T Minus 55

Posted on Thu Dec 29th, 2022 @ 10:07pm by Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Ty-Yak Novo & Commander Lucy Heartfilia & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D.
Edited on on Mon Jan 16th, 2023 @ 8:33am

1,247 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Deck 1: Bridge; Deck 6: Briefing Room
Timeline: M1 MD06 (2268.21.05) 0800

T-55 until the U.S.S. Midway was set to leave spacedock and set out for its abbreviated shakedown cruise. After passing the required tests she would be formally commissioned and be assigned to active duty. The ship’s skeleton crew were pulling double shifts to make sure the ship was ready. Captain Faust himself hadn’t left the bridge since midnight and it was now 0800. He was finishing the dregs of a cup of coffee his yeoman had given him an hour ago. He paused for a moment and then hit the intercom, “Senior officers to the briefing room,” he said before he stood up.

Marc was having a quiet cup of coffee when the call came through. 'Not another meeting.', since he'd come aboard he'd gone from one meeting to the next. He'd been transported from Midway to Starbase 1 and back again so often he was wondering if he had all of his atoms and the like. He grabbed his notebook, slipping it into his lab coat pocket and headed for the door.

Lucy pulled herself out of her chair at the Science station on the bridge and nodded towards the Captain.

The Captain and First Officer ran into the doctor in the corridor outside of the briefing room, "Good morning," Tristan responded, "Sorry for the interruption but I figured we could all use a breather."

"Morning. I wouldn't mind one at all." Marc said rather somberly. 'I'm beginning to remember why I suspended my commission…', he thought to himself.

The doors to the briefing room opened, “And I figured breakfast would be appreciated as well,” Tristan responded, motioning towards the table at the far end of the room. The white tablecloth adorned table featured a hot breakfast buffet with fine china.

"Tris, your father would never forgive me if he heard this, but your certainly have your ma's flair for presentation that's for sure." Marc said as he slapped the kid on the shoulder. "Ladies first."

Lucy walked through into the small briefing room. She sat at one side of the triangle shaped table and tapped on the computer console. “I’ll take note since we’re short of a comms officer” she said.

"Thank you Commander," Tristan responded. He was already at the buffet piling eggs onto his plate along with a bagel, "This shouldn't be too strenuous of a meeting… I more want to get a sense of how the crew is performing since we are at zero hour," he explained.

"Glad to be leaving port. I've had to bite my tongue more than once in the past few days. A few days of routine travel should settle a few hair tempers." Marc said pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Is this real cream or synthesized."

"Synthesized Doctor." The steward said as he brought in a bowel of mixed fruit on ice. Marc grimaced, to say he was picky about his food was being polite, not really, he knew full well they said you couldn't tell replicated dairy from the real thing, but he swore the replicated stuff always tasted saltier.

Marc had fixed himself a small plate. "If I'm a sucker for anything in this life its raspberry preserves on sourdough." He said with a chuckle. "Tris have you had time to talk to Engineering about that door we were talking about?"

"Sorry about the synthesized cream, unfortunately I'm not an Admiral so some luxuries are beyond my reach," Tristan responded as he sat down at the table. "I did, they said once we are underway they'll see what they can do. This is something usually done in the yard. If I had known, I could have had it done while the ship was devoid of bulkheads," he continued as Marc sat down directly across from him.

Marc swallowed his mouthful of food. "It was something Amato brought up that just makes sense. With the primary lab and primary sickbay next to one another ....." He took a sip from his coffee. "If it can be great, if it can't be so be it. Frankly it's one of those things the construction engineers never seem to think of."

"Makes sense," Tristan responded and then looked around, "Speaking of engineering, I don't see Novo here..." He leaned over and tapped the comm unit, "Captain to Engineering," he said. He was met with static, so he tried again, "Captain to Engineering..."

"Oh for the guidance of the Guardians would you leave that piece of... Oh, Engineering here," came a voice through the intercom.

"Mr. Novo, I believe I called you and the rest of the senior staff to the briefing room ages ago," Tristan said into the intercom.

"Been a bit busy skipper," Novo responded, "Those damn yard monkeys left time bombs all over the ship and they are just starting to go off..."

"Dr. Kitchner was asking me..." Tristan started before he could finish.

"Is this about sawbones' door? I'll get someone one it as soon as I... Would you put that thing down before you cause a plasma leak?! I'll..."

"Talk to you later," Tristan responded as he hit the intercom. He raises his eyebrows and rolled his eyes, "I guess someone will get around to it soon."

Marc sat there with a smirk on his face. "He sounds like a real peach." He then shook his head in half disbelief.

"He's a fine engineer and a friend. We've served together before," Tristan responded, "Although he's a bit... Eccentric. He's fairly harmless though." He chuckled slightly as he took another sip from his cup of coffee.

Within the next few minutes, the rest of the senior staff or their alternates took their seats around the briefing room table. Tristan set his cup of coffee down onto the table and started to speak, "Thanks everyone for attending this last minute briefing. I'll quickly run down the outline for the shakedown cruise. After leaving dock, we will engage the impulse drive and run a ring around the solar system gradually increasing speed until we hit full impulse. Once we are satisfied with the result, Mr. Venturini you lay in a course for Starbase 10. Helm will engage at Warp 1, again gradually increasing until we reach warp 9. Once we reach emergency warp, we will dial back to warp 5 and cruise the rest of the way. Once at Starbase 10 we are scheduled for battle drills to test the weapons and defensive systems. During the voyage all departments will run down their equipment, log and correct any deficiencies… Any questions?"

The acting chief helmsman, Lieutenant Norman Fuller raised his hand, "Sir, what is our assignment? As in what's in store for us after we complete the shakedown cruise?" he asked.

Tristan paused for a moment, "After the cruise is complete, we will operate out of Starbase 10, which coordinates all fleet operations around the region of space known as the Borderland or The Triangle, since this area of space is the triangular gap of contested frontier between the Federation, Romulans and the Klingons. Up until this point Star Fleet has been hesitant to assign any ship heavier than a Ares-class to the area due to the rick of provoking either power, but now thinks a Constitution-class may stabilize the area... I suppose we shall see."

--
Captain Tristan Faust - Commanding Officer

Lt. Commander Lucy Heartfilia - Executive Officer

Lt. Commander Marc Kitchener, M.D. - Chief Medical Officer

 

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