Preparing for depature

Posted on Sun Dec 9, 2012 @ 12:13am by Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant Commander Miguel Torres & Lieutenant JG Markus Davenport

2,418 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Refit and Reorganization
Location: U.S.S. Victory
Timeline: 62360.286 {Mon, 01 Oct 2384 09:30}

U.S.S. Victory - Bridge

Time: 0930


Stepping out of the 'lift and onto the Bridge, as she crossed towards where Lt. Cmdr. Hunter was waiting. "I just received final confirmation, as of now.. 0930 the operational status of the U.S.S. Victory has been moved from 'Refit' to 'Active duty'. We are currently scheduled to depart Starbase 900 at 1300." Kennit said as she approached her first officer. "Are you as ready to get out of this dry dock and back out into space as I am Commander?" she added with a little smile.

Alec turned as the Captain approached him, a smile grew on his face as she relayed the long awaited good news to him. "That is fantastic news Rhe er Captain, long awaited news. I am more than ready. We're explorers and no offense to the starbase but I've seen all of it I want to. Time to be out among the stars."

"Pass the word to all hands," she told him. "I want a readiness status report from all departments by 1100. We're going to be casting off the mooring lines shortly and shifting from starbase power to our own power systems. Which reminds me.." she added.

Moving towards a console, she reached over to activate the internal comm system and said "Bridge to Engineering."

Miguel was undergoing further launch prep when he heard the voice over the comm. He rolled his chair over to the nearest panel where he pressed the control letting him answer. "Torres here, go ahead Captain."

"Mr. Torres," the Captain said. "Just the man I needed to speak with. As of just a few minutes ago, the Victory received final certification and approval for return to active duty. We're going to be departing the starbase at 1300 and you should be receiving word from the base control shortly to coordinate the shift from base power to our own internal power systems as they disconnect the mooring umbilicals in for launch.."

"Victory's ready to go Captain. Just waiting for all the I's to be dotted and the T's crossed." he told her. He hadn't been on the ship long, but from what he was able to see the ship was more than ready to head out. There had been a lot of upgrades done to the Prometheus Class ships since he had last worked with them. Some of the bugs he knew about had been dealt with. And yet this recent refit had introduced several new upgrades that he was curious to see how they'd work.

As the Captain opened the com link to Engineering. Hunter opened the ship wide com. "Attention crew, of the USS Victory. This is Lt. Commander Hunter , I have some goods for you. We will be departing Starbase 900 at 1300 hours. Please have your departments ready for the launch. "We're in our proper place, out among the stars at last!" His voice raising in exuberance at finally being allowed to explore. In addition I need all departments to turn readiness status reports by 1100 hours. That is all." He finished saying as he cut the com link.

Minutes after the ship-wide announcement, the XO's status display shows the Science Department flagged as "Ready" with a rather mundane report from Lieutenant Nix attached.

U.S.S. Victory - Sickbay, Surgical Ward

Time: 0930

Holza woke up to his communicator yelling for him to report to sick bay. Space travel made him anxious and he missed a lot of sleep coming here. Not that he needed that much sleep, he was surgeon after all, but quite 15 minutes would be great. Getting up he somehow manege to get himself to the replicator. "Coffee to go please" he mumbled into it. He was used to coffee being made old fashion way, with pressing button on his years old coffee machine. He got dressed quickly, aligning his tie to his dress shirt, putting his lab coat over it. On a lab coat were symbols of fleet, and above it smaller Bajoran symbol. It made him feel closer to his family, maternal family, the only family he got since he haven't seen his father in years. And those two years spent on Bajor were the best years of his childhood so he choose to honor his home planer somehow, even if it wasn't his home planet. Still Horza firmly believe it was. Only thing that made him human were some suppressed genes.

He took his coffee and left the room, slowly sipping it into his system. Gosh, did he love coffee or what, it had to be the best thing on Earth, or in universe. When he got in sickbay, there was three people waiting. Pregnant women, man who seem Nauseous and man who's hand bleed pretty severely. "Come on, you first" he said pointing to the man with bloody hand.

He sat on his chair and suggested his patient to do same. He took a look at his hand. It was injured severely. Median nerve was cut off.

"What happened" Holza asked. "Accident in engineering..." man started explaining, but Horza didn't really want to hear about it. "What I'll need to do is suture your wound up, but before doing that I must repair your median nerve. If everything goes well you should have normal and full function in no time. Still you'll have to stop using your hand for week, or two"

He injected the men with coagulation serum, it will stop the bleeding and able Horza to have clear look on the nerve. Just as he prepared sutures and grafts for he heard voice over commlink ordering them to report if their systems are ready. Since main medical officer still wasn't hear that meant Horza had to report. He excused himself from the patient and walked to commlink.

"Dr. Horza to bridge, reporting from sickbay. All systems are up and running, but there is still no sign of the Chief Medical Officer!" he said, afterwards going back to his median nerve repair. He hoped that Chief medical officer will come soon, because if he'll have to take charge it would be catastrophic. And he would get no sleep at all.

The Captain answered after a momentary pause, "We are aware that our CMO has yet to report aboard. At the last report there has been some sort of issue involving transportation to get him here. For now, you're it." she told him. "We're not going to delay our departure and will be departing on time as scheduled. I'm sure you can handle it, and if not you can activate the Emergency Medical Holographic program to assist.."

Horza choked. All he could see were pregnant women and people coming to him with ordinary 'GP' problems. He was a surgeon, not general practitioner. He didn't do 'GP' stuff ever since medical school and his head was completely in surgery. "I don't want to be out of place, but I beg you to reconsider it. I... You see...I...I'm not qualified to do it"

"You have the necessary credentials and training as well as practical experience according to your personnel records.." the Captain answered smoothly. "So, unless you want to tell me that you falsified your records somehow and managed to get it past all of the security checks and confirmations prior to being given an officer's commission.. for the time being at least until the CMO shows up.. you're it."

"Well of course". He already hated her. He'll manage he was trained for it, but that didn't mean he'd like to do it. It was a workload of a horse. Still he will do it. It was the only way he'll repay his debt.

"Come on, let me fix that nerve quickly. We all need to be on our feet." he said, putting nerve regeneration substances on cut nerve, suturing it. He decided not to use dermal regeneration medkit. Holza learned that nerves have better chances of regenerating if skin is sutured old fashion way.

"You should regain 100% of function in three days time. Until then don't use that hand as much"

With a nod, the injured crewman answered "Aye Doctor.."

Bridge

The Captain had a subtle smile on her face as she signed off from her conversation with the reluctant Doctor. There were far worse positions he could be pulling a little double duty in.. and besides, she had full confidence in his abilities other wise he would not have passed through the rigorous screening process to have been assigned to the Victory at all!

The hardest part of the entire mission was about to present itself; getting out of space dock without hitting the support pylon.. A long ago accident when she was still a Lieutenant had left lingering nervous reactions anytime she found herself aboard a starship with someone else at the helm and a massive starbase / stardock looming about the ship's hull...

Leaning back in her chair, she thumbed the status report and scrolled down, noting which departments were now green and ready for departure and those still showing 'yellow' pending with various excuses and reasons for the delay in ready status listed beneath each 'yellow' flagged department indicator.

Quickly, the Captain sent a .. gentle reminder to each flagged department advising them that the ship would be departing on time and reminding them that it was in their best interests to attend to those last few niggling details which needed to be signed off in order to clear their department and report ready for departure on time.

U.S.S. Victory: Bridge
Time: 1245, fifteen minutes to departure from SB900

Two hours had passed since the umbilical had been disconnected and the Victory shifted from station power to it's own internal power systems. Engineering had been quite busy with systems checks and diagnostic tests and just ten minutes ago she'd received word from Cmdr. Torres that they were clear across the board and all systems were nominal. Walking towards her seat, she looked towards the First Officer and asked, "Are we ready to begin final preparation for departure Number One?"

Alec turned and gave Rhea a nod and an a smile, "We are more than ready Captain we're chomping at the bit to get out and run. So lets get this show on the road already."

"Very good.." she stated aloud, her voice cool and professional while for just an instant, her eyes carried a bright spark of emotion that was just for him as she looked at him, allowing a hint of a smile to cross her features as if amused by his answer in a proper CO / XO fashion. She winked at him as she turned to thumb her comm switch she said, "Attention all hands. This is the Captain. We are fifteen minutes from departure. All department heads, confirm readiness status and prepare for launch."

Alec swung his gaze toward Rhea,he knew of her discomfort at a time like this yet he never spoke of it. it would just add to Rhea's stress or that was how he saw it. He knew she was aware of his support and that was good enough. He did manage to give her a quick wink and a thumbs up.

Twelve minutes later, the Captain spoke once more. "Lt. Davenport," she said now directing her attention to the ship's Chief Flight Control Officer. "Bring the impulse engines online. Prepare to get underway.. "

Davenport nodded, "Aye aye Captain. Bringing up power to the impulse engines.."

Another three minutes passed and then, "All right. Mr. Villa if you would be so kind, open a channel to SB900 Operation Control."

After a moment, Villa answered "SB900 Operations on the comm for you Captain.."

"This is U.S.S. Victory to SB900 Ops Control." Katrijn said. "We are requesting permission for departure."

After a momentary pause, the answer returned "U.S.S. Victory, this is SB900 Ops Control. Permission granted, you are clear for departure."

"Thank you SB900," Kennit replied, a smile creeping into her voice. "Victory acknowledges and we are engaging impulse drive."

She nodded then towards the helm officer as she cut the transmission, "Mr. Davenport, if you please.. take us out.. One quarter impulse only until we are clear of the dock support structure.."

The sound of the ship around them changed, a subtle shift in the powerful thrum of the ship's engines and for a moment nothing seemed to change then, on the view screen the support beams of the starbase docking berth where Victory had been at rest for so long began to glide away as the ship moved forward towards the open expanse of space. Keeping a wary eye on that overhanging support beam, the Captain took a deep breath and waited for her ship to clear the dock..

She caught Alec watching her - aware of her discomfort at such times.. she did smile at him then, acknowledging quietly that yes.. her heart was absolutely racing with unreasonable nerves and would remain so until they were clear of the dock..

Thankfully, the Victory slipped free from her berth without bumping into anything... An odd little kwirk which even though the accident so many long years ago was long healed, the scars faded and almost invisible.. The lingering memories of what happened during explosive decompression when the hull is breached .. in those few brief milli-seconds before the protective forcefields kicked in, and the kind of damage even so brief an exposure to that kind of destructive force could cause was something she hadn't every really quite gotten over.

As soon as the navigation display on the screen indicated that the ship had cleared the outer boundary marker for SB900, the Captain spoke again. "All right.. I think it's high time we stopped pussy-footing along and kicked this old girl in the tail to see what she's got.." she said, with a quick glance towards her XO. "Lt. Davenport, set our course towards the start of our patrol area. Warp 8."

Davenport, hands moving confidently over the controls answered, "Aye Captain.. course set.. warp 8.."

On the main viewscreen, the starfield shifted as the ship leapt to warp.. the stars turning into brilliant streaks of light for an instant until the computer system compensated for the massive increase in speed and returned the image to one more recognizable..

tbc...

 

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