SEASON THREE

EPISODE 3: THE HOLO MAN
PART ONE

By: Elektra

 SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE WWF TITANPRIZE. IT'S MISSION: TO EXPLORE AND ENTERTAIN NEW SOCIETIES AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS.  TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO WRESTLER HAS GONE BEFORE!

TITANPRIZE CREW:
Captain Vincent K. McMahon
First Officer, Commander Shane McMahon
Chief Engineer, Commander Stephanie McMahon
Chief of Chiefs, Commander Linda McMahon
Chief of Security, Commander Kane
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Taker
Communications Officer, Lieutenant Rock
Counselor Al Snow (assisted by H.E.A.D.)
Diagnostics Officer, Lieutenant Jericho
Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Commander Austin
Transporter Chief, Lieutenant Commander Debra McMichael
... And many more!

STARSHIP TITANPRIZE - CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM

    "Captain's log, stardate748596.02. Now that the PTC presence is gone for the moment, we can breathe easy... " Captain McMahon paused, "Damn... this is boring!" he muttered, then quickly realized his log was still recording, "Computer, delete last sentence,"

    The Computer complied, and McMahon headed to his bridge

ELSEWHERE ON THE TITANPRIZE

     Ensign Lita, the newest addition to the crew, superkicked the man in front of her. He fell to the ground with a thud,  "That's for my fellow women, you bastard!" She shouted, and gathered her hooped skirt and began to walk away.

     A man with multi-coloured hair applauded, "Nice moves, Lita!'

     "Thanks, Jeff... but..." she looked down at herself, "I really hate these period costumes..." she muttered, "Computer... did women wear pants in this time period?"

     "Negative..." The computer replied.

     Lita muttered a swear word under her breath.

     "Well-bred ladies in the 1800s never spoke like that, Lita..." Ensign Jeff  Hardy replied.

     "Why do we have to be so accurate on the holodeck anyway?!" Lita asked.

     "Because it's more FUN that way!" Ensign Matt Hardy spoke up.

     "Fun for YOU maybe. YOU get to wear pants!"

     Ensign Jeff smiled,  "But... the dress looks real good on you, Lita!"

     Lita smiled, blushing slightly, "You really think so, Jeff?" she asked. He nodded. "Well... I guess I can wear it... for a bit longer..."

      "HEY! Look out! Jack is getting up again..." Matt interrupted.

     Lita spun around to face her opponent. He came towards her with a knife, "Why won't you just stay DOWN!" she snapped, and quickly DDT'd him on the concrete. He was out cold.

     Suddenly, the entire planet seemed to shake... or... the entire holodeck at least.

     "What the heck?!" Ensign Jeff asked, "Computer, did we program Earthquakes into the holodeck?"

     "Negative..." the computer replied.

     "Computer... what the heck WAS that?" Ensign Matt asked.

     "Unknown..." the computer replied.

     "Is the Holodeck supposed to have 'unknowns' in its programs?" Lita asked.

     "No." Jeff replied. "Not at all!"

     "Computer, end program!" Matt commanded. The famliar yellow and black grid of the holodeck replaced the English streets of the late 1800s. The three Ensigns quickly headed out of the holodeck, doors swooshing shut behind them.

     A lone man, dressed in old English clothing,  materalized on the grid... and smiled a cruel smile.

*     *     *

    "What was that? Lieutenant Jericho... report!" Captain McMahon commanded.

     "A strange energy signature came from coordinates 309, 564. It's a nearby star. I'm putting it on screen..." Unit Y2J replied, and the star quickly took up the front wall of the bridge.

     "Any damage to the ship?!" McMahon asked.

     "No. Whatever it was seems to be gone now..." Unit Y2J replied.

     "Fine. Fine. Then let's get out of her before that damn star goes Supernova or something..." McMahon commanded.

HOLODECK 2

     Lieutenant Commander Austin, and Lieutenant Commander Debra McMichael entered the empty hunting lodge. They quickly set about loading their rifles.

     "Is there anything I can help you with, sir? Madame?" A voice spoke with a thick English accent.

     Austin and McMichael looked at the interruption. A man, dressed as a lodge servant, came up  to them.

     Austin turned to Commander McMichael, "Did you program this silly bastard in here, Deb?"

     "No. Didn't you?" Debra asked. Austin shook his head. Debra looked at the waiter, "What's your name?" she asked.

     "My name is Jack, Madame..." the waiter replied.

     "Computer, delete Jack from Austin program 678-X-45 Alpha..." Austin commanded.  The waiter quickly disappeared, "Damn computer glitches..." he muttered.

     McMichael and Austin continued to enjoy their evening... unaware of the strange man that watched them from afar.

SICKBAY

     "How did you break your leg, boy?" Dr. Taker asked Ensign Edge as he fixed up the young man's injury.

     "I was practicing some awesome moves on holodeck 2, and my opponent did this!" he muttered.

\     "Weren't the safeties on?"

     "I thought they were... but... after I got hurt, I asked the computer. The computer said they’d been TOTALLY turned off..." Edge shrugged, "I guess I had forgotten to turn them on.. but.." he furrowed his brow, "I could have sworn they WERE on!"

     "Who was your opponent?" Dr. Taker asked.
 
 

     "Just a generic computer simulation named Jack," Edge answered.

Dr. Taker thought for a moment, then quickly hit his comm badge, "Sickbay  to bridge. We have a problem with the holodeck, McMahon..."

MEETING ROOM

     "So... this 'Jack' character seems to be popping up in everyone's holodeck programs... and sometimes hurting them even AFTER they turn the safeties on?" McMahon asked his command crew

     "Seems that way, pops..." Commander Shane McMahon replied, sporting a cast on his right arm, "He attacked me while I was plotting a company takeover! It wasn't fair!" he complained.

     "Oh shut up! You're always whining!" Chief engineer Stephanie McMahon (who had been giving her job back despite becoming Mrs. Game) snapped.

     "Oh, I wouldn't talk Miss 'Why do I have to make my own bed'..." Shane replied.

     "Ok! Enough...!!" Chief of Chiefs, Linda McMahon, shouted.

     The bickering siblings quickly shut up.

     "As I was saying..." McMahon continued. He turned to Dr. Taker, "You've reported numerous injuries caused by this 'Jack' glitch...?" he replied. The doctor nodded, "Any idea when it first showed up?"

     "Shortly after the energy signature was detected from the star at coordinates 309, 564,"

     "Hmmmm... what does this man look like?" he asked.

     "When I saw him," Shane interrupted, "He was tall, pale, and scary!!"

     Everyone suddenly turned towards Dr. Taker. Dr. Taker offered them an icy glare, "I have NOT set foot on the holodeck in all my time here! The Lord of Medicine does not care for such puerile things!"

     The command crew seemed to accept that... as they knew Dr. Taker didn't care for ANYTHING, "All right then, who was the last one on the holodeck before the energy surge...?" McMahon asked.

     Commander Kane went up to the computer console and called up the holodeck logs.  "Hardys. Lita." he replied in his gruff monotone voice.

     "Then get them the hell in here! We need to talk to them!"McMahon commanded.

     After a few minutes, the young Ensigns entered the meeting room -- looking somewhat nervous.

     "Sit!!" Commander Shane McMahon snapped.  The Ensigns quickly complied.

     "You don't have to be so rude, Shane!" Stephanie replied.

     "Oh, like you're Miss polite!!" Shane shouted, "Or did you forget you called mom a Bi-"

     "QUIT IT!" McMahon interrupted angrily. His children quickly shut up. He turned to the Ensigns, "We called you in here because we've been having a problem with the holodeck lately. You were the last ones to use the holodeck before the energy surge. What program were you running?"

     "Uh... it was just a period piece I wrote myself, sir..." Ensign Jeff replied.

     "Yes. We were playing detectives trying to track down a criminal..." Ensign Matt added.

     "Well, your criminal has been infecting OTHER programs!!" McMahon replied. He turned to Lita, "Who... exactly... was this criminal, Ensign?" McMahon asked.

     Ensign Lita swallowed nervously, "Jack, sir.  Jack... the Ripper...."

HOLODECK 2

     "WHY do I have to wear this stupid dress again?!" Ensign Lita asked angrily as she played with the large uncomfortable hoop in the back.

     "Well... we need bait..." Ensign Matt replied.

     Lita paled, and Ensign Jeff quickly smacked Matt on the back of the head, "Dumbass..."

     "What??!" Matt asked innocently, "It's true!"

     "But you didn't have to come out and SAY it like that!!" Jeff replied.

     "That's ok, guys..." Lita  replied, and lifted her chin proudly, "I'll still kick Jack's ass!"

     "And I'll help you..." another female voice replied.  The three young Ensigns turned to see Chyna, decked out in a dress similar to Lita's.

      Lieutenant Jericho stood beside her, dressed in a period suit. He smiled, "Let's rock and roll, baby!"

     The plan was to defeat Jack the Ripper in his own territory. Phasers would be useless against a hologram, but if they were to battle the man physically, it may just purge the program from the ship's computer.

     "Computer... load program Hardy 798-X-98 Alpha!" Jeff commanded.

     Soon, the holodeck grid was replaced by the dark streets of 1800s London, England.

     The group waited for Jack to appear.  The silence weighed down on them.

      "Are you waiting for me?" a clipped voice with a strong English accent shattered the silence.  "Ahhh... pretty pretty Lita... you've come back.. and you have brought a friend with you! How lovely!"  A man materialized before the group, and frowned, "Where is Captain McMahon? I was surely hoping he'd grace me with his presence...!"

     "You know about Captain McMahon?!" Lieutenant Jericho asked.

     Jack went up to Jericho, and furrowed his brow, "Didn't I break your leg?" he asked.

     Jericho frowned, "That was ANOTHER long-haired, blond Kanat-ian..."

      "Good lord! How many are there on this ship?" Jack asked.

     Jericho shook his head, "Never mind that!!" Then paused as what Jack had just said sunk in, "Wait... you know you're on a ship?!"

     "The WWF Titanprize! Yes. I am quite aware of my surroundings! I have been going through your ship's logs and crew profiles when the holodeck is not in use..."

     "How? I mean... how did you become self-aware?" Lita asked.

     "I've always been self-aware, my dear... I just merely borrowed this holographic projection to express myself!"  Jack replied.

     "I don't understand..." Lita started.

     "Wait..." Jericho interrupted. He furrowed his brow, "You're ALIVE, aren't you?" he asked. "You're an energy being!"

     "Quite astute of you, Unit Y2J. I was wondering when your thermal sensors would notice..." Jack replied.  "I am from a star called Pagian. I believe you passed it a short while ago. I was interested in studying your species. Or... the many you have on board..."  he turned to the Hardys, "You are Aerialans. Your species are extremely flexible, and able to take to the air... is that correct?" Jack asked.

    Matt and Jeff nodded, "How'd you---" Matt started, but Jack ignored him as he went up to Lieutenant Jericho.

 "You are an android. You are highly intelligent, albeit a bit egocentric... very acrobatic, and inhumanly strong."

     "Yeah, yeah... and Chyna and Lita are females of their respective species, and able to kick your ass!" Jericho interrupted, "Now how about you explain what YOU are!" Jericho demanded.

     "Merely a traveler..." Jack replied.

     "A traveler that likes to cause harm to our crewmates?!"  Jeff snapped.

     "Oh, are you upset about that?" Jack asked, "I simply wanted to see how fragile your people were!" he smiled coldly, then looked at Lita and Chyna, "But I have grown particularly fond of your females..."

    Lita looked at Chyna, and Chyna nodded. Lita then turned back to Jack, "Computer!" she shouted to the holodeck, "Lita program 65 Alpha!"

    Suddenly, Jack found himself in the middle of a wrestling ring. The crewmembers in front him quickly ripped off their clothing to reveal their Wrestling gear.

    Jack looked at them, and smiled, "You seem to think you can defeat me this way..." he replied. "Computer! Jack program 985 delta!"  Suddenly, the ring returned to a dusty old London street. Jack smiled, "This holodeck is MY domain! You cannot control anything in here!"

    "Your domain, huh?" Lita started, "And what are you going to DO in your domain?!" she asked.

    "This!" Jack replied, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the WrestleFleet officers found themselves surrounded by armed and dangerous men. Men who looked like they were born with phasers in their hands.

    The new arrivals quickly aimed their weapons, and waited.

    Jack smiled as he looked at his fellow holo characters, then his expression changed. His face grew serious as he turned back to the TITANPRIZE crew, "What shall you do, children? Shall you run? Surely you will be fired upon. Shall you surrender? Surely that will make you my prisoners..."

    "Holodeck phasers can't hurt us, Jack! You can fire, and we can be perfectly safe!" Matt replied.

    "Oh, is that so?" Jack asked, "Then explain how I damaged that other Ensign's leg! Explain how I broke your Commander's arm!" he narrowed his eyes and raised his voice, "I control the holodeck, son. I  control the settings! If I say phasers will kill you, then mark my words -- they WILL KILL YOU!!" He turned to what seemed to be the leader of the holo-group, "Give this obstinate Ensign an example of what I can do! Fire on his blond friend!!"

    The leader raised his phaser, and Lieutenant Jericho barely jumped out of the way as the beam headed towards him. He let out a painful shout as he landed hard on the ground, and rolled to a stop. He had saved himself from a point blank shot to the head... but his left bicep was now a mess of smoking wires.

    "CHRIS!" Chyna shouted. She turned to Jack angrily, and began to take a step forward. A phaser beam from one of the holo-characters barely missed her head, and she quickly jumped back.

    "They do not have to miss, madame..." Jack replied, "I control their actions. I control everything they DO!" He then motioned to the new arrivals. They quickly aimed their phasers at the damaged Y2J Unit. Jack smiled his cold, cruel smile and turned back to the others, "Now, Children... I suggest you surrender peacefully... or we will soon find out how much continuous phaser fire it takes before your robotic friend turns into liquid metal!"