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<b><u>PLAYER</u></b>
<b>Your Name:</b> Reg
<b>Your Email and/or IM Nicks:</b> regasssa @ hotmail -dot- com and regasssa on Plurk
<b>Other Criminals Played:</b> N/A
<b>Is this a reapp? Is the character canon-updated or keeping Marina memories?:</b> N/A
<b><u>CHARACTER</u></b>
<b>Character Name:</b> William Thomas Riker (Prime)
<b>Canon:</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation">Star Trek: The Next Generation</a> • <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/William_T._Riker">William T. Riker</a>
<b>Timeline:</b> Conclusion of Star Trek: Nemesis
<b>Crimes:</b> I've included here the crimes committed by the version of William T. Riker who calls himself Thomas, as both are intrinsically the same man and it's reasonable to assume that justice wouldn't see the distinction. Also, as a member of Starfleet and a commanding officer of the Enterprise, Riker has participated in missions that have resulted in the deaths of other people, and during combat situations, numbers of members of alien races. For that reason, I've included xenophobia and genocide in his list of crimes, among other things. Also as a Starfleet officer, Riker has been accused of espionage during undercover missions, and similarly I'll be including these accusations. The crimes referred to in Gambit, where he goes rogue and attacks the Enterprise and those involved in The Pegasus, and the inquiry mentioned therein, and some of those accusations made by Portal in The Last Outpost.
Deceit, treachery, destroying legal commerce, withholding technology, barbarianism, abduction, abduction with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, imprisoning others against their will, assault (with a deadly weapon), accessory to murder, attempted murder, murder, manslaughter, manslaughter through inaction, genocide, aiding and abetting, assisting the escape of a criminal, protecting criminals, escaping from a mental facility, blackmail, breach of contract, breaking and entering, conspiracy, counterfitting, espionage, mutiny, friendly fire, betrayal, contaminating evidence, disturbing the peace, escaping imprisonment, xenophobia (of the Borg, for example), contempt of court, unsettling the political climate, questioning authority, death threats, desecrating remains, gambling, womanizing, bargaining with sexuality, making no effort to resist the sexual advances of others, reckless endangerment (of the public/his crew/his away teams), fleeing the scene of a crime, forgery, grave robbing, hacking, breaking the Prime Directive, breaking the Temporal Prime Directive, meddling with the time-space continuum, heresy, assisting heretics, impersonating an officer, insubordination, invasion of privacy, looting, piracy, misuse of authority, breaking the Treaty of Algeron, negligence, obstruction of justice, lying to a court, concealing evidence, property damage—public and private, purchase/sale of stolen merchandise, resisting arrest, resisting lawful imprisonment, sedition, sexual harassment, inability to commit, smuggling, theft, treason, trespassing, truancy, unlawful possession of firearms, standing up a date, attempting to incite major conflict (war), attempting to incite political unrest, terrorism, breaking the terms of the demilitarized zone, abducting a military officer, theft of Federation property.
<b>Personality:</b>
Will Riker is to all intents and purposes precisely the man he appears to be. Riker exudes presence; charming, confident and friendly from the first. In contrast, when meeting another for the first time in battle, Riker instantly conveys his other qualities; cool-headed, dependable and resourceful, he cuts a defiant figure. An excellent judge of character himself, Riker none the less approaches every relationship with the hope that it will be an amicable one, but is quick to do what is necessary to show his own strength should he need to. He is forgiving and understanding, with a clarity of mind that permits his bearing no grudges; crucial in situations where prejudging another person might get him killed, and in diplomacy, an important part of his role during his time on the <i>Enterprise</i>. The only exception to this is the Borg, whom because of their unforgiving nature, the threat they've posed in the past, and the threat they pose to the Federation in his time, still intimidate him immensely.
<i>"He is simply the finest officer with whom I have ever served."</i>
As First Officer to Jean Luc Picard for fifteen years, Riker established himself as a fixture on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, even causing other people to question whether or not he wasn't standing still while other officers moved up through the ranks around him. To Riker, it was a demonstration of his loyalty to his friends among the crew and his love of the ship, which he perhaps one day hoped to captain himself. None the less, his long tenure on board the ship meant that the <i>Enterprise</i> effectively had two captains. Riker established a good rapport with Picard, such that they could depend on each other no matter what the situation entailed, communicate with a look, and effectively made himself indispensable. For a man who had once seemed to be so tied to the idea of promotion, he found a home on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, and with it true <i>purpose</i>.
Riker's position required a number of things from him, each of which polished specific qualities through the years. He was required to act as council to his Captain in the role of First Officer--to disagree with him when dissent was necessary; required to act as Captain when the need arose; needed to be closely involved with the crew, in terms of human resources management; needed to be able to lead away missions; needed to be prepared to use the ship offensively or defensively in battle--to know when to fight and when to run; needed skills of diplomacy, both for contact with known races and first contact with new ones, and had the no doubt pleasant job of both reading and writing daily reports and communicating with Starfleet.
Consequently Riker became resourceful, experienced in his field and - as a result of open mindedness and his interest in managing his people better - knowledgeable about the various skills and processes by which the ship was run. This made him a better leader when that knowledge became the difference between survival and destruction. His advice was well respected, even by the captain, and he was known for his honesty. Much admired by crew and Starfleet alike, Riker was given a number of offers for commands of his own over the years; it wasn't until he was given the Titan for the important task of pursuing a possible peace treaty with the Romulan Star Empire that he accepted that promotion.
Riker's relationship with his father was really the key to his remarkable career. Riker was often undermined by his father, who competed with him, even fought him (martial arts), though it was later revealed that he'd had to start cheating just to keep up with him by the time Will was just 13. Riker still has a competitive streak, something which gives him an edge, as well as a fondness for gambling--though it's by no means a vice to him, but a way of passing the time with friendly company. He did make up with his father, even came to forgive him. (All his romantic charm and diplomatic technique seemed to come from Riker snr. too.)
A bit of a rogue as far as romance went, Riker was no stranger to using attraction to him as a key to a diplomatic solution. Of course that relates in entirety to just how <i>game</i> Riker is, as far as challenges go. Very little phases him, be it feathers, an exposing shirt, or a transfer to a Klingon bird of prey. He is prepared for any eventuality, and approaches these challenges with bravado, yes, but also keen intelligence and no small amount of flexibility. The key to his success is research, which he throws himself into with abandon, barely flinching at Klingon <i>gagh</i>, for example, which is served alive and still wriggling.
Riker is an exceptional friend, willing to endanger his life for strangers and for the mission, yes, but willing to make sacrifices to ensure the happiness of his friends, too. An example would be where he temporarily became a host for a <i>Trill</i> symbiont, but another good example is his good relationship with Troi despite their own romance having ended. He does clearly reflect on what he doesn't have, in those moments, but he is genuine in his desire that she be happy, and supportive on every occasion. In a future timeline, Riker falters, but his closeness with his friends and Picard dp end up demonstrating just how much he's willing to sacrifice for the right cause, disobeying orders and risking his ship for loyalty.
As newlyweds at the canon point I've chosen, the last point I want to make in this personality is just what his marriage to Troi means to Riker, and how that relationship is expressed. Full of the love of a younger man, Riker is made complete by his relationship with Troi--can barely take his eyes from her, except to do his duty. He is devoted, passionate, and most of all <i>protective</i>, concerned when she's hurting, dangerous for those people who try to hurt her, and tearfully relieved when reunited with her on the bridge of the <i>Enterprise</i> at the end of Nemesis. It only took him twenty-three years to get his act together, now Riker seems to be determined to compress all the passion of those in between years into his relationship with her, and he has no intention of their time together being wasted or short.
<b>Abilities:</b>
As a human from the 24th century, Riker - despite still being bound by the limits of his species - has the advantages not only of someone from a technologically advanced future, but of a man who has spent his life learning how to be the best kind of Starfleet officer. Intimate with ships systems and computers, with no small comprehension of the engineering behind those systems, Riker can hold his own against everyday encryptions and algorithms, understands codes (of the computer kind and the secret save me from the Ferengi kind), and in a cinch prevent warp cores from overloading, or crash a shuttle without killing everyone on board--that sort of thing. As a result, he might do naturally what might be considered hacking to others, and even his everyday knowledge of advanced physics and space will seem advanced.
Riker is a brilliant tactician, because he rarely if ever follows the rules of combat as they're written. He's very capable with a phaser, and in hand to hand combat can hold his own against even Klingon combatants; he's familiar with a wide range of combat techniques, and is even proficient with a Bat'leth, a meter long bladed Klingon weapon. Further, he plays chess and poker with the same sharp focus, poker face and unyielding logic as he employs in everyday situations. Riker can also play the trombone.
A born leader, Riker displays all the requirements necessary to being a good diplomat, a good first officer and eventually a good captain. He's very capable of understanding and handling teams of people, knowing how to bring the best out of them because he goes out of his way to remember each and every one of them, no matter their rank or importance. As such he has a splendid recollection of information, and is particularly good at recalling names and faces.
He does possess one ability that could be seen as superhuman, but it is immensely limited. In their early romance, pre-service on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, Deanna Troi taught him how to read her projected thoughts, and project his own for her, allowing them to have a telepathic conversation, and to a certain extent be aware of each other's presence within a certain distance of each other (though it's debatable that they aren't aware of each other's residual feelings over larger distances, considering the conversation had between Deanna and Riker's double Thomas, on their reunion).
<b>Suitability:</b>
As First Officer of the Enterprise, and a Starfleet officer besides, it's very possible to justify Riker's being taken to Marina. He's done many questionable things, and many things that could be seen as questionable. Now, as for how he'll settle in, the first - and briefest - mention goes toward his cast. He <i>will</i> obey his captain's orders, and work toward whatever goals are suggested to him, whether that be escape or anything else. No doubt this will involve working mostly with his own people. He won't naturally accept that he isn't going anywhere for the rest of his life, or that this isn't a hallucination or a holodeck error, as a result of his numerous experiences with such things--but as I'll now go on to illuminate, that doesn't necessarily mean that he won't play along.
Riker's many missions have given him massive diplomatic experience, and he has a way of throwing himself full force into those interactions with all of his charm and wit. He's incredibly flexible, able to adapt even to the most challenging behavior changes if it becomes necessary to do so. He'll inevitably try to get on with and learn as much as he can about the other inmates and the organisation behind their imprisonment, and try to ingratiate himself to both them and the authorities, playing both sides--and should it need to appear that his loyalty has shifted or he's accepted his punishment, Riker will do everything necessary to appear convincing and contrite. That's the kind of officer he is.
In terms of interaction, he'll be talkative and friendly with all. His many pursuits include a number that will allow him to involve himself with the community. He plays a musical instrument, engages in sports, poetry, singing, science, has a keen interest in settling disputes, and has aggregated enough knowledge on a variety of topics that he could potentially teach others what he knows. He will involve himself with others with abandon, and appear as a model prisoner despite his dislike of being contained.
<b>Action post sample:</b>
[<small> He settled the mouthpiece once more against his lips, puckered, and blew the last note. <i>Nightbird</i>. He'd finally done it, polished the piece to shining perfection, but no matter how many times he performed it now, it always seemed to him that he was bound to fail at some point in the melody. Overcautious, Will had always done everything in his power to avoid playing it in public, but the first time he'd nailed it had been the night that he'd realised that he was going to ask Deanna to marry him.
Lowering the trombone, he bowed to the token applause, then conceded the stage, moving to replace the instrument on his stand before swinging his leg over a back of the chair in the audience. The next musician took up an alien instrument he didn't recognise from among those assembled and began to play a haunting song, an orchestra rising in symphony, all produced by just one elongated gourd. It was a riveting performance, and as it ended Will stood, raising his hands in applause.</small> ]
Bravo. That was beautiful. What do you call that?
[<small> When the conversation was over, Riker kindly excused himself, working his way out from between the chairs to the exit. Beyond the hubbub of conversation, Will could hear the clock chiming among the nearby apartments, and turned his feet away from the sound, heading down for a brisk turn of the park. It was getting late; he'd promised to play cards with a few friends that evening, and if he didn't get back soon he'd be late. Still, someone had mentioned seeing the statues in the park while he was out here Will didn't intend to waste the opportunity. It was a long walk back otherwise--time he could be spending doing something more productive, like trying to find a way out of here.
It was like exploring a jungle on an M-class planet, not a gentle walk through a sculptured garden, but it was no less rewarding because of that. Statues and vegetation wound together, almost symbiotic in their relationship with each other. It touched an empty place inside of him. <i>Beautiful.</i> He was glad to have seen it, eager for another opportunity to explore, but right now--right now, he had a poker game to get to.</small> ]
<b>Network post sample:</b>
[<small> William T. Riker fills his orange jumpsuit with undiminished authority. His hair is black, his beard well kept, his eyes blue, reflecting in their depths the darkness of the deep ocean. He doesn't hesitate once the recording is active.</small> ]
Since it's unlikely that any lifeform familiar with the Treaty of Algeron needs to be troubled with the humdrum of first contact, I'll get right to the point:
My name is William T. Riker, First Officer of the Federation Starship <i>Enterprise</i>. Or rather--<i>I was</i>. As I understand it, that life as I knew it has ended. Not an unfamiliar proclamation, although my track record with this kind of <i>futility</i> could be called arduous at best. [<small> Something dangerous flashes in otherwise warm eyes, although the hard smile Riker follows it up with neatly smothers the previous chill.</small> ]
If anyone happens to have seen any of my friends, I'd appreciate being pointed in their direction. And if not, then it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm sure we'll get along very well.
Riker out.
<b>Your Name:</b> Reg
<b>Your Email and/or IM Nicks:</b> regasssa @ hotmail -dot- com and regasssa on Plurk
<b>Other Criminals Played:</b> N/A
<b>Is this a reapp? Is the character canon-updated or keeping Marina memories?:</b> N/A
<b><u>CHARACTER</u></b>
<b>Character Name:</b> William Thomas Riker (Prime)
<b>Canon:</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation">Star Trek: The Next Generation</a> • <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/William_T._Riker">William T. Riker</a>
<b>Timeline:</b> Conclusion of Star Trek: Nemesis
<b>Crimes:</b> I've included here the crimes committed by the version of William T. Riker who calls himself Thomas, as both are intrinsically the same man and it's reasonable to assume that justice wouldn't see the distinction. Also, as a member of Starfleet and a commanding officer of the Enterprise, Riker has participated in missions that have resulted in the deaths of other people, and during combat situations, numbers of members of alien races. For that reason, I've included xenophobia and genocide in his list of crimes, among other things. Also as a Starfleet officer, Riker has been accused of espionage during undercover missions, and similarly I'll be including these accusations. The crimes referred to in Gambit, where he goes rogue and attacks the Enterprise and those involved in The Pegasus, and the inquiry mentioned therein, and some of those accusations made by Portal in The Last Outpost.
Deceit, treachery, destroying legal commerce, withholding technology, barbarianism, abduction, abduction with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, imprisoning others against their will, assault (with a deadly weapon), accessory to murder, attempted murder, murder, manslaughter, manslaughter through inaction, genocide, aiding and abetting, assisting the escape of a criminal, protecting criminals, escaping from a mental facility, blackmail, breach of contract, breaking and entering, conspiracy, counterfitting, espionage, mutiny, friendly fire, betrayal, contaminating evidence, disturbing the peace, escaping imprisonment, xenophobia (of the Borg, for example), contempt of court, unsettling the political climate, questioning authority, death threats, desecrating remains, gambling, womanizing, bargaining with sexuality, making no effort to resist the sexual advances of others, reckless endangerment (of the public/his crew/his away teams), fleeing the scene of a crime, forgery, grave robbing, hacking, breaking the Prime Directive, breaking the Temporal Prime Directive, meddling with the time-space continuum, heresy, assisting heretics, impersonating an officer, insubordination, invasion of privacy, looting, piracy, misuse of authority, breaking the Treaty of Algeron, negligence, obstruction of justice, lying to a court, concealing evidence, property damage—public and private, purchase/sale of stolen merchandise, resisting arrest, resisting lawful imprisonment, sedition, sexual harassment, inability to commit, smuggling, theft, treason, trespassing, truancy, unlawful possession of firearms, standing up a date, attempting to incite major conflict (war), attempting to incite political unrest, terrorism, breaking the terms of the demilitarized zone, abducting a military officer, theft of Federation property.
<b>Personality:</b>
Will Riker is to all intents and purposes precisely the man he appears to be. Riker exudes presence; charming, confident and friendly from the first. In contrast, when meeting another for the first time in battle, Riker instantly conveys his other qualities; cool-headed, dependable and resourceful, he cuts a defiant figure. An excellent judge of character himself, Riker none the less approaches every relationship with the hope that it will be an amicable one, but is quick to do what is necessary to show his own strength should he need to. He is forgiving and understanding, with a clarity of mind that permits his bearing no grudges; crucial in situations where prejudging another person might get him killed, and in diplomacy, an important part of his role during his time on the <i>Enterprise</i>. The only exception to this is the Borg, whom because of their unforgiving nature, the threat they've posed in the past, and the threat they pose to the Federation in his time, still intimidate him immensely.
<i>"He is simply the finest officer with whom I have ever served."</i>
As First Officer to Jean Luc Picard for fifteen years, Riker established himself as a fixture on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, even causing other people to question whether or not he wasn't standing still while other officers moved up through the ranks around him. To Riker, it was a demonstration of his loyalty to his friends among the crew and his love of the ship, which he perhaps one day hoped to captain himself. None the less, his long tenure on board the ship meant that the <i>Enterprise</i> effectively had two captains. Riker established a good rapport with Picard, such that they could depend on each other no matter what the situation entailed, communicate with a look, and effectively made himself indispensable. For a man who had once seemed to be so tied to the idea of promotion, he found a home on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, and with it true <i>purpose</i>.
Riker's position required a number of things from him, each of which polished specific qualities through the years. He was required to act as council to his Captain in the role of First Officer--to disagree with him when dissent was necessary; required to act as Captain when the need arose; needed to be closely involved with the crew, in terms of human resources management; needed to be able to lead away missions; needed to be prepared to use the ship offensively or defensively in battle--to know when to fight and when to run; needed skills of diplomacy, both for contact with known races and first contact with new ones, and had the no doubt pleasant job of both reading and writing daily reports and communicating with Starfleet.
Consequently Riker became resourceful, experienced in his field and - as a result of open mindedness and his interest in managing his people better - knowledgeable about the various skills and processes by which the ship was run. This made him a better leader when that knowledge became the difference between survival and destruction. His advice was well respected, even by the captain, and he was known for his honesty. Much admired by crew and Starfleet alike, Riker was given a number of offers for commands of his own over the years; it wasn't until he was given the Titan for the important task of pursuing a possible peace treaty with the Romulan Star Empire that he accepted that promotion.
Riker's relationship with his father was really the key to his remarkable career. Riker was often undermined by his father, who competed with him, even fought him (martial arts), though it was later revealed that he'd had to start cheating just to keep up with him by the time Will was just 13. Riker still has a competitive streak, something which gives him an edge, as well as a fondness for gambling--though it's by no means a vice to him, but a way of passing the time with friendly company. He did make up with his father, even came to forgive him. (All his romantic charm and diplomatic technique seemed to come from Riker snr. too.)
A bit of a rogue as far as romance went, Riker was no stranger to using attraction to him as a key to a diplomatic solution. Of course that relates in entirety to just how <i>game</i> Riker is, as far as challenges go. Very little phases him, be it feathers, an exposing shirt, or a transfer to a Klingon bird of prey. He is prepared for any eventuality, and approaches these challenges with bravado, yes, but also keen intelligence and no small amount of flexibility. The key to his success is research, which he throws himself into with abandon, barely flinching at Klingon <i>gagh</i>, for example, which is served alive and still wriggling.
Riker is an exceptional friend, willing to endanger his life for strangers and for the mission, yes, but willing to make sacrifices to ensure the happiness of his friends, too. An example would be where he temporarily became a host for a <i>Trill</i> symbiont, but another good example is his good relationship with Troi despite their own romance having ended. He does clearly reflect on what he doesn't have, in those moments, but he is genuine in his desire that she be happy, and supportive on every occasion. In a future timeline, Riker falters, but his closeness with his friends and Picard dp end up demonstrating just how much he's willing to sacrifice for the right cause, disobeying orders and risking his ship for loyalty.
As newlyweds at the canon point I've chosen, the last point I want to make in this personality is just what his marriage to Troi means to Riker, and how that relationship is expressed. Full of the love of a younger man, Riker is made complete by his relationship with Troi--can barely take his eyes from her, except to do his duty. He is devoted, passionate, and most of all <i>protective</i>, concerned when she's hurting, dangerous for those people who try to hurt her, and tearfully relieved when reunited with her on the bridge of the <i>Enterprise</i> at the end of Nemesis. It only took him twenty-three years to get his act together, now Riker seems to be determined to compress all the passion of those in between years into his relationship with her, and he has no intention of their time together being wasted or short.
<b>Abilities:</b>
As a human from the 24th century, Riker - despite still being bound by the limits of his species - has the advantages not only of someone from a technologically advanced future, but of a man who has spent his life learning how to be the best kind of Starfleet officer. Intimate with ships systems and computers, with no small comprehension of the engineering behind those systems, Riker can hold his own against everyday encryptions and algorithms, understands codes (of the computer kind and the secret save me from the Ferengi kind), and in a cinch prevent warp cores from overloading, or crash a shuttle without killing everyone on board--that sort of thing. As a result, he might do naturally what might be considered hacking to others, and even his everyday knowledge of advanced physics and space will seem advanced.
Riker is a brilliant tactician, because he rarely if ever follows the rules of combat as they're written. He's very capable with a phaser, and in hand to hand combat can hold his own against even Klingon combatants; he's familiar with a wide range of combat techniques, and is even proficient with a Bat'leth, a meter long bladed Klingon weapon. Further, he plays chess and poker with the same sharp focus, poker face and unyielding logic as he employs in everyday situations. Riker can also play the trombone.
A born leader, Riker displays all the requirements necessary to being a good diplomat, a good first officer and eventually a good captain. He's very capable of understanding and handling teams of people, knowing how to bring the best out of them because he goes out of his way to remember each and every one of them, no matter their rank or importance. As such he has a splendid recollection of information, and is particularly good at recalling names and faces.
He does possess one ability that could be seen as superhuman, but it is immensely limited. In their early romance, pre-service on board the <i>Enterprise</i>, Deanna Troi taught him how to read her projected thoughts, and project his own for her, allowing them to have a telepathic conversation, and to a certain extent be aware of each other's presence within a certain distance of each other (though it's debatable that they aren't aware of each other's residual feelings over larger distances, considering the conversation had between Deanna and Riker's double Thomas, on their reunion).
<b>Suitability:</b>
As First Officer of the Enterprise, and a Starfleet officer besides, it's very possible to justify Riker's being taken to Marina. He's done many questionable things, and many things that could be seen as questionable. Now, as for how he'll settle in, the first - and briefest - mention goes toward his cast. He <i>will</i> obey his captain's orders, and work toward whatever goals are suggested to him, whether that be escape or anything else. No doubt this will involve working mostly with his own people. He won't naturally accept that he isn't going anywhere for the rest of his life, or that this isn't a hallucination or a holodeck error, as a result of his numerous experiences with such things--but as I'll now go on to illuminate, that doesn't necessarily mean that he won't play along.
Riker's many missions have given him massive diplomatic experience, and he has a way of throwing himself full force into those interactions with all of his charm and wit. He's incredibly flexible, able to adapt even to the most challenging behavior changes if it becomes necessary to do so. He'll inevitably try to get on with and learn as much as he can about the other inmates and the organisation behind their imprisonment, and try to ingratiate himself to both them and the authorities, playing both sides--and should it need to appear that his loyalty has shifted or he's accepted his punishment, Riker will do everything necessary to appear convincing and contrite. That's the kind of officer he is.
In terms of interaction, he'll be talkative and friendly with all. His many pursuits include a number that will allow him to involve himself with the community. He plays a musical instrument, engages in sports, poetry, singing, science, has a keen interest in settling disputes, and has aggregated enough knowledge on a variety of topics that he could potentially teach others what he knows. He will involve himself with others with abandon, and appear as a model prisoner despite his dislike of being contained.
<b>Action post sample:</b>
[<small> He settled the mouthpiece once more against his lips, puckered, and blew the last note. <i>Nightbird</i>. He'd finally done it, polished the piece to shining perfection, but no matter how many times he performed it now, it always seemed to him that he was bound to fail at some point in the melody. Overcautious, Will had always done everything in his power to avoid playing it in public, but the first time he'd nailed it had been the night that he'd realised that he was going to ask Deanna to marry him.
Lowering the trombone, he bowed to the token applause, then conceded the stage, moving to replace the instrument on his stand before swinging his leg over a back of the chair in the audience. The next musician took up an alien instrument he didn't recognise from among those assembled and began to play a haunting song, an orchestra rising in symphony, all produced by just one elongated gourd. It was a riveting performance, and as it ended Will stood, raising his hands in applause.</small> ]
Bravo. That was beautiful. What do you call that?
[<small> When the conversation was over, Riker kindly excused himself, working his way out from between the chairs to the exit. Beyond the hubbub of conversation, Will could hear the clock chiming among the nearby apartments, and turned his feet away from the sound, heading down for a brisk turn of the park. It was getting late; he'd promised to play cards with a few friends that evening, and if he didn't get back soon he'd be late. Still, someone had mentioned seeing the statues in the park while he was out here Will didn't intend to waste the opportunity. It was a long walk back otherwise--time he could be spending doing something more productive, like trying to find a way out of here.
It was like exploring a jungle on an M-class planet, not a gentle walk through a sculptured garden, but it was no less rewarding because of that. Statues and vegetation wound together, almost symbiotic in their relationship with each other. It touched an empty place inside of him. <i>Beautiful.</i> He was glad to have seen it, eager for another opportunity to explore, but right now--right now, he had a poker game to get to.</small> ]
<b>Network post sample:</b>
[<small> William T. Riker fills his orange jumpsuit with undiminished authority. His hair is black, his beard well kept, his eyes blue, reflecting in their depths the darkness of the deep ocean. He doesn't hesitate once the recording is active.</small> ]
Since it's unlikely that any lifeform familiar with the Treaty of Algeron needs to be troubled with the humdrum of first contact, I'll get right to the point:
My name is William T. Riker, First Officer of the Federation Starship <i>Enterprise</i>. Or rather--<i>I was</i>. As I understand it, that life as I knew it has ended. Not an unfamiliar proclamation, although my track record with this kind of <i>futility</i> could be called arduous at best. [<small> Something dangerous flashes in otherwise warm eyes, although the hard smile Riker follows it up with neatly smothers the previous chill.</small> ]
If anyone happens to have seen any of my friends, I'd appreciate being pointed in their direction. And if not, then it's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm sure we'll get along very well.
Riker out.
