Star Trek TNG: The Next Gamer

Episode 1.6: Why is Loot so Complicated?

Tyson found himself inside the empty, deactivated holodeck. Without fanfare, he left the empty black-tiled room through the now visible archway. Once again standing within the corridor of the Enterprise-D he accessed the panel outside the holodeck. "Computer what's the current date?"

"The current stardate is 41328.5." Replied the voice.

Tyson sighed, "Computer what's the current date and time using Earth's standard calendar."

"The current time is 5:10 am, March 1st, 2364."

Tyson thanked the computer and mentally recounted his days. Nearly a day and a half passed since he entered the instanced dungeon. He'd hoped some time shenanigans were at play and that time wouldn't pass while he was inside, or at least that there was some form of time dilation applied. Best he could tell, there wasn't. He missed three shifts. It was Sunday morning, he hadn't slept since waking up on Thursday. It was only slightly surprising Tyson wasn't tired. The gamer felt a little rest would be nice but the compulsion to sleep was missing. No negative status effects were listed on his status screen.

Tyson was at an impasse. Whom should he contact? Does he tell the whole story about where he's been? His missed shifts had to have been noticed. What would they do if they realized he wasn't on the ship or checked the holodeck and he wasn't there? What would he do about his companion gem and ship in his inventory?

Currently, the second shift was active. Riker would be on duty. Tyson didn't know how the man felt about him, but both of his direct superiors, Worf and LaForge, were on third shift and likely sleeping.

Biting the bullet, Tyson tapped his communicator, "Tyson to Commander Riker."

The reply matched Tyson's expectations, "Recruit. Where have you been? We've been at yellow alert searching for you."

"Sir, I had a situation while trying to repair a holodeck on deck eleven. I can explain, but I'd need Captain Picard's permission first." Tyson replied hesitantly.

"Standby." Riker stated, ending the communication. Tyson stood in the corridor waiting. Minutes later Riker continued, "Report to the bridge."

As he walked Tyson activated his perk Your Hands Clean. He was pleased to find he was able to extend the aura far enough to clean his uniform. When he arrived at the bridge his appearance was presentable for a cadet. He didn't at all look like he'd just spent the better part of 30 hours in a holodeck. Tyson expected to be led into the Captain's Ready Room. Data, however, led him to the Observation Lounge.

Picard and Troi were already sitting at the meeting table. Riker was leaning nearby at the window. Tyson failed to hide his smile at seeing Deanna. He could only imagine what she sensed from him. From the moment he left the holodeck and realized how long he'd been gone, He felt like a kid who'd got in trouble and was being sent to the principal's office. Even if she missed his smile, she should be able to sense his comfort in her presence.

Tyson stood at attention waiting to see how much trouble he was in.

"Recruit, at ease. Please sit," ordered Picard. The captain looked as he always did; single-piece uniform jumpsuit ubiquitous to TNG's first season. He appeared presentable and didn't have the look of a man that was woken up early for a meeting. Riker and Data sat at the captain's order as well. "Could you explain where you've been for the past day? Leave out no details."

Tyson began, "I reported for my second shift in Main Engineering at 1800 hours but arrived a few hours early. I'd spent the shifts before that repairing all the malfunctions in the waste extraction system."

Riker's face had been neutral thus far widened into a grin before schooling itself. Tyson pretended not to notice.

"After reporting to Lieutenant LaForge, I went to repair a faulty holo emitter on deck eleven."

Picard interjected, "We were contacted by Lieutenant Worf when you didn't show up for your next assignment. Lieutenant LaForge confirmed that the holodeck was repaired after checking the logs. The computer was unable to track your com badge and reported you were no longer on board. What happened next?"

"My ability interfered with the holodeck, sir," Tyson reported. "Once the holodeck was repaired, I was automatically forced into a holo-simulation called an instant dungeon. This dungeon was similar to a holodeck program, but was real."

"Can you describe this instant dungeon?" Picard inquired.

Tyson answered, "It was a reenactment of a mission undertaken by Captain Archer of the NX-01 Enterprise. One where he came across a Vulcan distress signal in the Delphic Expanse. The Vulcans had been trapped in an asteroid field laden with Trellium-D causing the crew to become violently aggressive."

Riker perked up at the mention of the NX Enterprise, "I've run some of Archer's missions on the holodeck myself. I haven't progressed that far, but how does this explain you leaving the ship?"

Tyson paused for a moment trying to find a proper explanation the executive officer would understand. "I believe my ability transported me to an alternate reality where Archer's mission failed. In this reality, I had to complete his mission. I wasn't participating in a program on the holodeck. The holodeck was merely the physical location my ability utilized."

The Commander asked, "How do you know your experience was real and not a program or some malfunction of the holodeck? You haven't been here long. Even for those of us familiar with the technology, it's difficult to separate the holodeck from reality."

Tyson pulled an item from his inventory and handed it to Riker. It was a phase pistol he'd picked up from the dead mako after piloting the Seleya out of the asteroid field. "I picked that up in the dungeon. I wouldn't have been able to take that out of the holodeck. While it's capable of creating matter, the phase pistol would be restricted from replication and wouldn't be able to pass through the arch."

After a moment's thought Tyson added, "A malfunction could be the cause of the holodeck replicating that weapon, I suppose. But, there were other things I acquired in the dungeon that is impossible to replicate."

"Elaborate." Picard encouraged.

Tyson stashed the weapon back in his inventory before continuing, "During the mission, I saved Archer's second officer, a Vulcan, Subcommander T'Pol. I also repaired the Vulcan cruiser that had been disabled within the asteroid, the Seleya. As a reward, I was gifted both."

The room was silent.

Data was the first to speak, "Am I understanding correctly, that you have in your possession a starship and a Vulcan, stored using the same ability you previously demonstrated?"

Tyson confirmed and elaborated, "Yes, Commander. It's difficult to explain, but that is what I mean. I don't think I can store living creatures usually, this type of reward is a limited occurrence."

"Could you store me?" Data asked.

Before anyone could interject or object, Tyson shook his head while smiling, "No. I cannot."

Picard spoke, "If you do have a person stored, let us not wait to release her. In a controlled manner. We'll head to sick bay. Number one, you have the bridge. Send a security team as well, just in case."

Everyone moved to follow the captain's orders. Entering with a retinue, Picard informed Doctor Crusher of the situation. She moved to a biobed and prepared to receive a Vulcan patient and briefly reviewed information on Trellium-D poisoning. Historical data from the event logged by the NX Enterprise hadn't been altered. Tyson considered the implication. Was the instant dungeon an alternate reality as he'd explained to Riker? Maybe a temporary pocket reality that collapsed when he left? He'd been reaching for an explanation the Commander would understand but wasn't entirely sure of the reality of his ID.

Picard broke Tyson's thoughts, asking him to proceed with releasing the stored woman. Tyson focused on the biobed and activated the Companion Gem.

Use Companion Gem: T'Pol

Accept Y/N

T'Pol appeared on the biobed. There were no visual or sound effects like the teleporter created. Likewise, she didn't fade into existence. Her arrival was similar to when he released items from his inventory. She merely appeared.

T'Pol was conscious. Her attention was immediately drawn to Tyson," Tyson? Where are we?"

Picard responded first, "You are on the Federation starship Enterprise. I'm Captain Picard. We're going to make sure you don't have any lingering effects from your experience. Could you state your name, rank, and date and place of birth, please?"

T'Pol replied stoically. "T'Pol. First Officer of the Enterprise. 2088, Vulcan."

"GILF," exclaimed Tyson.

"Sir, I don't believe your universal translator is functioning properly." Data said to Tyson. His head tilted to the side, "Analyzing. Twenty-first-century English language. Slang, Idioms, and Acronyms. GILF. Grandmother I'd like to."

"Commander!" Tyson interrupted quickly cutting off the android's recitation. Instead of explaining his outburst, the man cleared his throat, mocking coughing into his hands before speaking. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to say I'm still the oldest person in the room."

Social Check: Major Failure.

Everyone in the room knew he'd made some archaic joke only he understood. Troi sensed the lie and knew whatever comment he made was directed toward T'Pol's appearance. She narrowed her eyes at him.

T'Pol, her attention now on Tyson, raised one eyebrow at him. He was within arms reach of her, leaning on her biobed. She didn't know the meaning of the word he used, but being this close she could sense his thoughts.

Tyson wanted to move past his slip and grabbed a medical tricorder. He began examining T'Pol and asked, "Are you feeling any lingering side effects from the Trellium-D? Feelings of paranoia, discomfort, or any difficulty regulating your emotions."

Medicine Check: Critical Success!
Medicine Skill Increased! 1-2

T'Pol replied, "No. I feel in control again."

Tyson reported his findings to Crusher. There wasn't any neurological decay, no signs anything had occurred at all. Inwardly, he wondered if this T'Pol was the same one from the ship or an entirely new entity created for this reality. He was unsure how the companion gem worked and had no desire to delve into the metaphysical or philosophical ramifications at this moment.

Doctor Crusher opened her tricorder to confirm his findings. As she did so, Tyson moved away from the biobed to where Picard stood. He spoke in a hushed tone, "Captain, with your permission I'd like to handle helping T'Pol acclimate. It was my power that brought her here, I need to take responsibility for her well-being. Besides, she's about to go through what I experienced less than a week ago. And with what I know, I'm more familiar with her than any living person."

Picard acquiesced, "Very well." Raising his voice to attract the other officer's attention, "I'm temporarily reassigning Tyson as T'Pol's liaison. You will coordinate with Doctor Crusher and Counselor Troi for any of her needs. If you have any issues of a more secure nature, seek out Lieutenant Commander Data. You will also stay away from the holodeck until further notice. That's an order. Once she has settled we'll discuss this ship you possess. I trust you can stay out of trouble until then?"

"Yes. Sir. I'll do my best, sir." replied Tyson.

"You all have your orders," Picard stated as he turned and left sickbay.

Tyson now had quite the task in front of him. He recalled T'Pol was a real stickler for time travel not existing. Meme-level stubbornness. Tyson asked himself how to best approach broaching the topic in a way she would accept it.

"Your assessment was correct, Tyson. I wasn't able to find any symptoms of Trellium-D poisoning. Maybe having you volunteer here wouldn't be so bad since you seem to be somewhat competent. Outside of your penchant for stealing."

"Aww, Doc. Don't be like that."

Crusher ignored him and asked T'Pol. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, doctor. Thank you." the Vulcan replied.

"Then I'll leave you to it. Good luck." the doctor finished and returned to her office.

Before trying to explain the situation to T'Pol, Tyson returned to her side. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He felt her stiffen slightly as spoke, "I know that Vulcans suppress their emotions, but you still feel them. Being on the Seleya with all the crew in that state was undoubtedly difficult, and being trapped there makes it doubly so. I just want you to know that I'm here to support you in whatever way you need. I'll listen if you want to talk. I'll join you for meditation if you need a companion. If it's better not to bring this up then I'll never mention it again, if that's what you need."

Tyson felt her relax while he was speaking. He gestured to Troi, "This is Lieutenant Commander Troi. She's the ship's counselor. If there's something you wish to speak about, but don't want to speak with me, she's the one who can help you."

"Thank you," T'Pol replied. It wasn't long before she began to pull away from his embrace. He extracted his arms from around her not wanting to make the Vulcan uncomfortable.

Now for the hard part, Tyson thought to himself as he addressed T'Pol, "I didn't tell you much beyond my name, rank, and mission when I first woke you up. I need to tell you more. When I said I was the oldest person here, I wasn't being glib. Technically, chronologically it's the truth. I was born on Earth in the year 1985, more than a century before your birth."

"Impossible." T'Pol interrupted. "No human has ever lived nearly that long."

Tyson agreed, "You're correct. I spoke the truth about when I was born. However, I did not experience the following decades. I was abducted and brought here from a different reality. The Earth I came from experienced no Eugenics war, and World War 3 was unlikely to happen, leading to no first contact with your people."

T'Pol was giving him a look that wreaked incredulity, as close as a Vulcan could. Tyson did not acknowledge her unspoken skepticism, "Something similar has happened to you. In the reality you came from, Captain Archer was unable to get you off the Seleya. I arrived and managed to save you and the ship, and remove the Vulcans from the asteroid field. I don't know what happened to them after we exited."

Tyson continued, "In this reality, you along with the away team were forced to overload the Seleya's EPS grid causing the ship to explode. You all escaped the ship and continued on your mission. Eventually, you were successful, defeating the Xindi weapon and returning the Delphic Expanse into a normal area of space. Later in his career, Archer was successful in bringing together the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians." Tyson stopped considering briefly, "and Tellerites? I'm not exactly caught up completely. They formed the Coalition of Plantes which evolved into what is now known as the United Federation of Planets. Or Federation colloquially."

Tyson once again gestured towards Troi, "Counselor Troi is from one member world of the Federation. One of her parents is from a species known as Betazoids. You can probably sense her, as they have telepathic abilities similar to Vulcans. The year is currently 2364."

T'Pol responded, "The Vulcan Science Directorate has determined that time travel is impossible."

Tyson barked out a laugh. It was the second time he'd laughed at a joke only he understood. Once his laugh attack subsided he apologized, "Sorry. I was waiting for that." He stood straight and removed the emotion from his face as best he could, "I empathize with Vulcans. I will simply overwhelm you with logic until you accept your current circumstances."

He walked over to the replicator. "If I recall correctly, Enterprise encountered a space station that had technology essential to repairing the ship and also could create nearly anything requested."

T'Pol responded, "You are correct."

Tyson continued, "I knew about that because it's historically documented. Because we're in the future. But anyway, that technology was not available to Starfleet, correct?"

"Correct."

Tyson said, "Computer. Plomeek broth. Traditional. Most commonly selected by Vulcans if there are multiple options available."

The soup materialized within a metal bowl with a matching spoon. He grabbed the bowl and brought it to T'Pol. "Please, try it. That technology, known as replicators, is available on Starfleet ships. It's a common tool now, available on all vessels. There are publicly available replicators which can be used to create large items, and small personal units such as these are available in most areas and living quarters."

T'Pol trusted Tyson enough to accept the broth. As she ate, she listened to him explain the advances in technology during the past two hundred years. Troi occasionally spoke up, helpfully filling some of the gaps in Tyson's knowledge. When T'Pol finished her broth, Tyson recycled her utensils and replicated some spiced tea for the trio.

Energy Credits: 13,192 - 13,185

They chatted and answered any questions she had. T'Pol remained unconvinced. He'd hoped to convince her but knew it would be better to allow her to conclude on her own. Troi arranged quarters for T'Pol next to Tyson's. They taught her to use the replicator and sonic shower before leaving her to rest.

"I'm sorry that I haven't spent any time with you recently," Tyson said to Troi once they left the quarters. "It's been hard having opposite shifts and uh, being trapped in the holodeck."

Troi smiled, "It's okay. You're still getting settled here. Give yourself time to adapt. I went over your work logs when we were searching for you." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're not a machine Tyson. Make sure you make time for rest. If you need to, we can postpone our date while you figure things out."

She pointedly looked at T'Pol's door as she said that. Tyson didn't need to be an empath to deduce her inference. He suspected Troi sensed his interest in T'Pol. His gamer system gave him the body of a gamer, obviously, with him not needing sleep and recovering health when he rested. But, seemed to offer him no protection from Troi's empathy.

Not wanting to give her the wrong idea; he didn't hesitate long before speaking, "No, I very much want to have that date still. Being reassigned should give me plenty of free time to arrange my life."

Troi was still on duty and needed to return to her office. She parted with a hug, leaving Tyson outside his quarters. Normally at this time, he'd be getting ready for his duty shift in Engineering. Tyson had much he wanted to do before his date with Troi. T'Pol wouldn't need his attention for a few hours. For his plans, he needed energy credits. So, he pulled out his PADD. He would loosely maintain his schedule, taking one maintenance job and spending some time repairing chips to make credits and grind his Engineering skill. The rewards from the 'holodeck' gave him additional attribute points, raising the cap on his skill levels.

Repair the replicator unit in the Executive Dining room, Deck 3.
Engineering Check: Success!

Engineering Daily Quest Complete (1/5)!
+200 Experience (10,350/37,000)
Energy Credits: 13,185 - 15,185

Engineering quests didn't offer good experience gain, but the Energy Credits were great income. It seemed there was a cap of five per day. He would try to complete this objective daily to maximize his income, but his skill level took priority. Isolinear chips would be an easier way to skill up and had no penalty for failure.

Engineering Check: Success.
Failure!
Failure!
Major Success!
Engineering Skill Increased! 10-11 Success!
Success!
Success!
Success! Major Success! +31 HP (36/50)
Engineering Skill Increased! 11-12 Success! Success!
Failure!
Major Success!
Engineering Skill Increased! 12-13 (maxed)

An hour and a half later, Tyson maxed his skill and returned five fully repaired isolinear chips to Lieutenant LaForge. He gave a brief explanation of his whereabouts and apologized for missing shifts. Promising to continue working in Engineering, Tyson grabbed a few more jobs since he hadn't planned on approaching T'Pol again for a few hours.

Failure!
Success!
Major Failure!
Critical Failure!
Success!
Success!
Success!

He only managed to complete two more jobs during the time he'd allotted. He hit a major setback while repairing a broken EPS manifold on deck 25 causing a plasma leak. Luckily no one was in that section when it happened. He managed to seal the leak and repair the broken manifold. He did have to replicate some deck plating to replace what he burned. Doing so ate all the energy credits he would've made from that job. Over an hour wasted, but he did obtain a point in Luck.

+1 Luck

Energy Credits: 15,185 - 18,285

Tyson returned to T'Pol's quarters.

"Come in."

"Good afternoon, T'Pol. How are your accommodations? "

"Satisfactory. Thank you."

Tyson asked, "I was wondering if you would join me for a trip to the replimat. It's similar to Enterprise's mess hall with the addition of a few larger replicator units. I was hoping to prepare some food for lunch in my quarters if you're up for it."

She accepted his offer. Tyson approached a large, floor replicator unit with T'Pol following. He browsed the selection, allowing her the opportunity to as well. He selected a stove and oven combination unit for his living area. The stove was wide enough to have six electric burners separated by a griddle and the inside was split into a dual oven. T'Pol wondered how he was going to move the unit to his living quarters until it disappeared. Strangely, the swirling particles that indicated its creation were absent when it was dematerialized.

"Was it not to your liking?" she asked.

"Oh no, it's perfect," he replied. "I didn't recycle the oven. I can store items in an extradimensional space." He demonstrated this by pulling a glass of milk from his inventory. Checking the temperature, it was still cold, and he restored it.

"There's probably a service for transporting items into your quarters, or anti-gravity devices that can be used to move items through the ship. But, my ability costs me nothing and I can place the items wherever I like once I get to my room." Tyson stated and shrugged.

He also replicated a kitchen island with an extended countertop on one of the sides and a pair of chairs to match. All the items went into his inventory, and they returned to his quarters on deck eight.

Energy Credits: 18,285 - 12,585

Tyson placed the cooking unit in the corner along the same wall as the replicator unit and positioned the island so that it split the cooking area from the rest of the lounge. He only needed a single island thanks to the replicator. That advanced technology made having a dishwasher, refrigerator, sink, and storage areas redundant. Tyson spun up everything he'd need for cooking. Pots, utensils, cutting boards, vegetables, water, seasonings, broth, and olive oil.

T'Pol sat at the island extension and watched as he created all the items. As he began preparing the vegetables, she asked, "If the replicator can create food, why do you bother cooking?"

"A few reasons," he replied while chopping carrots. "I find food tastes better when cooked properly compared to replicated food. It may seem non-sensical, but I cooked for Counselor Troi a few days ago and she agreed it was better when I cooked than simply replicating."

He moved on to finely mincing garlic. " The other, more logical reason would be to improve my skills. The ability to cook is still valuable. Replicators are commonplace in starships, but in the future, I may find myself on an away mission or stranded on an alien world. Portable replicator units are rare."

"I see." She replied. Tyson sauteed the chopped vegetables and garlic. Afterward, he added them to a pot, added seasoning, brought the water to a boil, and finally turned the heat down to a simmer.

Cooking Check: Major Success.
Cooking skill has increased! 4 - 5

"Computer. Set a timer for half an hour please," Tyson spoke aloud. The computer beeped in acknowledgment. Addressing T'Pol, "Would you join me in meditation while the meal finishes?"

The addition of the kitchen did little to detract from the space in Tyson's living area. There was room in the lounge section for them to lay in tandem comfortably. They sat facing each other in the lotus position. Tyson closed his eyes. He knew that he was unable to advance his Meditation skill. Truly, he suggested the meditation session to show T'Pol that he was a worthy companion for the activity.

Tyson's knowledge of Enterprise had some gaps. He wasn't a huge fan of the show and had only watched through the entire series one time. He considered a few episodes worth revisiting and the exact order of episodes was lost to him. Tyson knew T'Pol had been practicing meditation and neuro-pressure with Commander Tucker. Tucker's personality made him unsuited to meditation. Tyson would be different He had yet to see any other Vulcan crew members on the Enterprise-D and wanted to provide some familiarity for her.

A continuous beep from the computer notified Tyson the soup was ready, breaking them from their reverie. Tyson set places at the island seating. The stools allowed a better view through his quarter's windows. The Enterprise-D still orbited Deneb IV. Tyson wasn't sure if that was because he went missing, or if the Farpoint Station negotiations were still ongoing.

Tyson realized he'd forgotten about his cooking tongs. Mentally berating himself, he pulled them from his inventory and placed them in the island's cabinet. He then placed soup bowls for himself and T'Pol.

Vegetable Soup

Uncommon Quality - +10% to taste, +1 Wisdom for 30 minutes

It was hard to tell outwardly, but T'Pol enjoyed the soup. The combination of the soup's Uncommon Quality and Tyson's Culinary Creations perk made for a meal that was satisfying to the Vulcan woman.

She noticed Tyson's accent was shifting. The human had been speaking to her in the Vulcan language since they left sickbay. The way he spoke was different when she compared the moment he awoke her on the shuttle pod, to the small talk they shared while eating. His dialect was shifting subtly towards the one found in the ShiKahr district on Vulcan. The district where she grew up.

Vulcan Language Skill Increased! 4-5 (Maxed)

She noticed too many oddities to not ask, "Are you truly human? You don't smell like humans do. You speak Vulcan as if you came from the capital city. No humans speak with such proficiency. You can manipulate space in a way that should be impossible, with ease."

She stopped asking questions as Tyson sighed. T'Pol detected resignation in his voice and she could sense his uncertainty as he spoke. "I forgot about your increased sense of smell. But to answer your question, I'm not sure, honestly. Some Vulcans have telepathy… I have something else."

He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing, "My ability grants me limited spacial manipulation, a cleaning field I can project onto myself, which is probably why I don't smell human. I also have an information display only I can see. Biologically, I'm still human. For now. But, my abilities have been expanding since I arrived here."

"I see," she replied. "Perhaps you should have the doctor evaluate your visual hallucination."

"It's not a hallucination."

"If you're the only one who can see something, is it not a hallucination?"

"Tyson appreciated the Vulcan penchant for knowledge, but arguing with one could be exhausting." He accessed his menu, "Invite T'Pol. Now you can see it too, so it's not a hallucination."

T'Pol spent a minute looking through the screens which were now visible. She closed all the windows and said, "I rescind my previous accusation and accept your explanation." Then went back to eating her soup.

Tyson chuckled slightly. That was easier than expected. Shaking his head he joined her in finishing the meal.

Tyson left T'Pol in her room. The afternoon first shift was halfway over. He returned next door to his quarters to plan out the rest of his day and evaluate his priorities. He pulled out his PADD and began taking notes. He copy-pasted until he had his list sorted properly and looked it over.

1. Date w/ Troi.
2. Evaluate the D'Kyr's state.
3. Prepare for the next episode: The Naked Now.
4. Prepare for the third episode: Code of Honor.

The date with Troi took priority because it was happening the soonest. It was currently Sunday afternoon, the date would be on Thursday. He'd need to grind his social and cooking skills and come up with some activities to do.

His greatest desire was the check out the ship he earned during the instant dungeon. Picard wanted to be present for that, so he'd have to be patient. He didn't want to see how far he could push his Out of Nowhere perk. The state of the ship would determine what he did with it. D'Kyr cruisers weren't the kind of ship he could fly with just himself and T'Pol. Well, one of his perks would let him fly it, but that'd be the extent of what could be done. The ship was six hundred meters or so long and not what he would have chosen as a starter ship if he had the option.

The next episode, assuming this world followed the show, would be The Naked Now. It was a fun episode, with the danger never feeling like a real threat, more like an obligatory secondary subplot. The D'Kyr could come in handy for avoiding danger should things go badly. Additionally, it wouldn't hurt to raise his Physical Science and Computer skills. He could use his meta-knowledge to cheese the events to come as he did in the instant dungeon, but if he was subtle, it may work out to his direct benefit.

The following episode, Code of Honor, was widely regarded as the most racist Star Trek episode of the modern era. Tyson had no intention of letting events play out as they did on television. He'd need to max his Melee Weapons, Martial Arts, and Athletics skills for this one.

The biggest issue was that Tyson didn't know when these episodes were happening. He was having a hard time figuring out the current time and day. His knowledge of Star Trek rivaled most hardcore fans, but he didn't have the exact dates memorized. It could be anywhere from days to weeks between episodes. Also, the Enterprise was still above Deneb IV. Did his disappearance change the course of future events? He wasn't sure if the ship should have been here this long.

Tyson made a note to spend several shifts in Cetacean Ops. Working there would cover the most skills that he needed to increase at once, Physical Science, Computers, and Athletics. He stood and walked to the turbolift.

"Deck 12. Please."

Tyson entered Sickbay. Again. Dr. Crusher looked at him as he entered and he could tell she was preparing to berate him. Preemptively, Tyson held his hands up in a calming gesture.

"I'm not hurt this time. Didn't want to leave you hanging on the promise of volunteer hours."

"Well, that's a nice surprise. I was about to yell at you for not even waiting a day before hurting yourself again. I appreciate you coming in to help. You can start by checking the biobeds. Make sure the hypospray dispensers and instruments are fully stocked and charged."

Quest Alert!
Is There A Doctor On Board?!
Objective: Impress Doctor Crusher during a volunteer shift in Sickbay. Rewards:
Varied based on performance.

It was a slow hour in Sickbay. None of the crew came in with illness or injuries. Tyson spent the time doing as Crusher asked. It was an interesting learning experience for him. The hyposprays at each biobed sat in a dock, which was a miniature replicator unit. The replicator would create whatever chemicals were needed for the hyposprays on demand.

Engineering/Medicine Check: Success!

The skill checks for maintaining the biobeds used both his Engineering and Medicine skills. It was the first time he'd come across such a skill check. The downside was the increased difficulty of the check for such a simple task.

Success!
Success!
Success!
Success!
Success!
Critical Success!
Medicine Skill Increased! 2-3

Success!
Major Success!
Medicine Skill Increased! 3-4

Major Success!
Medicine Skill Increased! 4-5

Tyson needed to find more combined skill checks. It allowed him to take advantage of his Engineering skill, but since it was maxed, all the benefits went to his low Medicine skill. Unfortunately, there were only ten biobeds in Sickbay, so he couldn't grind the skill endlessly as he did with isolinear chips.

When he finished, Crusher looked over the biobeds to ensure he maintained them appropriately. Shortly after he earned her seal of approval the iconic sound of a starship door was heard. Two crewmen entered Sickbay, one helping the other walk. A glance revealed the only outward injury was on the leg. Tyson went to the other, unassisted side and helped them to the biobed.

As they moved together Tyson spoke, "Hey I'm Recruit Tyson, helping out here today. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm Ensign Eldaren. My leg got caught in a rung when I slipped in the Jeffrey's tubes."

Tyson pulled out the medical tricorder and began scanning the injured leg.

Medicine Check: Major Success!
Medicine Skill Increased! 5-6

Scans revealed a non-displaced fractured fibula. "Shouldn't take long to fix this up, lay back, relax, and I'll get you back on duty before the end of the shift."

Tyson activated the biobed's osteo-regenerator. Crusher who'd been watching from a few feet away stepped up to his shoulder. "That was very well done. You assessed the situation, evaluated the injury, and treated it without hesitation. I'd say that was a successful shift."

Tyson had lost track of time while working on the biobeds. A look at the nearby display revealed it was 4 pm. The second shift would be starting.

Quest Complete!
Medicine skill has increased! 6 - 7 +2500 Experience (12,850/37,000)
+500 Energy Credits (12,585 - 13,085)

Perk: 'Q and U' Activated

Tyson scanned Sickbay and noticed a blueshirt he hadn't seen before, the man was in the corner stocking the shelves behind the paneling. The blueshirt turned and revealed himself as Q. He slow-clapped for Tyson.

"Good show my boy."

He snapped his fingers and another box appeared in Tyson's vision.

Bonus Reward:
Perk: Hello Nurse!
You'll notice that everyone here is really attractive. 7/10 at worst, and anyone already a 6 or above will have their looks boosted by two points on as objective an 'attractiveness' scale as there can be. This means that some people will be literally beyond perfect in appearance; don't ask us how that works.

Tyson mumbled," What? How does that make any sense."

He looked back to Q, and the trickster shrugged, then disappeared in a flash. None of the other people in Sickbay acknowledged the exchange. Tyson wanted to thank Doctor Crusher for the opportunity to work in Sickbay. The skill-ups were worth far more than the time he spent there.

When he walked into her office area, he froze. The woman sitting at Doctor Crusher's desk looked strikingly different than how Crusher did when he entered. Her face appeared to have de-aged. Crusher initially looked like she was in her mid-late thirties, but now she looked ten years younger. The few wrinkles she had, were smoothed out. Her hair had a white streak in the front section making her look like Anna Paquin playing Rogue in the X-Men movies. Sitting at the desk, her body wasn't completely visible, but Tyson couldn't miss the increase in her bust.

"Thanks again for coming, Tyson. Feel free to drop in for a shift in either of the sickbays whenever you want. The other is located on deck two if you haven't seen it yet."

Tyson still getting over his shock and confusion simply thanked her. He pulled a one-eighty and left.

Crusher shook her head after watching him leave, "I don't understand that guy." The doctor returned her attention to her PADD.

Tyson

Title: Recruit

Race: Human

Level: 4 (12,850/37,000)

Energy Credits: 13,085

Hit Points: 110/110

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 11

Intelligence: 13

Wisdom: 12

Charisma: 11

Luck: 3

Unspent Attribute Points: 2

Status Effects:

(none)

Skills:

Observe: Lvl 10

Meditation: Lvl 0 - Locked

Engineering: Lvl 13 - Maxed

Computers: Lvl 4

Physical Science: Lvl 3

Martial Arts: Lvl 7

Athletics: Lvl 3

Medicine: Lvl 7

Social: Lvl 2

Cooking: Lvl 5

Energy Weapons: Lvl 2

Melee Weapons: Lvl 8

Stealth: Lvl 8

Language Skills:

Cetacean: Lvl 3

Klingon: Lvl 2

Vulcan: Lvl 5

Perks:

'Out of Nowhere'

'The Anti-Worf Effect'

'Universal Translator'

'Culinary Creations'

'Your Hands Clean'

'Grand Theft Starship'

'Hello Nurse!'

Drawbacks:

'Q and U'

AN: Happy Friday! Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

The reviews, follows, and favorites are appreciated. This update should push the story over 30k words. I'll probably keep the rapid update pace through next week to finish episode 1.

At this point in my writing, I hadn't been doing character sheets regularly at the end of every chapter, so I've had to do it retroactively. By 1.9 I know everything is correct.

Played with links and the only website that kept the hyperlink was youtube. Not trying to do videos, so sticking with imgur.

Images inspired by this Chapter
Imgur dot com (and add the link to the end if you're interested!)
Episode 1.6: /a/SgR1K2e