Post 316: Ever Toasty Smore Man

Stardate: 70723.2028
Title: Ever Toasty Smore Man
Author: Fox Margolis
Scene: Bridge
Time: Concurrent with and following "Happiness is Wagging a Tail"

Fox had been in her fair share of dangers during her Starfleet career. She was used to them and quite capable at this point of handling routine threats.

But that Holodeck shut down was something new, she had to admit to herself. A little longer in the Holodeck and they could have all been toast. Or could have drowned in the waves. Or been eaten by a larger-than-life smore. Well, maybe not the last one, but that would have at least been fun to tackle. Instead of the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man, they'd have had the Ever Toasty Smore Man.

Fox imagined how it would have worked out. First, the motley gang in the Holodeck would have taken down the graham cracker crust defenses. Left helpless without its armor, they would have next pierced the toasty marshmallow outside and struck at the gooey inside. Finally, only the chocolate would have been left, but by then, the Ever Toasty Smore Man would have had no recourse left but utter obliteration. It would have given an entirely new meaning to the adage 'death by chocolate.' Fox shook her head, trying to pry the silly image out of her head and focus on her work, which was now running a diagnostic at operations, as per Captain Gilmore's instructions.

So really all she had to do was order the computer to run the diagnostics and wait for the results to come in. And she did not have to wait long.

"Normal, normal, normal," she muttered to herself as the tests came back, well...normal.

"Captain Gilmore," she then reported.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Gilmore replied from the command chair.

"It's like the virus was never there. All systems are working within normal parameters. It should be safe to begin making repairs to the ship without worrying they'll be undone."

Gilmore nodded. "Good." Still, a small line of tension crossed his face, which prompted him to order, "Run a second sweep with tactical. Double check the weapons systems and life support. The last thing we need is a hidden worm."

"Aye, sir. I'm on it." Fox briefly moved her hands away from the console long enough to tuck loose strands of her short blond hair behind her ears. It was still partially tussled from the wind, campfire, and little adventure on the Holodeck.

Everything about her perfectly disheveled, yet somehow still graciously put together, Fox reexamined her console and set the parameters for the next scan. Satisfied, she got up from her post; time to coordinate with tactical.

Faustine Margolis
Operations Officer
USS Independence