Afterburner - MD 01
Posted on Thu Mar 6th, 2025 @ 5:41pm by Captain Daegan Baas & Ensign Konnibet S'ladaar [Baas] & Ensign Garath Of the House of Varal [Baas] & Lieutenant Commander Ridge Maguire & Lieutenant Liam O'Riley & Ensign Stevie Thomas [O'Riley]
Edited on on Thu Mar 6th, 2025 @ 5:41pm
1,464 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Sole Survivor
Location: Enroute to SB 152
Timeline: MD 01
[Bridge]
The Valkyrie was well underway and thing were running smoothly. Daegan had just finished a light lunch in his ready room and walked across the bridge to take his seat leaning toward the XO. "Ridge, what to say we put out our QSD to the test?"
"Was wondering when you'd ask, Sir," Ridge said with a decided twinkle in his blue eyes. "Bridge to Lieutenant O'Riley, report on readiness of the Quantum Slipstream Drive."
Hearing the XO's inquiry Liam went over to the Chief's console and brought up the QSD stats seeing the unit was online ready for deployment. Tapping his comm " Commander QSD systems are ready and at your disposal" he replied eager to see the system in action.
"Hear that, Captain," Ridge said, "the slipstream drive is ready. Just waiting your order."
Deagan nodded at the report and looked to Ridge with a gesture to him. "XO. Let' see what she's got."
"Bridge to Engineering," Ridge said. "We're beginning the first of the trial runs for the slip stream drive. Standby to evaluate performance."
Liam patched Konnibet into comms so she could hear everything he heard being she was the QSD engineer before he replied "Understood Commander, my team and I will evaluate."
"Very good. I'll be very interested in hearing about the results," Ridge said. "Bridge out."
[Cetacean Ops}
Konnibet swam over to her console to monitor the drive and messaged Lt. O'Riley that she was ready.
[Bridge]
"Helm, bring the slipstream drive online and set course for starbase 152," Ridge ordered.
The helm officers hands moved over her console. The course was already set. "Aye sir. Course set. Quantum Drive coming online. Dropping from warp."
While they prepared to engage the drive Daegan addressed the rest of the bridge crew. "While we are in the slipstream I want test of our other systems; communications, sensors, weapons targeting, shields, etc.."
In response to the captain's order, Ridge turned to the operations officer on duty, "organize resources and set up a testing schedule. Notify the Chiefs when they come up in the rotation."
"Aye sir." The ops officer smirked a bit. Here all the department heads out ranked her and she was getting to tell them when they got to do their part. She let herself go first to test communications, the assigned security to test targeting & shields, then science to test the various sensor arrays. "Testing order set."
They were secured from warp and Daegan gave the nod to Ridge.
"Very good," Ridge said, nodding slightly as well in response to the Captain, "Engage the slipstream drive. Estimate of arrival time at the starbase?"
Helm engaged the slipstream and a quantum tunnel formed around the ship as it leapt towards their destination. "If we remain in slipstream the rest of the way, 12 hours ahead of scheduled arrival."
Ops was doing her thing has the others on the bridge waited. "Sir. the Quantum Field Focus Controller is allowing us to ping the subspace communications relays as we pass."
"Very good," Ridge answered. "Continue monitoring."
Garath was standing at the tactical station running through various targeting sequences for both the phasers and the torpedo systems. Having simulated a targeting point ahead of the Valkyrie everyone of the weapons systems were able to lock onto that point without issue. "Commander, all weapons system are functioning and locked to a simulated target 2500 meters in front of the ship."
"Alright," Ridge said as he leaned forward in his seat. "Begin weapons' test. Let's see how good your aim is."
"Acknowledged." Garath loaded the forward torpedo launchers with four drones that would be launched at a randomized, trajectory. "Four target drones loaded. Launch control has been transferred to your console sir."
"Launching," Ridge answered as he suited words to action and settled in to see how the weapons' system responded.
The first drone leapt out from the ship and arched to port then back to starboard but was taken out easily. However as soon as the first exploded the second launched but it was taken out even faster.
The last two drones were fired at the same time and Garath moved fast to lock onto the the pair with a sequential firing pattern. The third was a hit but as the phaser fired on the fourth the drone darted aft; a miss. Letting the targeting scanners float he picked it up as it flew under the ship.
The display on the main view screen shifted with the tactical sensors and as the Valkyrie flew passed the drone, phaser fire erupted from the dorsal array eliminating the drone.
"Nicely done," Ridge said as his gaze went from the view screen to the data coming up on his console. "All targets eliminated."
[Cetacean Ops}
Konnibet monitored every aspect to the quantum drive and reported her finding to the Chief Engineer. "Lt. O'Riley, I am detecting a slight fluctuation in the chroniton regulator but it is still within acceptable limits."
[Engineering]
Hearing Konnibet's report "Understood Ensign. Keep me apprised if gets anywheres close to the limits and I'll let command know" Liam ordered.
[Cetacean Ops]
"Understood." From her console she monitored the regulator. The irregularities continued to hoover just outside of optimal range and would only cause a minor difference in their difference space-time between the ship and the rest of the galaxy. The differences would be minute and the ships computer would make any adjustments the moment the computer accessed a Federation time base beacon.
Konnibet was a stickler and minor differences could become major issues if not addressed at the onset. Instead of just monitoring she set out to refocus and bring the chroniton regulator back into alignment.
[Engineering]
Lieutenant O'Riley was monitoring the major systems at his console with the screen split into several sections allowing him to monitor different systems at once. Looking at the QSD, and its associated systems, Liam noticed the chroniton regulator was coming back into perfect alignment "Nice catch Ensign" he whispered out loud being quite impressed with his QSD engineer.
Minutes later Stevie walked over "Chief, how's things progressing with the QSD systems" she inquired curious since she hadn't been on a ship with that sort of drive before.
"Good, so far everything seems to be functioning as expected. Once we arrive at the Base that should give us a good indication of just how reliable the QSD really is" Liam replied "So how's things on your end."
"So far so good. The computer systems seem to be handling things in split second timeing; which I would expect from a new system" Stevie answered "And I should get back to it" as she turned and went back to her station.
[Bridge]
Lt. Yaotome had been called away earlier and Ltjg. Darren had been covering for her when the order came in. She relished in the fact that she was the one to be on the bridge at the moment the ship jumped into slipstream and could have been more excited.
As soon as they broke the quantum barrier she began scanning from the various sensor arrays. Everything seemed to be working well and she was getting clear data on the slipstream. But when she tied the sensors to the Focus Controller things got really interesting. Her reading correlated with the their star charts to confirm what they were exactly where they were supposed to be, but at their speed it was impossible to get a scan of what they were passing. "Sensors are operating perfectly."
"Glad to hear that," Ridge answered. "Keep monitoring and let me know if anything changes."
"Aye aye sir."
Daegan nodded approvingly and looking about the bridge. "Well done all. Helm, Maintain slipstream to Starbase 152...nothing wrong being ahead of schedule."
After glancing over the controls the helm officer looked up at the main view screen. "Aye, sir."
Garath felt a sense of pride and stood a little straighter, having succeeded at his first weapons test aboard the Valkyrie; and one at slipstream no less. He transferred the data to his Chiefs database so he would be aware of the results. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about things as well.
Daegan looked at the screen for a moment. Traveling in a slipstream was visually quite different than traveling at warp. Pulling himself away from the viewscreen he looked over to Ridge. "You have the bridge, I promised to stop by and talk to the school kids."
"Aye Sir," Ridge said as he waited for the Captain to rise. "I have the bridge."
Captain Deagan Baas
CO
Lt. Cmdr. Ridge Maguire
First Officer
Ens. Garath of the House of Varal
Security Officer
NPC played by Baas
Helm, Ops, and Science NPCs
Played by Baas
Lieutenant Liam O'Riley
CEO
Ensign Stevie Thomas [O'Riley]
Computer Systems Specialist
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