Inner demons

Posted on Thu Jan 30th, 2025 @ 10:35am by Captain Addison 'Rico' Leyton & Josef Forstinger & Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Holodeck One
Timeline: MD1
2298 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Addison tugged on the reins of the chestnut colored pure bred stallion to round a barrel set up in a large pasture. She always took time to to keep her riding skills fresh.

And just as she would have done her first round, the Gate suddenly appeared, with the door opening and a very confused man entering- seemingly by accident. She must have forgotten to lock the door. Thereby nearly walking right into her horse. "Jesus Christ-I am sorry, I didn't know there was-uh, an entire pasture on board too."

Addison pulled the reins of the horse up and to the left as the animal veered off and then dug her heels down in the stirrups causing the horse to slide to a stop. "You alight?" she asked, getting off the horse.

"I guess so." he responds. Having dodged the horse ever so slightly as a precaution. Looking up to Addison. The Man didn't wear an uniform, just a white undershirt and....jeans ? He looked more like he belonged in a Holodeck Period Piece than a Starship. "Apologies. I was trying to find the Replimat-Replicator thing, guess I took a wrong turn."

"Oh! Are you the guy I've heard about? From 20th Century Earth?" she asked, taking in the man's appearance in contrast to her black Stetson hat, riding boots, red khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tan pants worn over her boots.

"Heard about ? Guess news travels fast on a ship no matter if at sea or in the cold void of space. I am, is it that obvious ?" the man would slightly joke in response. At least wearing the right shoes for the terrain. Combat Boots.

"Scuttlebutt is one thing that's never changed. And yes, you are rather obvious. Not many people on the ship wear boots, jeans, and a T-shirt," Leyton chuckled before extending her hand. "I'm Lieutenant Addison Leyton, call sign Rico. I'm a Gryphon pilot."

"Now what's wrong with my outfit ? Can't fault me for not having been able to keep up with the current fashion. Though everything looks so...soft ? Its like everyone just dressed in smooth cloth and its weird." he comments, before shaking her hand. "Well I am Josef, Josef Forstinger. No Rank or Callsign-anymore. I guess a Gryphon is like a fighter jet ?"

Leyton nodded as she smiled. "Good to meet you, Joseph. Yeah. It's a Starfighter designed to attack capital ships, defensive positions and provide close air support to ground troops and I never said there was anything wrong with your clothes. It just makes you stand out. Hell, you'd probably feel right at home at my family's historic air museum at Norfolk, Virginia."

"Historic Air Museum in Virginia ? Well. Thats certainly interesting. But even if I am a museum piece I shouldnt be let behind a stick for one of em american jets, barely passed my drivers license as is." He jokes. A Historic Museum, probably filled with stuff that was brand new in his day. Just the thought of that gave him a weird feeling in his stomach.

Leyton let out a chuckle. "Just meant you'd feel more at home there than a Starship traveling faster than light," she explained. "And the Leyton Historical Air Museum has lots of planes, not just American. I come from a long line of military pilots. But enough about me, you said you were looking for the replimat, well, there are plenty of those around. I'd be happy to show you."

"Oh well, I wouldn't want to keep you from uh-riding your horse." he says. Secretly finding it embarrassing not being able to do something simple as find a replimat (and operate it.)

"She'll be here next time I come here. Besides, it's easy to get lost on a ship as big as the Elysium. Come on," she motioned. "Computer, end program." The pasture, barn, and horse all disappeared to be replaced by the yellow lines and black squares of the holodeck.

"What the-" was the response he gave as everything around them, including the horse suddenly vanished in a heartbeat. Something the man certainly had not expected at all. "That was...a program ? Like a game ?!"

Addison stopped mid stride and turned to look at Josef, to the bulkheads and then back at Josef. "Game? Well, you can play games here, yes.". She paused as she realized he had never seen a holodeck before. "I'm sorry. This is Holodeck One. Holodecks use matter energy to replicate any person or place you want at any time in history you want. Anything from a baseball game to watching the Wright Brothers make their historic flight.

"Huh" was the response Addison maybe didnt quite expect as it took a second for Josefs brain to process the load of information she just gave him. He could make at least some sense of it, not how it worked, heavens no-but at least the concept of what it was. "Thats pretty cool. As a Kid I always dreamed about an interactive TV." but nevertheless, he followed her out of the Holodeck.

"So what about you?" Addison asked as the left the holodeck. "How are you finding this future?". She was truly interested in getting to know someone who lived in a time she had only read in history articles.

"Its-" he paused for a second, as if unsure what to exactly say. "Interesting. You seem to have alot of neat...things, but I am scared about the Transporter. The thought of that freaks me out."

"Really?" She questioned as she thought about the transporter. The device was used casually every day but she supposed to someone who has never used one, it would be a scary thought. "They're normally safe, barring any sub space interference and far more safer and efficient than the early models.” She wondered briefly what it would have been like to live in those early days of transporter use like her great great aunt, Lieutenant Samantha Leyton who had served on the NX Class Atlantis as the helmsman.

"It sounds like something out of a mad scientist's vision just waiting to go wrong. Don't get me wrong, teleportation sounds great-but being ripped apart at a molecular level and reassembled at the other side ? Is it even still you ? Is there a soul ? Hell, there might even be a "Ship of Theseus" aspect to the whole thing." he replied. "Though then again some people claimed that what the Wright Brothers had achieved was unnatural and an affront to God. I guess that's just progress for you."

"Well, I'm fairly certain that I am the same person I've always been but that is a different way to look at things," she admitted as she entered through the doors to the replimat.

"I mean people back in the day believed Trains were an afront to God and womens uteruses would fly out of their body when the Train hit 30 miles an hour.....I guess new things are just as scary as they'll always be."
He finally entered after her into the replimat. Looking at the Replicator inside. And the Control pad attached to it. "Right. I assume that's the replicator. Makes me miss the checkout line already."

"Check out?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Not sure what a check out is but replicators are very simple. Just tell the computer what you want to eat and voila, your meal materializes, as long as it's not live like Klingon Gagh. For example, computer. One cooked cheeseburger with American cheese, ketchup, and mustard and iced tea, sweetened. A plate with a hamburger and a glass of iced tea materialized. "Not as good as a good home cooked meal but it's still good."

"Well, you know. When you go to a store. Pickup some things and go to pay at the register." he said before he remembered "Right, you mostly don't use money anymore. I forget." was his intermediate followup-though it seemed more directed at himself.
"So it wasn't an accident that the last few times someone gave me some food it tasted off......wait did you also mention live ? Is there some Delikatesse in the future I should remain ignorant about ?"

Addison chuckled as she grabbed her tray of food out of the replicator. Some cultures, especially Klingons like most of their food live such as Gagh, which are basically long, slimy worms. Personally, I can't stand it. Tried it one time at the Academy on a dare. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Don't worry, I am not that desperate for food yet." he jokes a little in return. Stepping up to the Replicator and taking a little of a closer look at it. "Probably still better than the time I opened a can of bread only to find out the seal was damaged during transport. In the heavy mud and rain ? Never thought that the stuff could smell or taste any worse. But I guess I was wrong. Though one of my friends said theyd count as extra proteins. Just had to close my eyes." After finishing his inspection of the machine he too ordered some food. Though compared to what Addison had on her tray it was rather....spartanic. A simple piece of chicken breast with white rice and a glass of water.

Addison looked at his tray and shook her head with a grin. "You poor, poor man," she teased as she made her way to a nearby table that sat near one of the viewports. "So, have you managed to make any friends yet?" she asked, setting her tray down on the table.

"I mean hey, better than starving I guess." he jokishly responded to her tease. Joining her by the Viewport, looking out at the Stars, something still so alien to seeing them up close. "Acquaintances" was his response "It's hard trying to connect. Some people seem to want to help me, others weirded out by me. And my only old friend..:" he continues, referring to David Tonelly "....seemingly wants to act like its a return to the good old days."

Addison had sat down as she listened to Josef. "Well, it couldn't have been easy to have gone through what you have. I tend to get a long well with just about everyone and keep a positive attitude. I also believe you just need someone to listen to, to vent to, and not really take advice from. At least that I've learned growing up in a Starfleet family.". She then stuffed a forkful of food into her mouth.

"Hm, a Starfleet Family." he muses a little at the concept. "Living in Space on a Starship. My Grandfather would laugh his ass off at the notion. Tough old Bastard, Butcher, fought in Stalingrad before the encirclement." he reflects slightly, perhaps on happier times. His face seeming a bit happier before turning grim. "I didnt understand it back then, why he was so mad at me getting conscripted like all the other boys at 18. I guess he saw the writing on the wall, got dragged in as Peacekeepers a week later.
5 days after that I saw my first mushroom cloud. The Geiger Counter going off as ticks turned into a consistent droning noise. I barely understood what had happened in that moment -we were 12 when Chernobyl happened, but that same sense of dread..." he seems to trail off, his eyes looking past her in a blank stare, before he blinks once, the rather grim look on his face fading as his eyes snap back to hers. "Apologies. Old Memories." he seemed to attempt to just sweep it under the Carpet, going to take a bite of his so far barely touched food.

"Wow...I can't imagine having lived through something like that," she said softly. "And you don't need to apologize. You survived and are in a better future now.". Fighting in such a brutal war and then being abducted and forced to fight in an area would break most people. "I'm here if you ever need an ear to vent to."

"Right better future...." the man whispered under his breath before changing back to a kind smile seemingly on a dime. "But hey. Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine." Josef reassures as he goes on to act like the last few seconds didn't happen. "I mean I got food and a bed. That's enough for a man to survive on." he says in a slight jest. But there was still this slight look in his eyes.

"Survive, yes. Recover and thrive? Not a chance in hell,* she stated as she looked at him. "I know it may be hard, but believe it when I say that we're all here for you and that it is ok to ask for help."

An uncomfortable silence followed Addison's words. Josef had stopped eating or moving and was now staring at her. It was like his eyes were empty, devoid of something. It was a crack in the mask he tried to project, not only to her or the rest of the crew but also to himself.

His Brain in reality was working at breakneck speeds. Her words seemed to hit the nail on the head. Recover and thrive ? Could he in a time such as this ? Be more than a-wait, Recover ? Recover from what. He was fine, he HAD TO BE FINE. HE WILL NOT BE SOME CHARITY CASE.

"Thank you for your help, Addison.". Josef broke the silence. It felt like it went on for an hour, in reality, maybe a minute at most had passed. His cheerful jokey tone entirely gone and replaced by a tone of sheer neutrality. Having finished his food, he moves to de-replicate his plate and utensils.

Addison simply watched the man leave.