Relaxing On The Starship

I’ve often thought what I would do if I were on the TNG era USS Enterprise or the USS Voyager of Star Trek fame. Let’s say that I was a Lieutenant (well at age 33 I’d better be either a Lieutenant or Lieutenant-Commander atleast) from the Federation’s Starfleet assigned to one of these ships. I’d go about my duties and try to do my best to serve my planet and the Federation.

Once my duty shift was over, other than head back to my quarters and relax: what else would I have to do for fun? Head for the lounge area (10 forward) or the mess hall? Play games of poker along with my fellow officers? No, I’d go to one of the Hollow-suites. Ofcourse in this vivid imagination of mine, my dog Shawny is still alive and with me on the ship.

So I’d take my dog with me and head to the hollow-suite. I’d program the computer to run a relaxing simulation – a woods type area with lots of lush green grass and plenty of cool breeze. We’d walk down the path to a small lake or pond. I’d say “Computer, add boat” and a beautiful boat would appear on the lake – it will have soft cushions and arm rests too. We both would get onto the boat, where on one end my dog would curl up and lie down on her big cushion and one the other end I’d sit and recline back onto big pillows.

Something’s missing – ah yes food. From the replicator I’d get a big bowl of strawberry milk with huge strawberries in it for my dog and some dog food in another bowl. While she chowed down on that, I’d get a beer and a big ham sandwich. We’d eat our food and relax on the small boat, enjoying the water and the cool breeze until the time ran out on my time in the hollow-suite.

Or until I hear the code red alarms as those damn Borg attack us!

Stargate Universe : Episode 9 “Life”

The episode stars with Chloe doing yoga in the observation room. Lt.Scott and the military men led some of the others in a physical training session. We also see Dr. Lisa Park getting intimate with one man and then later on ignoring him and having sex with another. TJ is worried about Spencer’s mental health.

Rush has Eli use the kinos to help search new sections of the ship that they have recently opened up. They discover the chair (pictured above), which is known as a Repository of Knowledge and connects to a person through nero-circuitry and may hold the master code to the ship’s systems. Meanwhile Col.Telford has struck a friendship with Col.Young’s wife Emily.

TJ is asked by Young to do pysch evaluations of everyone as he is worried about the crew. Using the stones, Scott goes to see the girl he got pregnant and finds out he has a son. He tells the girl that Scott wants to transfer his pay to her account so she can quit exotic dancing and go back to school, but the proud girl refuses. Camille Wray meanwhile, in the body of a young Caucasian soldier, goes to meet her lover Sharon. It takes little convincing for Sharon that the young lady in front of her is Camille.  They enjoy a day of good food, wine and sex.

Young finds out that Telford is visiting Emily and confronts the two. Emily says that he is just her friend but she also believes that Young is having an affair with a woman on the ship (believed to be TJ). Before Young can attack Telford, the latter has someone removed the stones, thereby severing the link. Later on Earth, Volker arrives in another body via the stones. Telford is seen exiting a house. He’s then assaulted by an airman. It is revealed that it wasn’t Volker but Young using the stones all along, so that he could assault Telford.

Rush is caught in a lie – in order to get someone to sit on the chair and activate the neuro-link, he falsified data about a planet, one year away, from where they can dial Earth. The brief happiness in the crew is brought down to a sudden death when they learn that the data is false. Thus ends a bad day, as Young puts it.