SD 09/13/03 - Fishing for Trouble I cannot believe this!
So much for being relaxed. I think handling Brundle was less stressful.
As Lynx suggested, Tarra and I went to the holodeck to try out her "Spear Fishing" program. She remained huggy and clingy the whole time. I assumed she was overjoyed about something. Her promotion? Something involving Lynx I hadn't heard yet? We did run into Lynx and Dammers on the way. Dammers suggested something about "prostetics," but I don't get it. Does he think my fishing is so bad, I'd stick myself (well, two times in a row anyway)? They then headed to join up with the rest of the away team, while Tarra and I went to the holodeck.
The wilderness scenery was beautiful, and indeed I felt better right away. After some brief conversation, I went to get a stick to make into a spear, but when I bent down to get it, there was a rush of air above me, then I saw Tarra face down into a bush. I helped her out, then seeing she was okay went looking for another stick. Bent down to get it, same rush of air, and Tarra doing a pratfall in front of me.
I then began getting a feeling I had better keep my distance from her, especially as she had removed her garments ala Lera. I had tried not to pay attention as her coat covers up the parts that activate the Cloud of Censorship. But as soon as she was back on her feet, she ran at me with that look in her eye I had seen so often in Lera. Unlike Lera, however, Tarra's stronger than I am, and fully capable of making a guy my size go through the "horizontal tango" like it or not. I just didn't think she wanted to do so with anyone other than either someone her size or a willing Caitian.
Not being either a starship captain of Kirk's calaber, in this case relating to his reputed liasons, or the kind of person whom can pretend something of this sort never happened, I decided to make discression the better part of valor and run. I tried getting away by having the holodeck make a glider with motorized assist, but Tarra teleported herself to me, grabbed me by the legs, and we ended up crash-landing in the river. I got out of the water first, had the computer give Tarra a life preserver, then sped away to preserve my hide and what sanity I have. To delay her, I set up a rope trap, with my clothes in them made to look like I was sitting there huddled as "bait." It worked, and the trap yanked her up in the air. I recovered my clothes and left, having the computer put a special matress under her - when she lands on it, ropes will spring out and tie her down to delay her further.
She'll eventually get out of that, so I'm making a tape recording to distract her. I would get out of here, but she had put a voice-coded lock on the door. I could just delay her indefinately with these tricks and traps, but she may eventually get lucky.
I wish I was on the away team. Nothing to worry about except getting a few research notes by eccentric scientists. A boring mission that excitment-wise serves only to break the monotany/anxiety of daily maintenance and repairing system failures.