Rompin' and Rollin'

Posted on 28 Jun 2015 @ 4:55am by Jynn

1,163 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Atlas - Holodeck
Timeline: MD01 - 1400 hours

"Computer. Set scene; USS Galileo. Start program, Jynn Gym One - Three."

Jynn stood within the holographic representation of the ship he would soon called home. He was inside the shuttlebay dead center and facing the door to the corridor that lead inward.

"Jynn Gym One - Three in three. Two. One," Computer spoke. "Go."

He almost couldn't, the lack of emotion in Computer's command to move so stale that he wanted to scold it. He was about to say something when...

A Deltan orchestral equivalent to Gioachino Rossini's William Tell Overture; Finale began playing in the background. It was not the same without the orchestra, conductor, and spectator emotions filling the hall as they played, but it still reminded him of home.

"Dorsal, one hundred percent."

"No," Jynn shouted as he flew towards the ceiling of the shuttlebay with a crash, landing hard on his side. "Oooooh," he groaned as he held his ribs. This wasn't his first injury, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "Computer, reset please," he groaned.

He found himself laying back on the shuttlebay's proper deck. Standing up slowly he walked over towards the door beyond so he could adjust himself better in a smaller situation. "Computer," he said with a hint of pain in his voice. "Resume."

"Port two hundred percent," spoke the computer.

Start with the max, will ya, Jynn thought in an instant as he leaped through the doorway, landing feet-first onto the Portside walls of the corridor beyond and started moving as fast as he could. It wasn't easy when you weighed twice as much as you should. He knew he had to get to the bridge and he knew he had to do it in record time. What better way to get to know your new home than to romp through it?

He started his almost painful charge forward, sure to dodge the doors he came across and jump over an intersecting hallway. He almost didn't make it across with the increased gravity, but with a bit of a struggle he was able to pull himself up and onto the wall. His bruise had hated him for that stunt. Maybe next time he'd take the scenic route down the hall, or perhaps through the rooms throughout, but right now speed was key. The computer would be random. It's what he had programmed it to be.

Ten seconds later. "Bow one hundred and fifty percent."

No! Not enough time, Jynn thought hurriedly to himself as he grabbed ahold of the nearest doorway. In an instant his feet were hanging towards the front of the ship, a guaranteed fall to the death with the safeties disengaged. He lowered himself, dropping from one door to the next, slowing his descent on the walls and grasping the doorways with all his might. Please change, please change, please change.

It felt like forever. "Dorsal seventy-five percent."

"Thank you," he said to Computer as he twisted to land hand and knee onto the ceiling of the corridor. He stood up and started a brisk charge forward when -BAM-, he tripped face first onto the ceiling. "Computer! Log tripping hazard, Deck Four, main corridor, ceiling" he shouted as his face crashed into it.

"The probability of the vent in question becoming an issue is approximately seven hundred and sixty-three thou-"

"Just log it!"

He stood back up and continued his run. He didn't want to squander this opportunity of lightness, because he was sure his luck was about to run out. And it did.

"Stern one hundred twenty-five percent."

Here we go again, Jynn thought to himself. He dived onto the starboard wall of the hall as the gravity shifted once more, grabbing onto whatever panel he could. "Not going to make this easy, are you," he shouted at Computer. He started his assent towards the bow, slowly climbing whatever nook he could grab ahold of. Galileo clearly was not meant to be traveled within this way, but he certainly wasn't going back to the beginning to rethink his trip through her.

"Dorsal one hundred percent."

With a dive Jynn found himself climbing down (up?) a jefferies tube towards deck 3. "Too easy," he said aloud in confidence as he moved his way through.

"Noted. Adjusting. Keel four hundred percent."

"No," Jynn shouted aloud as he was almost pulled upside down by the gravity, his body being torn towards the lower decks. "Stay within parameters," he cried out to Computer as the thought of his arms being detached from his body felt like a very real possibility.

"Bow one hundred percent. Keel one hundred percent."

Jynn smiled as the computer returned to routine, climbing on what felt like an uphill slope. He pulled himself out of the jefferies tube at deck three and started a gentle slide down the corridor he found himself in. Almost there, he thought to himself. He could have cheated and taken the turbolift, but that would not have been fun. Besides, in the simulation, he would have rattled around within it as he patiently awaited his destination.

As he slid he jumped over and grabbed hold of a vertical jefferies tube just as the gravity changed to bow-only again. "Bow one hundred and seventy-five percent." It was rough, but not too difficult to crawl upward (forward? Get your bearings, Jynn!). Having to climb again at that gravity would have been a different story at this point.

"Zero percent."

"I can fly," Jynn shouted aloud as he glided through the tube onto the second deck. He was almost there. He could smell it. He always loved zero gravity. He had been trained to swim within it. Like free flight that the winged creatures of the universe experienced.

"Starboard one hundred percent. Bow two hundred percent."

With a thud Jynn landed thigh-first onto the corridor wall and began a speedy slide towards the turbolift that would bring him to the finish line. He used his hand behind him to guide himself, his feet slowing him to less than breakneck speeds. Just as he neared the turbolift Computer interrupted his fun slide.

"Dorsal two hundred percent."

With a twist and a roll Jynn landed feet-first in front of the turbolift, pressing the button at a most awkward angle. He hopped up into it and proceeded upward (or was that downward?) to deck 1. The bridge.

"Port one hundred twenty-five percent."

He laid on the back of the lift, waiting patiently. He wasn't sure there was much he could do at this point. Just wait for the opportunity. The door to the bridge opened and a few seconds later...

"Bow one hundred percent."

Victory, shouted Jynn's mind. He dove out of the turbolift, falling towards the conn where he grabbed ahold of the chair and 'sat' himself as best he could in it, grasping onto it with his arms and legs as the simulated gravity tried to pull him forward to the viewscreen. "I win, Computer! End simulation."

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