Pride and prejudice

Posted on 15 Sep 2019 @ 2:04am by Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander True Keading

Mission: Mission 1 - In the pale moonlight ...
Location: Holodec 2
1365 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

"Okay okay …." Jon admitted as they walked towards the holodec in period wear. "I admit I only read a couple of chapters. I don't really know much of what to expect."

"Tisk," True said as she turned toward him. "Dancing, intellectual flirting, snobbish men who want to duel you when you insult them. So behave yourself and no dueling. Pretty girls in empire waist gowns and their hair curled. You just might enjoy yourself, you never know."

He pulled the waistcoat he had on trying to loosen it but with no avail. "The suggested costume for Mr Darcy sure has an awful lot of buttons," he groaned. The thigh height boots clinched as well.

"I do like your costume though," he said appreciatory.

"Thank you, I like it as well. It's actually very comfortable. This was before the age of the victorian corset that cut off oxygen. I can actually dance in this. And you look very handsome, though you may not be as comfortable, you do look quite the part. And at the end of the story Elizabeth and Darcy do end up together."

"Corset ehh," Jon grinned. He couldn't help but let his mind wander a little at the idea of True in a corset. Then another thought hit him. "Hang on you didn't say anything about dancing. What sort of dancing?"

True laughed. "Don't panic, if you absolutely don't want to dance I won't make you but it's not that difficult really."

They entered the holodec and Jon watched as the programme came into life. They were stood in front of a old house but for reasons Jon couldn't understand, there was a very high barrier all the way round it. "What's that all about?," he asked.

True frowned. "I don't know, I don't remember anything about a barrier in Pride and Prejudice. Odd. Maybe a glitch in the program," It didn't bother her enough to stop her movements forward though. She was too curious to see how everything had come together.

Jon extended his arm like a gentleman and led her inside the building which the closer they got lively music could be heard. "Sounds like a party," he mused.

"Welcome to Meryton," someone informed them. "This way, this way. Why we must get you all dancing. Capital capital."

"Friendly chap," Jon commented again as a male in some sort of uniform offered him a small glass of red liquid, he assumed wine. He turned to take one.

"Lizzie, lizzie … LIZZIE," another female came flying out of nowhere. "This is where you got too." She had a similar style dress as True. "You must come. Mama insists. Immediately," With that she pulled True with her Jon almost spilling his drink in shock.

"Oh, sorry," True laughed. "I think we're meant to part ways here." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and an apologetic look before being pulled off.

Jon stood confused as he watched her. Then he was approached by another incredibly handsome man.

"Darcy, come Darcy the woman here, I have never seen so many charming and beautiful woman in my life," He said eyes sparkling. "An none of them are inflicted …."

Jon had no clue what was going on or what was meant by that but the next thing he knew he was being led right back to True who was surrounded by 4 other females in similar style dresses, an older lady and an older man. "Mr Bingley, May I introduce Mrs Bennett and her daughters."

True broke eye contact with him and curtsied as did the others young ladies. She knew that Jon would never ignore her like Darcy had done to Elizabeth at first, but they were playing a part and she was loving it, even more so since he hadn't read the whole book and would be somewhat in the dark. "Do you dance Mr Darcy?"

Jon didn't know he was meant to say, "Not if I can help it," but as True was stood there and clearly wanted to dance and he wanted his arms around her again, he did the bow thing to the other woman and answered, "Yes if one of your daughters would consent to be my partner," It sounded like something one of the blokes in this book would say.

True mouthed the words 'hold out your hand to me' and then smiled so no one would notice anything. Once Jon had done so she took it and proceeded towards the dance floor. She couldn't appear too close to him but she said as loudly as she could. "I won't make you dance. We can just observe the party and talk."

"Lets dance," he said. "I did make you go climb up part of a mountain when I planned a date. And besides we are here now …. at a dance. You just might have to talk me through it," he said.

"Oh well it's got a lot of turns, it's more of a walk really. I think it might be best to just jump in and learn on your feet. Ready?" True went to her place at the end of the line and gestured for Jon to join her. She hadn't explained however that there was very little touching in the dances of this time period. Hands were about all that was held.

Jon again had no clue but went to stand opposite her in the line of men. The music started - classical, everyone bowed -at least that was familiar to home and then the men did some sort of hop thing heading in the females direction so he followed suit. True looked to be doing something similar and they were obviously meeting in the middle. When they did he assumed he was meant to pull her into a standard dance frame and was reaching to place his arm round her waist when a loud gasp somewhere in the sea of people watching made him pull it back again. “Wrong?” He asked True.

"People don't touch much in public in this time period she whispered back, unless they're married. It's okay," she assure him. "Just hands and arms." Jon learned pretty quickly and she was so enjoying the atmosphere, the people around her and the music that she almost didn't notice the sound of breaking glass until she heard someone scream.

Jons head snapped round at the sound of the scream. He stepped closer to True determined to keep her as safe as he could, to hell with periodic rules of how close he was allowed to be. "Okay so are we into the plot properly now?" he asked.

"Something is wrong. This isn't supposed to happen. There's no screaming in the book or movies. Computer," True said. "Pause program." When nothing happened she gave Jon a look that told him without words that they were in trouble. "Something tells me I'm not going to love this time period as much anymore."

Jon tried himself, yielding the same result then pressed his comm. badge. =^=Reynolds to bridge, can you do a diagnostic on the Holodec. Myself and the counsellor are stuck in a programme that’s non responsive=^=

There was no response back.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity as to Jon’s surprise some of the other women were suddenly hitching up their skirts showing some very revealing leg with weapons strapped to their stockings ..... have you got something stashed under there?” he asked both amused and confused. What sort of book was it True had wanted him to read? He’d thought it some girly novel. This turn of events was certainly peaking his interest more.

She might have answered if she had been paying attention, but just at that moment her arm was grabbed and she was dragged away by the holodeck character playing her elder sister Jane. "Jon!" She called out. But it was no use. The crowd was too loud and people were running every which way between them.

OFF:

●●● Commander Jonathan Reynolds
Commanding Officer
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda