===Holodeck 1 === Gary walked in to the holodeck and looked around. He had received an order form Major Walsh to prepare a holodeck simulation. Gary was ordered to create a simulation with the interior of a Nova class science ship filled with x'chi. Since the order came by message through the ships communication system, Gary did not have a chance to ask the Major why this particular environment. With everything that had been going on with the ship modifications, Gary figured it had something to do with the up and coming mission everyone knew was about to begin but no one knew the details. On the other hand it could have been that with the crew restricted to the ship, the oda had little to do right now and the Major was just giving the Oda some action to keep busy. Gary had called one of the Oda's promising members, Spc Adian Lynch. Well, promising in the fact that for a specialist, he seemed to have a good grasp of mechanical, and computer systems. Gary had heard through the grape vine of the little reprogramming incident of the replicator in the Xo's quarters. And though he he thought Walsh was being a little too petty , exacting such a revenge, he did think it was funny. What he did not like was the fact that the CO allowed the DCEO to commandeer members of the oda at will. And no one even bothered to 'inform ' Gary of the reallocation of resources. He figured the DECO had some inflated ego to sooth after Lynch had reprogrammed the replicators , and personally asked the general for the oda engineers. {Using the oda engineers for ship repairs is one thing, but not telling me and messing with my training schedules is another. He better not try that when I have to prepare the oda for a mission} Gary thought. Wondering where Lynch was he looked back at the door way. Aidan entered calmly the holodeck and looked around. The orange-squared, black room was one of the ugliest thing he had ever seen of federation technology, and Aidan had always wondered why it couldn't be replaced by... say a green striped thingy. "That's the problem, people just think functionality can't look cool, do they" he muttered to no one in particular and was about to add a comment when he saw Williams fiddling with the command console. "Allright Gary, what can I do for you?" he started friendly as he approached the ODA Operations Specialist. "We finally in for a visit to Riga?" Gary chuckled."Yes and it gives me a headache just looking at it. But don't go getting any ideas, we are here to create a training program not a pleasure cruise. Gary stretched out his arm and handed a pad to Aidan. "Our orders, or more so, my orders. We are to create a simulation of the interior of a nova class ship full of realistic X'chi." He said to Aidan. "Oh and we cant tell any on about this, not yet any way. The rest of the team will find out when we start running through the simulation." He added. Gary then started to pace about. "I don't know why we are doing this. Could have something to do with the recent modifications on the ship. Or it just could be the Major wanting to run us in to the ground with useless training." He said not fond of Walsh after making him fly the shuttle on the last mission. "Tshee?" Aidan replied surprised. "What the heck is a tshee?" he asked. "We can do a Nova allright, that's probably in the database. Maybe we could add some recreational area too." He approached the console and saw that Gary had already initiated the download of Nova blueprints. "What kind of situation has the major in mind?" he added while tapping a few commands on the console to gather some more information on the ships deck distribution. Gary looked puzzled for a moment trying to understand what Aidan was saying. Then it struck him and he laughed. "No Aidan. Not TSHEE but EX-CHI" he said exaggerating his word. "Aparently this is alittle known race only encounter once many years ago by some ship called the USS Coronado." He said scratching the back of his neck. "Basically they are giant grasshoppers really. Just big bugs with a nasty temper." He added. Gary then walked up to Aidan, "I figure this is just some busy work for us from the old man, Walsh. Just some muck and muck and shoot 'em up for use to drill with and have a little fun." He added. Aidan scratched his head with a confused look. "What does the Major want with grasshoppers. He in need of a conscience or something?" he asked with a grin and entered a different access. "Ok, if it's what you say, we should have a reference in the computer or..." he tapped a few more commands. "... at least through the link." he looked at the screen and cursed. "Geez, I forgot I have my access blocked because of my good friend McTaggert" Gary looked puzzled and looked over Aidian's shoulder. "For crying out loud! He has had a week or more to mess with you." He mumbled. Gary reached over Aidan's shoulder and tapped in his code. "There use mine. Just don't do any thing that will get me in trouble. I don't know shit about engineering systems, ad if that DCEO gets pissed off again, he will probably have me scrubbing out torpedo launch tubes for sport." He said standing back. Aidan grinned and tapped on the console again. "Ok this should take care of the Generals sonic shower." he said and watched Williams turn around again with more speed that he intended. "Just kidding, mate" he said and continued to enter commands on the console. "Tell you what." he added after a while. "Either those Extshee don't exist or they are highly classified. They're not in our databank that's for sure." Gary then turned around and started to wander about aimlessly. "Hrm you know, I never found a picture of an X'chi in the database either, and since only one ship ever really encountered them the others would not know what one looks like. So what are we going to use to represent an X'chi?" he asked to the air. Aidan shrugged. "How about some giant roaches or something" he suggested, while setting up different conditions and variables for the Nova. Gary then chuckled to him self. "You want to have some fun?" he asked Aidan. "Lets design a welcome program that runs at the beginning of the simulation introducing the X'chi and their abilities, their strong and week points. Put a top hat and tuxedo on it for shits and giggles." He chuckled at the end. Aidan looked at Williams. "Tux and top hat?" he grinned. "How about we add an umbrella and spats?" he grinned and started to program the image, starting with a grasshopper. Gary laughed. "That sounds familiar? Where have I seen that before?" he though for a moment. "Oh right some 20th century entertainment. Well if we are going all out, lets give him one of those stiff British accents, you know like in the old earth movies? " he chuckled. "That should give the boys a chuckle." Aidan grinned and produced a cartoonish looking oversized grasshopper with a worn top hat, tux, umbrella, white spats on black shoes and white gloves with a missing finger. The image started to speak in a highpitched, heavily accented voice. "What are a conscience! I'll tell ya! A conscience is that still small voice people won't listen to. That's just the trouble with the world today." Aidan stopped the image and looked over to Williams. "Walsh is going to kill us, but it's worth the look on his face." he smirked and continued programming the sim while humming a tune. Williams checked the elements as they started to appear in random order. "Aidan. I hear that DCEO is a real prick. What did he have you doing for the last week?" he asked in a conversational tone. Aidan laughed. "Aye, well, he has to do something to make his post worth. At least that is my guess. Me, I can understand him, I wouldn't want anyone to touch my stuff either, but then again, i'm not in front of a department. He's quite an idiot, but I understand his particular kind of idiocy, if you understand me. In any case," he leaned back and looked around. "... it wasn't that big a deal, did some cleaning and that's about it." Aidan continued talking, telling Williams about the Replicators, but his mind was drifting. These X'Chi reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Somehow he had to think back to his 20th century movie collection, and the description of the giant grasshoppers had a very familiar ring to it. What was it? Wasn't there this movie about a planet full of bugs... with a brain bug... "THAT'S IT" he interrupted his thoughts. Williams swirled around and looked surprised at Aidan. "That's what?" he asked puzzled. "Check this out" Aidan smirked and accessed his personal database. It took him a few seconds to download the movie he was looking for and modify the particular data to adapt it to a Holographic representation. "And here it goes" he grinned and made the creature appear right behind Williams. Williams turned around and fell back. In front of him, a 3m tall brown-yellowish grasshopper raised bladesharp, dented forelimbs and hissed menacingly. Its jaw ended in an upper and a lower, indented hook, dangerously opened in direction of Williams. "Computer, freeze projection." said Aidan loud while laughing at Wiliams who had instinctively crawled backwards, towards the console. "Meet the bugs from Klendatu, fresh from a movie called Starship Troopers." he introduced. "Well sell the farm!" Gary Exclaimed. "That is one scary looking beast." Gary slowly picked himself up off the floor, examining the creature that Aidan had created. He then walked slowly around the thing scratching his head. "Well, form what the database describes, it fits the bill. Don't see why this would not work." He said now coming full circle around the beast and walking towards Aidan. Gary looked hard and long at Aidan. "you know what. How about we give the old man a workout with this program. How about you put in some little parameter there that makes these beasts predisposed to coming after him. I mean after all the safety protocols will be in place, so it is not like it will kill him." He said grinning at Aidan. Aidan checked the programming. "Aye, I don't see why not. What's one more week of shrubbing the deck anyways." he said and added the parameters. "Just to make sure we don't have any nasty incidents, I've programmed them to tickle him, till he yells 'I yield', once they catch him. If I know the Major, the Safety Protocols will be looser than usual." he tapped in the final commands. Gary chuckled at the thought. "Good one buddy. Harmless but a good particle joke. And I hear the old Man likes a good particle joke." He smiled as he watched Aidan finish the programming. "Now, Gary, I need you to do me a favor. There's something I have to pick up from the base, and I'm grounded." Aidan nodded and continued. "Could you go to Trazzes shop in the second level and tell Trazz you come to get that package he should have ready for me?" Gary nodded. "I will see what I can do. The general has restricted travel to the base for business purposes only." Gary then grinned at Aidan. "But I think I need to pay a visit to the bases logistics department for a few new Phase coils for the TR117's." He winked. Aidan nodded. "Thanks, mate, I owe you then" he replied. Seeing that Aidan was done, he pointed back to the holodeck. "Ok lets give this program a test drive. " he turned around. "Computer, start program Pest1 in observation mode." He called out. Gary watched as the holodeck shimmered and turned into the interior of a Nova class ship. Off in the distance, the distinct clicking of insects could be heard. "Screw that." smirked Aidan. "Computer stop and replicate 2 phaser rifles and standard defensive gear." The computer beeped and two weapons appeared on the console. Aidan took one and threw the other to Williams. "Let's give it a 'proper' test run. Safety protocols are fully engaged anyways." he took a pair of protection glasses and a vest and put them on. "Last one pays the pints." he shouted and raced into a darkened corridor in front of him. ----------------------------------------------------------- PO1 Gary Williams ODA Ops Specialist USS Chimera & Spc. Aidan Lynch ODA Eng. Specialist USS Chimera