JP: Lt. TK Cabrillo, Ensign Lhandon Nilsen, Ensign Josh Herrick, Nurse Rox: Remnant of Chaos Pt. 4
Thomas Sanderson
((Foxy Lady))
TK looked at Rox for a moment. Was she joking or was she serious? Probably serious which did not bode well for them if the ship jumped in and out of autopilot whenever it wanted to. TK looked back over to Nilsen and grinned.
Cabrillo: ::pushing off the wall and starting aft to the engines:: You can be Giligand, Mr. Nilsen.
Lhandon took a moment or two to ponder over that comment, and then pulled a face that said….
Nilsen: Did you just insult ::Turning to Rox:: Did he just say I was clumsy?
Rox: ::walking out:: Anybody wanna see if we can get a better meal out of the replicator? Or further aft you can see the engine access.
Josh was a bit unsure about the misdirection from Rox. Of course, he had known that they wouldn’t be getting to the ceiling of the galaxy but he hoped that what they had were in store. He elected to take up Rox’s suggestion of taking a look at the replicator to see what was wrong. He started tapping through the internal diagnostics.
Nilsen: I’d be interested to know how the thrusters are fed. Would be good to know where they pull their power from incase something goes wrong.
Cabrillo: Come with me and we will find out. I want to make sure we can get home in this flying crate.
Herrick: I wouldn’t be surprised if almost all the systems have been tangled together in a hot mess based on what our LT found here. For example, ::tapping a few more buttons on the panel beside the food slot:: it looks like there are some wild power fluctuations going on here that are impacting the processor. They look similar to the levels I’m seeing from the engines.
Nilsen: Wild power fluctuations. Yeah they ain’t fun when they hit the engines.:
While the engineers explored the aft part of the ship Rox made her way back to the control room. To her dismay the autopilot had indeed disengaged. Luckily they were not too far off course. Rox had hoped to follow the same course into the system that she and V’Len had followed out. Now they would be on a slightly different approach. Still they were just flying through empty space. Once again checking the ship’s systems Rox plopped down in the pilot seat. She had not thought herself tired enough to nod off, but she must have because a wrenching shutter brought her back from her repose. She frantically looked up to the window to see the stars were gone, replaced by a sort of tunnel of blue haze. Checking her course she found they were still going the correct way, but all the stars were gone. She opened the internship comms.
Rox: Hey TK? What do you suppose the inside of a subspace corridor looks like?
Nilsen: A what? ::Lhandon starts to make his way back to the control room::
Cabrillo: ::looking between the others:: On our way Rox.
A moment later all three men were back in the control room, sitting back down at each of the spots they had picked when first boarding.
Rox: ::mildly annoyed:: How should I know how we got here? I was just flying along.
Nilsen: ::Picking up on Rox’s annoyance:: They don’t just open? Wasn’t there anything on sensors.
Herrick: Well, that’s the tricky part. Some spontaneously open and close and it takes us just being in the wrong spot at the right time to slip in or out — I’m not sure how much we can count on the quality of these sensors… they leave a lot to be desired. Is anyone reading anything?
Cabrillo: Great, so we were in the wrong place, at the right time while in warp? ::beat: lady luck is not on our side today.
Fortunately they did not have long to wonder about the subspace corridor because the ship was abruptly released from it. Before them was a large blue green gas giant, but the view of it was mostly obscured by a large mass of rock floating in front of them.
Rox: Hang on!
Nilsen: FULL REVERSE…like now maybe?
The thought of throwing this bucket of bolts into FULL REVERSE was insane. TK looked up at the bulkheads waiting for something to shear off.
Cabrillo: Hold together girl, hold together.
Rox moved the lever down to 4 and the ship slowed abruptly. Rox hauled on the steering controls causing the ship to roll and dive away from the asteroid. The inertial dampers had a hard time catching up and Rox could only hope her passengers were not too badly damaged.
Josh slammed into the right-side bulkhead, but aside from the hard impact, he was relatively unscathed. He looked at the propulsion system; which hadn’t appreciated the hard shift down. The readings briefly hit 99% before scaling back down to the mid 70s.
The sudden roll of the ship and internal dampers as they were, sent TK out of his seat and landing on his back almost rolling to a standing position. He steadied himself and looked around the cabin at the others. He was no longer amused at this carnival ride and if they were not more careful none of them were coming home from this field trip.
Herrick: Be careful with those manoeuvres, or we might not make it back to the ‘Oumuamua.
Rox: :: turning back toward Herrick and Cabrillo:: Why are you so worked up we’re all fine.
Cabrillo: ::slowly retaking his seat:: Fine is a relative term Commodore.
Lhandon started to embrace his backseat pilot role after he was thrown forward into the console he was standing near, he then called out and pointed, in somewhat of a panic
Nilsen: Over there! Very large object…LIKE MOVE
Rox: ::whirling around:: What?
Another enormous asteroid appeared and once again Rox steered the ship sharply away. Finally in open space she moved the lever to 2 and the ship glided quietly along with the gas giant growing in the front viewport. Checking the navigation computer Rox turned victoriously to her passengers.
The engine readings spiked again, just for a fraction to 105%. The ship shaked a bit, and then the reading fell back down. Josh hoped that they wouldn’t be encountering any hostiles; as this ship left a lot to chance… not unlike the dabo game that put it into Kel’s possession.
Rox: We’re here. In record time. I seem to have found a shortcut (beat) your welcome.
Nilsen:: :Holding his head:: ow! It’s a shortcut that hurt.
TK stood and glanced out the forward view port and then leaned over Rox’s shoulder.
Cabrillo: This is the demon class planet. Where is your Paradise planet?
Rox: Paradiso is just a 5 minute warp jump from here.
Lhandon could not hide his annoyance.
Nilsen: You sure?
TK glanced over to Nilsen who seemed to be just as annoyed as he was but was not hiding it as well. Not that TK hid his annoyance anytime of the day but at least it wasn’t a new vocal change for him.
Cabrillo: Your flying is a menace to our health. Might I suggest someone with a little better piloting skills?
Rox prepared to set course for Paradiso, but TK seemed to have other ideas.
Rox: ::exasperated:: I am not a menace! I fly fine.
Nilsen: erm well. ::holding his head, but with a little bit of added melodrama::
Herrick: Well, I mean, we do end up with our fair share of wacky piloting due to machinery. Just the other week, the Chief had to handle the stick while we crashed into the Esh-o asteroid colony. I’m sure it’s the same here, aside from the crashing. Tech not pilot. Right Queen?
TK looked over to Herrick and if the words close your mouth were not clearly written across his face then a verbal note would have to be made. TK was not hear to make friends and certainly not die. Rox might feel her flying was “fine” but his and her definition of “fine” were clearly different.
Cabrillo: ::looking to Herrick:: N-O-T helping the case Mister Herrick. ::looking back to Rox:: This ship needs a little gentler persuasion if you know what I mean Commodore.:
Rox decided not to call Herrick out on his use of her last name, but turned and glared at TK and then turned to Nilsen.
Rox: Fine! ::turning to Lhandon:: you drive. Show us you know how to treat a Lady right.
Nilsen: Believe me, ma raised me right.
Cabrillo: ::looking to Nilsen and grinning:: Just don’t throw anyone into the bulkheads and let try to avoid and more interstellar surprises.
Lhandon took the helm and gave the dashboard a stroke as if to say hello. He found the controls almost within seconds and soon got the Foxy Lady working along with him. This shuttled reminded Lhandon of one on Gault that learned to fly in. He felt himself connecting with each control and the movement of the ship until he quickly became one with the foxy lady.
Rox stomped over to the jump seat and plopped herself, frowning, into it.
Nilsen: I’ll get us to Pardiso, in one piece and…
Lhandon stopped himself for fear of what Rox may say next.
Nilsen: She’s a very nice ship. For what it’s worth, I love this.
Rox: Impress me flyboy.
TK stepped to the back of the compartment, behind the flight seats and even back behind the jump seats. He was not sure it was safer even back in the rear of the compartment but at least he was not likely to have a body thrown at him here.
Cabrillo: Let’s not do any impressing. Let’s just get there in one piece shall we.
TK glanced over to Rox and cocked his head. She may not have liked his brutal honesty but she did need this ship to get her home as well. Impressive flying could be done with a ship a little more ::beat:: impressive.
Lhandon glanced at the course to Paradiso, and then the scanners and finally the outside view. He inputs were sprite, gentle and used the path of least resistance. He slid between the asteroids, finding the largest gaps to give himself a margin of error and using the odd one as a slingshot. The thrusters made small little bursts as he dashed around the rocks and soon the ship found itself on the other side of the asteroid field.
Nilsen: Course set, Warp 3, let’s be gentle ::Lhandon struggled to hide his smugness:: We’ll be there in six minutes.
The Foxy Lady jumped to warp.
Cabrillo: Smooth Mister Nilsen. ::looking to Rox:: Maybe you should take a lesson or two from a better pilot if you want to keep this ship around.
Rox: ::frowning at Cabrillo:: He does not fly better than me.
TK grinned back at Rox. He was pushing her buttons now and rather enjoying it. He knew she would bite back at some point and then the real fun would start.
Josh peeked through the triangular window and caught a glimpse of the planet, with its fragmented shards of green blotting the cerulean ocean. Tiny specks of emerald, highlight how dense the forest growth was on this untouched planet.
Herrick: So, how are we getting down there? Transporters?
Rox: I don’t even know if this has transporters installed. If there are any we couldn’t figure them out. We have landing struts though. Just bring us in.
Cabrillo: What kind of atmospheric conditions are we looking at? ::beat:: Can this bucket take the stress of landing down there?
Nilsen: You got transporters (beat) that is you got them but they are offline. One cable is connected…so you know, they no work.
Herrick: Of course they’re offline. How much latinum did you guys end up sinking in at the dabo table; maybe they made off better. So… landing it is.
Rox: Har har.
Josh looked down and did a systems check of the landing struts, which seemed to be in relatively good shape. Now, he hoped that they’d be able to make another successful landing at Paradiso.
Herrick: We should be able to take her down, as long as your gentle with her Nilsen. No warp 8-type ideas.
Nilsen: You’re right. I’ve always wanted to say this…
Lhandon paused for a moment and called out
Nilsen: Blue Alert, all hands to code blue stations (beat) wherever they are, prepare for landing and change the light bulb.
Rox got up and looked out the front viewport. When she and V’Len had stopped by they had simply landed on one of the many floating islands of rock between the equator and the pole. Now they were approaching almost in line with the equator. From her vantage point Rox began looking for an ideal place to land. To his credit Nilsen was steadily manoeuvring them through the sky full of floating rock. Some of the rocks were no more than fist size, while others were 100s of kilometres in diameter. Most of them had thick plant life growing around and off them. Small lakes and ponds could be seen on several
By now they were low enough that the sky was blue and the sun shone brightly.
Rox: ::smiling:: Try to find one with a nice beach.
Cabrillo: ::holding onto the closest bulkhead:: A beach would do nicely.
Nilsen: Beach holiday it is.
Rox felt a slight lift as Lhandon began to drop towards an island with a blue lake at its heart. Rox glanced out the window and another nearby island caught her attention.
Rox: Look at that!!
Cabrillo: ::stepping up behind Rox and looking over her through the view port:: You don’t see that everyday.
Nilsen: Mate that’s ::refocusing on the landing:: I’ll take that clearing there, right next to the beach, we won’t get sand in the air ducts.
Ensign Josh Herrick
Engineering Officer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player/character)
&
Rox
Nurse - Crewman 2nd class
USS Oumuamua NCC-81226
T239811VK2
He/Him (player)
She/Her (character)
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Ensign Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
HCO
USS Oumuamua
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)
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Lieutenant JG TK Cabrillo
Engineering Officer
USS Oumuamua
T239901JK1