Stuck Trek 2: Lost In Space

Let's Go To The Movies

Once everyone was attended to in Ten Forward, Data ran through the doors displaying a ringing cell phone in his white hands. It was my phone.

"Data what's going on?" I asked, slightly amused at his care for my cell.

"This started making odd sounds and I assumed it belonged to you because we don't have these contraptions here, so I thought to bring it to you," he said giving an awkward smile. At least he tried.

"Thanks, Data," I said, lifting the phone from his hands. I slid the answer notification over and the word "Mom" lit up on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hey, honey! When are you going to be home for dinner?" my mom asked with a sense of urgency in her voice.

"I'm uh...staying at Olivia's. I'll be home tomorrow afternoon because I took all my school stuff there," I said, a knot forming in my stomach. I didn't like to lie to my parents.

"Okay well have fun. I would like to meet with Olivia before you guys plan things like this though. Next time."

"Oh yes, I'll get around to that. We're pretty busy you know...high school and whatnot."

"Okay well bye, honey!"

"Bye, Mom."

"Who's Olivia?" asked Wesley, rested his arm on my shoulder playfully.

"Someone I made up in case I needed to spend more time with you guys. Just for a case like this," I said. Olivia was actually my imaginary friend in elementary school, but I brought her back for high school purposes. Wesley shook his head and walked out of Ten Forward with me.

"So school huh?" he asked. "What's it like?"

"If you've ever crammed a bunch of anxious teens and threw in some Pre-calculus homework then you'd know what it's like," I said, not in the mood to talk. How was I going to keep everything quiet? Let alone take care of the police waiting outside. Soon the government would be involved.

We walked to my room and I told Wesley I had some stuff to get done.

My backpack and cell phone were set on my bed, and I pulled out my homework. If I wasn't coming to school then I would have to finish something. I emailed all of my teachers, saying I wasn't going to be there that week due to a family emergency. I got emails back with homework attachments.

I tried to get as much done as I could, because who knows how long I would be here.

I walked out of my room around midnight and walked towards the Holodecks, keeping in mind my bare feet on the cool carpet in the corridor. Only soft red lights illuminated the hall. I walked into a Holodeck, surprised that I wasn't the only one there.

The deck was already programmed with jungle type scenery. Tropical birds called out into the humid environment.

"Hello?" I called into the mist. A loud growling came from the fog, drowning out the other small ambiance sounds. Suddenly, a large beast covered in fur that looked like a mix between a rat and a lion bounded out of the greenery. I screamed, idiotically covering my face as if that would do anything. As the beast came close to me, its body suddenly lurched to the side, as if something had hit its rib cage from the side. After my adrenaline peaked and my vision didn't betray me, I looked to the side where the beast lay. It stayed for a second, laying there dead before it glittered away into the Holodeck. I looked to my right to see Worf with his arm extended at the end of a throwing motion.

"Sorry," he said, straightening his back and putting his arm to his side. He wore a basic athletic suit that had a large rip on the right leg. "Just keeping up fighting practice in the Holodeck."

After my head cleared, Worf smiled and chuckled. I sighed. "It looked like you were fighting something straight out of the Princess Bride," I said, thinking of the ROUSs in the movie. I chuckled as Worf looked at me, confused. "Oh come on. You haven't seen the Princess Bride?" Worf shook his head.

"Well, since you guys are stuck here, might as well make use of the time! We'll have a movie night," I said.

"That sounds like a...fun idea," said Worf, searching for words unfamiliar to him. "I'll let the Captain know of your idea."

"No need, I'm already up with nothing to do. Keep fighting the ROUSs and you'll know what that means soon," I said. I stepped out of the Holodeck as another beast came to life next to the tall tree on Worf's right. I went back to my room and changed into a proper uniform. The Ensign uniform was strange, and I felt a little choked up that the uniform felt foreign. 

Once it was later in the day and Picard had approved the idea, I went back to Holodeck 3 and stood in the center of the black room lined with yellow boxes. 

"Computer, make a movie theater setting with the movie 'The Princess Bride' ready to play. Play the movie at 0800 and make the sound system surround the seats." The room morphed around me into a theater with comfortable chairs facing an off-white and blank screen. "Perfect. Now add a food replicator in the corner that only supplies popcorn and Redvines."

Once 0745 rolled around, people in different colored uniforms and casual dress clothes filed in and somewhat awkwardly found their seats. As soon as everyone was seated comfortably, I walked to the front of the theater and quieted the small talk that went on.

"Hey everyone! Thank you so much for coming," I said. Pausing a moment to allow the introductory applause around the room to slow down. "Although what I'm slightly confused is how I have to educate you all in classic and amazing movies." That earned me a chuckle from some of the older folks. "Now this movie is my favorite. I used to watch it as a kid and I would always promise myself that anyone I grew close to and grew to know and love, as I love each and every one of you, I would show them this movie and say, 'true friendship, true love, and a sprinkle of action make the best movies'. Please enjoy." Another round of applause and I took my seat next to Wesley and Deanna.

The theater lights dimmed and the movie began. Once the grandfather had started to read the book, the Holodeck doors in the back of the room opened. I turned around in my seat as the movie paused and chattering flitted around the room.

"What is it?" shouted Picard from the front row. He stood up and ran to greet the wounded engineer who had come in through the doors. He held his arm tightly, and when his hand came away and wound bled fiercely.

However, the wound wasn't caused because of a phaser.

It was a regular 21st century bullet.