A Ride on the M // WIZARD, W, ALL RIDERS, ASSEMBLE! // HOLODECK MOTORCYCLE COURSE OPEN!

[tanteiotaku]

Shotaro has been quite busy in the holodeck for the last week or two, and he was usually working on something on a PADD (though his typewriter was never far behind it). He had definitely been embracing the Enterprise's tech in a big way, only occasionally needing a bit of help from Philip. But, it was a delicate dance between figuring this system out and not giving Philip enough information for him to guess what was going on. He wanted to surprise him.

Finally, he had a finished product. And what a product it was. No one could ever mistake this for any kind of real place. From the entrance, one could see Fuuto Tower, a gigantic windmill turn in the distance, and the landscape is dotted with other Earth landmarks, as well as some from other worlds and places as found in the Enterprise databases. The lava plains of Vulcan, the Great Domes of Qu'nos, the cliffs of Undalar on Bajor, and dozens of other landscapes and locations from other worlds. Overall, it was quite the undertaking for someone that had never even left his hometown before. But, as fond as he was of his town, he was sure there were others that felt similarly.

However, that didn't yet address what his purpose in all this was. A large motorcycle course, with a few subdivisions for difficulty levels. The highest level course was both long and a little treacherous, with jumps, tight turns, and obstacles that come along with no warning like falling rocks and slick spots. He did leave all the safeguards on, so injury is unlikely. The lowest level course is a short and simple banked oval.

On the day he's ready to debut it, he's posted a couple of signs, in places like the halls of the guest quarters, next to the Ten Forward doors, under the console of the other holodecks. "Motorcycle Races! Holodeck 2! 5 pm!" Short and sweet.

On arrival, people are going to find Shotaro looking quite proud of himself, and a line of motorcycles of various types and sizes and a console set up so if someone doesn't see what they prefer they can generate it. From motocross bikes, to vintage World War 2 models, your classic chopper, and some sport bikes. There was also one or two from oher worlds that sounded cool. Each was poised with helmets and gloves perched on the seats. But off to one side was a particularly interesting matched pair.

Closed to Philip
He tended to drop in on Philip unannounced. He'd even started letting himself in like he lived there. Sorry Clint. "Hey, Partner. Time for you to find out what I've been doing." He was glad he had an opportunity to surprise him. As often as they shared consciousness at home, that would make it pretty difficult. Any secret from Philip had to be a secret from Shotaro too. But since they hadn't been Double in a while, that made it easier.

[OOC: Party post! Come one, come all, even newly apped characters! Because who needs timelines? Bring a friend or harass Shotaro. Put in your subject if you're open to everyone or if you want Shotaro :|b]

Comments

OTA, but especially the radiant Aeryn Sun. ;)

[never_felt_better]

Hot damn. You know, this is every bit as cool as it was on TV. Cooler, actually. While they had prohibition San Francisco and British naval ships on TV, now they have the coolest race course John has actually ever seen. He fancies himself a bit of a gear-head, but it's been a long time since he's been out on a motorcycle. So he looks more like a kid in a candy shop, bounding from bike to bike.

He stops to look at the matched pair for a long time. That's ... an interesting design.

For Aeryn Only:
Getting Officer Sun to be as enthused about the "crude Earth vehicles" as he is has been ... a challenge. We'll stick with A Challenge, for $500, Alex. John is determined to turn her into a fan.

That's why he picks one of the more dangerous models, a 1999 Ducati 748 in canary yellow, inlaid with real leather. He spends a minute going into detail about what she can do, but wastes no time getting to the interesting part. "Have a seat. I'll show you how she handles."

[tanteiotaku]

Lingering near the twin Hardboilders was Shotaro, just glad that everything was going well. And he might be a little sore about that loss to Philip earlier. "Hey there," he waved. "What do you think?" He was, overall, pretty proud of what he had here, even if it had taken ages.

[never_felt_better]

"Howdy!" John says. He's a friendly guy, kind of like a big dog when you're not shooting at his face. "What model are these? I haven't seen anything like them before, and the 'W' isn't giving me any clues ... cool design, though."

[tanteiotaku]

How to describe the Hardboilder? Well, he supposed there were a few stock parts left on it. "She started out as a Honda CBR1000RR, but she's heavily customized." While he was pretty sure of most of the things Shroud had done to it, he hadn't been able to give the holodeck all the details, so he'd improvised.

[never_felt_better]

Huh.

"She must be if she ever started out as a Honda," John says, giving a low whistle. "Then again, you could be from the planet where Honda makes badass motorcycles."

Like that planet exists. "What's the story behind the spoiler?"

[tanteiotaku]

Rude. Kamen Riders have fine taste in motorcycles.

To his credit, he didn't get too offended. "If I rode a Harley my suspects would hear me coming from across the city," he replied.

But as for that spoiler, he mentally attached the Start Dash Mode boosters to the back of it and decided "Booster Rockets" was an answer that would require way too many explanations. He went with something else. "Ah, I have a passenger a lot, either the Chief, my partner, or a client, so I need a little more room." That wasn't a lie, though.

[never_felt_better]

How could you get offended? Just look at that charming Southern grin!

"Are you a cop?" John asks, putting two and two (and two and two) together. "Wait, you take clients on this thing?"

Coolest cop ever.

(Sorry, Don Johnson, you know John doesn't mean it. James Crockett influenced John's wardrobe for years back in the early 90s.)

[tanteiotaku]

"Private detective," he answered, bringing his fingertips up to tap the brim of his hat. "Sometimes I have to. It's the only wheels I've got. not very often, though."

[never_felt_better]

"No kidding?" he says, grin half-cocked. "Uh, how... old are you?"

He's not trying to be rude, Shotaro just looks like a kid. Not old enough to be a private detective, unless he's one of those kid genius types. And even then, Doogie Howser's pushing it.

Here is one radiant Aeryn Sun. :D?

[do_your_duty]

It's a small thing, isn't it? That's what Aeryn Sun's face reads.

That might be the politest translation of it even. But she's been here a long time now. Weeks that turned into months. The place, the means, and the options unchanging, and it all chaffs. But so does absolute boredom. Which is, she's aware, how she ended up here, watching John ramble about the archaic Earth transport.

Her eyebrows raised, drolly, looking toward the people already running the course though, before going back to him. "You want me to sit on that?"

:D! So much glee.

[never_felt_better]

"That is the point, Aeryn, yes," he says with one affirmative wag of his head. Nothing can dampen John's smile. Just try it, Peacekeeper. Give him everything you've got.

He braces the handlebars even though the kick is still extended. You know, just in case she was scared to get on it.

[do_your_duty]

There is distinct possibility Aeryn is reminding herself it's this or staring at the walls in her bed room, the gym, or Ten Forward. All which have worn in their welcome and her use of them. She might not get how John is still excited about this place, when they seemed frelled at knowing how to fix whatever has happened, and keeps happening. But there's something to that, too. Even when she's half rolling her eyes and giving a look up.

Somehow he' i still excited. And part of her does at least want to know why. Why this, and how.

"Fine." Like it's a trial to agree with him, and a chore to play along with. "But I still don't see what the big deal is."

This said as she's getting on this time, at least. It's as much an agreement to go a long as he's getting, with insult included.

[never_felt_better]

"That's because you haven't started your engine yet, darlin'," he says, and there's a trace hint of something like innuendo in his voice to match the light in his eyes. He moves to her right flank once she's settled. "Okay, rule number one: don't let the bike fall on you."

Maybe he's playing with fire, but this is actually something he knows. Something he can teach without her calling him an idiot. His hand slides to her waist, nothing unchaste or groping; if anything, it's light, still filled with the fear of Aeryn, offered as a support and nothing else. "You turn the key there to get her started. That's the ignition switch. Then up here..."

Still testing his luck, he stretches his arm out along Aeryn's, directing her hand to the starter on the inside of the right handlebar. It leaves his face hovering near her left ear. "That's your starter. Click that into place and the engine will start. Twist the handle, and that ups the power. So long as you've got the brakes on you won't go anywhere, so give it a try. See how this kitten purrs."

He tilts his head so he can see her face, grin broad.

[do_your_duty]

If her back and her shoulders stiffened, it's a multifaceted reaction. John's fingers sliding across the leather over her waist sending a tense strike toward her core at the same time as she leveled an annoyed glance toward his face for the insult. That she might let this thing, whatever it was, fall on her. When she had the option to let it fall on him. Or make it fall on him. Or any one of these people.

The insult fades turns to instructions on the next breath. Into John leaning up closer, voice right next to her ear, making her want to shift, while pointing at things right above her hand. Without moving his other hand on her still. Which is, definitely, part of the just barely checked reaction that makes her want to smack his second hand, hard, out of the way, as he's pointing at things right next to her arm.

She can at least follow directions, while pretending she isn't almost gritting her teeth or moving. Somewhere. That isn't aware of the erratic jump of her pulse. Reach out and click the starter, which does distract, because the whole thing starts vibrating. Turned on. Low. Everywhere except her feet flat on the ground. Making her look toward the handles rather that at the manic smile she can see at the edge of her vision.

Because looking that way would be smart. She's certain of that already. As certain as she is uncertain about why.

Which is fine. Everything fine. She's fine. This is fine. She can do this. She can put her hands on the handle and turn it hard and far

[never_felt_better]

Usually he's happy to bristle in return when she fixes him with such overt hostility, but there's just something different about it this time. It could be the thrill of having her in his court for once, where he gets to be the one who knows what's going on while she's still catching up, but it's probably not anything that mean. She's unsure, and suspicious, and it just makes the annoyance look... well, kind of adorable.

He's still grinning when the Ducati lets off a loud purr, all that power cranked up with each twist of the handle. Yeah, it suits her. Aeryn Sun, Peacekeeper Commando, who treats her prowler like her baby, always quick to be honest about her skill in the pilot's seat. He could see her on a bike like this one, tearing up Route 66.

"There you go," he enthuses, humming with his own excitement. It's beautiful. The bike, he means. "The harder you twist, the faster you'll go. You'll probably want to keep this dial right here around thirty or forty your first time, just until you get the hang of it. You're dealing with a standard gravity planet, about 9.78 metres per second squared, so you're going to have more resistance than you would behind the wheel of your prowler. But you know how to drive land-based vehicles, right? It's just about balance on this one."

[do_your_duty]

He's still grinning. He is. When she looks over, fixing him with a sharp stare. It isn't a glare, but that would be stupid to call passive or unharmful. For all she knows, maybe that is the reason he is smiling. Aeryn looked back away, at the dashboard. It was a small thing. Rudimentary. But it was not impossible to estimate what most of it was.

The spike shoved down her spine though was reason enough to twist the handles again, and level one calmly impatient look more forward than at John at her side. His hand still on her waist still. Even as the bike made noise and vibrated harder suddenly. "Good to know."

Moving right along. "And the breaks are?" Her voice stayed pointed, trying to work out the archaic tech. Knowing the sooner she had both gas and the breaks, the sooner she could try this, and the sooner she could be done. Or at least the sooner she could be out there. Instead of exactly right here.

[never_felt_better]

"Here," he grins, pointing out each and exactly how to operate them. Nu-uh, nope. You're not gonna rain on his parade, Aeryn. Not this time.

"When you're ready to go, you let up here and here, and tuck your feet back against these stirrups right here. It's important you keep your center, even if it feels like you're about to tip over, because the second you move your leg back out your whole balance will shift. Here, when you're ready just gently twist on the gas again, and I'll walk beside you, okay? Not too fast."

He won't let you fall.

One slightly confused alien boy :D!

[a_quick_study]

The signs about the motorcycle races ... intrigued him. He'd heard a little about the capabilities of the holodeck here when he first arrived, though then he'd been more taken with the thought of being able to view historical events as they happened, or as they've been programmed to have happened.

(Which is not necessarily going to be the same thing, but which doesn't change the interest factor.)

But the thought of motorcycles takes him back to Earth, to Major Cater offering to teach him wormhole theory, lockpicking, and motorcycle riding.

She hasn't gotten around to it yet -- when has there ever been time for it? -- but that doesn't stop Jonas being curious enough to find the holodeck.

His eyes widen as he steps through the door.

This is really amazing, and it shows in his grin. There is so much there he just has to stop and stare, just through the door.

It's only seeing John Crichton, the scientist he'd met on his first day here, that makes him start walking again.

"John. Hi!"

Best alien boy! :D

[never_felt_better]

If he knew he was John Crichton, code name The Scientist, he would probably hug Jonas. Not John Crichton: The Human, or John Crichton: The Inferior Being, but something that actually reflects who he is.

Which could be harder to believe now than at other times, given the way he's bounding around the room like an excited Labrador puppy.

"Jonas, my man!" he beams, stopping by a gorgeous 2012 Indian Chief Classic. He's nothing but smiles for the boldly-going social scientist with the stolen book. "I am in hog heaven!"

Yes, the pun is intended.

[a_quick_study]

Jonas isn't a scientist and makes no claim to be one, though he's learning a lot from Major Carter and her primers on astrophysics and wormhole theory. But he's fascinated by scientists and he likes the scientists he meets, in general. Particularly John, with his easy humor and his good-natured approach to the sudden arrival of a very confused SG team member in the bar with him.

"Good to see you again."

John is grinning, and Jonas smiles too, drawing closer to John and the motorcycle the man's standing beside.

Some things John had said last time they met had confused him, and he's not familiar with 'hog heaven', but he can guess.

He is, after all, good at making connections.

"Major Carter always threatened to teach me how to ride one of these."

[never_felt_better]

"Good to see you too," he says, reaching out for a friendly shake. John in his element, without fear of the Peacekeepers or whatever other weirdness the universe can throw at him, is a fun guy to be around. When he gets excited, he shares that excitement with the people he's with.

"Shut the front door," he says, frankly appalled to hear that Jonas has never ridden a motorcycle before. "You've never been on one of these?"

[a_quick_study]

Jonas takes the hand that's offered, giving it a firm but friendly shake. Another Earth tradition that he'd had to learn, but that one wasn't a hard one, and had never confused him quite so much as fingers crossed had.

He shakes his head, his smile looking a little sheepish in response to the clear astonishment John shows that he's never been on a motorcycle.

"I'm, uh, afraid not," he says, apologetic. "Like I said, Major Carter wanted to show me, but we never got around to it."

It was one of those Earth things beyond his experience that he'd never even known existed before he wound up there.

"We didn't have motorcycles on my planet."

[never_felt_better]

"Well, butter my butt and call me a roll," he mutters, shaking his head. Okay, maybe he's enjoying screwing with Jonas a little, but the longer he hangs around John the more he's going to have to know these colloquialisms, so he might as well get started learning. "Among land vehicles, four-wheelers are the preferred method on most planets I've seen, so I shouldn't be surprised. But you've got to try riding one. Uh, assuming Major Carter wouldn't get offended if I stole her thunder."

He figures they'll get around to it someday, just like he figures he'll get back home and perfect the Farscape project. He didn't plan on dying out in uncharted space, and he sure as heck doesn't plan on doing it on the starship Enterprise. Jonas is off-limits, too.

[a_quick_study]

"Our technology was kind of behind what you see on Earth." More advanced than planets that still had Goa'uld overlords, but still behind Earth.

There were a lot of things they didn't have on his planet. That includes not only technology (and, of course, foodstuffs), but also a lot of the strange turns of phrase of which John is rather fond.

Jonas gives him a confused look, raising one hand for a moment before dropping it.

"Yeah. Uh. I don't think she'd mind. She's got a long list of things to teach me."

He's always eager to learn, but the Major doesn't always have the time.

(Or, he sometimes feels, the inclination.)

[never_felt_better]

"Uh-huh," John says, setting his hands on his hips and giving Jonas an eyeing-over. "She's kind of a hardass, huh? She and Aeryn would probably get along great."

He grins out of shared camaraderie. It's not an insult so much as it is male bonding, and hell, John knows Aeryn has her own long list that she's not even remotely interested in starting with him. He's more than willing to admit that.

When she's not in earshot.

"Well, get over here, man!" John says, waving him over. "What kind of transportation do you have on your planet? What are you used to?"