On the road again
Posted on Mon Nov 29th, 2010 @ 6:54pm by Walter Jones & Charlotte Ashcroft & Jan Valentine & Ryder Chase & Morgan Pass
1,445 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission: Session 4: The Humans are Dead...
Jones stood at the airlock, paying off the dock master to look the other way on some of the "Minor" violations that had occurred while on the base.
"You are short captain." The Klingon looked at Jones and frowned.
"And you smell." Jones grabbed an extra slip out of his coat and put it in the Klingon's hands. "That is for your tireless service to the empire." The Klingon snarled and closed the airlock in Jones face. Walter turned around and proceeded to the ships bridge hitting the com link on his arm.
"Alright everyone, we are ready to hit the old dusty trail. Give me a report on what is going on." Jones reached the metal stairs and pulled himself up. His shoulder was still giving him a bit of a pain but it was better then before.
"I finished repairs to the engines an hour ago, we're all set to leave." Jan said, monitoring the new computers running the engines.
"Nothing is going to fall off is it? I know how the Klingons can be with some of their materials. Not questioning your work at all, just theirs." Jones tripped over the top bulkhead at the top of the stairs. "God damn piece of"
"Nothing should fall off this time, I got lucky with parts and materials. I also built a new computer for running the engines, it can't be tampered with remotely anymore." Jan said.
Air twisted in his seat, running his fingers over the old controls. He lowered the IDf a fraction so that he, and the crew, would be able to feel the sensation of increasing speed without turning to salsa. He ran the RCS to hot standby, ready to lift of and ran the pre-flight checks. The engine timing was a little off, but that was probably because of Jan's recent servicing and it would settle with a little flight tuning.
"We are as set to go as a thunderstorm at Kakadu. Just waiting on your word, mate." He bubbled happily.
"Yes well," Lottie settling in the seat beside Air sounded somewhat less enthusiastic then he. "All crew present, cargo loaded, larder stuffed and armory resupplied. All we need now is a heading, and I presume that something you can help us with Jones?"
Chase stood at the back of the bridge watching as everyone went about their business. He had slipped in unnoticed and had stayed silent.
"Yeah, here ya go." Jones fumbled through his pockets for a data chip and flipped it over to Lottie. "Heading straight for Lagashi space, hauling more machine parts, some inert energy crystals, and storage units, also, strangely 2000 loaves of bread." He walked over to the comm "Jan when you feel that the engines are working properly come on up here, but we are getting ready to pull out."
"On my way." Jan said, grabbing a padd rigged for remote monitoring of the engines.
"The Lagashi," Chase said from the back of the bridge, "the descendants of the people in cryogenic status aboard the Prometheus which left earth in 1992 correct," he asked wondering if anyone knew about their origins.
"One in the same, they escaped the Eugenics wars." Jones sat in a chair next to Lottie. "Humans, but not humans. They spent nearly 300 years, independent from the rest of the human race."
Lottie turned at the sound of the strangers voice, her guard instantly raised. She knew who he was having already collared Jones about his arrival earlier.
Air switched on the internal comms, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. We are looking towards a pleasant flight to Lagashi today. Tower reports good weather. We will be traveling at a cruising speed of Warp 5 and we have an estimated trip time of 79 hours. Please place your luggage beneath your seat or in the overhead compartments provided. Make sure your seat and tray are in the upright position for take off."
He switched it off and just spoke to the cabin, "We have launch clearance from the station. All hatches closed. Engines to hot stand by. Docking clamps disengaged. Moving ahead one quarter impulse."
The ship rose steadily and began to climb through the thin atmosphere. the front viewscreen showed the local sun as a red ball. The ship made straight for it.
Straight for it.
Lottie checked the course and it didn't include heading towards the sun. She gave the pilot a sideways glare half wondering if he knew where the hell he was going. Additionally what had she got herself into, with an air head pilot and more shady characters then she'd care to count.
"Be careful with the old girl, it will be your ass if anything happens to her." Jones looked over at the young pilot.
The ship began to accelerate; Half Impulse... Three Quarters Impulse...
The Sun now dominated the forward screen and the crew were feeling the pressure of their acceleration pushing them back into their chairs. Jan looked at the external gauges and watched the hull temperature rising.
"Jan, kick in the secondary cooling, I don't want our systems to get burned all the hell with this little stunt." Jones shot a look over towards Bruce.
"Right, already starting it up." Jan said.
At Full Impulse Air leaned forward and kicked up the IDF. He pulled the ship to starboard and the gravity of the sun pulled them into a sudden accelerated "Sling shot" turn. The move took about three minutes too complete, during which time Air activated the Warp field and dropped straight into warp and 2.3. He grinned back at the rest of the cabin as the ship settled back into its prescribed flight path.
"Told you the old gal could dance."
"Yeah, but try not to break her hip, I'm still paying off the last one." Jones looked around the cabin at everyone. "When we to Lagashi space, first order of business is to meet up with the trade union representative, we have to sign some contracts. After that I've got an appointment for you Jan."
"So long as the new guy doesn't break something important." Jan said.
"Or give us another force to avoid," Lottie added turning her seat fully to face Chase with a cold demeanor. "But I think Chase has already given us that problem."
Chase raised his eyebrow when the raven haired woman turned towards him, "Trust me, you'd avoid the people after me whether I was aboard or not," he said confidently as if he was not afraid. He had not told them that he was on the run from section 31, or that he used to be one of their agents and for a split second fear filled his eyes before he cleared his throat and stood up straight breaking contact with the woman.
"For those of you who don't know me. I'm R....Chase," he said, "and I am yet to know if I will be of any use to you in the mission," he said, "but my services are yours captain with no strings attached. I can track in most environments, hack basic to medium security computers, shoot, fly but I see you've already got talent and I have a knack for getting information and finding places we could restock or get supplies".
Unconvinced Lottie folded her arm remaining stern and unimpressed.
"Good, hopefully you shouldn't be too much trouble," Jones said attempting to ease the tension as he made introduction: "That is Lottie, Doc you are already familiar with, this young guy here is Bruce, Jan in the back here keeps the ship together." Jones smiled as the streaks of stars sailed past them at warp. "We've got weapons, Lottie, why don't you work with Mr. Chase and get an inventory on what we have left after our last job. Bruce, you keep flying the ship. Doc, I got some schematics from my contact in Lagash for what they are going to fit Jan with, want to look them over and make sure they seem legit?"
The woman's eyes narrowed at the request. "Fine," she snarled moving swiftly across the bridge. "Follow me," she added brushing past Chase and into the bowels of the ship.
"My pleasure," Chase said sarcastically as he followed Lottie off the bridge.
The Doctor almost smiled, "Research specs? It would be a pleasure."
"Yeah, I want to make sure whatever we embed in his head will do more good then harm. Anyone have any other questions?"
Jones looked at everyone in the cabin. It seemed like everyone was anxious to go off to their own jobs. "Alright we got three days before we enter Lagashi space. Good work everyone."
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