Taking Flight

Posted on Sun Mar 1st, 2020 @ 7:32pm by Commodore Jane Saulitis & Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy
Edited on on Sun Mar 1st, 2020 @ 7:35pm

Mission: Cruel Meridian
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD 02: 11:00 Hours
1483 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Min could hardly contain herself as they rode the turbolift up to the bridge. Not everyone got to see the bridge of a Federation starship and certainly they didn't just let anyone fly them. She was going to get to do both. She squeezed her eyes closed and clasped her hands in excitement to keep from jumping around all over the place and scaring Papa Murphy with her big wings.

Murphy could feel the barely-contained energy inside his goddaughter and at one point rested a hand on her shoulder to see if she was actually buzzing. "You're going to do great," he said, trying to come up with words of wisdom that didn't come easy to him.

The doors to the turbolift slid open to reveal the nerve center of the Majestic-class starship, it's bridge. It always had that feeling of electricity and importance about it, and Murph could only remember how seeing it for the first time made him feel. He nudged Min forward. "Best go and report for duty," he said quietly.

Min's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stepped tentatively off the turbolift.

"Ah Min," Jane said greeting her with a smile. "Come on down, you're expected. This is our Chief Flight Control Officer Lieutenant Sullivan."

Having been given the information that a visitor was coming to the bridge, the ship's helmswoman had tasked another member of her department to gather a few mementos so that Min could have something to remember her visit. However, Ensign Oron had not yet arrived, so Lily squatted down empty-handed with a bright smile spread across her face, bringing herself eye to eye with Min.

"Hello Min! My name is Lily. I'm so glad to meet you!" Sullivan practically gushed, quickly casting away any pretense that came with her rank and position. "I heard that you might be visiting today, so welcome to the bridge. Who knows? Maybe if the captain agrees, you could sit with me and help me with some bridge duties today. Does that sound like fun?"

Min, a bit overwhelmed by looking around at everything, started as Lily said her name loudly. But she listened to Lily intently and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. You get to fly the ship every day, that's so cool. Look at all these consoles and buttons to press. How do you keep it all straight? Have you ever been in battle? Was it exciting?" Min flapped her wings even though she knew she wasn't supposed to. It made a few of Lily's hairs blow back around her face.

"Lots and lots of hard work and practice, young lady, that's how," Sullivan blinked in an autonomous response to the unexpected gust of wind before breaking out into a smile. The child's enthusiasm was contagious. She slowly stood back and and motioned towards her station on the bridge. "Come on, let's go check it out. And don't worry, if we make a boo boo, I know a guy who can fix just about anything," she smiled again, coprophagicly this time, looking directly at the unnamed chief engineer.

"I won't break anything," Min looked at Murph with the widest eyes of absolute truth. She followed after Lily quickly, tripping a couple of times because she was looking around her and not down at where she was putting her feet.

Murphy had taken over the engineering station, but caught Min's look and gave her the slightest nod of assurance.

"So Min, why don't you take my seat, and I'll take a knee beside you and show you what's going on." By the time Lily turned to check to see if her feathered friend was okay from the stumbles, Min had already scrambled into her seat, sitting wide-eyed as the control control glowed in front of her. Much to Sullivan's relief, Min resisted what must have been a strong urge to start pointing and pressing, and instead focused her attention on the helmswoman herself.

"Well, I guess somebody is ready to get started," Sullivan smiled warmly. "Okay, here's the basics. The mode control panel is split up into four sections. Pilots can control the ship around three axes: roll, pitch, and yaw. Can you guess what the last section is? No cheating!" Lily covered the panel with her jacket sleeve.

"How fast we want to go?" Min asked. "Is she a fast ship?" The tips of Min's wings were quivering.

"That's right! We can control our speed too!" Sullivan continued, returning her arms to her side. Wherever she pointed, Min's gaze followed close behind. "The Majestic is fast, Min. Warp nine point eight up at the top of the scale if we need it. Maybe a couple hundredths over in a pinch, but that's just between you and me, okay? Don't tell Murph," she lowered her voice as if she were sharing a secret with her best friend.

"I promised him I wouldn't break anything," Min said seriously. "I don't care if we go really fast. I just want to make it move. Can I fly her away from the station?" She looked at Lily and then back at Jane.

Jane raised her eyebrows. "You can help. As long as Lieutenant Sullivan doesn't mind."

"Not at all," Lily replied before turning her attention back to the viewer. "Min, get up a second and then you can sit either on my lap or on the edge of the seat. I need to be able to reach everything just in case something happens, okay?"

Min nodded and hopped off the seat.

The pilot waited a moment to allow Min to get up before she took her seat, then went through her flows and checklists at the console to ensure that the ship was ready for departure. Systems statuses showed green across the board, and the necessary clearances had been obtained. For some panache, she deployed the manual control column and guided Min's right wing over to it so that she would be able to use it. Her hope was that the inputs would be more memorable to her than a simple press of a button on a console.

Out of sight to the young bird, Sullivan kept her left hand on the controls, ready to override at a moment's notice.

"Okay Min, maneuvering thrusters are ready. When you're ready, you're cleared to depart straight ahead. When we get clear of all of the equipment, then you can lean the stick left and right to try some turns. But be gentle. Be as gentle as a feather floating to the ground."

It was a good analogy because Min had watched many feathers float to the ground over the year. As she grew she lost feathers and made new ones but she'd always been fascinated by them. "Okay, she said very seriously. Maybe . . . . you should just get us away from the station just in case and then I'll take it." Min replied, showing her first hint of hesitancy.

"We can do it together, here," Lily placed her hand gently over the end of Min's wing on the control column. In that very moment, she couldn't help but think back to when it was her unsteady hand on the controls being guided by the calm, collected voice of a trusted mentor. Snapping out of her moment of existentialism, Sullivan applied a small amount of forward thrust and, together with Min, manipulated the stick to keep the ship's flight path vector firmly centered on the station's guidance.

"You're doing great, Min!" The pilot smiled. She wasn't having to make many corrective nudges at all.

This wasn't as scary as she had thought it would be. The ship responded to the most gentle of touches but Min knew to keep it straight and steady. Actually this was quite fun, it wasn't like her flying, not yet, but it was invigorating in a different way. Her feathers ruffled again in the same way a human's skin got goosebumps.

Once they were clear of the station she said, "Now what? Where are we going? Do we get to go fast?"

Before Sullivan could answer, the turbolift doors behind them swished open and Ensign Oron, another one of the ship's helmsman, walked towards the console with a small box in hand. Motioning for him to leave it on the ground beside them, Lily thanked Oron and returned her attention to the question.

"Soon my friend, we have to wait for the captain, When she gives the word," Lily tapped a few commands on the navigation display, "press this button, okay?" she reassured Min before addressing the rest of the bridge. "Captain, we are clear of all structures and equipment and have laid in a course for Sozon II."

"Well then Miss Min. Engage."



Captain Jane Saulitis
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Lilith Sullivan
Chief Flight Control Officer
(pNPC Hanover)

Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy
Chief Engineer