Star Trek TNG: The Next Gamer
Episode 1.4: Senior Staff Meeting
When he finished looking over his character sheet, Tyson realized that Troi was still holding his hand. Squeezing to get her attention, he spoke quickly only having a moment before the turbolift reached the bridge. "I genuinely enjoyed spending the day with you. I learned a lot and had so much fun. All this is beyond what I could have ever hoped for, and I'm looking forward to our date."
He punctuated his statement by raising her still-held hand to his lips, kissing the top gently. He lowered it back down and released it. Just in time for the doors to open. Smiling warmly, Troi mouthed, "Me too."
She stepped onto the bridge. Tyson followed in her wake. They were addressed by Captain Picard, "Ah, Counselor, Mr. Tyson, you've arrived. I presume your tour went well. Let us adjourn in the Observation Lounge."
Tyson was led through one of the doors on the bridge followed by the senior staff. Other officers quickly replaced them at their consoles. The ramp that led from the bridge was never shown on the television show. It was a curved corridor directly to the Observation Lounge, which sat on the aft side of the ship. Tyson looked around the table. He had an opportunity to spend time with some of the senior staff during his ship tour. Not seeing Worf, he'd forgotten that Tasha Yar was the head of security initially. Likewise, O'Brien wasn't a member of the senior staff until he reached Deep Space 9, and neither was Geordi at this time. Realization struck Tyson. If his fate was being decided in this meeting, not having Geordi and Worf here to vouch for him was troubling. Perhaps instead of Cetacean ops and a date, he should've found Riker or spent more time in the sick bay, not as a patient. If he had found Yar, maybe he could've gotten a phaser skill. Regretting his earlier decision wouldn't help him now, so he adjusted his tactics accordingly.
Before sitting, he approached Captain Picard. "Thank you for making time to see me. After seeing all the wonders on this ship, I appreciate how busy you must be keeping it all together. Also, the accommodations here have been nothing short of fantastic. Again, thank you, and Counselor Troi of course for allowing me to experience everything over the past day."
After shaking the Captain's hand, he moved toward Commander Riker. He wanted to make a good impression here. Tyson wasn't sure how Riker would react after finding out he has a date with her. Getting on the man's good side would hopefully prevent a poor relationship going forward.
Offering his hand Tyson said, "Commander, it's a pleasure to meet you. They say you can learn a lot about a boss by how his employees talk about him. I've spent all my time on the lower decks and no one said bad stuff about you. Since I hear you're in charge of duty shifts and such, that must mean you're a pretty good guy."
With a wide smile, Riker accepted the handshake and said, "Thank you, the pleasure is mine."
Next, he wasn't sure who he should approach. Data was Lt. Commander, and probably third in line for command, but Crusher was the chief medical officer. A quick look at her neckline indicated she was a Commander rank. Deciding to approach her first, Tyson again offered his hand.
"Thanks for patching me up a few times, Doc. Sorry about the dermal-regenerator, but I earned that fair and square. I'm willing to pay it forward though, and volunteer a few hours in Sickbay if you'll have me."
She shook his hand and responded, "You were certainly my most interesting customer today. And we can always use an extra set of hands, so long as you keep yours off the equipment or the equipment stays in sickbay."
"Message received, Doc," Tyson replied as he moved towards Data.
"Lieutenant Commander Data" Tyson pronounced each word separated by a slight pause. "I just want to say I'm a huge fan of yours. If you know what I mean."
Data replied, "No sir. I do not know what you mean."
Tyson chuckled and rebutted, "We're gonna work on that."
Last, Tyson approached Tasha Yar. Shaking her hand he said, "We haven't met yet, Lieutenant Yar, but it's an honor to meet you. I had a chance to participate in one of the self-defense classes being run in the gymnasium. Self-defense was a large part of the American identity in my time, so I appreciate the opportunity to learn to protect oneself."
"It's good to hear the class is appreciated. But, I hear that you know how to defend yourself just fine," said Yar.
Tyson laughed, "I was just lucky there were rules. In a straight-up fight, I would've ended up a smear on the gym floor."
Picard interjected, "It sounds like you had quite the day. Now that the introductions are done, please sit. Why don't you fill us in about your day, starting with sickbay."
Picard's voice projected no hostility, but Tyson could sense he wasn't pleased by what Crusher had said to him. Tyson started his story in sickbay, not from the incident where he took the tool, but from when Picard arrived after Data's questions the previous night. He told the staff about everything done during the hours since he left the bridge.
He left out the details regarding his interactions with Troi. When he was talking about the restaurant he noticed Riker leaning over to her and stage whispered, "You had breakfast and lunch with him?"
"Yes, and it was fantastic. You should try his cooking. The replicated meat tasted better than the real thing." she replied, surprising Riker.
Riker addressed Tyson, "You did seem to have quite the day."
Tyson wasn't sure if that was genuine or sarcasm. He replied neutrally, "That I did sir."
Picard said, "The question now, is what next? I contacted Starfleet Command about your situation. There are people at the Daystrom Institute that would very much like to speak with you about your accounting of history. The Department of Temporal Investigations has been notified of your arrival, but since you arrived in the present from the past, they have no issues with you at the moment."
Picard let the last statement hang for a moment. Only Tyson and Data are aware of the implications. He continued, "Additionally, your status as a Federation citizen is somewhat in question. In a little less than three months the Enterprise is due for servicing at Starbase 74 which is in the same sector as Earth. From there, it would be easy to arrange transport to the Daystrom Institute or anywhere else in the Federation."
Tyson thought this over. Between his meditation and sleeping last night, he seriously considered what he wanted to do in this universe. He had a general idea of where was safe and dangerous, where the action was, and where items of great power were hidden. Did he want adventure? He could live his life on an obscure planet, hiding in a holodeck. It wouldn't suck. It'd be awesome living through whatever he could imagine. But that was a cop-out. With all the potential he had, he'd better use it for something.
He knew he could do some good, and maybe save lives here on the Enterprise. If he wanted to follow the path of power, being here would lead him along it… for now.
Tyson looked to the Captain and spoke, "Captain, I'd like to formally request to stay on the Enterprise. I don't mind speaking with the Daystrom Institute, but honestly, I don't want to return to Earth."
"Might I inquire about your reasoning?" Replied Picard.
Tyson elaborated, "If there's a whole galaxy to see, this ship is probably the best place to do so. I don't know where I want to end up ultimately. But, I know I want to help the Federation. I haven't thought of the best way to do so yet."
"I know that there are civilians on this vessel, so my request shouldn't be seen as extraordinary, even if they have specialized skills. From what I've learned today, I have high potential in the areas of xeno-linguistics and espionage."
Riker chimed in, "Espianage? What makes you think you have the potential for espionage of all things?"
Tyson replied, "Perhaps a demonstration would be best."
He turned to Data and asked," If I was carrying a dermal-regenerator, would you be able to scan for it with a tricorder? To detect if it was on my person?"
Without hesitation, Data said, "The isolinear circuitry found within a dermal-regenerator would give off a detectable signal"
Tyson asked," Can you scan me for such a signal?"
Data did so and informed the room that he did detect any isolinear signals and did not possess a dermal-regenerator. Immediately after, Tyson placed his hand in his pocket and pulled the dermal-regenerator from his Inventory. Removing his hand now holding the dermal-regenerator, he passed it to Doctor Crusher.
Speaking to Riker, Tyson said, "My ability allows storage of non-living objects in an extradimensional space. As far as I know, the items are indetectable while stored, and I've yet to find a limit to the size of the item that I can store. This ability lends particularly well to smuggling, but could be applied to humanitarian efforts."
Addressing the rest of the room, "As for xeno-linguistics, I can learn languages exceptionally fast. The doc can attest that I don't have a universal translator. I was able to speak and understand basic Cetacean in a few minutes, and after an hour I was able to speak on par with the universal translator. If I spent a whole day there, I'd bet the dolphins wouldn't be able to tell I wasn't one of them. I think I could do this with any language. If you came up against a new species beyond the universal translator's comprehension, I'd be invaluable. Likewise, for diplomatic missions wouldn't it be helpful to have someone able to speak the language natively?"
Reaching over towards Crusher, he placed a finger on the dermal-regenerator and made it disappear back into his inventory. "Sorry doc, I still need that."
Picard looked around the table asking, "Thoughts"
Crusher spoke first, "I can confirm he does not have a universal translator."
Troi spoke for the first time, "Every place we visited on this ship, Tyson voluntarily engaged in a task. He completed all of them. He could easily contribute in multiple departments at the level of a Starfleet cadet, today."
Yar added, "From what I heard of his fighting ability, I'd place him above what is expected from an Ensign."
Riker said, "I can't have an untrained civilian with us on away missions, regardless of how useful he may be."
Tyson saw an opportunity, "Could I be trained then? I know you can't enter Starfleet Academy as a non-federation citizen without a letter of recommendation from a command-level officer. Could I undergo field training here or exam prep courses to earn that recommendation?"
Main Quest Alert!
Season 1 Objective: Earn Jean-Luc Picard's letter of recommendation by impressing the division representatives.
Earn a recommendation in …
* Command.
* Sciences.
* Operations.
Time Limit: Stardate 41365 (75 days remaining)
Rewards:
Scaling based on performance Failure:
Possible Death
Possible Destruction of the Enterprise
Removal from the Enterprise
Accept Y/N
Tyson mentally accepted.
Picard decided, "Number one, make it so. I'm not inclined to waste his potential. Nor do I wish to invoke Q's return by dropping Tyson off at the first starbase we come across. I'll approve your training for a trial period until we arrive at Starbase 75. At which point, we will evaluate your performance and determine a path."
"Understood, sir. Report to the Executive Office on Deck 3 at 1700 hours," Riker ordered Tyson.
"Yes, sir." He replied crisply.
Picard ended the meeting," Dismissed."
Tyson needed to report to the Executive Office at 1700, which gave him only 15 minutes to arrive. The meeting with the senior staff took about 45 minutes, most of it him retelling his day. Not wanting to be late, Tyson headed there immediately. He did have time to stop at a replimat on the way, just to grab a glass of cold milk to store in his inventory. He needed to understand if food spoiled in his Inventory or if items placed inside were in temporal stasis.
Energy Credits: 484 - 482
The Executive Office seemed like it matched any modern office Tyson was familiar with. There was a receiving room with a Lieutenant serving as Riker's secretary. Tyson was instructed to sit until the Commander arrived. Minutes after he arrived, Tyson was admitted into the office. The space was designed similarly to the Captain's Ready Room he remembered from the show.
Riker began, "I've provisionally assigned you the rank of Recruit. When you were added to the duty rosters, I received requests from Lieutenant LaForge in Engineering, Lieutenant Worf in Security, and Crewman Luna in Navigation. I'm going to assign you one duty shift with Lieutenant Worf to cover your field training. Do you have a preference for your second shift?"
Tyson responded after a moment's thought, "Engineering, please, sir. I have already told Doctor Crusher I'd volunteer in sick bay and I also plan to spend time on deck thirteen. But if I have mandatory duties, I think I'll learn the most in Engineering."
Riker smiled, more widely than Tyson anticipated, and slid over a com badge. There must be some joke that he was missing. "Alright. You're assigned to the third shift. You can pick out a uniform at any replimat. Report to Lieutenant LaForge in Main Engineering at 2000 hours. Dismissed."
Tyson nodded, stood, and addressed Riker, "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
He needed to be in Main Engineering at 8 pm, the time was 5:15 pm currently. He approached the wall panel closest to the Executive Office, using it to navigate to the replimat on deck.
He entered one of the rooms with a larger replicator unit. There was a crewman stationed inside to assist him. The crewman went to a nearby screen and accessed the uniform options for Tyson after determining what the man needed. Tyson began browsing the options.
The computer already had his measurements, and his image was projected similarly to a character creator in a game. As Tyson scrolled, the image would change, showing him each option. Before settling, Tyson scrolled through all the options. He recognized the uniforms from The Next Generation show and Deep Space 9. Going back all the way to the blue zip-ups from Enterprise. Tyson avoided the single-piece jumpsuit, instead selecting a two-piece with a zip top. Another notable difference was the accent color. With Starfleet uniforms, red accents indicated command division, blue for science, and yellow for operations. Tyson chose cadet grey for himself, settling on a darker gunmetal grey instead of the light heather grey. His accent was white since he hadn't been placed into a single division.
There were many additional customization options, but few were within his price range.
Upgrade Acquired: Bullet-Proof (300 Energy Credits)
Energy Credits: 482 - 182
Upgrade Acquired: Stab-Proof (100 Energy Credits)
Energy Credits: 182 - 82
Upgrade Acquired: Breathable (50 Energy Credits)
Energy Credits: 82 - 32
Expending nearly all his energy credits, Tyson considered what to do for the next two hours. Troi was on duty during the second shift, so she wasn't available. The holodeck wasn't an option, and he didn't want to head back to deck thirteen yet. With no better options, he headed to Engineering early, to work on isolinear chips before his shift started.
Engineering Check: Failure
Continue? Y/N
Tyson spent 2 hours working on repairing isolinear chips in Main Engineering. His labor paid off. He failed just slightly more than he succeeded in checks to repair chips. By the time Geordi arrived, Tyson had leveled his Engineering Skill to 10, maxing it. He also had eight repaired chips to give the engineer. Each chip netted him two hundred twenty energy credits, the value was slightly increased because the chips had full hit points, indicating perfect condition.
Engineering Skill Increased! 6-10
+1 Luck: 1-2
Energy Credits: 32 - 1,792
Geordi accepted the chips, thanking Tyson. He handed Tyson what looked like a toolbox. "This is the standard engineering kit. There are additional specialized tools to use here around engineering, but this is what we generally carry with us around the ship for completing repairs."
Engineering Kit
Common Quality
-2 difficulty with all Engineering checks
Storing the kit in his Inventory, Tyson continued listening to Geordi," Since you're the new guy you get to work waste extraction duty. I've updated your PADD with any malfunctions we had in that system. If you manage to fix all those, feel free to grab any jobs you think you can complete. Agreeing, Tyson thanked Geordi and pulled his Padd out of his inventory.
Updating!
Roll: d100=90
There are currently 90 malfunctions within the ship's waste extraction system. Would you like to navigate to the nearest malfunction?
"90 malfunctions!" Tyson exclaimed.
Geordi laughed at him. "You don't have to do them all, Tyson. The PADD shows all the potential jobs. Just work your shift well and you'll be moved to a different system eventually."
Quest Alert!
It's a shitty job, but someone's gotta do it!
Objective: Work your engineering shift in waste extraction maintenance.
Bonus Objective:
Clear the waste extraction maintenance log.
Rewards:
+200 Experience
Bonus Rewards:
(?)
Accept Y/N
Sighing in resignation, Tyson accepted the quest and headed toward the first malfunction.
Like a zombie Tyson moved from job to job. He didn't think about what he was doing, his mind had long since detached. The work was no challenge, the DC on the engineering checks with the waste extraction system was only ten. Since he had a +10 on his Engineering rolls, he couldn't possibly fail. Due to this, he also wouldn't gain any Luck if he did roll the lowest die possible. It became the definition of gruntwork. He gained no benefits, just needed to spend the required time to complete the jobs.
Tyson worked his 4-hour shift and didn't stop. He worked through the first shift and the second shift as well. Nearing 8 am, he had the foresight to set an alarm for himself and broke from his work haze. He headed to the deck nine security room, to meet Worf.
Entering the Security Room, Tyson stood at attention. His feet shoulder-width apart, he clasped one wrist with his hand behind his back. On the way, he stopped at a replimat to refresh his uniform. It costs no energy credits to do so and kept him looking fresh. His face didn't betray the fact he'd been awake for twenty-four hours. Tyson didn't feel tired in the slightest and his status noted no negative status effects.
After a minute of holding the pose, Worf said, "At ease, Recruit." in his deep baritone.
Tyson relaxed his stance as Worf continued, "You've already demonstrated your proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. Do you have any experience wielding a phaser?"
After replying in the negative, Worf spent two hours going over the parts of the phaser, its settings, and how to properly handle the weapon. Tyson's engineering skills allowed him to quickly understand its components. Afterward, they spent the remainder of Tyson's shift practicing aiming and firing. There was a holo-projector in an adjacent room used for target practice.
Skill Unlocked!
Energy Weapons (level 2) - This skill determines a player's combat effectiveness with energy weapons.
Tyson was to keep the phaser in his possession while on duty with security. Worf also issued him a belt to keep it holstered. He equipped both of them immediately.
Federation Phaser
Common Quality
15 Energy Damage
Before leaving, Tyson asked," Does security get melee weapons as well?"
"No. We do not." Worf said, sounding disgruntled. "And there is a replicator lock for weapons unless you're a junior officer or higher ranked. If you want to acquire a weapon, there is a Klingon merchant in the mall who sells some. His name is Korek, he's the only other Klingon on board."
Worf seemed reluctant when speaking of Korek. Digging into his metaknowledge, Tyson recalled that Worf had rocky relations with other Klingons. His father was considered a traitor to the empire. This dishonor was wrongly passed on to his children.
Tyson thanked Worf for the information and left the Security Room. Pulling out his PADD to continue working through the Waste Extraction system.
Updating!
Roll: d20=16
There are currently 34 malfunctions within the ship's waste extraction system. Would you like to navigate to the nearest malfunction?
Tyson hung his head. When he stopped working, more issues popped up in the system. Holding in his scream of frustration, he took a deep breath and continued to the next malfunction.
It had taken Tyson six and a half hours to finish all the maintenance orders on the waste extraction system. Luckily, when he returned to Engineering, LaForge was already on-duty. He approached the engineer immediately reporting, "Sir, I repaired all the malfunctions in the waste extraction system."
LaForge was shocked. It should've taken a proficient engineering officer at least four shifts to complete all those jobs, Tyson should not have been able to finish it in a single shift. LaForge checked the system logs. He realized Tyson worked almost non-stop, taking only a single shift rest. He said to Tyson, "Take it, easy man, I didn't expect you to do all that. Relax for your next shift. You can take another job if you feel like you can do it. Otherwise, you can just work on chips if you want to."
Quest Complete!
It's a shitty job, but someone's gotta do it!
Rewards:
+200 Experience (2750/7000)
Bonus Rewards:
+2000 Experience (4750/7000)
Perk: Your Hands Clean
You can surround any part of your body with a sterile field that will eliminate bacteria, mold, mud, and any other such entity. You could also use this to coat yourself in a hazmat suit-like barrier to make you immune to airborne toxins and non-vacuum environmental hazards.
Tyson activated his perk immediately. He hadn't realized the slight smell he was carrying from spending so much time in the waste extraction system. He took a moment to browse the jobs available on his PADD. It seemed almost like a random quest generator.
Repair a broken emitter in Holodeck 2H.
Purge the hydraulic pumps on the Captain's Yacht.
Run a level one diagnostic on Turbolift 4, Deck 8.
The list went on and on. Each task also had an assigned value and difficulty check. Tyson accepted the quest to fix the broken holo-emitter. The difficulty was slightly higher than repairing isolinear chips, but the payout was much higher.
Since his shift hadn't started yet, he made his way to the mall. He wanted to ensure that he was as prepared for the Zombie ID as he could be, just in case. Tyson returned to the shop he had seen the Klingon at previously. Stepping inside, he saw the man and greeted him in Klingon.
The Klingon responded in his native language, "Ah yes, I remember you. The battles we always lose are those with our women!" Both men laughed at his joke.
Tyson informed the merchant that he was seeking a melee weapon. The Klingon had numerous options from Klingon weapons to traditional Earth ones, and some Vulcan and Andorian as well. Tyson had not decided what kind of weapon he needed before entering the store. The corridors of the ship were not designed for large weapons. Maybe something the size of a short sword would be best? But looking at the weapons, nothing called to him. Bat'leth were too large and unwieldy, most of the dagger-like weapons too short for his needs. There were plenty of swords to choose from but he was concerned that they would lose their edge if overused. He settled on a traditional medieval-style mace. It wasn't pretty, but Tyson would be keeping it in his Inventory.
Mace
Common Quality
12 Physical Damage
Energy Credits: 1,792 - 1,592
He was preparing to leave when he saw a section he completely walked past during the first loop he made around the store. He was so focused on melee weapons that he ignored the section for armor. Most things that offered protection from phasers or disruptors were far beyond his price range. However, there was something else in this area. Shields.
Tyson settled for a small heater shield he could strap and wield with his left arm. The bottom of the shield tapered into a rounded edge that he could use to damage foes with a punch. He briefly considered getting a second shield, but wouldn't be able to wield a phaser with his shield arm.
Heater Shield
Common Quality
5 Physical Damage reduction
Energy Credits: 1,592 - 1,192
Tyson now had a melee weapon, shield, a ranged weapon, and his uniform would protect against projectiles and blades. As ready as he would ever be, he thanked the Klingon man and headed to Holodeck 2H.
Engineering Check: Success!
Side Quest Complete!
+200 Experience (4950/7000)
Energy Credits: 1,192 - 3,192
The moment Tyson finished repairing the holo-emitter, the room went black.
Now Entering… Zombie ID
Tyson
Title: Recruit
Race: Human
Level: 2 (4950/7000)
Energy Credits: 3192
Hit Points: 80/80
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 8
Luck: 2
Unspent Attribute Points: 0
Status Effects:
(none)
Skills:
Observe: Lvl 10 - Maxed
Meditation: Lvl 0 - Locked
Engineering: Lvl 10 - Maxed
Computers: Lvl 3
Physical Science: Lvl 3
Martial Arts: Lvl 7
Athletics: Lvl 3
Medicine: Lvl 1
Social: Lvl 2
Cooking: Lvl 4
Energy Weapons: Lvl 2
Language Skills:
Cetacean: Lvl 3
Klingon: Lvl 2
Perks:
'Out of Nowhere'
'The Anti-Worf Effect'
'Universal Translator'
'Culinary Creations'
'Your Hands Clean'
Drawbacks:
'Q and U'
AN: Mondays suck, hopefully the story makes yours the smallest bit better. Appreciate the follows, favorites, and reviews. I know at least one of you is going to be stoked with the next chapter.
Wasn't much for pictures this time except Tyson's uniform
Imgur dot com (and add the link to the end if you're interested!)
Episode 1.4: /a/BxEq5eR