[MISSION START] JP: Captain Rahman, LtCmdrs Blake & DeVeau, "To Boldly Go..." (Part 3)
Deliera Jay
//Captain’s Log, Stardate 239309.17
With the celebrations now over, the Invicta and the other ships in the parade are returning to their respective areas of operation. The skeleton crew of the Venture and I are heading back towards Federation space to rendezvous with the USS Artemis, which will transport the Venture back to the Sol system.
Currently, the twenty officers of the “Venture crew” have been assigned to the following duty posts and stations:
Bridge:
Commanding officer Capt. Roshanara Rahman
First officer Lt. Cmdr. Sky Blake
Chief science officer Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Helmsman Ensign Ryan King
Operations officer Lt. Cmdr. Pandora
Intelligence officer Lt. Cmdr. Rune Jolara
Chief of security Lt. JG Hanar Tuk
Main Engineering:
Chief engineer Lt. Cmdr. Luna Walker
Engineering officer Ensign Iris Macoy
Engineering specialist Lt. Cmdr. Tristam Core
Engineering officer Lt. JG Danni James
Technical consultant Alton Vines
Engineering apprentice/diplomatic officer Ens. Ceilidh Riverview
Sickbay:
Chief medical officer Dr. Raj Blueheart
Medical officer Dr. Rosalee
Medical officer Dr. Umi Kaj
Ship’s counselor Lt. Cmdr. Raissa Moonsong
Science officer Ensign Stiftany Harik
Security officer/SAR team leader Cmdr. Kelrod
Security officer/SAR team member Cmdr. Zhou Tai-Sheng
As I reflect on the past few days, I still have questions left unanswered about what Chatok had said about this ship’s place in history. All evidence points to him being mistaken. The Venture, under the command of Commodore De Luca--who has no relation to me nor my parents’ families on Earth--was operating on the other side of the quadrant at the time of this supposed incident. And as Chatok noted, there are no other records to back up what he claims. Kinan and the other Federation officials have advised to just nod politely and treat it all as an imaginative Klingon poet who enjoyed the chance to tell a tall tale in front of such a high-profile audience.
Still, he met with me later that night, and what I felt from him was genuine and not just a legend or story he’d heard. He truly believed that this ship and my ancestor played such a fundamental role in history. Well, I suppose it’s at least something to ponder and perhaps some part of me wants to believe as well.//
((Bridge, USS Venture))
::And so the rest of the celebrations came and went: a few more nights of stuffy dinners, pictures with the media, and handshakes with politicians. By the time Roshanara and her crew had returned to the Venture to begin the trip back home, she had resisted ordering Walker to give them “everything she’s got” to get the hell out of the Khitomer system.::
::Back at the library computer station, Alora sat.::
::Always in such a hurry, people were, there was little time to really gather one’s wits before they were all gallivanting around. Well, at least out of the Khitomer system. Alora couldn’t understand the hurry - if anything, it was interesting to see a place that contained so much history. Still, orders were orders, and Alora wasn’t going to voice any complaints. Instead, she dutifully kept position at her station, keeping tabs on sensor readings which were constantly running. Thus far, the old bird was running smoothly.::
::Roshanara decided to get out of the captain’s chair and take a quick walk around the bridge. Tristam was down in engineering helping with Walker, who needed all the hands she could get. Even with the automation they’d installed, running what was once a heavy cruiser with a skeleton crew was still rather delicate.::
::She found Lt. Cmdr. Sky Blake sitting at the communications station behind the captain’s chair. She, like the rest of them, were now wearing their 24th century uniforms, though most of them had either removed the jackets or left them open. With the press gone now, there wasn’t any need to play it up for the cameras. Turning over towards the helm, she could almost taste the disappointment from Ensign King.::
::Blake certainly seemed in higher spirits when returning to her regular uniform, back in her pants and red undershirt with her vest over top, now flicking various controls - mainly out of curiosity as to what they *do* more than anything else.::
::Flick, flick, flick.::
::Turns out that the retrofitting meant the buttons and controls here didn’t do much.::
::The captain walked over to the science station next to find Alora.::
Rahman: Well, do you think we should get one of these installed on the Invicta?
::She gestured to the grey viewer that jutted out from the console, supposedly giving the user a direct feed of what the ship’s sensors were reading.::
DeVeau: I don’t know, might be a step back. While things are working fine, they’re working fine for technology of this era. Honestly, compared to what we’re used to, range is limited and input is sluggish. Still, it’s working, and there is a certain charm to it. It’s got its own character.
Rahman: I’m sure we could fabricate one when we get back.
DeVeau: As charming as this baby is, it’s still not quite up to par with our currently technology.
Rahman: Oh, I’m sure we could make some modifications. ::She winked.::
::Alora shook her head, then moved on with the conversation.::
DeVeau: How does the old captain’s chair fit?
::Ha, now that was another “charming” feature of the bridge wasn’t it. Practically a throne in its stature.::
::Roshanara took a moment to look back at the empty chair in the center of the room.::
Rahman: Well, let’s just say it’s a lot more comfortable when you’re not worried about opening your hailing frequencies depending on the way you sit in a skant…
::Alora snorted and then coughed while Blake took the less amused approach to a response.::
Blake: Completely impractical. Whoever decided on the female uniform needs to be shot.
::Technically, it was simply an “alternative” uniform, but given how iconic it had become from that era, most people--including the media--would have expected nothing less.::
::Though it was certainly already quite a bit less.::
::Given that every uniform the women wore had to be made to order because not everyone was exactly the same height as what 22nd century standards predicted. Either all the officers in Starfleet back then were 5’3 or they’d never seen a woman standing at 5’10 wearing a dress. One should not have to be required to adjust the skirt of a *uniform*. This is why Sky preferred the black slacks.::
Rahman: Yes, well… the men certainly seem to enjoy the… “charm” as you put it earlier, Alora.
::Images of Tristam and Zhou with stupid grins on their faces came to mind.::
DeVeau: That’s because men have two brains and sometimes only use the smaller of the two to think.
::The banter of the three women was interrupted just then as the Venture abruptly dropped out of warp. Within seconds, the entire ship began to shudder as it was pulled forward towards something.::
::Roshanara looked back at the viewscreen, but nothing was there. She tapped her combadge while Alora turned her sudden frown to the charming console.::
Rahman: =/\= Bridge to Engineering, what’s going on down there? =/\=
::Evidently though Walker had her hands full as it was Tristam who piped in.::
Core: =/\= Unclear - the ship’s just been pulled into some kind of rift - it’s doing a number on all systems. =/\=
::Roshanara immediately moved towards the front two stations, calling for the shields -- what little they’d manage to muster for the old ship -- to be raised.::
Rahman: Helm, full reverse!
::As the engines roared to life, the starfield on the viewscreen suddenly looked as if it tore itself in two, a brilliant flash of light cutting across for kilometers.::
::The captain yelled out over the commotion of the hull buckling from the strain as every alarm seemed to be going off.::
Rahman: =/\= Tristam, it looks like one of the rifts we encountered last year! Quick, you need to- =/\=
::But then the entire bridge was engulfed in another brilliant flash of light before all went dark.::
TBC…
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Chief Science Officer, USS Venture
M239008AD0
&
Lt. Cmdr. Sky Blake
First Officer, USS Venture
C238803SB0 (I am not a sheep, ser)
&
Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman
Commanding Officer, USS Venture
I238705TZ0