Target Practice

Posted on Sun May 30th, 2021 @ 4:36am by Lieutenant Sovaan & Ensign Ezra Gonzalez

Mission: The Place of Skulls
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 2000

Sovaan scanned through a list of people he had wanted to meet with throughout the day, checking names off as he read through the PADD. He came across a name he hadn't gotten to yet and paused, tapping his stylus against his teeth thoughtfully.

"Computer, locate Ensign Gonzalez."

"Ensign Gonzalez is in Holodeck One."

A few moments later, Sovaan reached the sliding holodeck doors and keyed in the entrance request. The doors opened to reveal Ezra standing in the middle of the room, running a target practice program. Instead of a standard-issue phaser as he had expected, however, Ezra was holding a weapon that Sovaan had never seen before. Every time the trigger was pulled, the weapon made a bright flash and an explosive noise, releasing an old-fashioned projectile at the target.

Sovaan leaned against the wall and patiently waited for a moment, until Ezra turned and noticed his visitor.

"Ensign, may I speak with you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"That's a very unusual weapon. May I ask what it is?"

He sensed a flare of excitement from the young ensign as he answered. "This is a Mark VI model Webley revolver, an old projectile weapon used by British military officers during Earth's first two World Wars. Commissioned officers were issued personal weapons like this, while private soldiers used larger guns."

"Fascinating," Sovaan said, genuinely interested. "Your knowledge of history is impressive. Why this particular device?"

"This is a holographic reproduction, but I own a real one! It's on display in my quarters. I have a cousin on Earth who works in a history museum, and he said they received a large number of guns like this, more than they could use, so he took one and gave it to me as a gift. To be honest, I...I feel more comfortable handling antiques like this than I do an actual phaser, so I'm considering asking for permission to fabricate a revolver that fires phaser beams instead of bullets."

Sovaan raised his eyebrows. "For personal use, I take it. Hm. Unconventional and not exactly regulation standard...but I get the feeling that you aren't a very conventional person."

"Huh. Get the feeling. Empath joke," Ezra quietly commented to himself, looking away from the Vulcanoid.

Seeing that the young ensign was having difficulty maintaining eye contact, Sovaan indicated the targets. "Please continue, if it makes you more comfortable. I don't mind if your back is to me."

"Was there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about, Sir?" Ezra asked as he continued shooting.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Ensign...Ezra...I understand you had a rather...unpleasant experience on your last mission."

Ezra's aim faltered, causing him to miss a shot. A shot he otherwise would have hit, Sovaan noted.

"With all due respect, Sir, I...I really don't..."

"...Want to talk about it. I understand. But I wanted to meet with you to get to know you. I want to assure you that my team and I will do everything in our power to keep you safe. You are an important part of this crew. Do you understand that?"

"Everyone is an important part of this crew. That's why we're all here."

"I didn't mean to suggest that they weren't. And I didn't mean to suggest that we would protect them any less than you, because we won't. And I'm not suggesting that you aren't capable of defending yourself, either; the targets you've hit are clear evidence of that. What I meant was, we're on this journey in search of the Captain's people, a people that we know almost nothing about, not even the Captain himself. You have an incredible eye for detail, Ezra, and you have the best understanding of cultural history out of anyone I've ever met. If we find the Captain's people--"

"They'll need to be documented. I know."

"Exactly. And the Captain will rely on you and your special skill set to help him collect that information and keep it safe. You are valuable and important. Perhaps even more than you might realize."

Ezra didn't respond, and for a long time the only sounds were the bang of the gun and the occasional chime signalling that a target had been struck.

After a long moment, Ezra lowered his arm and turned around.

"Thank you, Sir," he said quietly. "You've given me a lot to think about."

"I'll leave you to your practice, Ensign. I appreciate you being willing to hear what I had to say. I genuinely look forward to serving with you."