The Next Adventure - Dolls and Drones

Posted on Wed May 29th, 2019 @ 7:10am by Warrant Officer Koh Otassu & Lieutenant Commander Shaille Levine

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Dalacar - Guest Accomodations

Dalacar had many wonders. The visitor center was chosen for a very good reason, as it gave a wondrous view of the surrounding geography. Blue oceans, waves softly crashing on soft warm sands. Mountains in the distance, that seemed as inviting as they were perilous. Soft breezes, beautiful trees and wild flora, and the everpresence of good feelings. Food, Fun, and the sense of family. Belonging.

For single-instance life, all the extra room wasn't bad either. Dalacari needed plenty of room to move, to live, to just BE... and all that extra room just made everything feel so spacious. Huge soft beds, comforters that just didn't seem to end, wide hallways, double doors, kitchens that felt out of place outside of a restaurant. Hell even the restaurants were spacious. Plenty of elbow room, that was certain.

And thus, two sleeping forms were cuddled together amid the sea of a Dalacari bed. A human and a Ts'usugi, gently enjoying the company of one another and having drifted off to sleep. The next sound that came into that serene scene was a gentle but rhythmic beep. A soft tone meant to gently coax one to life, rather than violently disrupt their slumber. Gentle light entered the room as the window blinds parted to let in the light of the sun.

"Good morning guests and citizens." a gentle voice came from speakers discreetly placed in the room. "Today is the Maris, seventeenth of Nuu. The current temperature is forty. Wind is pleasant from the equator, bringing with it a warming effect to the day. For our guests, an aerial demonstration of the previous generation of drone strike fighter is scheduled for 1130. Sunset is projected for 1853." the voice of the wake up call continued to essentially deliver the news.

"Good morning." Koh said sleepily, his lengthy ears twitching almost at each word the alarm system spoke. "Hold on.." he turned slightly, "We're awake. Thank you."

And like that, the voice was gone.

"Well, I guess the entire planet now knows we're awake," Shaille murmured softly as she turned into him, her hand immediately resting on his soft fur, fingertips caressing slowly as she lapsed back into sleepy silence for a few moments.

"The drone strike fighter demonstration could be interesting, do you want to go watch that?" she asked quietly, keeping her voice hushed, not wanting to disturb the quiet start to the day any more than already had been. "I'm almost too afraid to say we should get breakfast first in case a drone suddenly appears."

Koh gave a chuckle, but there was no smirk or smile attached to it. "Welcome to Dalacar. We accommodate your every need. Sit back and relax." he sounded like a brochure more than anything else. He shook his head, and that grin of his returned. "Sometimes this place scares me. What they've given up for what they get back." he paused, and then just closed his eyes.

"I'll check under the bed for drones tonight. Until then, breakfast sounds fantastic. We can have it in bed if we ask, but then we'll never leave this room." Koh painted a pretty grim picture. "So c'mon sleepy head, up and rise." he gave her forehead a gentle press with his, before pulling back reluctantly and standing in the dawn sun light. "The drone demo isn't until noon'ish. You know, I think I know something that might appeal to you a bit." he paused. "I can talk to the head of local villa security to see if I can introduce you to the thing that's running all these drones. The local Thinking Engine."

"Or, I mean, we could just lounge on the beach instead." he chuckled.

Rising up on one elbow, Shaille watched him with an appreciative smile. "I really am loving being here, especially being here with you, the views are incredible, some more so than others," she said with a grin as she cast an appreciative gaze over his form. "But I think I'll actually be really glad when we're back on the ship and we don't have an army of drones collecting intelligence on us."

She paused momentarily, smiling as she watched him. "That said, I think seeing the Thinking Engine would be awesome, would be actually be allowed to though? Commander Tang has mentioned them before, they do sound intriguing."

He gave a smirk, knowing she was looking, but he didn't do anything too silly like strike a pose or anything. He just bounced a bit on his tippy toes, as though to help wake up the rest of his body. To shake the sleepies out of his extremities.

"Well, you're a security officer. I'm an enlisted soldier and citizen of Dalacar. We'd just be curious as to the day to day operation of the device that's ensuring our security and safety." he looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "Plus, the average Dalacari is *really* proud of their system. I figured they'd love to be able to show it off to folks who could appreciate it, from a safety and security standard."

"Sounds like fun," Shaille said as she slid out of the bed and walked across to him, running her hands slowly down the length of his back. "Mmm... let me shower and get dressed and then we can go find some breakfast."

"You know... Dalacari showers have room for two." he teased with a smirk.

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Showered, brushed, fluffed, and clothed, the two of them were begrudgingly ready to face the day. The main lobby of the guest accommodations was already set out with a spread of breakfast foods for all guests. As Dalacari were primarily meat eaters, the breakfast selection leaned a bit in that direction. Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, ground beef, and the occasional guest appearance by a fruit or a leafy green.

"I love breakfast on Dalacar." Koh mentioned as he set up his plate. A veritable mountain of scrambled eggs and sausage, bacon and a few pieces of non-meat to complete the illusion of balance. Though, the interesting part was while he was getting his plate situated, he turned to the drone serving up the eggs. "Hey, are the eggs fresh today?"

"Freshly replicated, as always." the drone replied, in a synthetic approximation of cheerful banter. "The picture of the chicken over the fabricator was replaced just this morning." and that actually brought a chuckle to the Ts'usugi. He then leaned in, conspiratorially. "Please arrange a meeting with the head of security for the visitor's center. This is a non-urgent matter. I wish to introduce a member of Starfleet security to the administrator and request a tour of how the safety of the guests is being managed." he requested of the line-chef drone. There was a pause, and then the drone gave a nod. "Your request is on the way up, sir. Expect a reply shortly. Please enjoy your breakfast."

He rejoined Shaille as they picked out a table. "Scary as it is, sometimes the network works out nice."

"I don't know, it just gives me the wiggins. Knowing that there is this entire army of artificial beings that is literally everywhere I go, watching and recording everything I do and collecting intelligence on me? It just feels... odd?" Her voice remained quiet as she spoke until she finally shrugged slightly. "Anyway," she said brightly, turning her attention to the vast array of food on the plate in front of her. "After the thinking engine and the aerial display I think we should definitely check out the beach. I've heard the sunsets here are incredible," she said with a grin.

"Oh, they aren't that bad." but then Koh gave Shaille a nod. Wide eyed, and slow. That nod that seemed to say 'Yeah, it's creepy as hell and I agree with you'.

Once breakfast was taken care of and the two were out on the town, they'd find the open air and streets far more comforting. Living Dalacari, families or just locals, would always take the time to smile or greet the pair. Some were out shopping, and let the drones carry the bags or boxes. Others were just out for a walk in the nice sun, enjoying a perfect afternoon day. Always with a cheerful smile and a wave.

Sometimes the children would seem confused. Why was her other half a Ts'usugi? Why was his other half not the same? Children were allowed to ask the most innocent of questions, and the parents would always apologize. They'd tell their child that life in the universe was vast and different, and sometimes there were people that didn't have another half.

Could you believe it?

Once the way the universe worked was explained to the child, they'd wave and say they were sorry. "No worries." Koh would always say. "It's how we learn."

It'd be about half an hour of walking around town, just enjoying the feel of the wind and the sun, before one of the drones on the street corner would notice the pair. "Apologies. You have a message from Administrator Gor Teega. They accept your request for a meeting and an overview of local security and request a meeting time in two hours fifteen minutes. Is this acceptable?" and Koh would nod, "I think that'll work nicely, please accept on our behalf."

The drone gave a nod. Koh followed up, "The aerial drone demonstration is today. Are there still good seats available?" and the drone gave another nod, "Yes there are. Would you like them reserved?". Koh gave a nod, and held out a hand as though to shake it. The drone took his hand and, indeed, shook it. "Transaction complete. A receipt has been sent to your digital inbox of flyboyblinkerseventyfour at t'sumail dot com."

"I... really need to update that." Koh said, looking over at Shaille with that 'please don't tell anyone' look.

Biting her bottom lip and trying not to smile, Shaille suppressed a giggle as she caught his expression. "I think it's cute.." she said, finally unable to help but laugh. "So... we have two hours to kill, what do you want to do to pass the time?" She paused only momentarily before speaking again. "Actually, can we maybe find a toy store or something? I could get something for my nieces to send for their birthday."

Koh gave a nod, and once his business with the drone was concluded he walked over to Shaille. "Sounds perfect. Let's get out of here before they send me any more eBrochures."

The two roamed around the streets of the visitor's villa, Koh intent on not asking any more drones for help. Though finding a toy store wasn't that hard, as this place was built to be something of a tourist trap from the looks of it. Soft pillows, warm breakfast, and souvenir kiosks. Seeing a drone with a sun visor was possibly the highlight of the quest but after a few minutes their search was over.

There was a toy store. Full of dolls and figures, dollhouses and playsets, toys and stuffed animals... it was a paradise for any child or anyone who was a child at heart. The store had a few customers, which would ordinarily give the illusion of it being packed, but there was room to move. Dalacari parents with their children looking for new toys or new stuffed friends to take home. One of the children walked with a bit of a weird limp, while her other form had a bit of a bandage on one of her feet. She was hugging a plush drone.

There were drones in the store, helping with inventory or aiding patrons in finding that perfect gift, though they looked different then the standard run-of-the-mill automaton. They looked fancy, gilded even. Filigree and decoration covered their shell, and a quick notice along their back would spy what looked like a key, slowly turning. Behind one counter, running the register, was a Dalacari who was just here for the paycheck. Roaming around the store, another Dalacari worked the shelves and waved to the patrons.

The other Dalacari working the store was a bit... odd. First off, she wasn't dressed in the standard style of symmetry that other Dalacari enjoyed. One of her forms was dressed like a rag doll. Pleated skirt, foppish hat, gloves.

Her other form was dressed more like an action figure. Fatigues, boots, headband.

That brought Koh almost to a stop. "Sweet stars, she's an exovert."

Shaille had been enjoying the atmosphere inside the toystore. The excitement that came from the children within the store was almost palpable. Even the drones had been dressed up to fit into the theme of the store, which was weird in itself. They didn't feel anywhere near as intimidating when they had been 'dolled up' to appear more toyish, but she knew that that was just a facade.

"Hmmm?" Shaille asked absently, reaching for Koh's hand as she turned toward him, dragging her attention away from the drones that were busily moving about the store. "Sorry, what was that?" she asked, her gaze finally settling on the two oddly dressed forms of the Dalacari. "Oh, that's a little bit cute," she said with a laugh. "They dressed like toys. The kids must love that."

Koh gave a nod, "Kids deserve all the joy they can get." he said with a smile. "Now, she's a rare seed. An exovert." he motioned subtlety to the Dalacari that was dressed up like a pair of toys. "See, Dalacari love symmetry. Clothes, hair, nails, injuries, a Dalacari dresses and lives like their own reflection. Then you get those, the exoverts. They aren't bothered by a lack of symmetry. They can stand being apart for slightly longer than your average Dalacari, and when they see themselves not matching they aren't bothered by it."

"Typically, they go into specialized health care. Folks who can dress themselves differently and not be bothered by it? Big help when dealing with Single Dalacari." the son of Ts'usu explained.

Pausing, Shaille watched the two forms for a moment curiously before looking away and picking up a plush drone toy in front of her. "I guess I never really thought about it, I mean, I'm used to seeing Rostra always in her uniform..." she said quietly. "I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for a Single Dalacari to exist in a world that is so specifically designed for duality."

Realising she held a drone in her hands, she dropped it back onto the table it had been on and grimaced. "Yeah, lets not get drones," she said with a shake of her head. "These will do," she said, grabbing two plush toys that appeared to resemble the Dalacari themselves.

Koh was oddly silent for a moment, lost in thought. "It's not pretty." is all he could muster about the life of a Single Dalacari. Her antics with the plush drone seemed to snap him from his torpor. "Oh? But they're here to help." he said with a smirk, but showed no objection to the new selection. The two were sold as a bundle, obviously, with a single price covering both toys. Duality seemed to be the theme on Dalacar, with good reason. The only thing that seemed to naturally exist in singles were the drones, and in theory even they were inexorably tied to something.

Pairs. Everything was pairs.

The more cheerful of the Dalacari working the store, the aforementioned Exovert, made her rounds round the store and came up to Shaille and Koh. The form wearing the dress had a cheerful smile on, while the more serious and gruff military form suppressed her smile very well. "Find everything you need?" the 'doll' asked.

"We did," Shaille smiled warmly as she held up the pair of plush toys. "This will be perfect." Handing over the toys as well as the wristband she had been given when she first arrived on the planet, she turned her attention back to Koh as she waited. "So, tour next and then the air show?" she asked, her thumb lighting brushing over the soft fur on the back of his hand.

He gave her a nod and a smile, "Sounds like a well thought out plan." he chuckled, leaning slightly against her. The Dalacari gave the pair of them a smile as she rang up the order and then scanned the wristband. "There you go. We can ship it to your ship, or you can take it with you if you want?"

A momentary look of surprise registered on Shaille's face as she took the wristband back. "Oh, if you can send it to the ship that would be perfect," she said with a smile. "Leaves my hands free for other things," she finished with a grin.

"Of course!" she cheerfully commented and put the two plushs in a box, then printed out a shipping label. Mostly a sophisticated barcode, but there was writing underneath for whatever living creature read the box. Then her form that was dressed up like a military character turned towards the aisles, "Springward. Front and center."

To someone who knew to look, there was a little bit of a twitch in her 'Doll' half. Looking different might have been easy for her, but acting different? That was a talent.

One of the drones made its way to the front. Once it arrived, the doll handed Shaille's box over to it. "This needs to go to the station for our guests." and the drone gave a nod before accepting the box and heading out to its duty.

Forcing herself to smile as the drone took the box and headed out, Shaille thanked the Dalacari again and slid her hand into Koh's as they headed out of the store and back into the street. "So where do we find this security place?" she asked quietly as they started walking. "And before we go in, is there anything I should know or I shouldn't ask? I really don't feel like starting an interquadrant incident between the Dalacari and the Federation."

"See that big blue building there?" he motioned with his free hand, leaning in next to her so he could better see her perspective.

Either that, or it was to lean in close to her. Mysteries of the universe...

"That's the primary security building. A hundred feet beneath it, is one of the Thinking Engines that's keeping the villa running smooth. Before we get there, they'll give us suits for the cold. The interior of the Engine itself is crazy cold, and that brings the whole room down to about a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty degrees below zero. Don't ask to bring a drink down to chill it." he said with a smirk. "Now, as you've seen, the Dalacari are some of the most accommodating folks in space. I don't think you *can* really irk them enough to get them to start a war."

"They'd ask us to do it." he smirked. Then he turned a little more serious, "So, don't endanger yourself just to test the system. Don't endanger the system by like, kicking it or anything." he put on his thinking face. "You know, a lot of the whole 'respect someone else's stuff' rules apply here, just bigger. You're about to see the thing that's probably operating about a third of the drones wandering around here. That's the walker drones, the industrial lifters, the the fighter swarms." Koh cut himself off before he gave his girlfriend more nightmares.

"And there will be a few drones in the room with us with the Engine. And they most likely will be armed." he stressed.

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TO BE CONTINUED
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