Taking Flight

Stardate 42349

Commander Thomas Walker sat in the center seat of the USS Sagan’s bridge. To his right was a more modest seat with its own dedicated console meant for the First Officer. It, like a handful of other positions, was empty on the scheduled day of their departure with their assigned officers meant to be picked up on the voyage. The activity level that morning was increased as final systems checks were made, it would take a year to reach the true starting point of their mission and once there they would have no access to Starfleet’s network of repair facilities. Eventually these final checks would be completed and the crews would begin dispersing, leaving just the bridge crew present.

“Status, Mister Verik,” Walker said, looking up from the PADD he held to the young Vulcan man sitting at the operations console.

Verik was silent for a moment as he keyed in the appropriate commands. His attention to detail lived up to the standards of his people but his experiences made what some would call the impassive, standard Vulcan expression far more amicable. His logic was solid but he had a bright, inquisitive spark that was evident in his eyes. “All decks report ready, Captain,” he reported.

“Excellent,” Walker says. He stands and tucks the PADD under his arm, watching the stars upon the viewscreen and the barely visible hint of the drydock structure that extended beyond Sagan. “Bridge to Main Engineering.”

“Blüm here, Captain,” came the response.

“Lieutenant, we’re ready to get underway,” said Walker, turning to walk back to his seat. “What’s your status?”

Walker could picture him hesitantly checking displays, visually inspecting the warp core and making sure every small duck is in its row. The response came quicker than he anticipated though. “We, ah, we’re good down here, sir,” Blüm reported. “Impulse and warp engines are online. Ready at your command.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Bridge out,” Walker says, closing the channel. He turns and casually points to the gruff looking Tellarite at tactical. “Chief, contact Orbital Control and request permission to depart.”

The short, stocky woman stares down at her console, or perhaps stares it down, as her fingers make purposeful jabs at the controls. Her station chirps with a response, her attention shifts and she reads it over. “Permission granted, Captain.”

“Clear all moorings,” Walker announced.

The bridge crew was working as a unit, shiny and new, and Verik entered the commands with a practiced grace. Outside the ship the gantry began to retract as umbilical hardpoints that delivered critical power during refit fell away. With the Sagan now under the power of her own engines the vented sides of the nacelles gradually flickered to life with their blue glow, a similar effect occurring within the deflector dish. The Sagan’s navigational lights flickered to life, spotlights recessed into the hull flicking on to illuminate the starship’s name and registry number at various points along her hell. The most prominent of these existed upon the saucer section.

“All moorings clear, sir.”

“Helm, take us out, one-quarter impulse power.” Walker took a step back and sat down in his chair. His attention was on the main viewer as the helmsman acknowledged his order and the starfield slowly began to shift.

Throughout the Sagan there was a natural but faint vibration in her deck plating as the ship got underway, leaving the drydock facility under its own power. Once the Sagan was clear of the structure she turned to port and accelerated, the warm red glow of her impulse engines intensifying as she did so. Open space lay head of them and behind the red disc that was Mars and the structures of Utopia Planitia orbiting it would fall away.

“We have cleared the Sol system, sir.” The report came from a soft spoken ensign sitting at the helm.

“Set course for Starbase four-seventy-one, Ensign Kitsch,” Walker says. “Warp eight.”

“Warp eight, aye. Course plotted and laid in, sir.”

“Engage. Chief, open a shipwide channel.”

“Channel open, Captain.”

On the viewscreen the stars stretched for a moment and then began to pass at breakneck speed as the ship jumped to warp. Even with her age the engines were silent but the crew could feel a fine tuned shift in the deck plating indicating the warp drive was engaged. Walker tapped one thumb on the corresponding arm of his chair as he took a second to gather his thoughts.

“Attention all hands, this is the Captain. You’ll be pleased to know we have just begun the first leg of our year-long journey. Our ultimate destination, as you know, is Incandescent-Epsilon-549. Starfleet Command has no idea what we’ll find there and we will each be required to give nothing less than our best, but I know that this ship and her crew are ready for it… that you are ready to give your best and more. Let’s see what’s out there, together. Walker out.”