| Author | Message | ||
     Maiko D`rall |
It'd taken the better part of the afternoon to research the character in detail, and several minutes to coax the replicator into providing the appropriate clothing and props, but it was well worth the effort. Maiko stood before the full length mirror in her quarters, admiring her 'uniform' - beige work shirt, sleeves rolled up and front open enough to reveal a black heavy-duty turtleneck, and tan cargo pants. Rounding out the ensemble was a rather bulky box strapped to one thigh - the portable computer interface - as well as a laser pistol in its holster, slung low on her hips, and a wrist chrono. In her hand she held a set of goggles designed to act as the monitor to her interface, as well as a multi-function radio system. Maiko had opted to leave the devices as inert props rather than go through the hassle of replicating working props - and after all, even a laser could be dangerous if misfired. The only concessions to not fully immersing herself in the character were the commbadge fastened to the work shirt and her hair. Unlike the character, she kept her hair long and simply put it into a ponytail for the simulation. The program ready and waiting, Maiko endured a few stares and curious glances as she made her way to the holodeck. --- 23 May 3050 Nagelring Military Academy Tharkad, Federated Commonwealth Lieutenant Rachel Specter marched down the halls of the Nagelring - one of the Federated Commonwealth's most prestigeous military training academies in the Inner Sphere - with a sense of dread and purpose. She had scarcely believed the news when told herself by the Kommandant, who felt it best that the Major hear the news from a friend. Passing by a window outside, Maiko let her curiosity get the better of her, breaking her character for a minute or two to gaze at the tundra outside. A mild snow squall was dropping snow and winds across the campus, though she could spot the occaisional glint of light from the maglev train line linking the academy to the capital of Tharkad City. "Such a bitter and cold world to call a capital," Maiko mused. "No wonder they all want to return to Somerset," Maiko chuckled, knowing that her character's home planet was far more hospitable place. Looking at a passing lance of battlemechs on training maneuvers. Four walking giants made of armor, weapons, power systems, and myomer muscle strands. In this fictional realm, mankind had never resolved their differences but had taken them to the stars - stars devoid of alien life. It saddened Maiko to think of how different these people might have been had they met even a single alien civilization. Conflicts died and were born again as the stars were colonized, eventually resulting in the development of massive star-hopping ships, giant walking robots, exotic weaponry... Maiko shook herself out of her lapse in concentration - after all, she was now an integral part of the story, not just reading it. Before she could resume her walk, two figures rounded the corner ahead of her. The figure in the lead wore a casual uniform much like Maiko's except without the extra equipment. A thick vest bulging with tubes covered his upper torso, and in one hand he was carrying a PADD - no, a noteputer Maiko reminded herself - while angrilly pointing between it and the woman following. Maiko pitied the woman; from her reading, she knew the two to be Major Adam Steiner and Cadet Katiara Kylie respectively, and the cadet was undergoing a dressing-down from her superior officer. Cadet Kylie was dressed even more casually, sticking with basic camo pants and a tank top, opting to leave her hair free. "Major Steiner... Cadet Kylie..." Maiko took her place as Rachel again. "Major..." Steiner frowned, as if almost sensing that Rachel was the bearer of bad news, then nodded. "Cadet Kylie, report to the Kommandant for reassignment in the morning, 0900 sharp. Dismissed!" Cadet Kylie managed to click her heels together, sketching off a barely-acceptable salute and a rather sarcastic "Yes SIR!" before rumbling off. Rachel reached out with an arm and snagged the woman. "Cadet... I'm afraid this also concerns you too." Rachel heaved a heavy sigh. "Somerset was attacked by an unknown force... and has fallen." ---- "Personal log, stardate 240211.18... Well, I managed to survive the first few hours of the Somerset program - and I have to admit my appreciation for the tactical and intelligence staff on Coronado has been raised several notches... I've never had to go through so much material just to find one common uniting theory, much less try to devise a way of attacking someone." Maiko yawned as she pulled off the last of the props, tucking them under her desk for the night before resuming. "I can't help but wonder if maybe I should have chosen another character - I feel like I'm in over my head... to the point where trying to pilot one of those giant "'mechs" sounds pretty easy." Taking an apple out of the fruit bowl on her table, she took a big bite out of it, too tired to bother replicating a meal. "Or maybe... maybe I just need to acclimate myself to the background more. It's so hard to jump into a story when there's so much history, so much my character hasn't experienced..." Stifling a yawn, she begrudgingly got out of her chair, preparing herself for bed and opaquing the windows to block the light from outside. "I guess I'll try that the next time... a little bit of time on the holodeck playing around with the story background wouldn't hurt." Stumbling the last foot, she fell on her bed and was asleep in minutes. --- "Ensign D`rall?" The darkened room lit up slightly as the terminal in her quarters activated with a bright image of a familiar Coronado figure. "Ensign D`rall, you're late for your duty shift." Maiko grunted, rolling over onto her back as her sleep-fogged mind went through the usual questions: Who was she... where was she... what day was it... did she have something that needed to be done... what time was it... what should she have for breakfast - no wait a minute, that last one... time... time? "OMIGOSH!" she blurted, bolting upright. "I'm late!" ---(Cut to Monday, 9:50PM ET :D)--- ((I'm gonna be getting into this gradually, though anyone interested in joining Maiko on the holodeck is welcome to ask.) |