutes, Geordi showed Tyson around Main Engineering. He explained the basic principles behind the matter/antimatter reactor, isolinear circuitry, and warp field theory.
Engineering skill has increased 3 - 5!
Skill Unlocked!
Physical Science (level 2) - A skill representing the scientific study of non-living systems, from the tiniest atoms to the largest celestial bodies. This skill includes knowledge of astronomy, chemistry, climatology, geology, subspace, meteorology, physics, and other fields of natural science. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Intelligence.
After finishing the tour, Geordi led Tyson away from the warp core. When they came to the pool table-sized console in the center of the room, Tyson noticed a stack of isolinear chips. Inquiring why they were piled, Geordi responded," Those are faulty chips, they've already been replaced and were about to be recycled."
"Do you mind if I spend a few minutes messing with them before I move on? I feel like I've learned so much today, but haven't had a chance to get my hands on anything." requested Tyson.
Geordi didn't see the harm in letting the man play with their trash. He gave his assent and returned to the chief engineer station. Tyson grabbed the nearest chip and used his Observe skill.
Isolinear Chip
Negative Status
Effect Fused - Subprocessor I-AG has fused with the circuit buffer junction rendering this chip unfunctional.
Quest Alert!
Blue Chips Objective: Repair the chips and return them to LaForge.
Rewards:
Improved Relationship with Geordi LaForge.
+250 Experience per repaired chip
+200 Energy Credits per repaired chip
+1 Engineering skill per repaired chip Accept Y/N
Not seeing a downside to accepting the quest, he did so. Taking the chips over to the nearest engineering station with the required tools, he grabbed one of the tools Geordi had shown him during the tour. As he brought it close to one of the broken chips a new screen appeared.
Repair Isolinear Chip (DC:20)
Hit Points: 9/50
Y/N
Tyson thought Yes and his hands began to move on their own completing the crafting process.
Failure.
Tyson tried again, and again. On his fourth attempt, he rolled very poorly.
Major Failure. -2 HP
It seemed if he failed by too significant a margin, it lowered the remaining Hit Points of the chip. Not deterred, he continued. He failed several more times. On one of those failures, he rolled a 1.
Critical Failure. -4 HP.
One strange thing he noticed, was when he rolled the critical failure, his luck increased by one.
Luck: 1
Tyson focused on his luck attribute hoping to understand why that happened.
Luck: Unlike other attributes which are values representing your physical or mental attributes, luck measures your karmic debt. When you receive a critical failure, you gain one Luck. This luck can be spent in several ways including re-doing a skill roll or avoiding one attack that would otherwise land.
Tyson noted this information and returned to his task. When the Chip was down to 3 hp, he finally had his first success.
Success. +22 HP
After three more attempts, Tyson had another success.
Success. +24 HP
Repaired Isolinear Chip
Hit Points: 49/50
Tyson stretched, trying to shake the haze of working over the chip for so long. Looking around Engineering, he noticed Counselor Troi had busied herself by speaking with some of the other crewmen. Realizing how rude he was by wasting so much of her time, he returned to Geordi.
"Hey, have fun? I saw you toiling over that chip for a while, learn anything?"
"Managed to get one of the chips back into working order," Tyson replied, handing the repaired chip to Geordi.
The engineer stated, "Well, I'll be. Nicely done. There's always a pile around here somewhere you can work on if you want to drop by."
Quest Complete!
Engineering skill has increased! 5 - 6
+250 Experience (250/1000)
+200 Energy Credits (384)
After thanking Geordi, Troi made her way over. Each attempt at repairing that isolinear chip took 5 minutes, so he was focused for almost an hour. He apologized, "I'm sorry for spending so much time here. I have a habit of getting pulled into a task and losing sight of everything else until I finish."
The counselor easily accepted, "Don't worry, Tyson. This tour is to help you acclimate to an unfamiliar time. Finding something you can be passionate about is a success. You seem to have a knack for engineering. I think you'll like our next stop as well.
They took the turbolift to deck 12. Deck 12 had many interesting areas; a nursery, several different science labs, a transporter room, and sickbay which Tyson had already seen. Their destination, however, was the gymnasium.
The term gymnasium did not do this place justice; calling it an athletics complex was more fitting. There were individual areas for gymnastics, martial arts, traditional weightlifting, fencing, and several sports Tyson didn't recognize. Tyson was interested in getting back to his normal routine and headed towards the weightlifting area, but was sidetracked when he saw a martial arts class was in progress.
Deanna noticed his attention and informed him, "The senior security staff runs open classes daily. There are extra clothes and an area to change if you want to join in."
Tyson grabbed an outfit and went to change. It was styled similarly to a karate gi from his time. When it was clear he intended to join the class, Troi also grabbed an outfit. Stepping out of the changing room, he looked over at the counselor. She had an identical outfit to the one he was wearing, but he had to admit she looked better in it than he did. His pants were slightly baggy, but her's clung nearer around her hips and flared towards her lower legs. Tyson gave a quick elevator stare appreciating her overall shape. As he reached her head, he noticed she removed her tiara and her hair was now held in a high bun. Together, they joined in the rows of student crewmen and were soon throwing punches and kicks alongside them. Bodyweight exercises were completed in between sets, and the instructors walked among the rows correcting any mistakes in technique.
Skill Unlocked!
Martial Arts (level 1) - This skill governs your ability and proficiency in unarmed combat. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Dexterity.
Skill Unlocked!
Athletics (level 1) - This skill determines the success of an action requiring endurance, strength, or feats of dexterity that are out of the ordinary. It covers a wide range of activities including jumping, lifting, balancing, tumbling, swimming, and how much extra weight you can carry while doing so. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Greatest of Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength.
The class transitioned into sparring matches. It reminded Tyson of karate classes he took as a child. The participants sat at the side while there were two sparring sessions, each proctored by one of the senior members.
The protective gear provided was also similar to what would've been seen during Tyson's time. Headgear, chest protector, handwear, and footwear that covered the tops of the feet and shin. The only different equipment was the mouthpieces. It looked unmolded when Tyson grabbed it, but when placed in his mouth, he felt it mold to fit his teeth perfectly.
Tyson wanted to participate but held back from volunteering in the first round to gauge others' skill levels. It had been years since he'd been in a fight and Starfleet was a military. He thought that everyone here would have more experience fighting than himself. The first match was not impressive. Everyone fought defensively with probing strikes seeking openings. Mostly with punches, not utilizing the lower body at all. The fights were likewise stationary, utilizing very little footwork or changing of angles.
Quest Alert!
Blast from the Past Objective: Win a spar.
Bonus Objective:
Defeat Counselor Troi Defeat all challengers
Rewards:
+200 Experience per spar won +1 Martial Arts skill per spar won
Bonus Rewards:
Increased Reputation with Counselor Troi (?)
Accept Y/N
Tyson quickly volunteered for the second round of bouts. He was regretful that he didn't gain more engineering skill levels during his first quest. It simply took too long to successfully repair the chips. But in this case, the more chances he had to fight, the higher odds that he managed to win and gain skill levels. He didn't have to worry about injuries because sleeping would heal him of any he sustained. There was no reason to hesitate any longer.
With everyone wearing the same style gi, he couldn't tell the rank or department of his first opponent. The man did not look intimidating. The human stood around 5'5 and no muscle definition was noticeable through his baggy top. Tyson felt confident, nearly half a foot taller than his opponent, but knew looks could be deceiving.
Tyson fist-bumped the man before their bout and shifted his stance onto the balls of his feet. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and raised his arms into a high guard. The man from the past didn't know what proper footwork was supposed to be, but he did know a moving target was harder to hit. Similar to the first fights, Tyson's opponent approached and probed his defenses with a jab. Expecting this, Tyson didn't hesitate to retaliate. He accepted the jab with his right forearm and lashed out with a front kick from his left leg. Arm extended, the man had no opportunity to block and was struck on his chest protector. The blow forced him back a step and Tyson was awarded a point. In the second round, Tyson earned a point by counter-attacking with the man over-extended on a punch. In the third round, the man fought purely defensively in an attempt to not lose. Tyson threw a back-fist toward his head. This forced the man's guard high to block, but also blocked his line of sight. Tyson's roundhouse kick to his abdomen earned his victory.
+200 Experience (450/1000)
Martial Arts skill has increased! 1 - 2
After a reconciliatory fistbump, both men returned to the sidelines. He was about to volunteer again immediately but paused when he saw Troi about to fight. Since defeating her was a part of his bonus quest, he decided to watch her match before reentering. Surprisingly, Troi won her match three to zero. Tyson hadn't expected her to outperform her opponent so handily. Troi was only around 5'5" and did not look particularly strong during the fitness portion of the class. But she did have what many in the class were missing, she was very mobile while fighting. Whenever her opponent went to strike she was already moving; finding openings without needing to rely on reach or striking speed.
Tyson won two more matches handily before he stood alone on the mat.
+400 Experience (850/1000)
Martial Arts skill has increased! 2 - 4
The other participants were hesitant to face Tyson after 3 flawless wins. Counselor Troi stood to meet him. Tyson expected this with the forewarning given from the quest notification. Any hesitance he had in fighting a girl faded after watching her first match. After the initial fist-bump, Tyson began probing Troi's defenses. His attacks were effortlessly dodged or blocked. Tyson's strikes and footwork had improved throughout his bouts as his skill raised. Troi still avoided his strikes. The gamer fell back to a strategy he used during the first fight. Throwing a back-fist to raise her guard, Tyson didn't hold back with the following roundhouse kick. Instead of the contact he expected, Troi dodged backward after her block. He found himself off-balance and followed through with his rotation. Before he could reset his stance, Troi was in range to deliver a punch to his side.
The first point of the match went to Troi. Tyson's forehead crinkled in thought. Troi may have expected his attack. She most likely watched his first fight and had seen him employ that strategy before. She couldn't have seen him shift his weight for the kick, his first attack left her guard blocking her vision. Yet, she still intuited his attack somehow. He questioned how she could have sensed it.
Sensed it. Tyson realized, somehow she was sensing the attacks. He knew Troi was empathic. She must be sensitive enough to recognize the feelings emitted when someone intends to strike. Tyson completely changed tactics. He stayed light on his feet, always moving, but not committing to attacks. He did leave some openings, but ones that he hoped she exploited, giving him an opportunity that she couldn't defend in time.
They stood facing each other. The score was two to two, the next point would determine the victor. Both had smiles on their faces. "Having fun?" Troi asked.
"Very much so," Tyson remarked. Excitement was oozing from him as they began circling each other. Instead of trying to mute the feeling, he knew Troi could sense, Tyson, embraced it and rushed toward her. She knew the attack was coming, he disregarded all attempts at subtlety. Troi sidestepped and launched a kick. Tyson had not raised his guard as he had in all his previous rounds. With his arms down, he was able to hook her leg. The forward momentum from his rush and having only one leg to balance on left Troi helpless to stop Tyson's takedown. He didn't even need to sweep her planted leg because he outsized her by such a large margin. Tyson wrapped his free arm around Troi's body as they fell to bleed off some of her momenta.
Her landing wasn't soft, but it was far from as hard as it could've been. By the time she raised her arms to cover her head, he was already straddling her. She raised her guard, but Tyson didn't attack.
The point was awarded and he stood, offering her a hand. "Good match."
Troi accepted his hand and he lifted her to her feet. Holding on to her hand Tyson pulled her into a bro-hug wrapping his free hand around her back. He didn't linger and stepped back, accepting his reward.
Martial Arts skill has increased! 4 - 5
Increased Reputation with Counselor Troi (Indifferent - Amiable)
+200 Experience (1050/1000)
Level Up! +1 Attribute Point.
Troi smiled and replied, "You too." then stepped off the mat. Tyson stood waiting for another challenger. Just as it seemed no one would step up, a man approached from out of Tyson's field of view. Tyson was astonished he hadn't noticed the man enter given his size, he was hardly inconspicuous.
Worf stepped onto the mat. Tyson was one of the tallest guys in that class at 5'10". His eyes sat below Worf's 6'3" frame. Tyson could see the definition of his pecs that the gi displayed, something not visible while he was wearing his Starfleet uniform. Tyson had not been sweating during the sparring portion of the class, but as he fist-bumped Worf, a visible sheen formed on his forehead. He felt somewhat reassured by his Gamer ability, but couldn't stop the reaction when faced with such a superior opponent.
Worf didn't hesitate. He lunged forward to grab Tyson. Accepting the tie-up Tyson drove his knee upwards into Worf's abdomen. In response, the Klingon spun and tossed Tyson off the mat. Tyson rolled with the toss and eventually got up, undamaged. Well, physically undamaged. This pride wasn't so unscathed. Worf tossed him like a child, easier than a parent tosses their babe in the air. He doubted he could've thrown Troi a quarter the distance he went. On the bright side, since he landed the first strike, the point went to Tyson.
Worf's fighting style was brawling. It matched his superior strength but wasn't particularly well suited to sparring. Tyson considered how he could best take advantage. At the start of the second round, Tyson launched a flurry of blows putting Worf on the defensive. Feigning exhaustion, Tyson paused his attacks. Worf seeing the opportunity threw a punch while Tyson's guard was low. Standing slightly hunched over, he ducked and landed a punch of his own on Worf's core.
The frustration was visible on the Klingon officer's face. The third round began with another tie-up. Tyson trying to quickly end the match went to kick at his abdomen again. Not considering how great the strength difference was, he never got the chance. With a roar, Worf lifted him upwards, regardless of not having any leverage from his extended position. He then slammed Tyson to the ground. A fan of wrestling when he was a child, Tyson's inner kid would've lost his mind seeing Worf two-handed chokeslam someone. Unfortunately, he didn't cheer because he was on the receiving end of the smackdown and was currently unable to breathe.
The grunt of pain he released was barely audible over the sound of him hitting the mat. Tyson curled in on himself. A sharp pain accompanied his first shallow breath. When he was able, he mumbled, "Status."
A small box appeared.
Negative Status Effect:
Fractured Rib - -50% movement speed, -10% Attack, -10% Defense
The proctor asked Tyson if he was able to continue. Thinking of the hidden bonus for completing this quest was all the motivation Tyson needed to prop on his unaffected arm and begin to stand. He replied, "Yea. Yea… Just needed a second."
He fought the urge to hold his arm across his side but lost that battle. He raised one arm in a guard and said to the proctor, "Ready."
Worf gave a nod with a look of respect. Although you could tell by his look, that he considered the fight over.
Worf threw a quick jab. Tyson blocked with the arm on his good side. Seeing the opening, Worf punched with his back arm. Tyson would have to raise the arm from his side to protect his head. Instead, Tyson tilted his torso and stepped towards the punch. Worf's punch moved across his torso but missed him by inches. Now standing with his chest at Worf's shoulder, Tyson continued the rotation from his chest tilt into an elbow strike to Worf's head. The blow barely phased the Klingon, but it awarded Tyson his needed point for the victory.
Tyson intentionally held his side before the third round started. He recognized he could use the arm, but wanted to appear as if he couldn't utilize it. Worf hadn't accounted for that in his attack. He hadn't overextended but didn't anticipate Tyson would step into his attack, bringing him into striking range with his unusable limb.
After disengaging, Tyson bowed his head slightly to Worf, offering the Klingon to shake his good hand. "Great fight man. You're strong as hell. I wouldn't stand a chance against you in a real fight."
Shaking his hand, Worf replied," You fought well. I look forward to our next match."
"I knew you spoke English!" Tyson explained. Immediately regretting it as he wheezed and laughed. Equally as amused as he was in pain as he clutched his side again.
Worf laughed as Troi gently led Tyson towards the door. "That's enough fun for now. It's not a coincidence sickbay is nearby."
Quest Complete!
+200 Experience (250/7000)
Martial Arts skill has increased! 5 - 6 Bonus Rewards:
+300 Experience (550/7000)
Martial Arts skill has increased! 6 - 7 Increased Reputation with Worf (Indifferent - Amiable)
Perk Granted!
The Anti-Worf Effect: Once every 24 hours, you can defeat a single significant foe. Any nearby enemies will be temporarily stunned in fear or awe of you. Any nearby allies will receive a morale boost given your actions. This effect can only be used the non-lethally disable an opponent. The duration they're disabled will vary based on the opponent's strength. Exceptionally strong, or enemies with supernatural abilities may only be disabled momentarily, while weak enemies can be disabled for hours or days.
As Deanna lead Tyson to sickbay, he looked over his character sheet.
Tyson
Title: (none)
Race: Human Level: 2 (550/7000)
Energy Credits: 384
Hit Points: 62/80
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 7
Luck: 1
Unspent Attribute Points: 1
Status Effects:
Fractured Rib
Skills:
Observe: Lvl 10 - Maxed
Meditation: Lvl 0 - Locked
Engineering: Lvl 6
Physical Science: Lvl 2
Computers: Lvl 2
Athletics: Lvl 1
Martial Arts: Lvl 7
Perks:
'Out of Nowhere'
'The Anti-Worf Effect'
Drawbacks:
'Q and U'
"Tyson, what are you doing back here so soon?" inquired Dr. Crusher. It had been less than a day since he arrived on the Enterprise and this was his second visit to sickbay.
"I did battle with a Klingon warrior and came out victor..victorious!" he tried to exclaim. The image he tried to project was ruined by his inability to stand up straight, and having to hold back a wince as he finished his proclamation.
Crusher pressed her lips together and stared at him. Tyson wasn't sure if she was trying to hide her amusement or if she was genuinely annoyed. He sighed, hung his head, and sat at the nearest biobed. In his dramatic display of being cowed, he missed the small smirk Crusher shared with Deanna.
Tyson grabbed one of the medical tricorders, pulled out the small auxiliary scanner, and ran it over his side. Crusher watched on in curiosity. When she approached the bed, Tyson handed her the tricorder. "Broken rib. I should heal up pretty quickly after a little rest and refraining from exertion."
Skill Unlocked!
Medicine (level 1) - A skill representing your knowledge of the biology of many species. Allows you to treat many different wounds and ailments. Skill level cannot exceed governing attribute, Intelligence.
"When did you learn to use a medical tricorder?" questioned Crusher.
"Ah, just now. I'm starting to figure out how all this works." Tyson said as he gestured around him with both hands.
She ran the same scans to confirm Tyson's findings. "You're right actually. But, we can use the Osteo-regenerator to mend that break, since it's minor. You should still take it easy for a few days."
Tyson consented. Crusher instructed him to lie back. The Osteo-regenerator was built into the biobed, so he didn't need to move to a different area for the treatment. As he was being treated he asked," Since you have a tool to heal fractures in bone, do you have something similar that can repair tears in muscle?"
"Dermal-regenerators are typically designed to deal with skin damage, but with tuning, they could be adjusted to work on muscles. That's how I address muscle damage, but usually, it's a low priority. Why?"
"For the gains, Doc," stated Tyson, as if it was apparent. Crusher and Troi shared a look of incomprehension.
Deanna gently stated," Tyson, we don't understand. Could you explain what you mean?"
"Okay, so, Meathead 101, correction, Meathead 302, this is a little more advanced. You guys have a weight room for strength training. Back in my time, it was thought that you had to lift weights to cause microtears in muscles so they rebuilt, stronger, bigger, hypertrophy, yadda, yadda. Well, studies came out that showed, that all the protein synthesis went to repairing the damaged muscle first, and only towards hypertrophy after the damage was repaired. Are you with me so far? So, if I could skip the muscle repair phase, say with your finely-tuned Dermal-regenerator, then all that protein synthesis goes towards the gains." Tyson finished, nodding with a shit-eating grin.
They both continued to stare at him. Tyson continued undeterred. "Is the dark side stronger?" He shifted his voice, sounding higher, animated, and campier. " No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."
The blank stares continued. Tyson faltered, "Wait, you guys don't have Star Wars?"
"I'm going to check, him for a concussion," Beverly stated as she pulled out the tricorder again.
"He did hit the ground pretty hard," Deanna added helpfully.
"Seriously, have you never heard of Star Wars? And my head is fine, doc. How much do you want for it?"
Crusher clinically replied as she waved the scanner around Tyson's head, "I have never heard of Star Wars. How much do I want for what?"
"The Dermal-regenerator and quick instruction on tuning it to repair muscle."
The doctor replied, "That's an unusual request, but you can just replicate one. There are no restrictions placed on obtaining them."
Once Crusher was satisfied his bones mended and he wasn't concussed, Tyson walked over to the lone replicator in sick bay. He asked the computer to replicate a dermal-regenerator. His request was denied.
Insufficient Energy Credits!
Required: 6,850 EC
Current: 384 EC
"Yea Doc, that's not going to work for me. How about we make a deal? Do you like magic? If I can make your dermal-regenerator disappear, you let me keep it."
Minute by minute, Crusher's opinion of the man from the past was diminishing. Letting out an exasperated sigh she resigned, "Fine." Hoping that once he pocketed the machine she could continue with her day.
Tyson holding the dermal-regenerator said," Don't blink, you might miss it." As he tries to store it in his inventory. Tyson hadn't tried using his inventory yet, but he hoped it worked like most games. He was able to Observe without speaking the command out loud and believed accessing the inventory might work similarly.
Deanna and Beverly watched awestruck as the dermal-regenerator disappeared from Tyson's hand. Troi asked," Tyson, how did you do that?"
He made the machine reappear in his hand and said to Crusher, "We had a deal Doc."
Again he pulled it back into his inventory. Tyson curled his fingers and rubbed the tips against his chest, miming polishing his nails. Replying to Troi he bragged, "Got powers from an alien-space god, no big deal."
Troi spent an entire shift with Tyson, and they hadn't reached all the destinations she wanted to show him. After leaving sickbay they went to a replimat for another meal. She had three and a half hours before the Senior staff meeting. After the debriefing, they would discuss Tyson's future, and the captain would want to speak with him after hearing the officers' opinions. Troi led Tyson down one deck to deck eleven.
"This is a holodeck. The computer uses a combination of forcefields, replicators, and a few other technologies to create a fully immersive environment. I think you'll like it, it should be a different experience than anything you had in your time." Troi said.
The elation rolling off him was so strong, that she could practically taste it. The excitement of entering the holodeck dwarfed all the emotions she'd felt from him previously. He approached the console next to the door. As he raised his hands to access it, a box appeared in his vision.
Holodeck 4J Used to create Instant Dungeons.
Stronger Instant Dungeons may be created at higher levels.
Current Available ID List:
1. Zombie ID
In her five years as a Starfleet officer, Deanna Troi had never felt someone's emotions shift so severely. One moment she could sense how happy Tyson was feeling, an instant later there was only dread. Tyson recoiled from the holodeck console as if he'd been shocked. Troi asked," Tyson what's wrong, I can sense your overwhelming fear."
"I. I can't go in there," said Tyson. "Not yet, I need to prepare first."
"It's perfectly safe, Tyson. There are safety protocols that will prevent you from any real harm." Troi stated calmly.
"I. I understand, but I'm not ready for something like this." Taking a steadying breath he continued," Maybe another day? Uh, I have a video game addiction. If you let me in there, you'll have to drag me back out. And with how I put you on your back before, odds are not in your favor."
A slight blush colored Troi's cheeks. Pointing at her accusingly Tyson exclaimed," And you sensed my fear. I knew you were cheating in that spar! I demand compensation! Now you'll have to give a tour of Cetacean Ops." He turned and walked towards the turbolift and quipped, "I hope you brought your bathing suit!"
Troi stood stunned for several seconds. She recognized the stages and emotions he quickly shifted through. Tyson had expertly unbalanced her.
Fear.
Focus.
Lie.
Flirt. Redirect. Another Redirect.
Flirt Again.
She followed Tyson down the corridor but was left with two questions. Why was a man, who didn't hesitate to face down a Klingon in hand-to-hand combat afraid of the holodeck? And second, how did he know about Cetacean Ops?