Take Us Out - Part II

Posted on Tue Aug 1st, 2023 @ 2:33am by Captain Ryhl th'Zeles & Commander Chalan Kendri & Lieutenant Commander Rikka Takanashi M.D. & Lieutenant Sava & Commander Jason Elliot
Edited on on Tue Aug 1st, 2023 @ 2:36am

1,050 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Deck 1, Main Bridge, USS Columbia
Timeline: Following Part I

Doctor Takanashi stood sheepishly near one of the auxiliary station trying her best to 'stay out of the way'.

Sava had, meanwhile, been gazing over her holographic console in awe. She'd never had the opportunity to try out such systems; every ship she'd been on used the old style touch screens that was still in wide use, after all. Just touching the display felt unreal; the hologram was slightly warm to the touch and had a weird sort of give to it that almost felt semi-solid. Interesting.

Lieutenant Tomm, the Security Chief, approached his console currently manned by Lt. Sava.

“Extraordinary isn’t it? I’ve seen many a console but none can match this one. Sorry, Sava, didn’t mean to startle you. I’ve been aboard almost 6 years and it still exciting. I’ll relieve you, Lieutenant. Go get some rest. Oh, I understand you have a springball tournament coming up. Mind if I join?”,
Tomm joked.

He glanced toward the Command Center and said, “Captain, Commander, all stations report ready. Weapons, shields, all tactical systems operating under normal parameters.”

"Very good, Lieutenant Tomm", Ryhl said as he turned toward his tactical station. "I'd rather Miss Sava stick around." It was only then Ryhl noticed that Doctor Takanashi was on the bridge. "Show her the ropes on how the console operates", Ryhl said with a nod.

The Commander knew the doctor would have rather stayed in sickbay for the launch. He hoped in the future she'd look back fondly on the memory of this launch and be glad she saw it from the bridge.

Ryhl offered a polite half-smile towards Rikka. "Thank you for joining us, Doctor Takanashi." The bridge lurched and shook slightly as Lt. Razka's inputs propelled the behemoth forward. Ryhl steadied himself in his seat, still facing backwards.

Jason ventured on to the bridge for the first time, he looked around taking the unfolding events in.

The Commander turned to shift in his seat, waving Jason towards a panel along the front left side of the bridge. "Mister Elliot, welcome! Please take your seat at the Intel station." Ryhl grinned proudly. "Ops worked to set this one up specially. You'll have access to sensors, probes, communication intercepts and a few other things I'll tell you about later."

Ryhl looked ahead to study the viewscreen. The Columbia drifted forward at quite a high impulse speed. There was still some distance to cover, as the ship had moored quite far from the Spacedock class starbase.

The image of Starbase 74's enormous frame slowly grew in the viewscreen as they approached at relatively high impulse speeds.

"Steady, Mister Razka", Commander th'Zeles said while grasping his chin, leaning forward and resting his elbow on his thigh. He sat up a moment later thinking the posture was unbecoming. As his posture became rigid, his antennae became more active. The two cerulean stalks leaned forward before curling in and outwards repeatedly.

"I'm one with the ship, Sir," Kas said. "I will guide this fine vessel, we will voyage boldly into the void."

Lt. Commander Chalan took her seat to the right of the command chair, and sat perched on the edge.

The Columbia slowed down as it approached SB74, the computer firing a timed reverse thruster sequence tuned to Lt. Razka's input. Soon only part of the station's hulk could be seen on the viewscreen as they approached.

A creaking sound accompanied a rocking motion on the bridge. The axis of the bridge shifted slightly diagonally towards the station, effects minimized by the Columbia's powerful inertial dampeners.

To make the sweeping turn, the Columbia rolled onto its port side and banked hard. This revealed a top down view of the Odyssey class to the rear and opposite side of the station as the ship wrapped around in a painfully tight arc.

=/\= Meanwhile.. Aboard Starbase 74 =/\=

In the bustling offices of Starbase 74, Lieutenant Commander Wayne Williams, an administrative officer, sat at his desk. He was surrounded by stacks of PADDs filled with data waiting for his review. He diligently sifted through the information, brows furrowed in concentration. The panoramic window in front of him offered a spectacular view of the spacedock's surroundings. Lt. Cmdr. Williams was too engrossed in his work to notice anything unusual.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a shadow, and Williams looked up just in time to see a massive shape passing by the window at close range. His eyes widened in shock as the colossal form of the USS Columbia, the grand Odyssey class starship, loomed over the starbase. The sight was breathtaking. He couldn't believe how close the enormous vessel was.

In his surprise, Wayne knocked his arm into the stack of PADDs on his desk, sending them flying into the air. He barely registered the chaos as he continued to stare, awestruck, at the magnificent starship outside the window. The Columbia's sleek lines and powerful engines were a sight to behold. Wayne couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and wonder.

The air was filled with a symphony of clattering as the PADDs landed on the floor, the desk, and even on top of Williams himself. But he paid them no mind, his attention fixated on the majestic starship passing by.

Colleagues from nearby offices rushed to see what had startled Lt. Cmdr. Williams, and they, too, were taken aback by the massive shape of the USS Columbia. Some gasped in awe, while others marveled at the sheer size and grace of the large vessel.

As the Columbia continued its course, Williams finally tore his gaze away from the window, his heart still pounding with excitement. He couldn't believe his luck to witness such a spectacle up close. With a sheepish grin, he began to collect the scattered PADDs, chuckling to himself. The others spoke excitedly amongst themselves as they returned to their tasks.

Off

Commander th’Zeles
Commanding Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Commander Chalan Kendra
Executive Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Commander Rikka Takanashi, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Razka Kas
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Kobi Tomm
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Junior Grade Jason Elliot
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Junior Grade Sava
Security Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Shanir Th’kaasnik
Operations Officer
USS Columbia

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