SD241711.26 - Joint Duty Log - StOPS & Sails - "Embarkation"
Posted on Sun Nov 26th, 2017 @ 5:18pm by Sails-at-Dawn Mr & Captain Karl Williams
1,200 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Test Mission
Location: USS Versailles
Timeline: Current
=^= Civilian Dock 7 =^=
The turbolift murmured to a halt near the docks, outside any security provisions. Since he was leaving the station this time, and not just performing maintenance on one of the ships, Sails knew he had to pass through Security properly. After all, he needed to leave properly if he wanted to return without problems.
He stepped forwards as the doors opened, and move quickly towards the docking ports.
"Ah, my favourite client! Hello, hello, good to see you." slimed his pilot, catching sight of Sails and slipping past a group of ship-watchers to fall into step beside him.
Six-foot Ferengis were unusual, but this one got even more funny looks due to his name; "Fork". A historically significant name on his home Ferengi colony, it still made people titter. Somehow the name translated into "eating utensil" through the universal translator, regardless of the dialect. This, despite the fact that the ancient hero "Fork" was an accountant who founded the colony after embezzling funds from his affluent employer.
As if to compensate for his height, Fork hunched himself over as he moved, naked greed shining through his smile as he rubbed two hands together at the thought of the profit he was making on this trip. Truly, if it weren't for his height, this Ferengi would be a living cliche.
=^= Civilian Shuttle Idaho Gonzalez =^=
"Welcome, sir, welcome to my humble shuttle!" Fork cried, casting his hands wide and almost standing up straight. Next to him, a pipe made a squeaking noise and gave a small puff of steam. Quick as a snake, the Ferengi put a hand over the pipe and smiled smoothly, trying to look like he was just leaning.
"...I'm going to die in here, aren't I?" Sails asked, deadpan. His normal polite deference absent when it was *his* Latinum being spent. Especially when it was being spent on a shuttle that clearly wasn't worth the money. If it weren't for the fact that few other shuttles were prepared to go too far away from the station without an escort...
"Nonsense! This shuttle is in fine condition! Merely a tricky steam pipe, I assure you! The safety systems are all approved! Yes, yes, see here!" he announced, providing a certificate on a padd which announced to the world that this shuttle had been, on one sunny day three years ago, just barely suitable for public use.
"Let's just go, before I come to my senses." Sails replied, sitting in the passenger seat and ignoring what the stained fabric was likely doing to the back of his suit.
"Of course, of course." Fork replied, slumping into the pilot seat and hammering the console into life. "Ahem! This is Civilian Shuttle Idaho Gonzalez to Versailles. Can you hear me?" he asked, genuinely concerned that the comm system was broken again.
=^= Ops, SB Versailles =^=
Karl was looking over the expected station traffic reports when he suddenly heard a beep from the console. Setting the reports aside for a moment, he took a couple of steps to the side and activated the comm channel, listening to the message as it played.
"Idaho Gonzales, this is Versailles." Karl stated, waiting to hear back.
*pppssssshhhhhpppttthhhhhpppttt* the speaker replied, starting with a standard static-hiss, and ending with a noise like a whoopy-cushion.
Karl blinked as he heard the response back. Either there was something extremely wrong with the com system,. or the shuttle was running some pretty old equipment.
"One moment Idaho, picking up a little bit of static on your side of the channel..just going to try and increase the EM filtering a little more.." he said as his hands flew across the console. "There, try again please?"
*click-click* "Yes yes, hello. Requesting permission to depart." Fork continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted by the momentary failure of his comm system.
"Checking traffic patterns..." Karl started to look through, wondering if the comm system was in that kind of shape, whether or not there was any chance of it getting out of the bay under its own power. "Pattern is clear for the next 15 minutes, Idaho Gonzales.. if you can clear the bay in that window then you're all clear."
"Good good, yes thank you. Idaho out." Fork replied, followed by a series of beeps as Fork tried to close the connection, followed by a thump and a noise that (to the trained ear) sounded like a comm panel powering down.
"...Is that how you normally close a comm channel?" Sails asked,
his voice still coming loud and clear through the speaker in Karl's console.
"Yes yes, fine ship, comm console need tweaking, all fine now." Fork replied, followed by even more beeping, thumping, and a nasal Ferengi curse muttered under his breath.
"Why aren't we moving?" Sails inquired, a brief crackle interrupting the transmission before clearing up a moment later. Though the shuttle's comm panel had clearly seen better days, it seemed the transmitter's auto-tuning circuit was now working again.
"Fine fine ship, cold start, warming up." said Fork. This was followed by more thumping, crashing, banging, a rather alarming high-pitched alarm wail, a fizzing sound as the alarm shorted out, and the sound of a thruster control system activating.
"Ok, we're moving." Sails noted, his voice still coming out of Karl's console.
Karl frowned as he heard the noises coming through the comm channel, wondering whether to alert the damage control teams now or later.
"Yes yes, fine ship, all good now. The adventure awaits!" Fork cried, having memorized that line from a hew-mon action movie.
"...Are the bay walls meant to be moving like that?"
"Yes yes, all fine, all fine."
"All rolly-polly...we're tumbling aren't we."
"No no.."
Karl continued to listen, a hand rubbing across his face in exasperation. He typed up a quick message through to the Shuttle Bay to stand by to deploy crash teams, his hand hovering over the "Send" button until he knew they were 100% necessary. He hoped they weren't, but his confidence was sapping fast.
"Yes yes." Sails stopped himself, not wanting to absorb his pilot's bad English. "We're clear of the dock, but we're tumbling through the bay. Those people look very alarmed down there."
"No no, just testing thrusters, all fine, yes yes."
"Erm, we're getting close to the maintenance area. Quite close in fact. Fork, fix the ship. Fix it now please!"
"No no, all fine, all fi..."
*CRASH*
*CLATTER*
Karl winced on hearing the crash, and decided that enough was enough.
"Versailles to Idaho Gonzales - you left your comm channel open, are you sure you are ready for departure? I can provide an alternate window if necessa-" he was cut off by another yell over the comm
"YOU HIT A SHIP! YOU HIT...let me out right now."
Karl sighed and began again. "Please confirm Idaho Gonzales, are you damaged?"
"No, no! Just boxes! Just boxes! See, all level and fine now. We leave quickly, yes." Fork added hastily, the humm of an impulse engine followed shortly by the sound of warp engines engaging, and the comm channel cutting off.
=^= End of Log =^=
Captain Karl Williams
Chief of Strategic Operations
USS Versailles
&&
Sails-at-Dawn
Handyman
USS Versailles
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