In De-Nile!

Posted on Tue Jun 20th, 2023 @ 8:52am by Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Commander John Stryker II & Petty Officer, 2nd Class Harmony Stardancer
Edited on on Wed Jun 28th, 2023 @ 2:16pm

1,403 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: The Peace Ship
Location: Holodeck

Cont. from 'No Needles Please'

One thing that Harmony hadn't calculated when they'd asked for 'Ancient Egypt' was that ancient Egypt accounted for a few thousand years, so she glanced at John and shrugged, then specified the Sphinx, so when they did enter the environment, that was the first thing they saw, with two huge pyramids behind it, and several low structures strewn about.

It seemed to be early dawn, so, while there were a few people moving about, it was relatively deserted.

"What about our clothes?" she whispered, "do you think they'll notice?"

"Probably, but do I think they'll care, probably not, we are supposed to fit in and not be unduly noticed. But I do think maybe we try and looked like them as much as possible> remember they are not real people." Or, so he hoped, and their attire was a long way away from the way they were dressed.

"So, now that we are here, what shall we do first? Look up Cleo, or Tutankhamun, or are we in the wrong dynasty?" He asked, tongue in cheek.

"I'm not real sure on the specifics," Harmony admitted, "except I do think that Tut and Cleo were a few thousand years apart." Letting out a breath, she shook her head. "It's amazing to think that people were around so far apart, and are so far from us." It really was mind-boggling to realize that life had been going on for so long, and you were only a small part of it.

"I just want to see the Sphinx, to start."

John paused at her statement about the spread of humanity and how far from where they were to where these people lived. It was simply the holodeck and a program, but they were there, it was hot, dusty, and full of smells he had not experienced before, some pleasant, some not.

"Okay then, it off to see the Sphinx! Yes, tourists that we are." He said in jest.

"So, um..." Well, they couldn't walk that far, and she had no idea how to ride a camel...so she tried something.

"Computer, take us to the Sphinx, please."

There was some beeping, and the sand swirled around them, and when it settled again, there was the great Sphinx, staring sedately over their heads, and missing its nose.

"Oh," Harmony muttered, "I wanted it in the early years...I think the nose got pried off in the tenth century or something..."

She was cut off as several men in uniforms -- white pants and red blazers, with goofy tall hats -- came running at them, shouting in French and waving muskets. Looking beyond them, Harmony muttered quietly to John, "Is that Napoleon Bonaparte?"

"Oh boy! The short guy on the horse? Yep, that'd be him. So you have a choice, end the program and reset it for the time period that you wanted or, see what happens next." John said as the French soldiers came at them.

"Ah, make it quick if you are going to reset!" He added.

"It's Napoleon!" she whispered, shaking her head. "Let's stick with it, maybe we can actually talk to him!" They could always change the program later, right?

Harmony plastered on a smile as they were surrounded, making sure that her hands were in easy sight for the guards. While they were surrounded, they weren't touched at all as one of the guards demanded, "What are you doing here?"

An interesting part of the holodeck -- she had no idea what they looked like to the sim-men, nor what they would sound like. She was certain that the guards were speaking French, the Universal Translators would compensate, but she didn't know if, when they answered, the men would hear French or something else.

"Just visiting from far off land." He chose not to give a direction they had come from, to name any land for fear that it might be one in Napoliean's sights. History that far back would be difficult for anyone, not a history aficionado, and he was not one of that period in time.

"We are simple travelers, ones seeing the sites we have heard so much about." He added, hoping he had not offered too much.

The guards quickly consulted with each other, then one trotted over to the regal man sitting atop his horse. There was another conversation, accompanied by some hand gestures, and the guard came back.

"The Emperor requests you to join him for tea."

Raising an eyebrow, Harmony glanced at John, then shrugged. "Of course, we would be honored!" Tea with Napoleon, in sight of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids? How cool was that?

"This way..."

Hooking her arm into John's, for moral support more than anything, Harmony followed the guards to a camp that very nicely appointed, including a table and chairs. They were asked to take seats, and Himself would be with them in a moment.

"How cool is this?" she whispered to John, "I just wish I could remember more about him."

"So long as there's just tea and no executions of strange beings, like us." He said. "Having tea with Napolean Bonapart, can't say as I've experienced anything quite like that. Certainly not with Cadet Koppleman in the wild west."

He looked around, yes this was all conjured by a program, but still, there was the element of believability to it, so he would simply relax and go with the flow. This had been a great idea, and the possibilities were indeed, endless.

There was a flurry of activity as tea was set out in elaborate silver service and fine china cups and saucers, painted with tiny flowers. There were trays of small sandwiches, rolls and tarts...

"Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte," one of the guards announced, then stood to the side. Harmony stood alongside John, not sure if they were supposed to kneel or something, so she just stood at what amounted to attention.

The little man exuded arrogance, confidence and curiosity as he approached the pair, looking them over.

"My men tell me you are tourists? And from what land is that?" It didn't seem to bother him that Harmony was just a shade taller than he was. "What are your names? And titles?"

John Stryker swallowed hard, name, rank, and where were they from, so how does one address such a question with hundreds of years differences between the 1790s and the 2260s, some five thousand years, even to a holodeck questioner? So with a quick look to Harmony he said, "Commander John Stryker on holiday with my aide Harmony Stardancer, from the SS Midway, at anchor at Alexandria."

Okay, it was out, now for either the response from Harmony, or that of Napolean.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Commander." The Emperor -- or soon to be Emperor, Harmony wasn't sure which -- greeted, glancing curiously at Harmony. "And a lady as an aide? A curious choice."

"Oh, well," Harmony commented with a bit of a blush, "I'm just very interested in the pyramids, I think they're amazing, the skill that went into making them..."

"Would you like to see the chambers inside? We suspect there is still a great deal to explore, but I'm sure you'll find it fascinating."

"Oh, that would be amazing!" It hadn't even occurred to her that they might get to go inside. "If that's all right with you, sir." She gave John a cheeky grin.

"But of course Emporer, That would be wonderful." It did not seem as though they had blown it, or perhaps the holodeck manufacturing all of this adjusted attitudes of the day to fit more inline with the Fleeters moral values, which made sense to him.

"So you have been inside, Emperor? It must be wonderous, I mean the ability of these ancient people. Far surpassing what is done in other parts of the world." He may well have said too much, but the next exchange would tell the tale.

"Oui, I have had occasion to go in." The little man snorted. "I believe they had assistance from France, of course. The engineering is magnificent!"

So of course no one but the French could have done it. Harmony kept that thought to herself! And the fact that even so many millennia later, no one really knew how they had done it.

To Be Concluded...

 

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