JP - Lt. Robin Hopper & Lt. JG Nathan Richards: World Beyond Zero (Part 5)
Robin Hopper
((“STARLITE Drive In Cinema” – Holodeck C))
((On Screen, World Beyond Zero))
Meanwhile – across the galactic Zone of Power – the evil Robotikron Overlords, massive (matte painted) supercomputers rule with absolute authority over the denizens of Galaxy Zero. Their chief instrument of oppression is none other than Executor Terrora. As cunning and beautiful as she is dastardly and cruel – Terrora is dispensed to remove threats to the Overlords’ will of absolute conformity.
The computer overlords spoke with booming, robotic, and vaguely Russian voices…
Overlord1: EXECUTOR TERRORA. We Have Calculated Your Response To Our Summons To Be Satisfactory.
Overlord2: Report….Your Mission To The Peaceful Planet Of “LOVANIA” – Were Your Mission Parameters Completed Successfully?
Terrora: Esteemed Overlords! ::she laughs evilly:: My mission was a success and LOVANIA ::she spits:: is peaceful no more!
Overlord3: And The POPULACE Of Lovania?
Terrora: BENT into submission, by I, Terrora!
Overlord1: You Have Done WELL, Executor.
Overlord2: Once Again, CONFORMITY To Our DOCTRINES Restores ORDER.
Terrora: Hail the Robitikron Empire! ::she punches the sky:: and hail our all-powerful Overlords!
Overlord3: We Have A NEW MISSION For You, Executor. The Rogue Captain, JOHN MASON, Has Made A Discovery Which May Prove CATASTROPHIC If Left Unchecked.
Terrora: ::Her top lip twitches:: JOHN MASON. ::seething:: He lives!? Argh! ::she growls to the side:: I will boil him! I will smite him. He will be squashed, overlords. Never again will the universe hear the name JOHN MASON! And I will do it as only I know how. By using his one true weakness against him. He will rue the day he ever met I, TERRORA.
((Back in the Car))
Nathan raised an eyebrow. The idea of this Captain Mason discovering some kind of portal or whatever into another galaxy and these Robotikron Overlords seeming to instantly know of this discovery didn’t sit well with him. In reality, It would take several hours, if not days for even Starfleet Command to find out about any kind of discovery such as this unless it was right in their backyard. He shook his head and chuckled. He had to keep in mind that it was a movie from over 400 years ago.
He adjusted the way he was sitting in his seat, and pulled out the package of ‘starburst’ candies he had received. The foil rectangle crinkled as he pulled it open to reveal a row of smaller, square, wax paper-wrapped candies. He unwrapped one and held it up to the light. The strange pink-ish color almost made the candy unappetizing, but he popped the candy into his mouth anyways. It wasn’t like anything he had ever experienced before. The soft square burst with what Nathan assumed was some kind of imitation fruit flavor. What fruit, he had no idea, but he enjoyed it.
Richards: ::Offering one of the squares to Robin:: Want one? They are actually pretty good.
Hopper: ::Taking it without question:: Thanks – help yourself to these, by the way…
Robin set her box of chocolate-covered raisins on the dash between them. Nathan set the package of starbursts on the seat between them, and grabbed the cardboard tray that held the small bag of chips and container of now cooled nacho cheese. He pulled the bag of chips open with a pop, sending some corn chip shrapnel across the dashboard of the Camaro. He chuckled and looked over at Robin.
Richards: Who knew drive-in snacks were so ‘explosive’!
Hopper: ::Chuckling:: Just be careful with the cheese! You, Mr. Richards… are a walking, talking, safety hazard.
Nathan dramatically poured the chips into the larger section of the cardboard tray, and drizzled the cheese over the corn chips. Nathan screwed up his face slightly as he watched the thick yellowish orange cheese lay over the chips. Perhaps all of the excitement for ‘drive-in nachos’ was unfounded.
Richards: I…sure hope these taste much better than they look.
Hopper: ::Trying to contain her laughter:: I wouldn’t count on it.
Nathan grabbed one of the chips that had the most amount of the cheese on it and tossed it into his mouth. As soon as he bit down, he knew that these were now his favorite thing in the galaxy. The warm cheese with the crunch and salt of the chip. Perfection.
Hopper: ::Watching him:: Sooo… What’s the verdict? You look like you just died.
Nathan hadn’t realized that his eyes had rolled back as he savored the cheesy chip.
Richards: ::Swallowing:: Sorry, they are better than I expected.
Hopper: Okay, well then, I guess I’ll take the plunge…
She picked up a chip, dipped it into the cheese – still half-watching the unfolding action on screen – and brought it carefully to her mouth. There was a satisfying crunch followed by a salty savoury assault on the senses that must have triggered an immediate serotonin response.
Hopper: Oh! ::Looking back down at them:: This is junk food on steroids. ::Still chewing, eyes widening:: Good call…
Richards: I might need more of these.
Hopper: You see, this is what I needed. ::Glancing back at the screen:: Hard to do PADDwork when my fingers are covered in nacho grease.
Nathan chuckled as he put another cheese covered chip into his mouth.
Richards: Oh shoot. Another reason to keep you away from work. ::Playful smirk:: I’m a bad influence.
She turned to look at him and the two of them shared a cascade of stifled laughter. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so joyful and free. Back on Earth maybe, before the Academy. The weight of that responsibility sat on her shoulders nearly every minute of every day. She’d never let it change who she was, at heart, but it did inform her day-to-day decisions. But here? In this place? All that went away.
Hopper: Oh, I love this part. Mason’s about to meet the President – if you can believe it they got Orson Wells… Must have been some contractual obligation there!
Richards: ::Mouth full of nacho:: Prethident Orthen Welsh? ::Swallowing:: This should be interesting.
TBC in part 6/6…
Lt. Robin Hopper
Chief Science Officer,
Amity Outpost
V239806K11
Lt. JG Nathan Richards
Engineering Officer
Amity Outpost
A239905NR1
Ensign Doz Finch
Special Guest Star (Rusty & Terrora),
World Beyond Zero
C239809SH3
