So Good They Named It Twice

Posted on Thu Dec 9th, 2021 @ 4:48pm by Nollel Livaam (*) & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein

Mission: Mission 14: Holoworld
Location: SS Holoworld
Timeline: MD03 19:00
2586 words - 5.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Nollel looked up and down the corridor where she was waiting confused. She kept looking at the man who was guarding the gangway from SS Mary Rose to Holoworld. She would almost have admired the work that had gone into getting it back together since New Laurium but she was wondering about the message on her PADD. It had said simply - gangway. 19:30. Bring a coat, hat, scarf and gloves.

Was the chief engineer taking her to Andoria or back to Freecloud? It was the only logical thought she could think about the request but her brain was not a 100% back to normal but the broken filter had been replaced and she had a prescription to counter the effects until it her body got back to normal completely.

Before long Burnie appeared, dressed in a wool navy coat, grey scarf draped around his neck and sporting a baseball cap with a logo that read 'Mets'. Catching sight of Nollel, he bounded up the gangway to her. "Remember when I said that I wished I could show you my home town?" He smiled broadly. "Well, now I can - at least holographically."

Nollel brightened at the notion that they were going on a proper date. She had thought he might have been showing her something engineering in an attempt to elevate some of the tension between them but that was such a sweet idea. “Really? I would love that.” She admitted. “I thought you might have been showing me the engineering odd one thing.” She teased.

"There is the Brooklyn bridge," Burnie laughed, and offered his arm. "But you'll see more architectural wonders than engineering - and art! The Met is one of the best art museums in the quadrant, but there's also hundreds of galleries, plus Broadway, theatre..." he paused in his enthusiastic recital, and smiled at her. "What would you like to see first?"

The woman did not take the offered arm and threw her arms around his neck. “Let us take a walk down Broadway. I keep hearing about it all. It seems like a good place to start.” She mused squeezing him for good effect of conveying how she felt before she stepped back and offered her own hand. “Lead the way.”

With a happy smile, Burnie did. Within moments they were standing in the middle of Times Square, surrounded by a mix old fashioned electronic billboards and the interesting spectacle of obvious holographic displays with a holoprogram. Some appeared as interactive characters roaming around the pedestrian plaza (including a nearly naked cowboy, or so the words across his backside said), while others floated in air, showing scenes to advertise various theatre productions or food or merchandise.

"Here we are," Burnie said, lifting a hand in a sweeping gesture across the scene. "The Center of the Universe, the heart of the Great White Way - Times Square, the hub of the Broadway Theater District."

Nollel let go of his hand to take it all in with a look of fear and wonder. "It's so... so beautiful. You showed me pictures but it never could give it justice to what this is like." Freecloud had been busy but it would never compare to the mixture of old fashioned and established for centuries fixtures and the new age technology. "That is where people celebrate new year right? We saw footage of that?" She asked thinking to the new years celebration they had, had onboard.

"Yes, the very place," Burnie affirmed with a grin. "In fact, the program is set up to be New Year's Eve when it gets late so we can come back and watch it in person. But it's midday right now and we have the theatres to explore, shops, restaurants, galleries..." Looking around a moment to orient himself, he began turning, pointing in the direction of the places visitors usually wanted to see. "Park Avenue is that way. Central Park that way, with the zoo nearest to us and the museums toward the middle of it. And way over that way is the harbor with the Statue of Liberty."

"I have flat shoes so where are we going first. Show me your world." She declared turning back to look at him excited. It was such a sweet idea that she could not help but keep smiling and feeling happy. It was infectious and she found herself giggling at it all.

"Okay, we'll back here for the ball drop tonight and this part is best seen all lit up after dark anyway, so Central Park," Burnie said with a firm nod, leading her in that direction. "It's beautiful - blocks of green space and ponds in the middle of the city. There's a small zoo and a carousel and museums," he enthused. "Oh, and food carts. New York has tons of galaxy class restaurants and we can to go any you'd like for dinner, but the food carts are part of the experience - there's everything from traditional New York hot dog stand to Klingon fusion and some of them are gourmet treasures in their own right."

Nollel smiled and just held his hand close as they walked through the crowds. It was like they were on Freecloud for a moment just less cold. “Food carts. Hotdogs. I want traditional old school New York. You speak about it with such passion that I can’t help but want to know everything.” She declared just as enthusiastic as they crossed the road into the park.

"Then let's head to the zoo," he said, angling eastward. "It's not huge compared to some on earth, but it's over 500 years old and they have regions by climate for nearly every area on earth, plus a few off-world exhibits. Plus, there are always people selling food - oh, over here!" He nearly dragged Nollel toward a yellow and red cart that said in big green letters: Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. "Now here is traditional. Nathan's goes back to early 20th century, first opened on Coney Island..." his brows rose and he snapped his fingers, "I should show you that too. It's more living history museum than amusement park now, but I loved it as kid... Anyway, later - it's all the way at the south end of Brooklyn - right now, hot dogs."

"Two and cheese fries," Burnie said to the vendor, who slid two hot dogs from the grill to buns and handed them over, followed by a paper tray of hot crinkle cut fries with melted cheddar. Turning to the side of the cart, he pointed out the toppings. "Classic topping is mustard with onion. I like adding a slice of kosher dill to that. There's also chili, cheese, sauerkraut - whatever you like."

Nollel broke into laughter as he rattled away allowing her an agreeable noise once in a while before finally stopping to ask about what she wanted. "Um... just cheese. I love cheese." Cheese and crackers were one of her favourite just because of meals. Could take it anywhere and there were many times she had grabbed supplies and sat in the Hydroponic to eat it. Gardening there was fast becoming a regular hobby for her.

"Go for it. That's why I got the cheese fries too - but you have to share, I love them too," Burnie said snatching a cheese-drenched fry and popping it in his mouth. Then he opened it and waved a hand back and forth in front. "Oh hot!"

“And a cola please.” Nollel said handing over the fake cash to pay. She quickly took the hot dogs handing the man the drink to quench the hot food. “Far to eager and see what happens.” She teased.

Burnie swallowed a cooling gulp of cola, and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. It's just been so long I couldn't wait."

“Impatient.” She grinned handing back his items. It was a nice fresh walk just wandering around the park eating the good and just enjoying the company of each other. “Feels like forever since we have done something like this.”

"Yes. Hard to do anything like this on the ship. Even if had picnics in the arboretum it wouldn't be this," Burnie agreed with a small sigh, looking around at the holographic Central Park. "Hey, there's the zoo - the vine covered pergolas up ahead are based on the 20th century designs, and the two bronze sculptures in the shield domes are originals, preserved from over 400 years ago."

"Do not sigh. I love our picnics." Nollel declared brightly. "Was the first thing I felt like doing when I got better. Picnic with my favourite person. I would be stupid to not like them." She added running her hand along the rails.

"I enjoy them too, but they're not..." he looked around at the holographic recreation of a favorite place back home, "...this." He almost sighed - it was beautiful, and familiar in that almost-familiar way of holoprograms of a place you knew well. But of course it wasn't New York, not really. If it was, he'd be heading over the bridge to see his family... he was suddenly struck by how long it had been since he'd been home. Not sign right after he'd been discharged, when he was recovered enough to not seriously worry his mom, but still struggling with frequent aphasia... and being home, but not really himself had had a lot to do the decision to head back out to the stars, though another had simply been that he was really bad at being bored. Shaking the thoughts away, he smiled at Nollel. "I mean, spending a whole day wandering around and sightseeing together."

“I know what you meant.” She assured quickly waiting for him to catch up. “Not happened since New Year’s Eve and Freecloud.” It felt like a lot longer in her mind but it was only a couple of months. So much had happened from her being a hero on the bridge to the Bio filter making her ill, too much without rest or relaxation.

Burnie wrapped an arm around her, smiling - he might be far from actual home, but he'd never have met her if he hadn't left. "Well then, let's make the most of the opportunity for some real R&R."

Nollel lay her head on his shoulder for a moment before they walked into the zoo. It was like they were really there with crowds of people. It was an interesting mixture of Earth animals and animals from around the universe.

“What is that?” She wondered looking at the biggest display trying to see through the crowds what everyone was looking at.

He had to lift up on his toes slightly to look, but at glance, it all came back to him. "Oh, the sea lion exhibit - it must be feeding time!" Burnie exclaimed, taking her hand and nearly pulling her along toward the crowd.

Nollel followed quickly until she caught up enough to return to her normal step. "What are sea lions? Surely you cannot have lions under the sea?" She demanded before she was able to see the holograms that told her all about them. "They are adorable." She cried as they continued along to the enclosure.

"They are, aren't they?" Burnie agreed with a big grin. "I have no idea why they were ever named 'sea lions', they're more like a cute playful sea dogs - they even bark. But I guess sailors used to call themselves 'sea dogs' so they had to come up with something else."

“They even bark like dogs.” She said with a laugh as she heard the sounds they made. Humans had such wonderful animals sometimes, sweet and adorable. The closest planet she closest to the same type of mix had to be Betazed not even her own planet had the same type of mixture. “Really best things come from Earth.” She said nudging his shoulder.

"I think some really great things come from Ardana too," he replied with a fond smile. "But earth does have a huge range for biodiversity. If you like these guys, wait until you see the otters - I don't think it's possible to watch them playing and not smile. Sometimes people-watching there is fun too, especially the Vulcans trying to not look amused," he added with a wink.

“Now I know you are pulling my leg with even considering Vulcans can even look amused.” She joked revealing her humour was back to normal as well as her mannerisms. “I have actually seen otters before. There were human miners of New Laurium who often tried to show off Earth with what they did better.”

"I'd have thought they'd have brought gophers or meerkats," Burnie chuckled. "But if you've already otters, how about penguins? Those little waddling tuxedo birds are cute."

“Otters have to be cuter.” She mused not sure what a gopher was but meerkats was nowhere near as cute as an otter. There was just something about them floating and holding hands still to stay close that she found endearing when she had researched them out. “Lead the way.”

Looking about a moment to orient himself, Burnie pointed in the direction to go. "Polar exhibit - that way. There's also an Andorian habitat there, but the draw is the penguins - maybe not quite as cute as otters, but they are fun."

Nollel just nodded and started to make her way through the crowds to where he had suggested. As soon as they pushed and opened the door into the exhibit the temperature dropped and she shivered despite her thick coat and boots. "Think it was warmer outside." She breathed seeing her breath in front of her face.

"That's because it is," Burnie laughed, blowing his own puff of cold-clouded breath. "The Andorian animals are in here and even New York winters are uncomfortably hot for them. The penguins ought to be outside on the deck today though," he said, leading the way up a short flight of stairs to an open air enclosure with different areas for different penguin species, each surrounded by grey/white rocks and with a pool of water for the flightless birds to swim in.

“I should have dressed for Freecloud.” She said grinning as they arrived in enclosure and saw the first species of penguin. They were just as adorable as she had considered they were. Not otter cute but they were perfect in their own way. “Michael thank you for bringing me here. I know last month or so have been hard but this has been fantastic.”

"The last month was harder on you than anyone," he said, squeezing her hand sympathetically. He'd certainly been stressed worrying over her, but he knew it wasn't anything compared to going through it as she had. "I just wish I could take you to the real New York, but I have to admit this is a pretty good facsimile. And we haven't even seen a fraction of it yet. There's a lot more further in the park, and we can probably take in a Broadway show before the ball party drop at the end."

“Nah. I saw how worried and stressed you were.” She leant up and kissed him just softly before stepping back weaving her fingers through his. “Come on then. We have all the time in the world.” She announced. Maybe one day they would get to Earth. Maybe Gregnol would finally face going back to his home planet.