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USS Calypso, 2394- When Things Go Awry

Posted June 6, 2021, 8:57 a.m. by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) (Lindsay B)

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

Posted by Lieutenant Robert Mason (Chief Engineer) in USS Calypso, 2394- When Things Go Awry
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She wasn’t the pilot and there was that saying about ‘backseat drivers’ that Paige liked to tease her with. But the persistence of the warning meant that Dira’s concern deepened. “We have an differing gravity field, Commander,” she reported, at least playing the role of supportive co-pilot. Looking over her shoulder, Dira gave a small smile. “We’ll be landing in a moment. We’ll have to move quickly once we do.”

Lt. Cmdr Myqian, CNS

“Right,” Bob said simply from the back. He had actually started suiting up a moment earlier, thankful that he lived in an era when a person could put their own space suit on by themselves.

“Good to go as well,”

As Dira looked back at the controls, she would notice that Bill had completely stopped the impulse engines. They had been previously racing to catch up to the asteroid, but now they were very close to it. It completely filled the shuttle viewport, blacking out the perpetual night sky of outer space. They were, in fact, still approaching closer by the second; inertia and the asteroid’s own gravity were now pulling them towards the surface. The roof of the main building was now plainly visible if she looked straight up. It could have looked like a cardboard model at this distance, but it was also getting larger.

Of course, if Dira could see the roof of the building by looking straight up through the window, that would logically imply that an observer on the roof of the building would see the top of Dira’s head by looking straight up into the sky. But… that would mean…

=/\= Five Hundred, =/\= the computer softly reminded Commander Franks as he sat in the pilot’s chair. He didn’t actually seem to be doing anything, except watching his own readouts.

– Lieutenant (j.g.) Robert Mason, Engineer and Creepy William the Calypso XO

He was so calm that Dira almost missed what was happening, but it was hard not to see everything moving in proverbial slow motion. But again she was not a pilot so she could be mistaken. And had she been, she would have taken over piloting or at least spoken up sooner. But as it was she hesitated. Later, she would re-play this moment and wonder but by the time Dira actually understood their situation, it was too late. “William, thrusters!” she exclaimed, alarm not just in her voice, but rushing through out her body.

Lt. Cmdr Myqian, CNS

=/\= Four Hundred, =/\= the computer said, as if to underline Dira’s point. =/\= Sinkrate. =/\=

“In another second,” Bill said quickly. He seemed completely un-phased by the idea that they were about to crash up-side down into the asteroid above them.

Dira watched for a moment and then understood things even better: it was all for show. He wanted something interesting that people would talk about later. She cursed in her mind. “Commander…” she said more forcefully, hopefully reminding him that he was in charge of this crucial away mission and they were not some sort of flight demo team

=/\= Three Hundred. Sinkrate. =/\=

Meanwhile, Bob took note of what was happening and quickly decided to sit down in the closest seat available to brace for impact. In haste, he dropped the loose parts of his suit that he hadn’t managed to fully put on yet.

=/\= Two hundred. Sinkrate. =/\=

It was at this point that Bill finally doing something. With one tap on the controls, and thrusters started firing. The asteroid above them seemed to give way to outer space as the shuttle began pitching into the correct orientation for landing; it felt like it was pitching “up” to the people inside the ship.

=/\= One hundred. =/\=

The thrusters kept firing, and their descent seemed to be slowing ever so slightly.

“See, it’s fine,” Bill said rather confidently.

Before anyone could even give that idea the minimal consideration it was due, the shuttle pitched “downward” sharply and the ground came back into view. Buzzers and alerts all started sounding at once.

=/\= PULL UP =/\=

Panic finally became visible across Bill’s face as the perfect landing he had planned was ruined by the asteroid’s uneven gravity, which just in this one spot pulled a little bit stronger than it had for the rest of the descent. Just enough to pull the front of the shuttle straight down. He pressed several buttons quickly, and other thrusters started firing. The ground-


“Hey, are you OK?” It was the voice of the engineer, right next to Dira.

The shuttle had stopped moving. There was a visible crack in the front viewport, and through it the ground could be seen, but also the main building and space above. Commander Franks was unconscious at the controls. He was being attended to by Doctor Ramirez.

– Lieutenant (j.g.) Robert Mason, Engineer and Creepy William the Calypso XO

Splayed across the console in front of her, the voice filtered through her mind and Dira pushed herself upward. But there was no spinning and her vision was normal. Good, no concussion. She touched a sore spot on her forehead and there was a small cut intersecting the bulge over her right brow. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said as she took in the scene. More cursing in her mind and oh how she wanted to let it out aloud! But she didn’t. However, there was no mistaking the distinct anger in her eyes.

“Are you alright?” she asked Mason.

“How’s the commander?” Myqian called over to Ramirez.

“A concussion that we’ll need to keep an eye on, but he’ll be okay. I’m just about to wake him,” she said as she injected something into his neck.

As Dira took in the crack in the viewscreen she realized something rather important: their way off this rock before it fell into the gas giant just crashed. “I’m going to send a distress call back to the Calypso. Mason, check out the shuttle. We need to know if it has any chance of flying asap. There are still people down here who need help. And I’d like to know how we’re getting of this asteroid.”

Lt. Cmdr Myqian, CNS


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