Captain Trake Promontory: Number One and Two Step
Avander Promontory
(( The Evening Star ))
In the five years Trake Promontory spent playing roles for the Astrachthoni, he had learned a few things. Their captors were vastly technologically superior. They had the ability to manipulate time and space in a way that the Federation could scarcely conceive. And yet, all they seemed to use it for was entertainment. Their ‘sets’ made holodecks look like a poorly constructed child’s diorama.
The Astrachtoni were also vain. The most hope Trake had seen of escape, of seeing the cracks beyond the façade of the worlds they trapped him in, were when he encountered one of their ‘directors.’ These tentacle-faced divas were certainly something else. For beings who supposedly lived for thousands of years, Trake found them shallow, foolish, and capricious. He esteemed them to be deeply unserious. What was the point of living forever if you didn’t improve yourself? The directors produced ‘content,’ but with no higher purpose other than ‘ratings.’ Their whole race (and a number of subservient species accumulated over the years) seemed solely focused on leisure and they all seemed inescapably bored with it all.
Trake knew escaping from the technological superiority was futile. If there was a way out, it would be through the Astrachthoni themselves. People were always the weak point in any system.
And now, he was sharing the stage with a director!
And even better, he had backup. His XO, CSO, and a Starfleet Marine. Things were looking up.
Even if they had to perform a song and dance as part of the latest show…
Promontory: (loudly) ♪♪ Solar Empress, is more than a guess; It’s our future, nothing less! ♪♪
Trake was still trying to get the feel for exactly what sort
of simulation he was in. He kept his eye on the Astrachthoni.
PR3ST1G: Let us make our final voyage the best one yet!
The stage went dark and they were pushed, bodily through a side door in what
appeared to be a brief respite between scenes. Some filler music played in the
background while the squid-face spoke to them out-of-character.
PR3ST1G: I was right in my choice. You are all extremely talented.
Trake raised an eyebrow. Alora had pipes and a half. He could carry a tune and was decent on his feet, but ‘extremely talented’ seemed like an oversell for Winters and Josh—at least when it came to singing and dancing.
Trake wasn’t even sure Josh was pulling off the dress and
heels. The man had many many talents, but strutting around on a stage did not
seem to be one of them.
DeVeau: Let us go. You have no right to force us to do this and take us from our home.
Winters: Stand down and release our crew.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. Trake raised up his hands in a gesture meant
to placate the officers. There was an opportunity here, but stubbornly
insisting on the righteousness of their cause wasn’t going to persuade and
Astrachthoni.
Herrick: As much as we’re enjoying this ::waving his hand in that air, motioning to their surroundings:: it isn’t our home… as talented as we are, we still are people with agency.
oO And yet, without an Agent. Oo
Promontory: The Astrachthoni aren’t big believers in individual rights.
PR3ST1G: I have every right, because our people take the right.
Trake regarded the creature narrowly. There was something different in this
encounter..
PR3ST1G: However, we both have things we want. If you help me, I will help you.
He was skeptical, but intrigued.
Winters: Help you? Why should we help those who trap us and make us play for their entertainment?
Trake exchanges a glance with his officers. Josh gave Winters the ‘stand-down’ nod
and Trake stepped forward to engage with their captor.
Promontory: We’re listening.
A dialogue with a director was good. That was progress.
Well, a start to progress, at least. But the pregnant pause lasted too long and
Alora broke the silence.
DeVeau: Well, what do you want from us?
PR3ST1G: This story has a parallel to real life. See this musical to the end. Don’t just play in it, embrace it. (pausing, glancing up) There are people here who would do whatever they can to get rid of me. Help me complete this story. You will gain fame and your freedom. If you don’t…you might gain infamy and risk cancellation.
Ah! Behind-the-scenes politics. Intriguing. While he had no particular reason to trust their captor, Trake also couldn’t see a reason for them to lie. And this was the best chance at an opportunity that had come by in a long time.
PR3ST1G: We have thirty seconds until we must be back on stage.
Winters: Personally Captain, I'd rather fight our way out of this.
Josh shrugged and showed off his actual talent—solid XO advice.
Herrick: I say we see where this takes us…
Unspoken was a ‘and be cautious and ready for the sudden but inevitable betrayal.’ Trake nodded at both the spoken and unspoken points.
Promontory: Winters, consider performing in this
production how you can ‘fight your way out of this.’ Marines are
adaptable, right? Ready for anything?
Winters: Not really a singer sir.
From what they had heard earlier, that was probably accurate.
Promontory: (to the director) Perhaps a patter song for our
friend?
DeVeau/PR3ST1G: Response
Winters: (with a defensive posture) And what happens if we do not
help you? You just keep trying to cycle us through production after production?
oO Marines! Yes, that’s exactly what would happen. Oo
DeVeau/PR3ST1G: Response
Ah. Or that.
Herrick: I vote not to that.
Promontory: (to the Astrachthoni) We’ll do it. (to the officers) We all will.
Another musical number was starting. That meant they were probably about to be
up again.
The marine turned to face Trake.
Winters: You're my responsibility right now so I go where you go.
Someone was callingthem to places. Before he popped back out, Trake leaned to the Astrachthoni and whispered.
Promontory: I don’t suppose we could get a better script? Or maybe more improv opportunities?
His purposes were two-fold: 1) despite their supposed millennia of practice, in Trake’s informed opinion they weren’t particularly good at story-craft and 2) the more they let them improv, the more the officers could take the story into their own hands.
It had very little to do with the plot point of his character being named ‘Snape’ and having a wedding on the books scheduled with his first officer.
He stepped out and sang from the teleprompter while reaching towards Josh.
Promontory: ♪♪ Now come to me, my dear, and despite my fears, Our story’s not yet done, we’ve one war to be won. ♪♪
OK, maybe it had a little to do with that plot point.
Herrick: (clasping Trake’s hands) ♪♪ And all throughout this year, with all of your cheers, I’m now your number one, your one and only hon. ♪♪
And the uninspired book.
Winters: Response
DeVeau: Response
PR3ST1G: Response
Ensemble: ♪♪ The show never ends, as long as you're with friends. ♪♪
Trake attempted to give Josh a twirl into the spotlight.
Herrick: ♪♪ Now that we’re here to roost, what will give this the biggest ratings boost? ♪♪
Trake didn’t know if it was intentional or an error on some underling’s part, but the teleprompter was now completely blank. Well, he had requested more improv opportunities, it wouldn’t do to complain about it now.
Promontory: ♪♪ Will the cruise go off as wished
or have a dramatic twist? ♪♪
PR3ST1G/Herrick/DeVeau/Winters: Response
The music faded and the five of the main leads clustered together to share some loud ‘stage whispers.’
Promontory: I’ve heard a rumor that there might be a saboteur in our
midst!
PR3ST1G/Herrick/DeVeau/Winters: Response
Promontory: I don’t know why anyone would want to blow up the
final cruise.
He made a big show of eyeing each of his costars.
PR3ST1G/Herrick/DeVeau/Winters: Response
TBC
