Into the near unknown

Posted on Sun Nov 4th, 2018 @ 12:36pm by Captain Ka'Tock & Lieutenant Trei Jansum & Lieutenant JG Sevel

656 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Cloud Surfing
Location: Shuttle Carl Sagan
Timeline: Backpost

*** Adding the Doctor into this for even more fun writing it, as we will have someone to verify life signs and with scans as we are closer to planet.*********


ON

The shuttle preparations were more intense than normal, the shuttles had become loose after the loss of power and had shifted. The type 8 was more damaged by 'kissing the other shuttles that were larger. The twin type 9's had minor damage ascetically from the exterior examination. The Carl Sagan had the lest damage and was apart from the other two so Ka'Tock took it upon himself to prep that shuttle with the ground crew.

The dianostic showed it was 'shaken but not stirred' with little more than scratches in the paint. The system check was assuring as the power grid came on line; Thrusters answered the green while the reactor was giving full potential. Life support, shields, weapons and all engines read green as well.

Calibrating the Navigation proved more tricky; no real reference points in the ready database. Ka'Tock called Astrometrics to get a better chart that the limited memory of a shuttle.

"Shuttle Carl Sagan finalized Pre-Flight checks." Ka'Tock told the two man ground crew making a secondary ground check prior to departure. "Now to wait the passenger." Ka'Tock commented.

At that exact moment, Trei came walking into the shuttle. He sat beside the Klingon at the weapons console, warming up the shields.

"Let's get going," Trei said in his deep voice. "I don't want to spend any more time in this area than we have to."

Arriving at a smooth jogging pace, Sevel slipped through the doors to the shuttlebay as they were still opening for him, catching the medkit he wore strapped over a shoulder to keep it from bumping into anything. His pace only slowed the step before he climbed in the short ramp into the shuttle, offering brief eye contact for acknowledgement but no worse. Settling into position at one of the side-wall stations, he began to strap in.

"You could have worst traveling companions." Ka'Tock closed the hatch. "At least I know some good jokes to kill time ." He had the anti-grav units rising the shuttle off the deck. "I have gotten clearances for launch." He glanced over at the Officer and thought of his old days in the Empire, the gunner always vigilant and Ka'Tock wondered how is the man's 'Trigger Finger' in comparison. "Do keep an eye on sensors as well, we might ask questions first and shoot later my friend."

Trei's hands moved over the console with confidence, his eyes on the screen before him. "There's an M-class planet out there. Oceans, land, and if I am reading this right, lifesigns."

"Altering course to get a better look." Ka'Tock began altering course."

"Resolution increasing now on sensors," came Sevel's cool voice as they crept closer. "Life signs are confirmed."

"Give me an approximation and I will adjust orbit." Ka'Tock said as he angled the shuttle's trajectory.

"Heading 322 mark 287. Almost tropical, looks like."

"Adjusting course." Ka'Tock had the course corrections programmed as the shuttle made a smooth arc into the direction of the target planet. "Going to full impulse, ETA four minutes and some change." He tried that humor thing again.

Ka'Tock was keeping a very close eye on his instrument board; the fix on the ship was a bit harder to keep due to the current condition. Mostly he was using his eyes to monitor the flight as well as the scans to keep the return trip home easier.

Being behind the controls again of a smaller ; be it even tiny, ship made Ka'Tock feel better. The piloting had always been a way for him to relax; his hot blood of his youth also cooled majorly when behind the controls.

Half way to his destination the 'recall order came.

"Time to return to the hangar." Ka'Tock deftly maneuvered the shuttle onto acute turn leg home.

OFF

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