More bad news

-------------
When: Earlier
-------------
Mark McJohn was hooked up to a game console in the A/R suite, eagerly
awaiting a virtual encounter with Jean Harlow. First, however, he
had to navigate the start menu for the game he was playing: "The
Virtual Film Experience". VFE was a game where you would create your
own movie plot by filling in a few praticulars first. After that, you
were the main character in a simulated movie.
"Choose your character name," said the soothing Scottish voice of
contemporary film starlet Clara Cameron-Guest.
"Mark McJohn," was Mark's supremelyu uncreative response.
"Choose decade"
"1930s"
"Choose genre"
"Err, film noir."
"Choose co-star"
"Jean Harlow."
"I'm sorry," replied the voice, "the Jean Harlow module has become
corrupted through overuse."
"What?" McJohn demanded, "Holly! Holly!"
Holly's visage appeared in front of Mark.
"What is it this time?" the computer demanded.
"What's wrong with the Jean Harlow module for VFE?"
"Oh, our libido acting up again, is it?"
"Excuse me?"
"Can't get any in reality so you hook yourself up and get it off with
a dead film star?"
"Look you electric gimoid --"
"You what?"
"Dammit Holly, who broke the Jean Harlow module?"
"It was Fourth Engineer Bill Higginson. He's almost as sick in the
head as you are."
"Smegging Higginson again! I'll kill him!"
"Look, simmer down, why not use the Thelma Todd module instead?"
"It's not the same!" Mark complained in an almost-whine. At about
this point...
<snip>
The lights in the AR suite flickered, then powered down, leading to
screams of loss from those crewmembers who had decided that the
virtual worlds were an easy way to satisfy their sudden desires.
</snip>
Mark, disgusted, left the A/R suite and walked back towards his
quarters, passing several couples engaged in various stages of
explict conjugal relations. Mark ignored them. Then he ran into
Victoria de Felice, who had spent the night in the deserted ship's
library. Mark was the first person she had seen in hours. She
strode up to him and kissed him hard, making Mark extremely
uncomfortable.
"What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious, lover?"
"What?"
She began undoing her jumpsuit. Mark was worried now. Victoria
usually showed the utmost distaste towards him, which meant that she
must be either hallucinating or drunk, and the last time he had gone
to bed with a girl like that he had had to move to another planet and
join the Space Corps to get away from her.
"Look," he said, "you're not well. I know I've been, well -- for
heaven's sake! You'll just hate yourself afterwords!"
Mark ran away and didn't stop until he was back in his quarters.
Elian had left while had been gone, and Mark locked the door. He lay
down and fell asleep again.
---------
When: Now
---------
Hours later, Holly's voice echoed into the room.
"Emergency. Emergency. There's an emergency going on. Will Mark
McJohn and Elian Sandoval report to the Drive Room."
"Smeg!" he shouted into his pillow, after which Mark dutifully obeyed
to order, keeping a sharp eye out for Victoria on the way to the
Drive Room.
When he entered the Drive Room, he found it empty.
"Holly," he asked, "What the smeg's going on?"
"One of the crew accidentally released a love virus through the air
conditioning system. The only one's left capable of carrying out
their duties are you, Technician Sandoval, and Dante."
"Oh terrific. Luckily we're not in any danger."
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not."
"Someone hit the override switch on my flight contol system."
"Meaning?"
"No one's flying the ship."
"Oh terrific. Anything else?"
"Yeah. We're an hour away from crashing into a rogue asteroid unless
we change course. Which means..."
"Oh no! Don't tell me."
"Mark, you've got to fly the ship."
Elian, who had entered just in time to hear this, crossed himself and
began to pray.
<tag!>