One Small Step For Pilots

Posted on Thu Mar 6th, 2025 @ 4:51am by Captain Violet Bluegarden & Lieutenant JG Shirley Onuei
Edited on on Sun Mar 9th, 2025 @ 5:12am

1,624 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: 84 Years Young
Location: Shuttlebay
Timeline: Day 5

The work in the shuttlebay had been tiring and quite frankly sweaty, but that didn't deter Shirley at all, despite the initial whining and complaining that she'd given at the beginning. Her preferred style of uniform had given way to a more practical jumpsuit that stood up better to the grime and hard work that was ahead of her. In fact, she'd set up the shuttle she'd flown in on as a set of personal quarters for herself, even though she'd been assigned a set on the ship already, with a casual outfit in there along with her 'normal' uniform and a spare jumpsuit.

She pushed the broom, leaning on it to move more debris to her staging area for recycling before finally stopping and wiping her brow with the back of a hand. She'd long since unsealed the front of the jumpsuit and tied the sleeves around her waist because she was starting to overheat. All that did was accentuate her chest and the sweat marks on the shirt she wore as evidence that she'd been working hard. Already a third of the shuttlebay was cleaned up, most of the larger pieces still there, but enough room for another couple shuttles had been cleared and she was considering how to fit the most craft in for best launching and landing.

Suddenly, the hum of a transporter beam filled the air. Despite the progress that had been made in the shuttlebay, the fact of the matter remained that the gargantuan shuttlebay doors remained sealed shut. A measure that had been taken after an atmospheric pressure leak emanating from them was detected. Perhaps that had been why other decommissioned ships in the yard had been depressurized.

The transport was not an arranged supply drop off. In fact, only a single person had been beamed aboard: That being a young blonde woman with her hair tied in a French braid. She wore a command red uniform with four pips on her collar, indicating her rank of Captain. An unusual addition that she also wore with her uniform was a pair of brown leather driving gloves.

As Violet's eyes readjusted to the ambient lighting on board, a smile spread on her face. With each passing day, it seemed The Sullivans was more and more alive. It sucked that all of this was happening while she was tied up finalizing paperwork that would allow her to tow this old relic to the shipyard to complete the reactivation process.

The sudden arrival of the woman by transporter threw Shirley off-balance for a moment and she fell over backwards with a yelp before scrambling to her feet without the broom anymore. She gave the new arrival a careful once over before tentatively taking a step forward, "H-hello? C-can I help you?"

Violet seemed startled by the person trying to talk to her, but she quickly regained her composure:

"I'm sorry;" She apologized, her southern accent immediately apparent. "Is a Captain not allowed to inspect her own vessel? Paperwork's absolutely killing me, and I've been pinin' for a change of scenery."

"I wouldn't open those doors for a good view while standing here then, Engineering hasn't fixed the leak yet, woulda made it easier for me to just shove this stuff out of it, but I'll get it handled none the same." Shirley waved towards the rubble and parts of ship, "But you said you're the Captain? Celly said I'd get to meet you at some point, so I guess the time is now?"

"I suppose word travels fast, don't it?" Violet chuckled, rubbing the back of her head before extending a hand for the pilot (at least she assumed the other woman was, based on her uniform color) to shake. "Violet Bluegarden, prospective Commanding Officer of the USS The Sullivans. I say prospective, because I ain't Commanding Officer just yet. Hence the paperwork I mentioned earlier..."

"I suppose if you aren't the Commanding Officer, then Celly isn't the Executive Officer yet?" Shirley shook the hand, then wrapped her arms around herself and glanced off to the side, "Means I'm not yet really assigned here yet, am I? I dunno, I left Harbinger with her promise that I'd have a new home to go to, I just hope that it doesn't fall through. Oh, I'm Shirley Onuei, best pilot in the fleet, I promise! Celly will tell you that! Well, she would if she were here, but she had to go back to the station for something."

"Yeah, unfortunately, things'll be back and forth for a while." Violet sighed. "At least until we're able to get this hunk of junk towed back to the yard to complete the process. Anyhow, I was coming aboard to see how Engineering was coming with Deck 6. I'd like to get a feel for how my great grand mamaw lived, and subsequently, how I'm going to live once we get out of here."

“Jeez, deck 6?” Shirley shook her head, “I know I don’t have a clue, I haven’t left the shuttlebay for the last two days ever since Celly and I got here. Some lady was here when we landed and said she’d give me a set of quarters, but I’ve just been bunking aboard the shuttle, got a replicator and refresher, even set up a corner to curl up in. I was told to get the shuttle bay all cleaned up to free up the engineers for the real work.”

"You mean you sleep in the same space where you shit?" Violet asked. "That can't be sanitary."

"In a way don't we all?" Shirley gave a shrug, "I've got it all compartmentalized, curtained off mostly, but it's fine! Once I get this whole shebang cleaned up, I can take a bit of a rest and finally get my quarters set up! That's not what Celly told me to do, or what that engineer said, but it's what I wanna do, because I was told that I won't be flying the ship, just the shuttles.. I really didn't like hearing that, but if that means I'm gonna be flying just from down here, I'm gonna make it the best!" Her face was cheery, but then it fell, a whine coming out next, "I just wish things weren't so heavy or diiiirty down here!"

"Unfortunately, almost sixty five years of neglect will result in a buildup of dirt." Violet surmised. "Perhaps what you need is a bit of a change of scenery? There's more to these old starships than just their shuttlebays."

"Oh, I'm sure, but that engineering lady was saying that the ship is still um..." Shirley waved around for the right word, "A work in progress or something like that. She was open to space for quite a while, which does make me a bit concerned." The pilot gave the Captain an odd look as if considering something, "You seem all right, though, Vee, so I think you and me? We'll get along juuust fine!"

"Well, not surprising, considering she wasn't very well maintained." Violet sighed. "They did try and keep her pressurized, though. Unfortunately, leaks were bound to happen. Anyhow, it was a pleasure meeting you, Onuei. I suppose I'll just be on my way, then." She indicated the way out of the shuttlebay.

"Just be careful in there, Vee!" Shirley remarked, giving the doors a dubious look, "And if you ever need to get anywhere in any sortof hurry, just let me know!"

"Of course." Violet nodded, starting to walk off before stopping and remembering something Shirley had said earlier. "Oh, by the way; you said you had a replicator in that shuttle?"

"That I do!" Shirley agreed, "Doesn't make the best chocolate pudding, but otherwise everything comes out fine!"

"Mind if I use it real quick?" Violet asked.

"Of course!" The pilot said instantly, then paused for a moment before giving a sheepish smile, "Just ignore the unmade sleeping area, I just don't see the point to making a bed if I'm just going to muss it up again when I go back tonight."

"Long as this shuttle hobo stuff don't persist once you get some proper quarters assigned, I don't mind." Violet said as she stepped aboard the evidently lived-in shuttle. "Just want to replicate some stuff I'm going to need to make me some dinner tonight. We ain't gonna have replicators on board until we're in drydock and being modernized."

Violet then began ordering the ingredients: First the stuff to make some homemade dough, then some fresh tomatoes and spices to make into sauce, and finally some mozzarella cheese and some pepperoni and bacon. And because Mamaw's pizza was never complete without them; some garlic and basil.

Once Violet had everything she needed conveniently contained in a shopping basket, she turned and gave Shirley a nod.

"Thank you kindly." She said. "I should have everything I need now."

"Not a problem, Vee, if you need anything else, you know where to find me!" Shirley grinned widely, "And once I get the shuttlebay cleaned up, I'll move into my quarters, well, once they tell me that we're not going to suddenly depressurize again that is."

"Well, you'll find out for sure tomorrow morning whether or not you have a new captain." Violet joked. "Unless I find someone from engineering to dissuade me from spending the night..."

And without further word, Violet set off to her final destination- the Captain's quarters. She'd heard that the Captain's quarters were equipped with a full range, and Violet was looking forward to cooking her mamaw's pizza in her great grand mamaw's quarters...

Posting by

Captain Violet Bluegarden
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant JG Shirley Onuei
Chief Support Craft Pilot

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