COMMENCE VOYAGE

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know the Atlantic Ocean has a surface area of 41.1 million square miles? No reason.

...

There's something uneasy in the air as you come to.

Well, "come to" is an interesting word in this case. It implies waking up, which is not exactly what happens. None of you are in beds, nor are you really asleep in the traditional sense. One moment you're somewhere else, doing something else with your time, and the next? You're somewhere on board a massive cruise ship - maybe lounging on a deck chair by the pool, maybe getting some Gains in the exercise room, maybe enjoying the tasteful décor in the buffet - and you have no idea how you got here or how you might get back. This is not your beautiful house. If you have a beautiful wife, she isn't here.

What you do have, apart from 25 other unlucky souls, is a small smartphone-like device in your pocket with only a handful of things on it: a clock reading 11PM, a pdf of a ticket in your name on a special Atlantic Liners New Year's Eve Cruise, an app labeled Passenger Profiles with some basic information on your traveling companions, and a message:

Welcome aboard, passenger! Please feel free to partake of any of the facilities while you wait for the big event! Remember: when midnight comes, you better make your way to the theatre at the back of Level 1 for the main event! The Captain and the First Mate will be there to take care of you all personally, and to help you ring in the new year in style!

Well, that's a start. But what you do until then, it seems, is up to you!

Comments

[ignobel]

And it's not that unusual for the military to mess around with holograms, but a cruise ship would be a first, I guess. No idea why they'd be messing with the stars, either.

[It is a little claustrophobic after spending so much time in the open air, but it's not like Allenby isn't used to enclosed spaces. That's the life of living in space itself, after all.

The notion of the military messing around with her, or them, or mostly her -- that's annoying, though. She wrinkles her nose a little.]

What? The Federation's been using these since before I was born? Ages ago now. They're pretty much all the rage for space battles and everything.

[How does one explain the significance of a concept from before one's birth!! Data these are the hard-hitting questions.]

[ltcommandroid]

[Hm. Well, that's odd and calls for further clarification!]

Are you referring to the United Federation of Planets?

[ignobel]

The United Federation of Colonies. What, like there's more than one?

[It was mostly glib but also then she looks at Data's face and his general demeanor and attire and their weird cruise ship origin story and like. Hm. Time to fold her arms and think this over a little.]

... What's this United Federation of Planets, anyways?

[ltcommandroid]

The United Federation of Planets is an interstellar organization of sovereign planetary entities, founded in 2161 by Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar. Members are required to observe the laws of the Federation, but will receive support from Starfleet and other member planets.

[Or something, apparently the nature of the Federation is kinda vague.]

It is not dissimilar to the United Nations that once existed on Earth, if you are familiar with that.

[ignobel]

Uhhh, that doesn't make any sense -- if there were already an interstellar organization by 2161, we wouldn't still be messin' around with how petty the colonies are a million years later? It's like 60 F.C. by now and they're still making us Gundam Fighters go at it.

[The nature of the Federation here is apparently well-documented! Welcome to Federation: Dark Mirrorverse.]

United Nations... United Nations... Was there something like that? It's been a while since Earth history really mattered as much.

[ltcommandroid]

[I'm sure 2161 sounded reasonably futuristic when og Star Trek was made in like the 60s, it sounds sort of ridiculous now tbh]

I think it is clear that we are not from the same universe.

[ignobel]

... What happened while I was asleep?! You sure you're not another hologram? You've got a little something going on already...

[Just. Gesturing at all the water that's drained out of his bits. You know, it's kind of awkward watching some strange dude leak onto the patio in the middle of a luxury cruise!! Not that she knows what luxury cruises are supposed to be like, precisely, but it seems like a faux pas.

Or a glitch in the Matrix. Either or.]

[ltcommandroid]

[He follows her gaze momentarily.]

I am an android. Though being underwater will not damage me, I am not designed for it.

[ignobel]

... I don't know if that explains anything or just makes everything worse.

[There's just a loud sigh here, but she doesn't seem to fault Data personally for it. Might be hard to get personal with an android she's just run into in a ship she's not entirely sure is real in a scenario she's also not entirely sure of the purpose of, but it's fine.

Squinting at his all of him... How the hell are they making the androids these days.]

How are they even making the androids these days... I can't tell if you're messin' with me or not. You're a weird one, though. [...] So let's say we're both real for now, 'cause otherwise I'm going to get a headache. What's an android doing on an Earth cruise?

[ltcommandroid]

[that's cool, people call him weird constantly]

That is what I would like to know. Until ten minutes ago, I was on my ship several thousand lightyears from Earth.

[ignobel]

[She's not exactly the model of a regular Earthling herself. Or like, a regular anything except possibly a very enthusiastic martial artist, but that's neither here nor there. Hopefully they'll never have enough fisticuffs for a comparison...!

Surely there are no killer androids on board.

Raising an eyebrow though.]

So you're telling me they've got people here from Earth, who knows what other places, and way out in the middle of space? I'm seriously starting to wonder what kind of cruise this is.

Like, I'm pretty sure there aren't many Federations out there that can pull this sort of thing off, even if there are a bunch of them.

[ltcommandroid]

[Surely not!]

I am aware of some entities who could do this. But I do not think the Q are involved. [Again - Picard's not here.] It is quite possibly a force entirely unknown to all of us!

[ignobel]

Never heard of the Q... All we've got is the politicians on Earth and the colonies and all their underlings. And the crazy scientists in the bunch...

[Mutter, mutter. She's got some Beef but it's only tangentially related to their current brainstorm(??) about possible culprits (non-murder). There's a gusty sigh after a moment, though -- apparently Data's extremely dramatic proclamation has been accepted, because this is the type of situation that calls for Extremely Dramatic Proclamations.]

Yeah, but if it's a force totally unknown to all of us, then there's not much we can do about it, is there? Be better if it was just pirates.

[ltcommandroid]

This seems extreme for piracy. [...] Though that would be preferable.

[ignobel]

You say that, but it could be space pirates? It could even be space pirates and sea pirates working together at this point, unless we're actually in space.

But that's a little too complicated, so I'm just going with the pirate kidnapping gig being the easiest answer. [...] Throwing 'em overboard would be so much easier, too...

[When in doubt, apparently, cope by thinking about the imminent jettisoning of your enemies. It's fine. She gives a half-smirk, so maybe not entirely serious, but it is certainly a thought.]

[ltcommandroid]

[......oh. Is it a joke? There's a response about taking them back to stand proper trial on his tongue, but he's gotten better at recognizing when people aren't being entirely serious.]

We could make them walk the plank.

[ignobel]

[The metanarrative applauds Data's character development, and the fact that they haven't raised death flags yet, because really, who wants to deal with trials in this day and age? Nobody, that's who.]

Hmm. Vessel like this? I'm thinking there's more high-tech solutions.

Or at least, you could just find somethin' to fire them off.

[The joke either becomes more apparent or she doesn't actually know what kind of equipment they're packing. What's a cruise ship. Qué.]

[ltcommandroid]

[Okay well see how he is less certain]

It is unlikely that a cruise ship would have any armaments.

[ignobel]

Aww, why not? What happens if they run into real pirates and all? Seems like you'd be a cruising sitting duck.

[She does seem genuinely rather disappointed in the cruise ship's defenses!! Where are the canons and death rays. Maybe her background helps explain some of this......

Maybe Earth is just that kind of a place in 60 F.C. It's a wide universe.]

[ltcommandroid]

Perhaps they simply did not bring their pleasure vessels to dangerous areas.

[ignobel]

Most people wouldn't, yeah? But here we are, and we've got pirates or thugs running the show, and all we've got is ourselves... I'd say it was exciting if I had a little more backstory.

And if the timing wasn't so bad.

And maybe if I could bring my Gundam around.

[You do not want to know what she'd do with her Gundam in tow. Be that as it may.]

Speakin' of which, you've got a name, yeah? Allenby Beardsley here. I'm a Gundam fighter, but you mostly knew that already.

[ltcommandroid]

My name is Data, Lieutenant Commander of the starship Enterprise. [Since we're putting our military titles or whatever in here.] It is good to meet you.

[ignobel]

Whoa, a Lieutenant Commander? That's just a little higher than my paygrade.

[She looks perfectly relaxed though, so it doesn't seem like she cares all that much about rank and whatnot.]

I'm just an Ensign here, but it's good to know that we've got some bigwigs here in case things really go south. Plus you've even got a whole starship; no wonder you ended up all the way out there in the middle of space.