Adventures on the Holodeck 10
Captain's Log: November 29, 2015

Voyage of Discovery - Part 2
Leaving Atlantis


      When we last saw our intrepid explorer, she was pondering the meaning of some ancient markings that she discovered in a temple.

      "These are not just markings. Putting my hand over them makes them do something. I wish I had paid more attention when I read about hieroglyphics. Noq likes those Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider movies. Wait until I tell him about this!"



      "Where did this thing come from? It looks like glass, but it might be made out of a crystalline substance. That book I was reading suggested that the Atlanteans may have used crystals to amplify their thoughts. Enough power behind a thought could possibly affect the real world. If I think hard enough, maybe this crystal will take me on another adventure." Feodora wanders around the temple for a bit, then walked back out to the teleportation device.



      "Hey! That looks just like the crystal that I saw in the temple!" The operartor never takes her eyes off of the control panel. She stands as still as a statue, but once she did touch a glyph on one of the lighted panels.
      Operator (thinking to Feodora): "You need not speak aloud. Your thoughts are primitive and slow, but if it is more comfortable for you, we may communcate this way. I have assimilated the entirety of your knowledge. It is odd that you know so much, but that you do not appy the knowledge wisely."
      Feodora (a bit put off, speaking aloud): "Ой, здравствуйте! (Oh, hello!) Я не знаю, что вы могли бы говорить по-русски. (I did not know that you could speak Russian.)"
      Operator: "I am not speaking in any of your languages. You understand the meaning of my thoughts. You only perceive them in a fashion that is comfortable for you." Feodora was taken aback that the woman was communicating mentally. She had read about such things in science fiction and fantasy stories, but had never heard of anyone actually doing it.
      Feodora: "Where is this place? Some of it looks to be anceint Egyptian, but they never had this kind of technology!"
      Operator: "This is a portion of what you call the African savannah. You are even more primitive than I expected. How did you get here?"
      Feodora (starting to get annoyed) said, "I was reading a book about Atlantis in a friend's library. I sounded out the words aloud. The next thing that I knew, I was stepping out of your Stargate.
      Operator: "That is an odd reference, but not entirely incorrect. The Portal is used to open many of the pathways. The words that you spoke aloud opened it to bring you here."
      Feodora said, "You read my mind when I got here. Why did you not ask me why or how I came?"
      Operator: "It is not in my authority to question those who use the pathways. I only assimilated your memories just now." As an afterthought, she added, "I do not assimilate the thoughts of everyone who uses the pathways. Most of what they think is not important."
      Feodora said, "If you cannot leave your post, or even turn your eyes to greet me, is there someone else that I can talk to?"



      Operator: "I have called a transport for you. You may use it to travel to the General Information Service spaceport. Those on duty there will answer your questions."
      (Feodora looks around.) "Ничего себе! Нифига себе! (Wow! Holy cow!) I did not hear your aeroplane land!"
      Operator: "It is not an aeroplane. This craft can take you to any location within the known galaxies."
      Feodora asked, "How many miles to the gallon does it get?" The next thing she knew, she was sitting in the back seat of the space vehicle. There were no apparent inertial forces. She just appeared there. Nobody likes to be pushed around, and Feodora was beginning to get steamed. "That must be the Atlantean version of 'take a hike'."



      "Well this looks simple enough. Maybe I should try the front seat." Feodora carefully steps out onto the wing, then moves forward and gently eases herself into the front seat.



"The view is better from the here."


      "On the other hand, I looks like a simple way to get into big trouble fast. I should ask for a pilot." She was surprised to find herself standing next to the operator again.
      Operator: "Why are you still here?"
      Feodora said, "Ой-ой-ой! (Oh dear!) I do not know how to operate your spaceplane."
      Operator (annoyed): "Are all of your kind this much trouble? I will call a Conductor for you."



      Feodora said, "Вперёд! (Go ahead!). Speaking in English, she added (equally annoyed), "My kind?! You are just as human as I am, and a lot more rude! I have a good mind to knock your teeth out" The operator touched another glyph, and Feodora found herself a few dozen yards away. She slowly floated back toward the spaceplane. It was a lot less abrupt. She found herself comfortably settling into the back seat again.



      Feodora said, "Ой, смотрите, кто пришёл! (Oh, look who came!)"
      The Conductor said aloud, "Ой, здравствуйте! (Oh, hello!)" Then he thought: "You do not have to speak aloud. The Operator, as you call her, has already given me your memories."
      Feodora said (loud enough for the Operator to hear), "О, это я знаю. (Oh, this I do know.)" In English, "I only do this to annoy people!"
      The Conductor said with a smirk in his voice, "Вперёд! (Go ahead!)" Then he thought to Feodora: "She could stand to be annoyed every once in a while." The both got a mental image of the Operator doing the Atlantean equivalent of flipping them off, although she did not move. The Conductor closed the canopy. Then the Conductor thought: "It is good for you that I am here to stop you. I perceived your thought before you finished speaking. Had I not caught you in time, the Operator would have moved you off planet."



The canopy closed quickly, but without so much as a whisper.

      Feodora grumbled, "And Noq says that Russian women can be testy!" Then more calmly, "Why is she wearing that Ancient Egyptian costume? And why is she so still? It is like trying to talk to a statue!"
      Conductor: "She is very busy. We use thought to accomplish what your kind would do with physical motion. This saves a lot of time and energy. Her clothing is what was in style when we left, well over four thousand of your years ago. She and other Portal guardians wear the traditional garb of their locality."



      Feodora said (slighlty annoyed), "There is that 'your kind' beeswax again! What is it with you people?" The Conductor did not reply. "Apparenty you folks are not up with the times. I hate to tell you this, but that 'garb' has been out of style for centuries."
      The Conductor said aloud,"Some of us are reluctant to change. Tee-el-Ay-oh1, her chosen name, is downright stubborn about it." Feodora could see the reflection of his grin on the inside surface of the canopy.

1"Tee-el-Ay-oh Bee-En-aye-Aych" TLOABNIH - "The Lights Are On, But Nobody Is Home"




      I did not create these background models. The fair use agreement does not specify that the source models be listed, but other DAZ users might wish to get some for themselves.

Bibliography
♋ Atlantida Temple
♔ Atlantida Temple Props
♛ Atlantida Portal
❧ Atlantida Monument
ϟ Intrepid Explorer Phoenix

      If you look through the User Galleries you will see many pictures that are more well done than I have produced. Still, it is a fun hobby!

  



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