Target Practice

Posted on Wed Feb 1st, 2023 @ 5:35pm by Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Lieutenant Kevan Dash

Mission: Character Development
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: BACKPOST :: Before Mission Start
1695 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"Damn," Zade muttered as she looked at her score. While waiting for Kevan to show up, she had started a round of target practice in the holodeck to see just how much her performance had changed. In the middle of the holodeck was a giant dome with a raised base, which served as the valid playing field. The program made targets randomly appear inside the dome that would shoot at the player after a small delay. It was designed both for target practice and for reaction time. Next to the dome was a console to see the results.

Normally she scored above 90 on this program, so it was surprising to see an 84 staring back at her from the console. She knew her aim was going to be off since her dominant arm was the one shot, but that bad? While it was well above the pass/fail threshold of 70, it was worse than she expected. Don't let it get to you, she thought, tapping on the console to restart the program.

"Bad day?" Kevan asked, a little grin on his face as he leaned against the bulkhead and watched the targets zip around. "I'm pretty sure the doc told both of us to take a few days off. I guess it's par for the course with the security department..."

Zade turned her head toward Kevan, not seeing him come in. He must have slipped in while the program was running. "I'm still passing, even if I'm not at a hundred percent yet. That's what I care about," she pointed out, turning to face him. The console beeped that it was ready to start the program again, but Zade instead set the phaser on the console to undo the ponytail she had her hair in. "I know to not overdo it, but I'm not one to just sit and do nothing." She gave her head a little shake, her curls bouncing around now that they were free. Now that she was facing Kevan, he'd be able to see that her uniform jacket was half undone and a dark circle was adhered just barely below her left collarbone. "You might not be, either, given you're here. Want to tap in?"

Stretching his sore arm out, he made a little show of the ache it gave him but nodded all the same. "I'll go left-handed. See if you can keep up, huh?" Grabbing a weapon for himself, he moved up alongside ready to go.

Zade rolled her eyes as he emphasized how sore his arm was while she reconfigured the program for two. Once a second dark circle about the size of the palm of her hand appeared, she tossed it to Kevan, "put this on your chest. If the targets hit that spot, you automatically fail." Thanks to modern technology, the sensor worked through clothing, which reduced the need for a dress code during training. Putting her hair back up, Zade watched the program go through final checks on the console before it beeped that it was ready. She grabbed her phaser, ignoring the soreness in her shoulder, and walked into the dome. "Be warned, my expectations are high," she teased with a slight smile.

He rolled the phaser in his fingers. "I aim to please," he replied, grinning at his own pun. As the program began, he took a wider-legged posture and gave the environment his full attention. Kevan's competitive side took over and he was alert and determined to win. He quickly reacted when the first target appeared, almost getting in Zade's way as he ducked forward and took the shot. "Try not to get hurt," he grunted, a little edge to his voice.

Zade sidestepped to avoid getting stepped on, then fired as another target appeared. "That's the goal," she responded, her eyes darting to find the next target. Two appeared to her left, and she quickly turned to shoot at them, frowning in internalized disappointment when only one of her two shots actually hit. The second shot had grazed the outside of the target, which technically still would have hit if the target were a person, but she didn’t train for 'good enough.' Taking aim, she shot again at the target.

"Getting sloppy, chief," Kevan quipped, dropping into a more stable firing position on one knee to blast two more targets. A third zipped past, too quickly for him to adjust his angle to. With not enough time to fully adjust, he glanced sideways and decided to give her the slightest of nudges to throw off her aim.

Zade scoffed. "Hardly." She aimed at the next target, but watched the phaser fire hit a dome support beam that was the diameter of the target away from the target itself. "Can we do without the sabotaging?" She asked, briefly shooting him a stern look before she focused on the targets again, taking out two more. The second target made her turn in a way that she had to kneel, putting herself in a position mirroring Kevan's but facing the opposite direction.

"Gotta be able to improvise in the field, chief," he retorted. "Never know what could happen." He downed another target, then missed the second as his arm twitched and threw off the aim. He cursed softly, sensing that would knock his own score down a little.

Zade rolled her eyes. "Unless you plan on being in my way in the field..." A target to her left. She turned and aimed, realizing that her arm went right past Kevan's face. The phaser fired, and the target she spotted disappeared. She glanced briefly at him, her arm still right in front of his face, "I don't think I have to worry about someone screwing with my aim." Hearing the faint buzz of a target behind her, she turned, but not fast enough, and the target fired at her. It hit her in the side, and she winced at the stinging sensation as she finished turning to face the target and shoot it. The one thing she hated about this training was that the targets fired back and while they weren't even as powerful as a stun setting on a phaser, they stung like hell if they hit.

"Woah..." Kevan almost caught her as she was staggered by the shot. He was torn between firing back and making sure she was okay; recognising that neither of them were at full strength, he put his good arm out to stop her falling. "What did I say about trying not to get hurt?"

Two targets appeared behind Kevan and charged to fire. Zade had an advantage in that she could see them, but Kevan seemed too distracted by her well-being to notice. Putting two hands to his chest, she shoved him enough so the fire from the targets would miss. "I'm fine, they don't do any real damage." She fired at the targets, hitting both in a way the program was satisfied with. "Worrying about me doesn't help you win," she said lightheartedly, watching the targets disappear. Despite how seriously she was taking the program, she did appreciate the small gesture, even if she didn't show it.

"We're all on the same team, though," he challenged, not really concentrating on the session now. "I've always felt that Starfleet is about teamwork. So while we can have fun with a little competition here and there to cut loose, we've got to make sure we're covering each other."

The security chief sighed. "I get that, and I agree. This program wasn't really designed for teamwork, it's designed for point-and-shoot. It's a test of accuracy and precision. If you want a teamwork program, I can certainly make that happen. But teamwork can only be so effective when someone's a bad shot."

"Maybe. Or it can cover up for flaws by relying on strengths instead," he suggested, straightening up. "Two people shooting at a target have statistically better odds of landing a hit than one person alone. And they have the advantage of covering a wider shooting arc..." he tailed off as he realised he was trying to teach someone who didn't really need to be taught. Not only that but she was technically his superior, too. "Just, uh, trying to help, anyway."

Almost out of spite for being ignored, the program summoned two more targets, which shot Kevan in the back before they disappeared and the computer announced the end of the simulation. "I know that. My counter is that both people need to be somewhat competent with a weapon for those statistics to be meaningful." Zade stood and exited the dome, stopping in front of the console as the computer calculated the score. "You need any water?"

"No thanks." He shook his head. She'd obviously done a bit more work than he had. "So does this mean we're getting a departmental competition? Best aim gets the weekend off?" he chuckled.

Zade cracked a smile at that. "That might not be a bad idea, actually." The computer beeped, indicating that the results were in, and Zade glanced back down at the console. "Close match," she stepped a little to the side so he could see. On the console were their names in large letters, an 84 under Zade's and an 82 under Kevan's.

"Would've had you beat if I hadn't stopped to pick you up along the way..." he remarked. "But that's not a bad score. With a little practice you might be a decent shot," he added with a grin.

The immediate response was an eyeroll and a light punch to his shoulder. "Thanks, you're not too bad yourself. You want to try a real teamwork program, now?"

"Pfft. I've got the bruises from the last 'real' one..." Kevan retorted. "But when you need the practice, give me a call."

While the exercises were for work rather than fun, Zade found herself with a feeling of contentment that she could enjoy training with someone, or at least endure it. She gave him a smile, "I'll be sure to give you a call." Deciding to call it good for the day, she told the computer to end the program.