Ensign Mi'shune sh'Sonora - Crazy Cartoon Carts
d.reinhart
((Outside Holodeck 1, Starbase 118))
sh’Sonora: oO After days of being the lowest ranked person in the away team, it’s great to be back among equals. Oo
After a rather dangerous and stressful mission in the old Romulan Empire’s frontier, Mi’shune found her first few days back on Starbase 118 to be nerve-wracking. She was expecting disciplinary action in light of her daring (or foolish) flying of a nearly-irreplacable foreign spacecraft.
Then to add to her death wish, she chewed out her superior officer for her methods of diplomatic dialog using her unique method of conveying disapproval.
Waiting for the decapitating strike from the overhead ushaan-tor that never came took a lot out of an officer. When the day of reckoning didn’t come, she allowed herself to breathe easy.
The invite for another Ensign gathering was what she needed to ease back into a more relaxed, more ‘Mi’shune’ state of mind, as indicated by her casual cadence when she saw the gigantic Gorn in holodeck 1.
sh’Sonora: Cool, I’m first! Is this where we’re hanging out?
Voss: Hey there!
Bryce: ?
S’zurak: I am Enssign Ss’zurak, tactical officer.
How to shake the hand of a Gorn? Her kung-fu grip couldn’t compare to the skull-crushing power Ensign S’zurak’s physiology was capable of. She waved hello, delicately waving her fingers and bobbing her antennae up and down.
sh’Sonora: I remember you! Yes! Ensign S’zurak, from the tac department! I remember you from the upside-down grav boot race. Ensign Mi’shune sh’Sonora, how do you do?
Voss: Oh, Lyra. Lyra Voss. Science.
Bryce: ?
S’zurak: I am a Gorn. Originally from Gornar… or Tau Lacertae IX… or Ghdar I. It… hasss a lot of namess.
sh’Sonora: Like… yeah, of course. Know any other thirty centimetre giant lizard races in the vicinity of FedSpace? Trust me my dude, you’re not gonna be mistaken for anything else.
Voss: I’m from Bellonphain - it’s a city on the northernmost continent of Betazed. Where are you from, Dylan?
Bryce: ?
S’zurak: Did one of you bring the program you wanted to run? If not… you’re welcome to try one of mine.
Judging by the Gorn ensign’s big, toothy grin, he was either very pleased, very hungry, or displaying the shortest amount of time Mi’shune’s ever annoyed someone. Or maybe a grab-bag of vexation that saw the need to display a flesh-rending maw of sharp teeth.
sh’Sonora’s inner dialog: oO You know, not every species has the same reactions or physical displays. Don’t you remember your basic species protocols classes? Oo
sh’Sonora: oOYou mean the ones that bored the hell out of me due to professor S’ukas’ dreadful monotone? How many of those was I expected to memorize anyways? Oo
sh’Sonora’s inner dialog: oO ALL OF THEM! Oo
Sheepishly, Mi’shune laughed.
sh’Sonora: Uhhhhh… I got a collection of Sun Brothers films, but I’m waiting for them to be shipped back from home. I got nothing.
Voss: Well… I wasn’t sure if everyone else would be interested, but uh… I did do a little more research into Ensign Bingo. ::fishing a PADD out of her side bag:: I’m no cryptography expert, but I’ve been working on decoding a few more tasks, and there’s one here that’s definitely the name of a holodeck program file. No other information about it though - just a name.
Bryce: ?
Voss: There’s a semi-secret game called “Ensign Bingo,” which seems to consist of various… tasks? That may or may not be designed to get us in trouble. Like the upside-down grav boot race Mi’shune mentioned before. What do you think? Are we up for a holodeck mystery?
S’zurak: I wasn’t sssure anyone would mention enssign bingo… but now that you have, we have to do it.
sh’Sonora: Frell yeah! We’d be legends if we ever complete it without getting caught. Let’s do it!
Bryce: ?
Lyra grinned. All right, time to let the chips fall where they may.
Voss: Computer, run holodeck program “Aurora Road.”
There was a soft ding of acknowledgement from the computer, and a moment later, the holodeck doors slid open. The four ensigns suddenly found themselves blasted by the thunderous disembodied voices of a cheering crowd and stepped through the arch to find a technicolor stadium full of lights and lasers – and a race track stretching out before them.
Lyra’s mouth fell open as the door shut behind them and disappeared.
Voss: What the…
S’zurak parsed through all the colors and lasers and lights and determined this was to be a racing track. Four carts sat behind a white and black checkered line. Above the line was a banner that said “AURORA ROAD.” There was also a noticeable lack of guardrails.
S’zurak peered over the edge of the road and saw only darkness.
S’zurak: If thiss is a road, it is the most ssstructurally unssound one I have ever seen.
Mi’shune’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, as her antennae sprang up in excitement. Recognition, then an expression of childlike joy, came across her face.
sh’Sonora: By the gods, it’s the Aurora Road from the Crazy Cartoon Carts series! YES! I love that game! I used to play it sooooooo much during grade school!
Bryce: ?
A low rumble built in S’zurak’s throat. Not quite fear… but close.
S’zurak: I do not mind combat ssimulationss. But thiss… this appearss engineered ssspecifically to kill ensssigns.
sh’Sonora: ::Scoffs:: Yeah, if you’re a newbie! Computer, load Miki automotive file Datsun 240z custom.
Plonked right on the iridescent Valhallan roadway was a bright canary yellow and black striped sportscar, its elongated, elegant nose pointed to the endless void.
sh’Sonora: Now… convert it into a game-compatible cart!
*PLONK!* The sportscar disappeared in a burst of smoke. When the fog dissipated, a miniaturized version of the classic vehicle, minus the roof, its singular driver seat and steering wheel comically jutting out of the center. Shrinking and squaring the 240z design gave the car a cartoonish appearance, made more ridiculous as Mi’shune climbed into the driver’s seat and started buckling in.
Voss/Bryce: ?
Ensign Mi’shune sh’Sonora
Helm Officer
Starbase 118 - Ops Department
O240208MS1