Departure
Posted on Wed Dec 11, 2019 @ 1:38pm by Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Commander Cullen Walker & Lieutenant Commander Miguel Torres & Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Lieutenant Arashi Tanaka Mr. & Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD & Senior Chief Petty Officer Samantha Summers & Admiral Alan Markus
1,906 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Nibiru
Location: USS Victory
[Bridge]
Stepping out of the turbolift, a mug of coffee in hand the Captain was struck again by the size of the ships command center. It would take a little getting used to. But on the flip side, during shifts with Crewman Derfurz the larger space might prove beneficial. Especially if he ate those god awful pickled Brussels sprouts again.
Heading toward the dias where the Captains chair was located, she noted most of the crew was present. A few still needed to get their rumps on gear and get to their stations but they still had a few minutes before they would be disconnecting the Victory from Starbase power, uncoupling from the berthing where the ship had rested since its arrival and returning to space.
“Ensign, put me on the 1MC.” Kennit ordered.
“System active Captain.”
“Attention all hands. This is the Captain. We will begin decoupling procedures in 15 minutes. All personnel should report to their duty stations and prepare for departure.”
/\ This is Engineering, we're ready and this engine is raring to go. /\
“Acknowledges. We are on schedule to depart in 30 minutes.” the Captain let her CEO know. Then, as her coffee mug was mysteriously empty yet again, she got up and headed back to the ready room for a refill.
T'Mira had just completed her log entry. She raised an eyebrow at the call. Fifteen minutes was a short time. She headed out of her quarters and towards her office. She wouldn't be needed on the bridge for this but she could monitor things from the office and lend assistance when needed.
Zack came off the turbolift, stopped near the helm. "I apologize for being late.." Then he headed to his station. He was late because Bry had purchased an Orion slave girl costume. Then she somehow dyed her skin green, plus she had applied an aphrodisiac to her skin, so when he entered their quarters, she was already dancing to some music.
Needless to say, he didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
Penny nodded to him out of courtesy as he sat down, then looked back to her boards. "Captain, helm's responding, and we're ready to disengage on your command." Fifteen minutes was an eternity, and she was doing her best not to bounce in her seat. She was more than ready to get back out there.
Walker was in the turbo lift. He had to wait for it. He was sniffing the turbolift. He laughed when he figured out what the smell was. "Computer, increase the O2 scrubbers in the turbolift." He stepped out of the turbolift. He had a good enough sense of smell that he knew it was transfer smell. He stepped out of the turbolift, he could smell it here too. "Computer, increase O2 scrubbers on the bridge too." Makes eye contact with Nicole because she is probably the only other person who could smell it the way he did. She would also understand his potential negative reaction.
Nicole had walked across the bridge from one of the Engineering stations back to her medical station, trying to coordinate a few systems and felt her head reeling from the overwhelming scent suddenly in the air. She nodded to Walker as he ordered the computer to adjust the environmental controls, and angled over to that station to also increase the air filtration throughout the ship. She shook her head to clear it and once she was sufficiently away from the center dais took a few breaths to steady herself and clear her head. After making her adjustments, she returned to her station, watching readouts from Sickbay scroll by.
Returning to the Bridge with coffee mug filled once more, the Captain stopped dead in her tracks as a pungent, sharp stench assaulted her nose. It rather smelled as if someone had either fired off a truly potent blast or else flat out soiled themselves. Still standing motionless, an expression of disgust on her face she said “Who just died in here.”
Zack, sitting at the ops station, hadn't noticed the smell when he entered the bridge...but now that the captain said something...he now did notice the smell. At first, to his horror, he thought it might have been him, but even though he overslept, he did manage to grab a shower before reporting for duty. His hands worked the ops console, calling up the environmental controls, trying to determine the cause of the smell.
Walker answered, "Whoever I followed up on the turbolift smelled of pungent aphrodisiacs, based on the amount, probably trace transfer that didn't wash well. Those things tend to take a few washes. A level that humans probably couldn't smell, but a few of us are closer to animals. I just didn't any of us animals getting excited. I turned up the O2 scrubbers trying to avoid this conversation."
Zack heard Walker mention "aphrodisiacs"...his face probably redden with embarrassment...not because of that happened last night...just that he didn't make sure that no one could determine who was the source of the "odor".
Camille came up in a separate turbolift, one which was clean and offered her no clue of the strange conversation happening already on the bridge. She decided not to acknowledge the topic and proceeded right to her station. She touched Penny’s shoulder, winked to Nicole, and smiled at Zack as she passed them all. “Good morning, Captain, Commander,” she politely said to the Captain and XO.
Zack nodded to Camille.
Nicole blew her a kiss subtly from her station and turned back to her screen.
Penny's head tilted and she flicked her wrist, her silver wand slipping out of her sleeve. She scanned the area and watched the blinking lights, groaning in her head. She quickly turned in her seat. "Captain, I'm receiving a message regarding one of the docking ports malfunctioning. Could I borrow Mister Logan? It shouldn't take more than ten minutes."
“Be my guest Miss Naroot.” the Captain answered. “So long as you are back in time for our scheduled departure. If not someone else will have the pleasure of piloting this ship into space for the first time as an operational member of Starfleet. The other flights don’t count..”
"Thank you," she said, standing and grabbing Zack by the arm, pulling him into a turbolift.
As the turbolift doors closed, Penny sighed. "Deck three," she said. "So...biology is fun, huh?"
"So I guess my fears have been confirmed....I am the source of that odor." Zack was embarrassed.
"Yeah, human body chemistry is weird," she said. "Pores are supposed to let out sweat, but they also take in things and trap it. So, even if you shower, as you perspire things still seep out, especially if you wallowed in it for an hour." They stepped out of the lift and she pulled him to her quarters, taking him inside. "Sorry about the mess," she said, idly, throwing stuff around till she found a spare medkit.
She opened it up and grabbed a hypospray. "Lucky for you there's a nurse on hand." She programmed the hypo and pressed it to his neck. "That should neutralize the chemicals in you and you should be clear by the time we get back to the bridge. Just...maybe take a good soak in clear water tonight."
"Thank you for this. I'll make sure to be better prepared next time." Zack replied.
Penny sighed. "Yeah. Well better get back to the bridge, before they leave without us." She moved past him and ran out of her quarters and back to the turbolift.
Eight-point-seven minutes later--under ten as promised--Penny stepped out of the tubolift and back to the helm, rechecking her boards. "Docking clamps ready to disengage," she said.
Zack stepped off the turbolift just after Penny arrived. He moved to his station, sat down, and brought up the ship's power levels on his screen.
“Hail Station Control. Request permission to disengage docking clamps and disconnect from station power.“ The Captain ordered.
Walker checked his control panel for department check ins to be sent in.
T'Mira's hands worked over the panel in front of her. She send in her department's readiness for the new journey. All her reports were in and Starfleet's new updates were loaded.
Arashi had just finished putting his gear up in his room and after inventorying the personal weapons for the ship he checked in with the ship. He headed to the tactical station and reported in. "Security reports ready. Tactical reports ready." He said and waited for the ship to depart.
"Science reports ready," Camille added from her station.
"Sickbay ready," Nicole said, turning in her seat to sit back and watch.
Zack pressed the comm button. "Station control. This is the USS Victory. Requesting permission to disengage docking clamps and connection to station power."
“Permission granted. Authorization for disengaging o king clamps and station power is approved. You are clear for departure. Maneuvering thrusters only until you are clear of the docking bay and docking bay doors.”
Aware that every viewing port on the station which granted a view of the massive cavernous docking bay had groups of onlookers there to watch as the new starship departed, the Captain entered a series of commands into the computer terminal at her seat and then said, “Lt. Naroot, take us out if you please..and... don't scratch the paint.”
"Aye, Captain," Penny said. As the clamps released, she started up the thrusters, letting the ship pull slowly away from the station. She eased them away and brought them back slowly towards the opening to the spacelanes.
As the ship began to slowly move, over the stations loudspeakers music began to play.. the theme to a very old movie about the American Old West from the early 20th century... a small farewell from the Victor’s Captain as the ship set out...just for fun. It played on the bridge as well, accompanied by a slightly playful sparkle in Kennit’s green eyes.
Walker grinned at the music.
Penny tilted her head and adjusted their speed, making their exit into space coincide with a swell in the music, and brought them around for a beauty pass across the starbase.
"Captain. Power levels normal. Scanners show normal space traffic in the area. All systems show green, ma'am." Zack reported.
"Ready for heading, Captain," Penny said.
“Helm, as soon as we have cleared the exclusion zone around the station, set course bearing one-six-six, mark oh-two-nine. Warp factor 8.”
"Aye, Captain," Penny said. They swung around again, the base now behind them, the stars in front of them. She pushed them ahead at full impulse, and as the music hit its final note, kicked the engines and they shot forward.
"Engineering. Status report." Kennit asked, keeping an eye on the ship's warp drive readout even as she requested the update. With a new ship, one just couldn't be too careful after all.
/\ All systems green, this baby is ready to run./\ the smile on Torres' face could be heard through his voice.
"All right then. Let see what she's got." the Captain answered. "Lieutenant Naroot. Initiate high speed maneuvers test program Gamma 9. Full program."
Zack kept an eye on the power levels, and his scans showed no other ships in the immediate area.
(This is what’s playing : https://youtu.be/uwPI80EALPU )
~*~
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