Checklist King (Part II)

Posted on Fri May 2nd, 2025 @ 5:15am by Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Xavier

1,394 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Preservation Instinct
Location: Captain's Ready Room

[PREVIOUSLY]

He picked up the drink and took a sip. "Thank you Ma'am." He shrugged. "When I was seven for about three years my parents were invited to give lectures on Earth. The whole family would generally head there it was important that the institute on Earth see a functioning family unit so we all went. No exception. They would generally read or have debates. I was more interested in the shuttle. I remember asking the pilot a thousand questions but Sammy, she was the shuttle pilot, she never tired of answering. I read books at the library on shuttles and ships. I thought myself how to fly a hover car, then a shuttles. At 13 my school took a trip to a Vulcan colony on a runabout." He paused. "On the way back the pilot ... was in medical distress. We did not have anyone who could fly. I had flown shuttles so I took the controls, it was different and somewhat choppy but I got us to Vulcan. The man lived and for the next few years as a thank you he showed me how to fly anything. Once I relocated to Earth I knew that whatever I did I wanted to fly. It was almost as if I could understand the soul of each ship, each shuttle."

[CONTINUED]

"That's interesting. I've heard of engineers and ops people doing that, but not so much pilots. Have you had a chance to get a feel for the Ontario yet?" Grace was interested to hear what he thought of the ship.

His eyes seemed to hold some excitement and the fact that he spoke without even a breath confirmed it. "I have had the opportunity to head to engineering to see the helm conduit feed. A most interesting ship. My previous ship Gurty...that was the soul name of the ship, also known as the USS Lime House and she was dependable, had a 0.03 percent variance to compensate for in any heading. She was dependable yes but she was getting to that stage where she would be decommissioned soon. This ship....He's different. Right away I could see he had a youthfulness to him. He's an alpha ship, built for flying and turning. Kian is special. I must admit to a certain...excitement in taking the controls. He has more power then he's given credit for and the proper engineer will have him in top form. I will look forward to introducing myself to him more." He finally took a breath.

"That brings me to a... few questions."

"Ask away." Grace couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm. "I have a high opinion of the ship myself, even though I've only been the commander for a short time." Grace felt fortunate to have been asked to step up when Elijah left. The ship seemed to attract an eclectic crew as well, which she also appreciated.

He was quiet a moment. "I have an unusual way of flying the ship. I can only fly at my best when I fly barefoot. It's a way for me to meld with the ship to better feel the controls shifting. While I know it is not the orthodox way of flying I can tell if anything is amiss that way best once I get to know the vibrational frequency between the navigation and help equipment and the engineering flow. I also need to feel the ship as it shifts speed to ensure nothing is off and to feel if I need to compensate. It is also my method of showing respect. For example, Engineering is Kian's heart and I will never wear shoes while there as a sign of respect." He paused again. "Will that be alright? I can compromise and say I will wear socks but I would like to ensure there is no shoes so that I can fly better."

"I have no problem with you flying barefoot, but for safety reasons, you should wear shoes as you walk the corridors. The same with engineering, but check with the chief first." Grace was aware that ships had their own noises and vibrations, so she had no problem with the pilot's request.

He gave a nod. "Thank you. I do have another request, perhaps a bit unusual." He paused. "I have two pets one them likes to accompany me to the bridge when the ship leaves the doc, it has become somewhat of a tradition. He will not be an issue but I would like to bring him when the ship leaves doc. Just until we warp out."

That was an odd request. Grace raised an eyebrow. "What sort of pet?"

"I have two Ravens. Phobos and Deimos. Deimos is fine quietly sitting in our quarters. Phobos has always been there with me when the ship leaves dock. My Captain, two ships ago had a special headrest made where Phobos could stand on it. He never causes problems. I was going to ask you to come with me to take a look at the shuttle I came in on as I have made modifications on it. Lime House will pick it up when they dock but I wished to show you and ask if you are alright with me modifying a shuttle here thusly to ensure it will fly better. Also, I wished to show you my flying skills to ensure you are satisfied. If you agree I can bring Phobos along for you to meet him and see how he behaves." It had been the most he'd spoken to anyone officially, including the counselor but...he didn't mind it.

"Sure. As long as he doesn't get startled by the red alert klaxons, he should be fine. I also don't mind a special perch for him. but it may need to be in the back if he's going to distract other bridge crew." If the raven was used to being around Xavier on the bridge, she might have more trouble with some of her crew than the bird. "As for modifications, let me know what you have in mind first. Although I don't have a problem if the upgrades are too extreme." Grace gave him a wry smile. "I had an engineer who was a little...zealous."

"He would only be around for the initial launch. He seems to like the view of leaving dock." Xavier paused. "Nothing extreme just safety updates that would keep the crew safe should the shuttle need to exceed recommended speeds."

He gave himself to look around the office and then he turned back to the Captain. "Thank you Captain for allowing me to be a part of your ship."

"I'm the one who is grateful you accepted." She opened her drawer and pulled out a small box. "Oh, I almost forgot. I was informed that you were promoted shortly before coming here, but were not given your rank pips." She smiled and handed him the box. "Congratulations, lieutenant. I look forward to what you'll bring to the Ontario."

Xavier gave a nod. "Thank you. I have an aversion to promotion ceremonies so my previous CO thought it best for me to wait." He took the pips. He looked at her. "If you wish to see the shuttle advancements in person please let me know. I have a couple of items on the shuttle I came in that I wished to retrieve and was planning on one more flight so I can adjust the stabilizers. My previous CO insisted on a test flight before allowing me to take the helm and if you wish to join me on the flight before confirming my on boarding I can understand that." He was confident in his flight skills. He'd been tested on them so many times he wondered if this CO was different and would just accept his skills or want to see him fly. He didn't mind either way. "The Flight Chief from the station will also be joining us. There is a ship not far from here, eight hours they are having engine issues and there is station crew and a nurse for the Ontario that needs to be picked up."

"I can be ready in fifteen minutes," Grace said. "I'll meet you in the shuttle bay."

A post by

Commodore Grace Vetur
Commanding Officer
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Xavier
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ontario

 

RSS Feed