Illusory Ruins

Posted on Sat Aug 8th, 2020 @ 5:22am by Lieutenant JG Rogi Sutan & Lieutenant Ben Sheppard

538 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: State of the Union
Location: Holodeck, Quarks. DS9.
Timeline: Pre-launch/shore leave

:ON:

The air was cold, thin as if bleached of all it's goodness. Ben Sheppard's weathered walking boots grated on the damp stone as he clambered up the ancient steps of Machu Pichu... or at least a fair AI's simulacrum of the historic site. He wondered thoughtfully at the where the steps had been worn down by previous generations of feet making this self-same climb.

All around and below green swathed peaks of mountains jutted upwards, their lower slopes half-hidden and veiled by mist and clouds. Overhead a large bird, either an eagle or condor, swept across the heavens...

"Pause program" Sheppard muttered as the door the holodeck chimed. "Enter... Well, come in" the Ganymede's CTO asked whoever had found him.

Sutan stepped onto the holodeck and the doors closed behind him, vanishing a moment later. The programme looked familiar to him, but also not familiar at the same time. It bore a striking resemblance to the ancient Bajoran city of B’hala, once thought lost for almost 20,000 until it was discovered again in 2373.

Sutan stopped gazing at the spectacular wonder for a moment, and turned his attention to Sheppard; “Many apologies for the intrusion, Lieutenant.” The Bajoran man paused for the moment to drink in the sights once again, “tell me, where are these ruins to be found? Vulcan? Earth? Betazed?”

"They are... or were in a mountainous region of Peru, South American continent of Earth. Built by the Incas, an ancient people of that region, in around the 15th century I believe" Ben explained as he looked across the rugged landscape and step-like riers cut into the mountain side. "I've not been here... for a while. Though the real ruins, back on Earth, were mostly destroyed by an earthquake in the 22nd century. This representation is of the ruins circa 2000 AD, old Earth calender".

Ben paused as he felt as old as the ruins, having to explain even the old (to everyone else) way of measuring time and dates.

“Boy, they sound like they’d be amazing to see in person.” Sutan admitted, stepping up close to where Ben stood. “Seems like I may have to borrow some of your holodeck programmes in future.”

"And you are?" Ben asked, looking over the somewhat below average height Bajoran man.

Sutan smiled, and brought his hand out for Ben to shake, “Lieutenant (JG) Rogi Sutan, Chief Flight Control Officer.” The two men shared a handshake. “I’m the one lucky enough to pilot the Ganymede. She’s a heck of a ship, and I don’t think I’m wrong when I say any flight control officer in the fleet would kill to be in my shoes right now!”

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lieutenant Commander Tabor’s voice over the comm-system, “USS Ganymede to all remaining crew on Deep Space Nine, please report back to the Ganymede immediately for departure. I repeat, please report immediately back to the Ganymede.”

Sutan took one last look around the breathtaking views of Machu Pichu and shrugged, “I guess we should get going.”


:OFF:

Lieutenant Ben Sheppard
Chief Tactical Officer
USS Ganymede

&

Lieutenant (JG) Rogi Sutan
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ganymede

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