Ensign Talon Morda: It's...probably exclusive pre-order DLC for the latest AAA holonovel
Eston Melton
(( Deck 5, Holodeck 2, USS Khitomer ))
Morda: Got it. And the media -- is it mostly audio and visual media, or do they also get into full-sensory immersion? Or what about olfactory casts and tactile scapes? I knew a girl at the Academy, and I swear she’s gonna go pro crafting smell vistas when she gets out of the service.
Matthews: Audio and visual. Though if you want some recommendations on who to watch for the full experience? I have so many cooking shows I can recommend. And a few holo novels. But yea no. I am not big on the immersion myself. Sometimes that takes you right out of the holo novel. You know?
Morda considered. His first year after his career apprenticeship, stationed out of one of the major orbital hubs, had permitted a lot of off-duty time around traders and their senses-expanding wares. Nothing illicit or illegal, just exotic by Kerelian standards and occasionally obnoxious to his colleagues. He’d spent two weeks smelling up the barracks with aroma poetics from an Orion merchant. The Tactilian was an avant garde haptic saloon that usually left him jangling; the buzz was more kinetic than regular alcohol, and he wouldn't shut up about it for almost a month. It was fair to say that with each new medium he encountered, he became briefly enthused then reverted to the baseline audio/visual media of his upbringing.
Morda: Sounds as if this is in my comfort sector, but nice to hear there are multiple perspectives. I like a decent immersion sim, but running them in real-time often slogs.
Matthews: In any case, I just like the chance to catch up on the more fun news. We’re always plugged into the latest political drama. Or the latest natural disasters. I’m not saying I stick my head in the sand all the time. But it’s nice to get a finger on the puls of pop culture.
That made sense, and he understood the appeal after their intense last mission. Looking at Matthews, thinking about what it must have been like to be held against his will, it especially clicked. Even Morda was still rattled, and now that he was here, the opportunity to shift focus held appeal.
Morda: Yeah. Yeah, I get that. I think we could all use a distraction.
He was in turn immediately distracted by the resolution of three more hosts. He followed Matthews’ lead toward the chairs and sat.
Matthews: Okay so they’re holding off on the big announcement. Which makes me think this is timed with other outlets. Or they have the scoop on the story.
Morda: Major news, huh? Yeah, I’ve been totally disconnected from anything outside the fleet. Nice to touch ground for a bit. So … the producers, they line up all the news teams like this one and coordinate release information? That sounds like a huge logistics undertaking.
Matthews: Well for this sort of news, it does feel like it’s released by one outlet and then the others just parrot that outlet. Which I get it. That’s how news travels sometimes.
Morda: Got it. So, these folks we think will have a scoop?
Before Matthews could answer, an audio feed opened up. It wasn’t dialog from the hosts, who were still clearly clamoring with one another; the disembodied voice had a deep resonance, like the kind one would hear in a sports arena.
Announcer: Coming up, on New Rocket Stars! The latest set news from Eligos Nirobe’s Risan thriller -- and hear from the vacationers who stumbled onto a frightening set! Plus--
Matthews: Oh did you hear that? New horror movie. That sounds interesting. The fact that it’s a film from Risa is funny to me. But also, imagine a killer setting up shop on that planet? Who would see it coming!
Morda: I’ve never been, but from what I’ve heard I… well, I think they’d be caught with their pants down.
Matthews was canting his head the way many humans did, listening intently to the overhead. Morda wasn’t sure his lame joke landed.
Announcer: --on-set drama. And then, on the bonus feed, the panel beams in designer Kal Pren for behind-the-scenes production details on the latest episode of The Last Frontier--
Matthews: The easter egg segments for current movies and shows are fine. I like watching those on the show uploads. Let’s hope they skip that. ::He glances to the side:: It’s just easier to go back and freeze frame later to see what they’re talking about. And I have to be in a mood for easter eggs ya know?
Morda opened his mouth to answer, but he didn’t have words. Then, the only thing he could say:
Morda: What’s an easter egg?
Like many Academy experiences, the replicator menu had “eggs” from across the Federation -- but, disproportionately, from human-settled worlds. But he’d never heard of an easter avian, reptile, amphibian, aquaform, insect, or simian from any world. Maybe Matthews' taste in cuisine was more exotic than his entertainment interests.
Announcer: --updates from the new Kor biopic; a thrilling new adventure in the USS New Jersey Starfleet adventure series; the sequel to last year’s surprise romantic hit, I Left My Heart on Argelius IV--
Matthews: I still want to know what the big event could be! Not that these new movies aren’t great to hear. I’m thrilled that there’s going to be films to see. I wonder if we’ll get lucky and be close to any planets they’re opening in. Love to take in a movie at a theater.
His fellow ensign seemed utterly manic, again missing Morda’s curiosity and attempt to engage. He wasn’t sure if his naivete was cooling Matthews’ enthusiasm or amping up his eagerness to share. He suspected, for now, the latter -- but Morda worried his languid demeanor would read as disinterest. Really, he was just struggling to keep up.
Morda: Someone should send a film crew to the Alpha Isles. Heck, this ship seems busy enough to keep the theaters filled for a year.
Matthews: Oh hey, what are your thoughts on that? Theater goer? Or do you prefer watching from the comfort of home? I go either way - some days you just can’t with people. But dang there’s something special about going to the theater. For movies or plays.
The question resonated with him -- just a few months ago, strolling up 16th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District, he and his friends passed the ancient Victoria Theatre. The edifice weathered earthquakes, three world wars, the Breen attack, and SanFran’ness in general and was going strong. Cadet Morda and his friends had laughingly debated the same question Ensign Matthews now posed. He decided to open up to his new shipmate the same way he had to his erstwhile Academy companions.
Morda: Most folks don’t know this about me, even-keel as I tend to be, but I have a real weak spot for sentiment -- I’ll cry at the drop of a hat. For that, if it’s an audience I trust, I’m happier to share the experience and openness -- because openness doesn’t always come easy for me. A good show kind of oils the track no that front.
Matthews seemed about to follow-up on that, but the dimming light and announcer fade-out cut him off. Production company logos appeared behind the host panel, but the hosts were still silent. To Morda, though, they looked tense -- like they were sitting on an urgent secret.
Matthews: Okay now they’re just being mean!
Finally, the being Matthews had first identified as Erika broke into a grin and spoke:
Erika: Welcome to the latest edition of New Rocket Stars! As you can probably tell from the full panel, we have exciting new for our audience.
Matthews: Response
Johnathan: That’s right, Erika. And as we see in the comments, there is a lot of enthusiasm for our main item -- any update many of you have anticipated as we’ve seen clues drop these last two weeks.
Morda looked over at Matthews. He had no idea what they were getting at, and he wondered if Matthews even had an inkling of what they were gesturing toward.
Morda: Looks like you were right -- big news. Have a prediction?
Matthews: Response