Skulduggery of the Holographic Kind

"Scott," whispered Nina softly.

Scott Dunson looked up from what he was doing.  He was getting off duty, setting up a holodeck for the next shift's waiters who were holding a party for some bigwig, and getting ready to go down to the holodeck and hide his miseries in some fantasy.  He couldn't wait for shore leave.

However, the tone Nina used made Dunson look up.  Her green eyes were glinting.

"Yeah?" Scott answered noncommittally.  The holodeck doors shut behind the girl, and she entered a code by hand.

"You will meet a man who will know your name when we dock.  You will go with him to his quarters and allow him to give you a hypospray.  You're going to spend shore leave with him."  Nina's voice was soft as a rose petal, flat and ice cold.

"What the flying fuck are you talking about?" Scott demanded.  "I'm going gaming with my buds.  This is bullshit!"

Nina clicked her tongue against her teeth gently with a smile.  "Silly boy.  I've a friend who has some home movies your mother and father are just going to adore."

"WHAT?"  Scott stared at Nina's smile.  It didn't even come close to reaching her eyes.

"I'm a holographic specialist."  Nina chuckled.  "Really, that Deltan holosuite was just so humorous... although I still have no idea just what he was doing to make you... um, squeak like that."

"I'm not a GODDAMNED QUEER!" Scott shouted.

"Do keep it down.  My dampers won't keep others from hearing you through the walls, you silly goose!" Nina teased.  "Do as I say, and all your secrets are safe with me.  Hmm?"

Scott considered sending a punchbowl into a wall.  "Where's the stuff."

"Excuse me?" asked Nina, one delicate eyebrow going up.

"The shit you're transporting," Scott clarified in a low, frustrated growl.

"You have it tucked away."  Nina grinned, this smile reaching her eyes.  "Somewhere nice, dark, and safe."

Dunson's eyeballs bulged.

"Come come, you have places to go, I have bigwigs to meet and greet."  Nina went serious again.

Three steps toward the door, Dunson turned toward her.  "It will open," she answered his unanswered question.

Scott Dunson beamed down to Earth, and a balding, nondescript male of a local alien population approached the young man before he even stepped off the pad.  "Scott Dunson?"

"Yeah?" Scott answered without enthusiasm.

"This way.  We've an appointment."

Scott followed the stranger.  He drove a rental hovercar.  There were no identifying marks or personality to the craft.  The man's driving was mechanical, without personality as well.  "So, ah," Scott tried to make conversation.

"Shut up."

The pair ducked into a storefront offering Earth Glory Day knickknacks.  In the back was a simple room with a cot, a replicator, a desk, and a chair.

"Lay down," the man told Scott without emotion.  Scott simply looked at the man, considered refusing.  The man simply smiled, and like Nina's, the smile didn't make it to the eyes.

Reconsidering, Scott did as he was told.  He was rewarded with a hiss.

The man took the hypo and sat down at the nondescript chair at the plain desk.  He began programming the hypo with the aid of a tricorder.  An hour later, the hypo hissed home against Scott's spine.  A gold glow at the base of the hypo made the man smile.  It was a tender smile.  A mobile holo-emitter with a wrist attachment the size of his thumb was pulled forth from a pocket.  The hypo hissed against the device.

The golden glow appeared again.  It took a tiny, humanoid shape.  The holo-emitter was around a tiny wrist.  The glow died, smoothing into soft, pink, as the baby solidified.  Caressing a foot, the man heard a tiny giggle from a newborn female hologram.  "Come to Daddy.

"As for you young man, you're getting a hangover."  The hypo hissed against Scott's neck again.  Dunson sighed as the chemicals required for a three-day bender were set to slow release in his system.  His recent 'services' were of holographic nature, and left no trace on his body.

The new father adjusted his mobile holo-emitter and gently adjusted his tiny new daughter's, and she disappeared.  The small object was placed on the man's wedding finger.