Posted Jan. 24, 2021, 5 p.m. by Lieutenant Robert Mason (Chief Engineer) (Joe P)
Posted by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) in USS Calypso, 2394- When Things Go Awry
Posted by Lieutenant Robert Mason (Chief Engineer) in USS Calypso, 2394- When Things Go Awry
Posted by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) in USS Calypso, 2394- When Things Go Awry
(snip)
The whole energy he was radiating made Dira mentally inhale. Put up the wall, she told herself. Outwardly, she gave a tight smile. “Well, we’ll have to be extraordinarily cautious but at the same time we’ve only got so much time. I’m sure we’ll find them,” se said, at least trying to match his optimism even if they had different subjects in mind.
~Lt. Cmdr Myqian, CNS
“I’m-“
Whatever tediously creepy thing that Bill was in the middle of saying was thankfully interrupted by the parting of the turbolift doors. The large double doors to the shuttle bay were also just down the hall and already open, as people were streaming in and out. The bay door alarm could be heard even from their cramped little turbolift car, and it seemed to re-focus Commander Franks on what he was supposed to actually be doing. He walked out of the lift promptly.
In the shuttle bay, the Type-9 shuttle Denise had its rear hatch open, and the exterior lights were also on. Indeed, people were already inside the ship; a Bolian nurse was checking equipment in the passenger section, and up front a human Engineer was seated at the co-pilot’s position, running down the pre-flight checklist. This seemed to somehow unsettle Bill; it was almost as if he was expecting things to be in a different state when he had arrived, and was confused by the activity taking place.
“Report,” he ordered.
“Yes, Commander,” the man at the co-pilot’s position acknowledged as he swivled around in the chair. “Lieutenant Mason, sir. I was already working on the shuttle when I was ordered by Lieutenant Guinness to report to you, sir…”
“Doing what?”
“Avionics upgrade.”
“We need a shuttle in space now, son, is this one going to work?”“Son?” Bob derisively thought without saying it. You’re like, five years older than I am, buddy…
Dira managed to keep a passive expression, but inwardly her brows rose. This is going to be all kinds of fun. She allowed the unhelpful thought only because she knew that William would try her patience at every turn if she let him and it was too important for this rescue mission that they stay focused and working together.
“The upgrade is already complete, Commander. Power On Self Tests were nominal. I’ve already started the pre-flight checklist, if you’d like to review it.”
“No, I’ll cross-check it myself. I’ll be our pilot today.”
“Yes, sir.”The Commander immediately sat in the pilots seat, and started the pre-flight checklist from the top again. Bob thought nothing of it; he had flown enough shuttle missions with different pilots to know that many of them saw themselves as ultimately responsible for everything that happened on the shuttle, and therefore saw it as a necessity to run through the checklist themselves. What he didn’t know was that Bill was merely trying to look and act important. Franks began pressing buttons on the terminal in a slow fashion that could have been mistaken as meticulous to anyone who didn’t know the Commander well.
Bob looked past Bill to see Dira, whom he had not yet met. He nodded politely in greeting.
– Lieutenant (j.g.) Robert Mason, Engineer
Dira checked with the nurse, Ensign Lanara, that they were ready and the two women took seats on the benches behind the forward section. “Supplies secured,” the ensign called up to the first officer.
“Acknowledged,” Franks said as he kept pressing buttons slowly.
Meanwhile, Bob kept running down the pre-flight checklist where he had left things off, if only to have something useful to do. He also obtained an update from the ship’s sensors on the asteroid’s position.
=/\=Bridge to Shuttle Denise, you are cleared for departure. Good luck. =/\=
~Lt. Cmdr Myqian, CNS
=/\= Thank you, =/\= Franks replied. He then turned to Bob.
“Look, uh, Manson…”
“Mason, sir.”
“Uhh… right, sorry. Mason. I actually need Commander Myqian to sit up here.”
“Uh, okay…”
“Telepathy thing.”
“Oh, okay.”
Bob had no idea what that actually meant, but he knew that it could have meant any number of perfectly legitimate things. He pressed a few buttons on the console and then got out of the chair to reach the aft section.
“Ma’am,” he said politely as he took a seat.
– Lieutenant (j.g.) Robert Mason, Engineer
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