Impulse Burn (Part 5)

Posted on 11 Apr 2014 @ 8:15am by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Riley Cameron & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes & Crewman Ash Rowe & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde & Petty Officer 3rd Class David Emerson & Vincent Kramer Ph.D. & Lieutenant Asahi Kita & Ensign K'os Beaumont & Lieutenant Olsam Mott

3,451 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Sol System - Main Asteroid Belt
Timeline: MD 57 - 1445 hrs

Previously, on Impulse Burn (Part 4)...

The slingshot around the moon had given them a bit of an edge and pushed them into a tie for second place as they approached Mars. David was feeling a bit embarrased about blacking out during the slingshot around the moon and focused on his instruments as they prepared for the leg around Mars.

"Your turn to figure out the trajectory for Mars, Commander. I'll handle the navigation during the asteroid portion if that's okay?"

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

***Asteroid Belt Checkpoint***

Shuttle Galilei

Now clear of Mars and streaking towards the asteroid belt at high velocity, shuttle Galilei was making good time and was poised for one of the top-place finishes. The ultimate challenge, of course, was navigating the upcoming asteroid belt, and Lamar slowly realized that this segment of the course would be the most difficult compared to the other maneuvers he and Cameron had thus far performed.

"Approaching the asteroid belt, we'll be entering it in two minutes," he informed Cameron. "Hope you got that seatbelt still buckled, things might get kind of hairy."

Hurredly looking down at his chest, Riley breathed a sigh of relief as he noted the restraints still firmly strapped around his chest and midsection. The pain of their last encounter with a high-gravity manoeuvre had still left an unpleasant of queasiness in his stomach and the engineer had no plans to find himself spiralling helplessly towards the rear of the cockpit due to an unexpected shift in their course.

"Aye strapped in and ready. I'm not moving!"


Shuttle Livia

Allydnra had checked in with Mars and now the final leg through the asteroid belt and onto the Jupiter station was going to begin. The engines were purring along and keeping back a little to preserve them may have put them toward the tail of the pack.

"Now we go for it. There is plenty of reserve for increasing shields and then an absolute mad dash for the station. The others have been going hot and heavy. Now we will do the same. Let's start catching up with the pack and the leader. Keep a sharp eye out Keval, I have the tracked asteroids logged in and should avoid but even at these speeds and extra shielding a bread box size chunk of rock will be dangerous."

"I have an excellent hand-eye coordination. Let's push this baby for all she's worth. I can handle it."

"Excellent, laying in course now and increasing shield strength."

Keval said nothing but his brow furrowed in concentration and both antennae curled forward slightly. His hands danced across the console.

Allyndra had to pay attention to the sensors now. The belt was going to be treacherous and though she had mapped out what was tracked, as she said there were always some smaller objects that could prove dangerous. It was perhaps about half-way through when a chunk of rock about 3 meters across lay right in their path. "Rock!" she called out, "right ahead, port looks clear!"

Keval reacted almost instantly banking the small ship hard to port like a fighter craft H= dodged the rock the Akkadian had warned against, but shudder passed through the ship as a series of rocks too small for the deflectors bounced off the side of the fuselage .

Allyndra cringed but she quickly went through the sensor data. "No damage, passing within hailing of check point and logging in." She worked the hail and then went back to keeping an eye out for errant rocks.

"Should be through in another few minutes. Laying in course for Jupiter station. Engines looking real good, in the green plenty of reserve. Get ready to go to emergency overload."

"The second we get past this little 'mine field' I want to win, I just don't want to die doing it. Its' just a race."

"Exiting asteroid belt in three, two, one, go, emergency overload on the engines!"

Even before the doctor had finished speaking Keval had pushed the small craft for that it was worth, maxing out the thrusters . "Yippee Kai Aye!" he called out.

The dampners had a trouble for a moment keeping up as the shuttle suddenly leapt ahead. This is what Allyndra had hoped for, to keep the final reserve for the final push.


Team: Ostillo

It was a ribbon in space, more like a large cloud. A massive gray chain of rocks and gases caught in a gravitational well of the sun between planets, because a planet never formed. As they approaching asteroid field Theron performed another system check. He glanced over to Ash, who seemed very pleased with their progress, and said, "We have put a substantial strain on the impulse engines. There are indications of ionization on the port abjuration coils." He brought up further detail on his display, "There is no degradation as yet."

"Great...can you give me more?" Ash asked lightly as she focussed on the sight ahead with a gleam in her eye. Her plan for the asteroids was simple; keep as straight a line as possible throughout, even if it meant some close calls. "Power, I mean."

Theron had to do a double take at her comments. Maybe this mind reading should go both ways? he thought. He smiled at the confusion and replied, "Yes." he began to make some adjustments to the controls, "Let me implement a patinianic de-isonization and lay that on the Deuterium shield linkage. That should allow us to increase the injection pressure."

Ash chuckled with satisfaction as she sped them on to the belt, lips pulled into a smile. "Good good, wouldn't want to have to shut off life support or anything. Hey, who needs gravity though when we have seatbelts?" she laughed.

Theron glanced over thoughtfully, "Exactly." He made a couple more modifications and found his seat not pressing into him as much, and a droplet of water floating past his face. He looked over to Ash, "Something like that?"

"Hell, yes! Now it's a ride..." Ash laughed softly as she pressed her feet against the bar under the controls, her palms pressed against the edge of the panel as her fingers did the work.


Shuttle Pisa

Alexion chuckled to himself as they approached the asteroids. The way shuttles worked in the Federation differed from where he was from, where they had been more...intuitive in how they were flown. It would have made flying through asteroids a much more interactive experience. Still, this was different to a day screening blood, he couldn't complain. "Systems are good, as are energy reserves, we are ready for you to take more manual control through the asteroids." It would be an interesting ride, but who didn't like an afternoon of joy riding now and then?


Shuttle Galilei

Darius and Cameron's Type-9 busily weaved its way through a rather dense portion of the asteroid belt. It might have been safer to have plotted a course through the more vacant fields of the space rocks, but that would have cost Team Galilei more time than they wanted to sacrifice. And so, they now found themselves in the midst of a large asteroid's gravitational field which was attracting several other smaller satellites and making navigation troublesome.

"...I told you this would get hairy..." Lamar muttered with his eyes glued to the sensor readout on his console. "That large asteroid has like twenty smaller ones in its orbit...the computer is having a tough time plotting all of their trajectories. Anything you can--oh shit!" he quickly recognized the collision warning siren and pulled the shuttle into an emergency bank 90 degrees to starboard. The shuttle's shield's flared and the craft jolted as the side of it grazed a fast-moving satellite.

"Sweet Jesus!" The flame haired Scot replied as he watched the sensor feed calculate down to the micron how far away they had been to becoming nothing more than a footnote in the development of the asteroid field. Had he not had the experience in space to maintain decorum, he would most likely be looking to replace a soiled uniform around now.

"Keep your eyes on the road Sir! Shields took the worst of that but the nacelle is weak as it is!"

"...Yeah, yeah, I got it...not my fault these 'roids keep tumbling around in space," Lamar replied as their shuttle continued to zoom through the belt and dodge various-sized silicate obstacles. "We'll be through in a few minutes, I think we just made it through the roughest patch. Then it's Jupiter Station or bust!"

"More like Jupiter Station or blast!!" The redhead replied, cursing silently that he didn't have more power to route to structural integrity. The ship was now essentially nothing more than an engine with two seats attached and a precarious forcefield holding the whole thing together. He simply couldn't understate how limited their capabilities for self repair were right now.

"Dammit I'm reducing artificial gravity to minimum, should buy us a few more percentage points in the shield array."


Team: Ostillo

"Hold on!" Ash called out, pressing back into her seat as she swung them past the jagged rim of a chunk of rock, keeping them speeding as fast as she could in a straight line where possible, swinging them like a bell from side to side to give them room to pass the obstacles, like some insane fair ground ride with the cab swinging from side, rather than trying to turn fully.

Ash slammed the comm to the other shuttles on, laughing before letting out whoop of sheer adrenaline. =^= Keep them doggies rolling! Anyone have the huevos to chase a little country girl? =^=

The Tandaran did not quite understand what Ash had just meant. He took the words he understood, slang, and intent. Theron looked at her quizzically, "You want eggs? You are not hungry, are you?" He thought, No. That did not make sense.

"Not that kind of hunger," Ash assured with a laugh, shaking her head firmly, pushing on harder and faster, the distance between chunks of rocks swinging closer. Her laughter couldn't be mistaken for lack of concentration though. On the contrary, she was in a one track, highly driven mind.

Lamar's voice crackled through the comm from the Type-9 Galilei. "Only if you fry up the bacon and don't burn the toast!"

Ash laughed warmly at the reply. "Can't promise anything. Depends how long it takes you to cross the line after me as to just how burnt your toast is gonna be..." she called back through the comm to him with a grin.


Shuttle Pisa

Alexion chuckled as he heard Rowe's message over the comm, arching an eyebrow and sorely tempted to send a quip back.

He didn't have time before the laughter across the comm was interrupted by a sudden alarm flaring up after a tight flight path close to the jagged edge of an asteroid.

Alexion frowned deeply, moving quickly to try and bring up the info to figure out what was wrong when everything had been showing up as fine just a moment before. "We have a power fluctuation, the...."

The shuttle shook before he could finish his sentence, and as debris from a broken up asteroid rained down on them, the lights flickered and sent tremors through the small vessel.

As they struggled to regain full control in such a treacherous trail of rock, they were battered more than once by large chunks of rock on their veering course.

Slung forward and to the side, the two pilots were tossed and thrown, sparks threatening with the crackle hissing across the panel. As the pilot fought to get back control and managed to veer them towards an escape from the belt, another hit of rock sent a sharp jolt through the vessel, enough for the pilot to be snapped forward and back, hitting his head.

Alexion's doctor's instinct took over, and before he could help himself he was up and leaning across to try and make sure Rayne was okay.

Just a few moments after the impulse, the shuttle shook again, sparks catching Alexion before he fell heavily, his chest slamming down onto the side of the pilot's chair. The air knocked out of him and searing pain stabbing through his torso, Alexion was thrown backwards, off his feet, twisting and hitting the deck awkwardly and heavily, his head slamming hard enough against a unit leg on the way down to knock him out.


Shuttle Virginia

Emerson had been watching the sensor readouts through the asteroid field while he plotted gravitational eddies and kept an eye out for several specific types of asteroids they could use to their advantage. He had the conn when he heard a warning beep from a side console. He'd been tracking the other craft in the race looking for an advantage and it now flashed a warning as the craft's automated distress beacon flared.

=/\=Virginia to Pisa. Respond please.=/\=

*Silence*

Emerson immediately turned the craft around and began weaving around asteroids looking for the fastest route to the shuttle. Dropping out of race configuration, he brought shields and all other systems to full readiness, including the weapons if those became needed.

=/\=Padua this is Virginia. Need an emergency assist on the Pisa. She's reading dead in the water and I'm seeing several impact strikes on the sensors. No response from her crew.=/\=

Emerson glanced over at Mialin. "Sorry Ma'am. Looks like the race will have to wait."


Shuttle Padua

Asahi had kept to himself while the Padua dodged and weaved through the asteroids. While he had no intention of racing the others, he had all intent to make sure all of his own passengers were going to make it out of this in one piece. He had just hoped none of them had a motion sickness problem. He had enough issues trailing after the racers and making it through debris, though his eyes immediately snapped toward the status display. There it was, a flashing warning sign next to Pisa's status bar.

=/\=Padua here. We've received the signal and your message. Headed to assist now.=/\=

The shuttle veered from it's course and away from the trail of the other racers. "Doctor, I think that medicine bag of your's is gonna be put to good use. K'os, could you hop on and determine the status of the Pisa herself? Everyone else, hold on!"

Vincent took notice of the emergency, watching the command crew of the shuttle at their best. He had no desire to interfere. He would do what he could when the time came.

K'os was already on his feet before Asahi had finished asking him for help. The almost uncontrolled excitement from earlier had completely vanished from his face as he employed the Vulcan techniques to purge himself of those emotions. His mind was completely focused on Ashai and the emergency at hand. By the time he made it to the cockpit, his face was passive and unnaturally calm. He slid into the seat next to Asahi as Dr. Mott readied himself for the injured crew. K'os' eyes flew across the scrolling amounts of information and in a very calm and even tone he announced the condition of the ship. "I can confirm several impacts to the bow and I'm reading micro-fractures but no hull breaches. Life support is still intact." He pressed a few buttons, "I'm also reading power fluctuations to secondary systems but I've established a remote link." A few beeps confirmed he'd done so. "Impulse controls seem to have damage but I have remote flight control, sir. I'm still reading two life signs but the ship is not responding to hails."

"Good. Keep it where it is right now, but we'll need remote flight control for when we haul this thing out of the belt." Asahi was pleasantly surprised at the response time he had received out of the young petty officer, but he would have to keep his praise for another time.

It didn't take long before he had the Padua alongside the Pisa, docking procedures already prepared and initiated by the time he was out of his seat. "I'm gonna help the doctor out and take a look at the damages. You make sure nothing out of the ordinary hits us while we're hauling people out."

"Aye, sir." K'os replied with a passive expression. He calmly turned his head and began reviewing the sensor readouts with undivided attention as Asahi moved out of his seat.

"Let's get moving Doctor!" Asahi didn't waste another moment, making his way toward the back of the shuttle.

Olsam jumped up and followed Asahi, stepping on someone's toe in his rush of excitement to treat some injured people. He'd assumed he would just have to sit around and be next to useless the entire time, so the opportunity to do something got his heart beating a little faster than usual.

"They're probably just unconscious," Olsam said to Asahi, as if he needed to comfort and reassure the young man.

Asahi stopped, eyeing the doctor as his hand hovered over the console. "... Unconscious could mean way too many things." He turned toward the console, eyes on the readings before pressing a few buttons. "It'll be safer if we bring them to us."

In moments, a pair of shimmering lights appeared before them, and the pair of pilots were soon aboard the shuttle.

Olsam was beside them by the time they materialized, and he cleared sufficient space with a wildly swatting hand. He stared intently at the medical tricorder as its sensor wand fed various information back to the display when he moved it over the two injured crew members.

"Hmm," he said, closing the medical tricorder and popping open his medkit. It was unclear if he was speaking to Asahi, the entire shuttle, or just himself. "They lost consciousness from cranial injuries sustained in the crash; nothing too major that can't be treated - for the most part - here in the shuttlecraft. No one needs to call the head of Starfleet Medical. But if you do, don't mention my name. We just do not get along."

Despite his rambling, Olsam loaded hyposprays with medication designed to keep the patients sedated. There were various cuts, lacerations and a few minor fractures that could be fixed quickly before he began the more pressing matter of tending to their minor neurological damage.

"Lieutenant Kita, you're a nurse now. I'm field deputizing you. Welcome to medical service, soldier," Olsam said officiously, shoving the medkit over to the young engineer with his foot. "Use the tricorder to monitor their condition while I'm seeing to these wounds...."


Shuttle Ostillo

On a side panel an indicator light began to blink. Theron glanced over at the tracking of the other vessels in the race. "Ash, it looks like the Pisa is down."

"Are they being attended to?" Ash asked with a frown, never stopping pushing forward, swinging up past the side of a jagged sheet of rock.

Theron reviewed the sensors display, "Yes, the Padua has come along side, and one of the racers has slowed."

"Too many rescuers suffocate the driver; we keep going," Ash said firmly, her eyes on the controls and then up at the view as she edged them harder, pushing the little vessel as much as she dare in the chaotic ribbon of rock.

Theron felt that the Pisa was in good hands and refocused his efforts to the forward shields and sensor display.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

MWO Lamar Darius
Chief Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Saalm]

WO Riley Cameron
Engineer
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Holliday]

CPO Keval Grayson
Operations
USSGalileo
{PNPC Nicholas}

LT Olsam Mott
Asst. Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

LT Asahi Kita
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Lt Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

WO Alexion Wylde
Doctor
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Blake]

CN Ash Rowe
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Blake]

Lt. Theron Rhodes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

Vincent Kramer, PhD
Planetologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Rhodes]

PO3 K'os Beaumont
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

PO3 David Emerson
Science Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Zhao]

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