Holographic dragon vanquished from USS Constitution

MARCHLANDS – A rogue holodeck program on the USS Constitution was finally purged, allowing the senior crew to be released from captivity.
What started as an awards ceremony and celebration for the senior staff of the USS Constitution (NCC-9012-B) devolved into a crisis situation as a computer and hardware glitch gave sentience to a holodeck program. Trapped in the holodeck, the senior crew fought for their lives to resolve the parameters of a fantasy program against “[datafrag] the Dread,” a dragon who used the malfunctioning systems to take control of the Constitution and ensnare the officers. With the assistance of junior officers outside the holodeck to disable computer controls from without, the senior crew successfully completed the victory parameters, and [datafrag] was finally vanquished, allowing the senior crew to finally escape their virtual imprisonment.
Lingering system corruption from the malfunctioning holoprogram and physical systems damage incurred in thwarting the photonic dragon kept the Constitution in dock for longer than had previously been expected, delaying the start of their next mission. This respite was a welcome one for the wearied crew, however, as they embarked on a couple days of “true” shore leave. Not surprisingly, the crew eschewed the holodecks in preference of more old-fashioned relaxation. Bars and restaurants on both the Constitution and on Starbase 104 saw heavy use by the crew as they recovered from their harrowing holodeck adventure, and the counseling offices and sickbay saw their fair share of activity as well.
With repairs to the ship’s computer systems continuing apace, the Constitution looks to embark on a new mission soon.
“And those officers can just keep off my holodecks for a while longer, at that,” said Chief Petty Officer Wharton in Engineering. “Evil and sentient dragons, orcs, elves… whatever happened to nice waterfalls, or holonovels, something that didn’t break the damned ship in the process?”
Written by Maxwell Traenor