Mad World, Part 2: Before the Storm
Posted on Sun Aug 3rd, 2025 @ 8:04pm by Commander Gil’an Tyris
615 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Prologue
Location: Various
Timeline: The morning after ‘Dawn’
|| ON ||
Commander Gil Tyris sat cross-legged on the floor of the quarters he shared with his Family, the warm amber glow of simulated Bak’u dawn filtering through the skylight. The meditation alcove was silent except for the gentle trickle of the miniature stone fountain behind him and the almost imperceptible hum of the ship. He wore a dark, sleeveless tunic — simple, traditional — a contrast to the sleek Federation aesthetics that surrounded him elsewhere on the Guinevere.
A steaming bowl of eirkh leaf tea sat untouched beside him, its fragrance mixing with the lavender scent wafting from the diffuser. His eyes were closed. A single droplet of sweat tracked down his temple, evaporating before it reached his jawline.
In his mind, he held a shape. A twelve-pointed star collapsing inward. A Möbius strip rotating in half-phase. The quantum geometry of the mind — stable yet elastic. He did not seek calmness. Not today. Today he sought readiness.
“Anticipate nothing. Accept everything.”
He whispered the words of the old Bak’u mantra, once more, feeling the syllables root themselves in his bones. His fingers tapped slowly against his knee — 5/7 time — a rhythm pulled from an obscure Trill composer whose symphonic fractal patterns had haunted his dreams lately.
But it wasn’t music that weighed on him.
⸻
Deck 18 – Bio-Neural Nexus Core
It was just after 0700 when Tyris entered the core chamber. The doors hissed shut behind him, leaving the world of polished corridors and uniformed formality behind. This space — deep within the heart of the ship — pulsed with organic intelligence. Translucent gel-pack conduits stretched like tendrils across the walls, cradled in black lattices of alloyed polymer. Light flowed through them like thought.
Tyris approached the raised central column — the Core Node. As he neared, the surface of the column shimmered, and a soft pulse of bioluminescent blue echoed outward. The Guinevere was aware of his presence.
He exhaled slowly.
“Guinevere.”
A voice emerged from the chamber, neutral yet resonant — feminine, clear, layered with harmonics that hinted at multithreaded processing.
“Good morning, Commander Tyris.”
He stood at ease, hands behind his back. “I’m ready.”
“Your responses have been processed. Your requested scenario has been generated. Parameters have been adjusted to account for psychological, cognitive, and physiological thresholds.”
Tyris arched a brow. “That sounds… cautionary.”
A brief pause.
“You requested a scenario that would challenge your logic, strain your intuition, and test your sense of self. Such a simulation cannot be approached lightly.”
“I’m not approaching it lightly.”
“No. You’re not.”
Tyris took a step closer. “Then let’s begin.”
“Very well. Please proceed to Holodeck Two. The scenario will begin when prompted.”
Without a word, Gil turned and headed back to the turbolift car.
⸻
Deck 12, Holodeck Two
The corridor was quiet as Tyris approached. Gamma shift had just ended; the Alpha shift was taking its stations. He passed two junior officers who offered quick nods. He returned them with a ghost of a smile.
The doors to Holodeck Twi loomed ahead, the golden grid pattern visible through the transparent section of the hatch. But as he approached, it flickered once… then again… until the grid itself dissolved into a shimmering wall of indistinct motion — colors and shapes moving too fast to track, like thoughts in a fever dream.
He stood before it, still. The motionless breath before a dive.
He touched his wedding band once. A gesture, not for luck, but to remember who he was before the disassembly began.
A final exhale.
Then he stepped through the archway.
“Computer, begin Mad World scenario.”
And the world shattered into motion.
|| OFF ||
Commander Dr. Gil’an Tyris
Chief Science Officer
USS Guinevere
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