ten_fwd | That's not what the holodeck is for [OTA]

Finally, the program Philip had spent the past three weeks on was complete. Time to take it out for a test drive.

"Computer, load program Philip-2," he ordered, and the black-and-yellow of the holodeck was replaced by a blank white space. Bookshelves quickly zipped in to fill that space, extending for what seems like an infinite distance in every direction -- including up and down.

There was some lag compared to the Gaia Library. He'd have to tweak the velocity parameters later.

"Beginning the lookup," he said to nobody in particular. "First keyword: U.S.S. Enterprise." The word appeared hovering in front of his face in green text as the bookshelves began to rearrange themselves. Some of them zipped right out of the simulation entirely. Several shelves remained, though; the selection wasn't pared down by that keyword as much as it could have been.

Philip tapped his chin. "Additional keywords: NCC-1701-D. Jean-Luc Picard." With each additional keyword, the number of shelves present reduced itself. Finally there was only one shelf remaining, and then it too was gone, leaving behind only a handful of books.

Philip reached for one of the books. With a glowing light, the word Vehicle appeared on its front and spine. Maybe he should tweak that, too; it was too broad of a category for a time period with functional starships.

But those minor details could wait. Right now, all that mattered was that his program was successful. He'd put together a far more intuitive browser for the Enterprise's databanks. Now he could read to his heart's content.

...until somebody else wanted the holodeck, that is.

[ This has been cleared with Gabby, but basically Philip has programmed a way to browse the Enterprise's database from the holodeck in a manner that resembles the library in his brain. Visual reference! Only information accessible from the ship's computers is available. Restricted information appears in the form of locked books that can't be opened without the requisite authorization codes.

If you want to come boggle at this needlessly convoluted browsing method, feel free. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I like it better this way as well." Yuna smiled placing the book back in the air. "Can you teach me how to use it?"

It might be simple but she'd rather have him explain it.

Philip's eyes lit up. "Of course!" He set down the book he was holding. "New lookup," he stated, and the bookshelves zipped back into view all around them. "Do you have a subject in mind?"

Yuna jumped as the shelves appeared feeling suddenly giddy. "How about Earth?" She didn't know much about the planet and she's always wanted to know more.

He stepped aside to allow Yuna to take the reins. The word Earth appeared in green text in front of her when she spoke the keyword and the shelves rearranged and shifted. Many disappeared into the emptiness, but several still remained.

"It seems that the keyword Earth appears in many files," Philip observed. "You can try adding another keyword, or browsing the shelves manually if you prefer."

Yuna looked at the shelves feeling a little giddy as some of them vanished. She read a few of the bounds before shaking her head. "There's so many but.. I don't know what else to search by."

She glanced over at Philip. "Maybe New York?"

The keyword appeared in front of her, and the shelves narrowed themselves down some more. Now only a few books remained hovering in front of her.

"Ah, I've heard of that city," he observed. Steve Rogers had mentioned it once. "I've never been there, but apparently it's a major city in the United States." He took one of the books and began to leaf through it curiously.

Yuna did the same taking a blue bounded text into her palm. "Yeah. I've never been there but I've talked to a lot of people and it is a common name to come up."

She smiled back at Philip. "It would be neat to visit Earth. I mean, I know I can see it here but it just isn't the same, you know?" She didn't know if she could explain it but she was now connected to living things. Going from a planet to a spaceship had felt empty.

He nodded. It wasn't the same at all. Being stuck here, it was like his connection with his home was stretched thin.

"Since Earth does exist in this universe, perhaps there's a chance..."

Yuna laughed softly. "It seems that we never go anywhere that anyone who appeared here wants to go. I wonder why it happens. Why this Q person does this?"

She hadn't really thought to much about it but she couldn't stop her mind from wandering as her eyes scanned through the book. "How many wars has Earth had?" She looked up at Philip curiously.

He blinked in surprise. "I'm not sure of the exact number. I doubt the Enterprise has the exact number recorded, but I could perform a lookup of my Earth's wars... Why do you ask?"

Yuna shrugged. "I was curious." She placed her book back and grabbed another moving to sit on the floor and lean against the book shelf.

"In my world. Well, we didn't have a lot of wars. Not because people didn't fight but because there were more pressing things to worry about. That went on for a thousand years. So I wonder, how many wars Earth has had in that time. Will that happen to my home too?" She looked up feeling a little flustered. "I might be over thinking it."

"Many wars are fought over border disputes or resource allocation. With such a small population as Spira has, I wonder..."

He closed the book he'd been holding, and then closed his eyes. He was glowing slightly as his mind accessed the database he'd modeled this program after. Unfortunately, he couldn't show off the real thing. "Keywords: War, within the past thousand years. Ah-- that's quite a large number of results," he reported.

Yuna watched him curiously thinking it over again in her mind. "A lot of results?" Her tone didn't sound happy but she quickly shook it off.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense. If it's usually over land then I suppose we have had a lot of war but its only been between two factions." She let her head rest against the book shelf with the book held open on her lap.

He couldn't even count the number of shelves that were remaining, let alone the number of books. As he exited back into his body, he looked slightly disturbed.

"I see... That makes sense."

Yuna looked up at him recognizing the expression on his face. She noticed it because she was feeling it to. A smile pulled at her lips and she stood placing the book back on the shelf. "Let's look for something else."

Something happier.

"Computer, um.. new Search. Earth. Flowers."

There was about a shelf's worth of results for that query, many of them flowers that could be found aboard the ship.

She took one of the books and flipped it until she landed on a flower she knew. She waved Philip over with a wide smile.

"Come look at this." She turned the page towards him showing hi the Iris that was on the page. "This is an Iris. It means the power to believe in the language of flowers."

"Language of flowers? I had no idea there was such a thing..." He looked down at the book in her hands. "How can such a language be used to communicate? It would be far too reductive."

"Sort of." Yuna's lips curled into a smile. "Like if you want to tell someone you like them you would get them a rose or if you want someone to cheer up you would give them a daisy."

She listed off a few others that she knew. "I think it's pretty interesting."

"It is! What a clever use of symbolism!"

"There are all sorts of things like this. Art and expression. It's really pretty." She laughed handing Philip the book before lacing her fingers behind her back.

"I should probably go. Thank you for showing me this. I might use it again. I love books." Yuna's smile was wide as she slowly turned to leave.

That's not what the holodeck is for [OTA]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject