SIM:Nicholotti Flights of Fancy

((Holodeck 2, USS Excalibur - A))

If there was one perk to being in command of a ship, it was the ability to, once in a while, commandeer resources for things that weren’t exactly work. In this case, it was the reservation of a holodeck for multiple days, which would allow for a proper camping trip for Genkos and herself. Such requests for herself were rare, so when she did make them, she didn’t feel bad. After all, the mental health of the captain was important too, right?

The doors parted and her thoughts of pretty much everything else faded into the background. Sprawling out in front of them was an expansive sight, with the green grass inviting, and the newer black of the tarmac shimmering in the overhead sun. It was late morning, the sky was as blue as one could imagine, and a gentle breeze was just enough to break the heat into something far more comfortable.

Stepping out into the scene, Kali couldn’t help but smile and turn herself around, basking in its familiarity. Stopping facing Genkos, she gestured to the surroundings.

Nicholotti: Welcome to where I spent most of my childhood.

Genkos basked in the view, both of the holodeck and of his wonderful partner. It was quite the sight; and he hefted the camping gear higher on one shoulder to get more comfortable.

Adea: It’s amazing; a wonderful sight.

Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the sound of birds singing, making it all the more real. To Kali though, the real beauty would come from the scene at twilight, or simply from up above.

Nicholotti: Where do you want to set up?

Genkos dumped his stuff,and put his hands on his hips, taking the post of an “expert”. He pursed his lips as he surveyed the ground.

Adea: Well, I don’t know - this clearing looks pretty comfortable - is there running water?

With the gear on the ground, the point at where they stood seemed more and more ideal. She gestured off to the hangers not too far away.

Nicholotti: Over at the building. But if you’re wanting any kind of fire, it’s of course highly recommended to not camp on top of the building.

They were in a holodeck, but with just how real it all felt, and how good these memories were, that bit seemed to fade into the unremembered.

Adea: What?! I was hoping we could lie on the roof, gaze at the stars, accidentally set ourselves alight…

Kali grinned. It had been some time since she could simply be. With the diplomatic chaos and near intergalactic incident unfolding right there on her ship, her mind had been wrapped up in the ifs and the possibilities, along with methods of prevention, potential responses, and so much more. It had been nothing short of overload to the extreme.

She really needed this.

Nicholotti: The stars get pretty dramatic out here at night, both in the sky, and along the runway.

The lights that allowed pilots of the era to land on the strip of tarmac as they did were just the right shades of blues and reds to invoke a strange calm, at least in her. Nighttime was always her favorite time to be out there with her grandfather. There had been more than one night she’d spent in a sleeping bag out in the open, staring upwards.

Genkos stalked over to her, and wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her close but so they could still see the surrounding area clearly.

Adea: I want to see this plane of yours.

Nicholotti: Sure. Let’s get settled and then I’ll take you to see the beast.

The beast, the blade…it seemed like she had nicknames for the machines in her life. It was yet something else she’d picked up from the old Russian man who lived on only in her memories.

Adea: Beast? ::he grinned:: I don’t think I’m ready for a beast - you forget I’ve not really piloted anything but shuttles for a long time.

It was true - although he’d wanted to, he’d either never found the time or the energy to do so. And then when he was burned by a proper stereotypical flyboy in the academy, he decided to give it all up.

Kali grinned impishly.

Nicholotti: Oh, it’s far too late to back out now.

Genkos gave her a little squeeze.

Adea: Who’s said I’m backing out?

Leaning into the embrace for a moment, she put her hand on his and simply existed in the moment. This was what life was about, and what made everything else worth it. The moments between the moments. And as that moment passed, she looked back at their gear and then at the man next to her.

Nicholotti: Know what, let’s set up later.

Adea: Oh, what do you have in mind?

Taking his hand, she gently tugged him towards the hanger as she walked backwards, until he fell into step next to her. Still, she didn’t let go of his hand as they closed the difference between the open grass and the plain metal building in anticipated silence. Though it had seemed far away, it really wasn’t, and before they had even broken a sweat in the warmth of the sun, they’d arrived in the building’s shadow.

Finally, she let his hand go and she moved to the door’s lock and keyed in the code. Then, when the click was heard, she pulled back the large door manually to reveal the metallic beast within.

Shrouded in shadows, wingtips folded up, and silent for the moment, the antique jet seemed almost innocuous. Kali knew it for what it was, but she was going to let Genkos fully enjoy the moment. As such, she stepped aside and let him enter the darkened hangar first.

Adea: What am I looking at?

His breath stopped short as he realised. It was beautiful; sleek and magnificent. He ran a hand through his hair and tore his eyes away from it to look at her.

In those eyes, she could see the reflection of what she had so often felt as a child, and to be fair, still felt now. There was a kind of awe that the machine inspired, especially to those who always wanted to fly. She’d been lucky in that respect, and now even more so because she got to share it with the one she loved.

Nicholotti: So…this is the Beast.

She grinned.

Adea: It’s stunning; truly stunning.

Stepping inside, Kali brought the lights up so that they could see better. As she did, the shadows dissipated and the jet came more into focus. The canopy was open, the ladder was down, and covers were set over all external instruments and internal control panels.

Nicholotti: I know, right?

Genkos stared, almost open mouthed, at the beauteous plane in front of him. He pushed a curl behind his ear and took a deep breath as he took it all in.

Sneaking a glance back, she couldn’t help but be endeared by the look on his face. Ducking under one of the wings, she moved around behind the jet and went to retrieve what she’d planted just before they’d arrived together. She spoke before she came back into view.

Nicholotti: Want to take her for a spin?

Adea: Absolutely.

Carrying two flight suits over her arm, she reappeared and tossed one to him.

Nicholotti: You’ll need this then.

Genkos caught the flight suit, and hurriedly started pulling it on.

Adea: Shame about the colour; do they come in teal?

Kali laughed. She’d had it made true to historical figures, which was to say the most drab color you could think of.

Nicholotti: Not at the time. I’m sure we could have the color made to be whatever you want though.

Genkos grinned and shrugged.

Adea: What? It’s my favourite!

Shaking her head, Kali pulled her own flight suit on, settling into the familiar feel of it.

Nicholotti: Teal it is then.

And with that, she started walking around the plane, removing the protective covers, running her hands along the edges, and generally just taking it in. It had been so long. Even so, the voice of her grandfather was clear as anything in her mind. Step by step by step, just as if it were her first time in the hangar back when she was only a young girl.

Looping back around to the other side, her crystalline eyes met Genkos’ dark blacks and she let her excitement flow. Their minds mingled for a long moment, which only stoked her excitement and she suspected the same on his end. Finally, she gestured to the ladder leading to the rear seat.

Nicholotti: Time to go.

She grinned. Genkos grinned right back. He pointed at the plane.

Adea: You sure you want me in control of this thing?

Nicholotti: As a training version, the back seater has all the control capability that the front does. Just…maybe don’t press any buttons till you know what you’re looking at.

Which he would come to know…at least he would if he stayed with her long enough. There was something about this plane that just hooked her for life.

Adea: Very sensible. Well… wish me luck.

Genkos grabbed the ladder and began to climb, his stomach a flutter with nerves and excitement. This was going to be a lot of fun, and he was thrilled to be doing it with the love of his life.

Waiting as he made his way up, she started up herself as soon as he’d stepped into the tiny area where he’d spend his next few hours. Watching, she made sure his harness was secured and then removed the protective covers from the controls within. Finally, she took a good look at him and leaned over to kiss him. Though it put her at a rather precarious angle, she felt it well worth it.

So did he.

Adea: Well that was nice…

Kali grinned as she backed away, keeping her eyes on his until she no longer could see them as she descended the ladder.

Nicholotti: Figured you’d like a nice welcome to the cockpit.

Stowing the ladder, she made her way up to her own seat and pulled the restraints down to secure herself into the seat. Once set, she pulled out the kneeboard and started moving through the checklist. Behind her, she could hear movement.

Genkos waited for Kalianna to settle down into her seat, went to flip a switch and then remembered what she’d said.

Adea: So, where do we begin?

Checking to make sure everything was as it should be, she signaled the holographic tug to pull the cold jet from its storage space in the hangar.

Nicholotti: We wait. Just a moment.

She smiled to herself. If he was anything like she was, he wanted to be in the air already. And being that they were in a holodeck, she could make it happen, but not without ruining the feeling of reality. No, this would be an exercise in patience. And it would be well worth it in the end.

Genkos folded his arms and huffed and puffed as he threw himself back in the seat. Patience was not one of his virtues, at least when it came to Kalianna.

Adea: No fair.

The tug came quickly, being that there were no other planes vying for it, and the sunlight soon filled the cockpit where the shadows once were. Moments later, they were outside on the tarmac.

Nicholotti: Alright. Look around you for a switch that says APU?

Genkos looked around frantically, eagerly seeking the switch… After a few long agonising seconds, he spotted it. It was always in the last place you looked.

But then, if you found it, why would you keep looking?

Adea: Yep, I do.

Nicholotti: Turn it on, and then turn the one next to it, APU light, to the right.

Adea: Received and understood.

She could hear it click and she slowly set the idle for the right engine to 25%. Behind them, she could not just hear, but feel the engine spooling up behind them. A brief alarm flashed, which she acknowledged by pressing the master caution button and moving on.

The feeling of the spooling engine sent a frisson of excitement through the Betazoid’s entire wiry frame, and he shivered with antici…pation.

Nicholotti: Now move the APU light to the left.

Following the process yet again, Kali brought the left engine to idle and silenced the alert before moving on with the rest of the checklist. Before long, she was guiding the plane expertly down the taxi lanes on her way to the runway, which wasn’t far at all.

Adea: So how long do we… cab for?

Kali actually turned her head as if to look behind her even though she couldn’t reasonably see him while sitting properly in the seat. Switching gears, she used words to convey the look on her face.

Nicholotti: Cab?

Adea: Sorry, how long do we taxi for…

At the correction, Kali laughed out loud.

Nicholotti: Not far. In fact…

She made the final turn onto the main runway.

Nicholotti: So you know those nifty inertial dampeners we have on the Excal?

Genkos raised a dark eyebrow - he understood what they were in theory, and he remembered someone trying to explain how they worked when he was at the Academy, but it never quite sank in. All he really knew is that they helped keep injuries out of sickbay by not buffeting them about.

Adea: … Yes..?

Throttling up and hitting full afterburners, she took them from a standstill to full speed in a matter of seconds. The pushback she felt was calming…and she couldn’t help but laugh with a kind of delight she’d not felt in some time.

Genkos, however, was flung back in his seat by the pushback; he wasn’t sure why, but he hadn’t been expecting it to be quite that… aggressive.

Nicholotti: Yea, we don’t have one here.

Adea: I can see that…

And off they shot into the sky, punching a hole almost straight upwards as if reaching for the stars. Throwing the stick over, she sent them spiraling upwards until the outer limits of the jet’s capability was met. Then, it was a sloping path downwards, but not without a roll or somersault here and there.

Adrenaline hit Genkos’ system like a shuttle going to warp, and his body experienced the whole thing in a sort of heady daze, one he normally reserved for that brief second between firing a phaser and missing his target altogether. And usually hitting a tree.

Adea: You know when people say scream when you want to go faster?

Nicholotti: Hmm, yea?

That was a strange question to ask her.

Adea: That’s not why I’m screaming.

And with that, he let out an exhortation that was part exhilaration, part terror and part jubilation, all in equal measure.

Kali laughed. The sound filtered through the cockpit like the free and unchained happiness of a child, and then she pulled the stick back and forced them into their seats as she started upwards all over again.

–

Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti

Commanding Officer

USS Excalibur - A

R238605KN0

&

Commander Genkos Adea MD

Second Officer & Chief Medical Officer

USS Excalibur-A

G239502GS0

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