Pacifica #37"
By: Samantha Carter, Security Officer, [RNPC]
Gloria Boulder (NPC) , Science officer , [NPC]

Stardate: 58205.26 1130

“Rocks and boulders”

Holodeck 1

Gloria sat on the floor of the holodeck and adjusted her shoes. Flexible, they would provide protection as well as allow her to grip rock with her toes. She glanced over at Sam who didn't seem to care much for hers. "Too stiff?"

"A bit," she replied, flexing her toes in the immovable tight shoes. "Are they all like this?"

"Beginners...have to be. As you gain experience, you'll learn to use your feet more and we'll be able to get you more flexible ones." Gloria tied her hair up in a knot to get it out of her face then loosened her muscles up a bit before she spoke, "computer....run program Gloria Forty Two."

She smiled as a deeply wooded forest appeared around them. Enormous rocks poked thru the early morning mists. The air was clean and crisp, the sweet scent of pine rising around them. She scrambled up the short incline and turned. "It's beautiful!" She pointed towards the nearby rocks, "we're going up those...." They looked up to the top of the nearest one which rose for about 150. "Will be less scary once you're on the face. I promise!"

Sam took in a deep breath. "If you say so," she said, trusting her friend. The mountain seemed a lot bigger from her angle.

As they approached the base of the boulders, she turned to Sam, "we're going to be bouldering tonight. It's probably the easiest...and the hardest way to climb. See those guys?" Gloria pointed towards the three men that stood waiting for them. "Those are our spotters...you fall and they'll try to make sure you hit the mats, ok? You need to lean out if you fall.....you don't want to be hitting your face on the way down."

"Ok." Sam wasn't sure that if she fell she would remember to try to fall towards the mats. She would probably be panicking as the ground rushed towards her. But then again, this was the holodeck, and nothing much could harm her here. Scare the wits out of her, perhaps, but not kill her. And even if she did get injured somehow, it was reassuring to know that Dr Dane would fix her up.

"I'll go first....give you some idea of how to do this." Gloria ran quickly to the base of the first rock, its razor sharp incline rising above her. She stood on the mats and perused the wall before her. As she studied the rock, she listened to it as well. As it warmed, the sun beginning to clear away the mists, it changed and while she wouldn't be doing any major climbing, it had become her habit after all these years. She pulled the strap on her tank top up a bit, exposing the sleek and slender muscles on her back.

Seeing a hold just past the highest she could reach, Gloria reached into the small bag at her waist that contained her chalk ball and chalked her hands. She eyed the small crevice and leaped, catching the small crevice with one hand. Dangling, she reached her other arm up and found the next hold. One more move and she was able to get her feet into the rock as well and was on her way.

Watching Gloria, Sam noticed that she used her legs rather than her arms to push herself up the cliff instead of pulling.

The feel of the rock in against Gloria's body made her want to shout with sheer joy. She'd fallen in love with climbing so many years ago and tried to do it every chance she got. It had been a few weeks since her last climb and although she still felt strong, her arms trembled now and then.

Gloria stopped halfway up and peered down. Sam was holding a hand over her eyes and watching. Gloria almost waved but with the precarious way her feet were holding, she knew she'd better not. The day began to heat up and Gloria felt the sweat trickle down her back. She reached for the next one, the muscles on her arms defining themselves.

Raising an eyebrow, Sam watched Gloria progress steadily up the mountain, leaping, dangling and reaching for the next hand-hold or foothold. Sam realized that she might have a harder time than Gloria, seeing that she was a few feet shorter, and had a great deal less of an arm's reach. But then again, she was smaller, and might be able to make use of shorter putrustions of the ledges.

Gloria had made it to nearly ten meters up when she lost her hold on the rock with her right arm. She dangled precariously for a moment looking for another hold but in reaching for one, she overbalanced and fell. She tilted her body away from the face and after a short but exhilarating trip, landed with a solid thud into the mats. She sat up, shaking her head, catching her breath.

"Sam! God...this is great!" Gloria grinned wildly and pointed towards the face. "C'mon...your turn!"

Facing the huge rock with a deep breath, Sam ran her hands along the surface, searching for a good starting place. The chalk felt gritty but it made her palms dry. Finding a firm hold marring the surface of the boulder, she grasped it and pulled herself up to it. Reaching up, she searched for the next one.

"Don't worry about your feet...just get a good hold with your hands first." Gloria instructed from the other side of the mats. "Take your time...remember...it isn't about how far you climb but about the feel of just doing it. Push with your legs!"

"Don't pull with the arms, push with the legs," Sam muttered, finding the tinyest of tiny footholds as she stayed flat against the sheer rock face. Her progress slow but sure, she had managed to get nearly as far as Gloria. Reaching up, she looked for another hand grip, but found only the smooth surface of the rock.

"Gloria?" she yelled down. "I think I'm stuck."

Gloria held her hand over her eyes, peering at the rock face near Sam. She could barely see a small scar that ran vertical to the face. "Look to the left...."

"There aren't any more hand holds." Sam ran her hand over the rocks again, as high as she could reach.

"Go left....move your feet .....change position......" Gloria shouted. It would be a delicate balance and not necessarily one that Gloria would do since her body weight was twice that of Sam.

She looked to her left. The rock face seemed to be the same as above her and to her right. "All right," she shouted back down. "Here goes nothing," Sam added to herself.

Shifting her weight delicately onto her left foot, Sam held her hand grips firmly, and then, with a small leap, switched her right foot to where her left foot had been. Continuing to balance, Sam leaned to her left, searching desperately with her hand and foot. Her fingers caught hold of a small chunck of rock jutting out like a ledge.

"Hold!" Gloria cringed as she saw Sam go too far.

Grabbing it, Sam overbalanced with a shout, tumbling to the ground below. It was slightly distubing to drop from an area so high that you were able to contemplate the meaning of life while you were falling.

The blue plush mat caught her fall. "Wow!" Sam tried to say as the air whooshed out of her. She rubbed her behind. Gloria gave her a grin.

"So what do you think? Want to try it again?" Gloria held out a hand and helped the woman up.

"Sure!" she said, taking the offered hand, then checking her cronometer. "Well, maybe tomorrow," Sam amended regretfully. "I need to get changed, and get to work."

Gloria nodded. "Thanks for coming along.....it's always so nice to have a friend to share the 'adventure' with." Gloria leaned down and gave Sam a quick hug to the woman's surprise.

Sam smiled and with a quick wave, exited the holodeck. Gloria turned and faced the boulder. She looked up, noted where she'd fallen and the mistake she'd made. Determined to make the top, she chalked again and headed back up.