Captain Trake Promontory: Yoyo Dynamite
Avander Promontory
(( Simulated Bridge of the Thor in the Simulated Badlands, Holosuite 1, Deck 5, USS Thor ))
The stakes had changed. Again. Once more, things had escalated. Just after beaming the dangerous fuel tanks aboard, a bright burst of light had overtaken the region and heralded the arrival of reinforcements for the pirates or terrorists, or whoever their opponents were.
And they had begun firing.
Meris avoided the first torpedo, which exploded into the plasma column behind where the Thor had just been. The resulting shockwave shook them again.
Trake realigned the scanners. He couldn’t help but shake the feeling he was missing something, but the frenetic action didn’t allow him a moment to concentrate and figure it out. To wit, that first torpedo was followed up by a full spread.
Meris continued to put the ship through its paces, spiraling through the eddies and plumes. Another series of misses—the Thor may look like a whale, but it could swim with the best of them.
Promontory: Wait, telemetry updating, the torpedoes are turning, they’re heading back this way!
Something in Trake’s brain clicked—the radiological material—it was acting like a tracing beacon and they had beamed it aboard!
Kreshkova: Mr. Promontory. If you haf a lock on zhe fuel container vizh zhe radiological elements, transport it aboard a shuttle. Vonce you’ve done zhat, tell me vhich shuttle. Meris, please continue to vork your magic.
Fortunately the acting captain made the same connection; Trake nodded and set to work.
Meris: Captain, this may be an inopportune time to launch a shuttle.
The Argo shuttles had just enough stowage space to fit the container. Trake beamed the offending fuel container to the Mjolnir, not wanting to risk the mispronunciation of the Megingjörð in a crisis.
oO What was I thinking with those naming conventions!? Oo
Kreshkova: I’m going to remote pilot zhat shuttle out of zhe Zhor until ve can lock onto it vizh a tractor beam at a minimum safe distance.
Meris: A minimum safe distance for... what, exactly?
Trake suspected he knew and stifled a smile.
Promontory: Sending control of the Mjolnir to your console, captain!
Kreshkova: Da. I’ve got it.
Meris continued their evasive maneuvers. It reminded Trake of those amusement park rides for children that would give thrills by sudden accelerations and roughly jostling one’s body all over the place.
It was much more enjoyable when he was a kid.
Meris: I can't seem to shake these last three torpedoes... whatever you're planning, now's the time Captain.
Promontory: Shuttle’s launched
Kreshkova: As soon as it’s out of zhe ship far enough to tractor it, Mr. Promontory, you’re in charge of keeping it vizh us.
Meris: With us?
Promontory: On it!
From amusement park rides, Trake’s mind turned to another child’s toy—the yoyo. The tractor beam would act like a string, but at the end of it—something far more dangerous and explosive than a mere toy.
The shuttle cleared the pylons just as Meris took them through another spiraling current of plasma.
Promontory: Establishing tractor lock.
oO And now the dangerous game begins… Oo
Meris: Captain, if I might suggest, we can use the shuttle to intercept these last three torpedoes.
Kreshkova: Response.
A torpedo shot past the starboard as Meris swerved to keep them out of range. While Trake appreciated not being hit, he almost lost the tractor lock.
Promontory: Steady as you can keep her Mr. Meris, this is not as easy as it looks!
Meris: If we use the tractor beam to launch it into the path of the torpedoes and time it precisely, we may be able to both eliminate the radiological threat and the threat posed by the torpedoes.
Kreshkova: Response.
Promontory: Yes, ma’am, with pleasure!
Trake extended the tractor beam to its maximum just as the ship arced away from the trio of torpedoes.
Promontory: Severing link… now!
With timed precision, they let go of the Mjolnir which continued on its previous trajectory as the Thor continued its curve away.
Kreshkova/Meris: Response
Promontory: It looks like you were right. The torpedoes are going for it!
Kreshkova/Meris: Response
Of course, every success had its own consequences and as the torpedoes hit their mark, warning lights flashed and alarms sounded. The viewer screen previewed the massive conflagrations.
Promontory: Brace; we’ve got incoming!
Kreshkova/Meris: Response
TBC
