Before the launch

Posted on Wednesday 30 October 2024 @ 11:24 by Captain Melody Jones & Commander Caroline Miller & Lieutenant Commander Ras th'Zaanaq & Lieutenant JG Zirvell Khen & Ensign Tridi

Mission: Moopsy Mania
Location: Main Bridge
Timeline: MD3 1900
1470 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Captain's log supplemental: We are preparing for the 1st trial run of the new experimental shuttle. For this, we have picked an area of uninhabited space en route to Irwin station. Once Commander Seklar is satisfied that the new shuttle is safe, finally I might get a chance to pilot it myself.


Melody walked onto the bridge. "Helm bring us out of warp and scan the vicinity."

Ensign Tridi nodded to the Captain and turned toward the Flight Control console, "Aye Captain. Slowing to Impulse and initiating scans." The green furred alien's fingers maneuvered over the console and its auxiliary displays, "transferring scan data to the main viewer."

Ras rose from the Command seat as the Captain approached and moved towards his own chair. "Captain." He said with a respectful nod as a way handing back the reigns of the ship to her proper master.

Melody acknowledged him. "Good evening Number One. Engineering has finally finished the new experimental shuttle and this looks like as good a place as any for its first test flight. A nice quiet isolated sector of space. Once the test flight begins, we'll keep up as long as we can until the shuttle exceeds our maximum warp speed. Commander Seklar will hold her course and speed for a further minute then reverse her course and return to the Merlin. Not a long first flight but still noteworthy."

"Good evening, ma'am. Sounds like a reasonable length test to begin with. Will be enough to analyse the flight data and make any necessary changes or adjustments for future tests." The Andordian replied. "May I suggest having emergency teams on standby? I'm sure the Commander's shuttle test flight will go according to plan but better to be safe than sorry."

Melody nodded with approval. "Good thinking Number One, make it so."

Ras nodded before turning to his small console screen by his seat and began entering commands to make the necessary arrangements.

"Sorry I'm late," Caroline said appearing and taking her designated seat. "My last session ran over."

The ensign had been very upset just wanting his Nexus experience back. She couldn't have left him so emotional.

"What did I miss?" she asked taking her seat. She didn't understand any of the science of what they were going to try but was aware it was a very important test.

"You've not missed anything yet Commander, we're just about to have the first test flight of our new experimental shuttle. Should give us an idea of how fast she can run."

Melody tapped the comm panel on her chair arm. "Bridge to main shuttle bay, report."

Ensign Cooper's voice came back "Looking good down here Captain. We've established an active telemetry link with the shuttle and all sensor data will be streamed back via a subspace transponder we've installed."

"Starting up preliminary flight check as we speak captain," the Vulcan answered as he went through the checklist, "my vital signs will also be reported to sickbay, as is required. I am ready for takeoff captain." He gave Charlie a thumbs up through the window as the hatch closed and the shuttle started to hover.

Charlie returned the thumbs up and then started heading over to the control booth and the back of the bay. Once she entered, all the staff on duty turned to her, awaiting instructions.

"Activate the forcefield and open the bay doors." Charlie ordered as she sat down, keeping her eyes on the monitors.

"Shuttle Griffin, you are cleared for launch. Once you have cleared the bay, take up position 100 km off the starboard beam and match course." She tapped her comm badge "Shuttle bay to bridge, launch is underway. Standby."

Tapping a control on his workstation, Tridi put the shuttle on the viewscreen so that the Bridge Crew could watch the departure.

Seklar smoothly glided the brand new shuttle out of the bay, his sensitive heating picking up a gentle fizz as the hull connected with the forcefield. "Matching course and speed," he announced as he reached the indicated distance, "engines ready for test flight. All monitors are green."

In sickbay, Zirvell watched the medical output of the Vulcan engineer. "Vitals stable," he announced over a second comm line, meant for the command staff only.



On the bridge, Melody settled into the Captain's chair. "Helm prepare to follow the Shuttle in warp." Then over the comm link. "The board is green Commander. Good luck. On your command."

The Jyracan Ensign remained silent as the Captain issued her orders, simply nodding crisply in response as his furry green fingers danced over the flight controls. He set the computer navigation system to lock in on the shuttle and maintain a respectable distance from it at all times. If needed though he'd switch to manual to keep up with them if he had to.

"Emergency teams are on standby." The First Officer reported.

The shuttlecraft lept into warp speed followed closely by the Merlin, both ships accelerating rapidly until they were both approaching warp 9.

"Merlin to shuttle, you're clear to engage the enhanced engines."

"Understood," the Vulcan answered," increasing warp speed." He called off every increase in speed, compensating where necessary to prevent the shuttle from shaking. "Warp 9.8, warp 9.9, 9.95, 9.993,...." the shuttle was shaking, but everything was still showing green. Just to be safe he set the autopilot to return to the ship after a set distance.

As the shuttle passed the Merlin's maximum speed it started to pull ahead. On the viewscreen, Melody could see the shuttle growing smaller. She could also see a tumour staring in the fuselage which was not a good sign.

"Jones to Cooper, how it looking down there?"

Cooper was monitoring proceedings very closely. She had picked up on the vibration. "Everything is still green down here Captain but the shields are been affected by the increased velocity. Commander, can you transmit the sensors reading and reading from your bio monitor?


"Readings transmitting," he announced even as he felt gravity increase for some reason, pressing him into his seat. "Deflector operational, shields about to collapse..."

He didn't know how long he was calling out readings but just as the shuttle reached the point of return, his vision greyed out. Before passing out he remembered to engage the autopilot.

From the shuttle bay, Cooper reported "Autopilot has taken over. The shuttle is decelerating and revering course as planned. Commander? Commander Seklar can you still hear me?"

There was no response.

"Captin, The Commander's vitals are still coming through strong and the comm link is still active. I don't know why he's not responding.

"Let's hope it's nothing serious," Melody replied, trying to keep the concern out of her voice.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we're unable to continue to give chase as we had been," the furry helmsman explained as he input a series of commands on the console.

"Captain, I'm still receiving the telemetry from the shuttle," Charlie reported. "I can confirm it's on a return trajectory to the Merlin. It's accelerating again. it shouldn't take long to get back to us."

"Helm, reverse engines, all Stop." Melody ordered. "We'll let the shuttle return to us, what's it's ETA Ensign?"

Tridi nodded, pressing a single button on the control console to slow the Merlin to a stop. He checked his own readouts to confirm how long it would take to intercept to report, when his process was interrupted.

Cooper responded instantly. "At its present speed, 5 minutes and I think I've found the problem. As a small synchronisation error between the IDF and the warp drive. It's very slight, that's why we didn't pick it up before. Don't worry, the Commander isn't in any danger and we should be able to correct it before the next fight."

Melody was counting the minutes until finally, with a flash of light the shuttle dropped out of warp not far from the Merlin.

As soon as she was satisfied the shuttle was undamaged, she was on her feet heading for the turbolift. "Lock on a tractor beam and bring the shuttle back in the hanger, beam Commander Sekar to Sickbay, That's where I'll be. Number one you have the bridge." She then added over the comm link "Ensign Cooper I want a full analysis of the ship and its logs. As soon as Commander Seklar is able to, I want a full staff briefing to go over the results."


To be continued in "Recovery"


OFF:

USS Merlin


●●●● Captain Melody Jones
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin

● Ensign Tridi
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Merlin


Lieutenant j.g. Zirvell Khen
Chief Medical Officer

Commander Seklar
Acting Chief Engineer
pnpc Zirvell

Lt. Commander Ras th'Zaanaq
Executive Officer