Circe Life
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Introduction
The military lifestyle of the Star Fleet officer- his or her professional job and its repercussions- has been tirelessly documented through CIRCE's (and ASR's as a whole) writings over the years. Of course, as most every writer comes to realize after varying amounts of time, simply writing about the job of the characters would make for a flat, one-dimensional character. As such, from time to time, characters will rid themselves of their uniform and indulge in hobbies and other pursuits of a personal nature instead of professional or "mission-driven" pursuits. Many of these pursuits take them away from the bridge or main engineering.
Below are some of the more popular off-duty locales on CIRCE:
Main Lounge (Deck 12, Main Section)
The Main Lounge on many other starships and starbases often have witty names based on its location: on many Star Fleet vessels, it is "10 Forward" becauseof its location on Deck 10, forward section; on Deep Space 13, it was the "Double Nickel" because of its location on Deck 5 of the ETA (the 5th letter in the Greek alphabet) Section.
The Lounge on CIRCE is located on Deck 12 of the Main Hull, in the forward quadrant, so one could assume that "12 Forward" would be a logical name; however, knowing the writers behind the crew of CIRCE, this would probably be too plain and would merit rethinking.
The Main Lounge is usually the center of social life on board a starship, and it is no different on CIRCE; when off-duty, officers and enlisted, Navy and Marine alike can usually be found spending at least part of their "down time" here. The reasons, of course, are obvious: combine a limitless food selection, synthehol and friends, and one has a common formula for a good time.
Officially, CIRCE does not carry spirits of an alcoholic nature, instead supplying the crew with sythehol, whose intoxicating effects on most beings (Klingons being a notable exception) are substantially reduced. However, like any place where you bring together well over a thousand people from countless different cultures and walks fo life, there are bound to be some who bring with them the "real deal." Though technically against Starfleet regulations, policy has been for the command staff to "look the other way" so long as its consumption does not interfere with the normal demands of one's professinal responsibilities. In fact, rumor has it that perhaps a couple of members of the command staff may have their own personal stash of alcohol, to say nothing about what the person in charge of the Lounge, a delightful Risan woman named Arissa, might have hidden.
Holodecks (Deck 9 and Deck 11, Main Section)
The holodecks are another of CIRCE's more attractive spots for its crew, both on and off duty, because of their programability. They often host elaborate parties for guests and dignitaries of other cultures if a more "home-like" environment for said dignitaries is deemed appropriate; they also play host to promotion ceremonies, virtual classrooms, fitness regimens and officer qualification exams.
However, the possibilities become even more wide-ranging when off-duty. Holodecks are used for sports tournaments and games such as ambu-jitsu, null-gravity handball, Parisi Squares or springball, even supplying virtual opponents if needed. They can create an interactive, 3-dimensional cinematic experience by adapting existing literary works or by depicting the original writings of a crewmember. They can serve as a concert or recital hall for the serious musician or dancer, a comedy club for the aspiring comedian, or a dojo for the martial artist.
The possibilities of the holodeck are limited only by the imagination of the one programming it, no matter if it is something as recognizable as a seat on the shore of LaJolla Springs, California to a more foreign landscape such as the double-sun-baked beaches on Alpha Centauri or the multi-moon backdrop of Saturn or Andor.
Older starships, before holodecks became commonplace, often had large recreational facilities- gymnasiums, game courts, swimming pools, etc. The creation of the holodeck has allowed room to be saved on such necessities, as it is capable of handling all of these things at once.
Unique Life Forms on board CIRCE
Every ship seems to have its own special life form or mascot that make it unique from others of its class; the CIRCE is no exception. On LEVIATHAN, there was what amounted to a sentient house cat named "Zeus" who acted as the Engineer's Mate, able to fit into places where humanoid creatures could not to make critical repairs. CIRCE, however, does not have such a creature- instead, CIRCE has "sloogi."
The "sloogi" (pronounced "SLOO-gee" with a hard "g" sound) are creatures that look vaguely like Terran weasels. However, they act nothing like their thieving, sneaky dopplegangers; sloogi live to help, and as such serve as the ship's cleaning staff. They clean all of the staterooms (with the exception of LT Butch Bagownie's, but that's another story), suites and halls on CIRCE, and can do so in record time. They also serve as waiters in the Main Lounge, and butlers or bellhops at the shuttlebays.
Sloogi are extremely strong- not just for their size, but for ANY size; it is part of the reason why they are so good at their job. They can lift and transport furniture as easily as a crewman can carry a PADD, and have exceptional balance to boot. Often when serving meals or drinks in the Main Lounge, sloogi can be seen carrying quantities of food and/or drink that would cause many life forms to crumble beneath the shear weight or awkwardness. They are also naturally ambidextrous.
Sloogi also apparently have a gift for languages, which makes them incredibly valuable in service positions. They have been witnessed to understand Russian, Federation Standard (English), Vulcan, and various other languages.
It is in the sloogi's nature to create order from chaos; by performing these tasks, they are simply doing what comes naturally to them, and are happy to do it. They accept no payment or tip other than their passage on CIRCE, and do not, as a rule of thumb, speak.
It is unknown just how many sloogi there are currently on board CIRCE, nor the location of their "sleeping" area.
Essentially, sloogi are CIRCE's version of the house-elf from the Harry Potter series of J.K. Rowling's creation...except that the sloogi have been around CIRCE for longer than the house-elf has been a part of our pop culture.
