The Shuttle Pilot
Posted on 25 Mar 2023 @ 10:22pm by Lieutenant Commander Samantha Smithson SB51 & Lieutenant JG Margeurite "Maggie" LeFebvre
1,807 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Orientation Posts
Location: SB51/Various
Timeline: The day after - An unusual new arrival (Post)
[ON]
0530 hours the next day Sam arrived on shift early as the next transport was due in with the new Chief Support Craft Pilot on it for the Tomcat, she let the off-going night Staff do their changeover while she did hers with the night shift Security Chief when this was done she got herself a mug of tea from her replicator and signed in to her console where she pulled up the new Pilots file and transferred the officer's image to her Padd.
Half an hour later she had just finished her tea when an alert came in that the transport would be docking early, so she completed the setup of the new arrival's Service Jacket and stood up tugging down her jacket and heading out to the nearest turbo lift. When she arrived and entered the turbo lift and the doors closed "Arrivals" she said and the lift whisked her to her requested destination.
- Arrivals -
The lift doors opened up on Arrivals just as the transport was docking it was early, it had just turned 0630 hours, she sighed and waited patiently until the ship had fully docked, then a bit longer as she pulled out her Padd and called up the image, she looked at it then up and in the middle of that disembarking throng of passengers was her appointment she stepped forward "Lieutenant LeFebvre, welcome to the Mira Sector, I am Lieutenant Commander Samantha Smithson and I will be doing your orientation and I am the Security Chief of this Starbase" Smithson said by way of introduction.
Maggie smiled. "Thank you, Ma'am." She replied, picking up her seabags (yes, as in multiple) and wincing at the sheer heft. "Nice to meet you. I am, as you said, Lt. Marguerite LeFebvre, but most people call me Maggie." Someday, she'd pick a call sign but most of them were dumb, but that was because most of them were owned by men. She wasn't a "Maverick" "Seahawk" or "Ice". She was delicate and feminine, and she needed a name like "Sparrow" or something. Anyway, she'd tried on a few, but nothing had stuck.
"The ship is bigger than my last assignment. I hope I don't get lost," she remarked. Her flight suit was itching her already; when she'd left Starbase Alpha that morning, she was wearing civvies and had changed about an hour ago-most places were transportable, but Mira wasn't. She'd had to use a shuttle.
Sam looked her up and down "you will need to change into a regular uniform Lieutenant, but that is for before you leave, also there is a heavily armed runabout slated for the ship you are going to so you will be flying that and you will have company on your trip a 95th rifle Sergeant, while you and he are officially assigned to the Tomcat, you will be sent to the Hydaransz system to the USS Roosevelt that is on station there dealing with some Pirates, you will report to Lieutenant Commander Cahill upon arrival, so if you will follow me we will go to security and I will get you logged into the system and have you any questions so far?" Smithson asked as she turned about and began to head to the Turbo lift.
Maggie smiled tightly. "What is the uniform of the day?" oO PLEASE don't be one of those ugly yellow tunic deals Oo, she said in her head. Yellow was a hard colour for blondes.
"I can handle a runabout." It had been a while since she'd flown anything but puddle jumpers, however, flying was like sex. Once you did it one time, you knew how it went. "Lt. Commander Cahill," she repeated. She didn't know why the Fleet thought she'd remember any of this, but whatever. She'd figure it out. The only real question she had was whether the rifleman was cute but she didn't VOICE that one. "How long is the trip?"
"As you are an auxiliary craft pilot your undershirt colour is Red like Command, the uniform otherwise is standard, same as I am wearing it is likely you will never again wear a flight suit, those are only reserved for Fighter pilots, your duty uniform would be the same as mine, except your undershirt will be red, not yellow and roughly about a week to two using this runabout maximum warp" Smithson answered.
She made a face. Typical Starfleet uniform? Ew. Talk about being unattractive and itchy. Oh, well. "I see!! That sound perfect. When do I meet him?" She was ready to put down her bags; she never knew why she insisted on carrying so much gear. Well, she *DID*-it was clothes, shoes, and makeup, but it never really occurred to her that she could simply recycle and replicate those things over and over.
"I'll change as soon as possible it would've been nice if they had let me know at the refuelling station, but ya know how those guys are." She rolled her blue eyes. "How many other small craft pilots will there be?"
"Refuelling stations attendants would not know that, as for pilots, you will be the only one who will be flying, I have told Sergeant Sharpe to expect you at his quarters to collect him at 0600 hours, from there you will both head to the Roosevelt in the Hydaransz system" as she said this the machine to her right finished, she took out the first item, registered it with the system before holding it out "this is your ID card, it is to be worn at all times BUT only on the Tomcat, even when off duty on the ship, it does not have to be on display, but it does have to be on your person when off duty and in the ship's lounge," Smithson said before continuing and allowing a moment for any questions to be asked.
Maggie nodded and attached it to her zipper. "Got it, on my person at all times!!" She said. Standard procedure, then. "Can I wear Skant-style uniforms?" She inquired. She sighed deeply. Uniforms were difficult for the girls who liked fashion. "I mean in general, for the pilots!! Am I the section head for now?" She smiled a little. She was never good at explaining herself. "I have no further questions after that!! Thank you for the welcome."
"The skant style can be worn on the ship, but when on shuttle duties it is trousers, as you will be going to the Roosevelt in the Hydaransz System, it will be trousers all the way for that operation, it is when you return to the Tomcat it will be easier as where the Roosevelt is it is essentially a warzone and uniforms are not meant to be stylish, if they were I would be wearing a skirt and heels," Smithson said with a smile, off duty you can dress as you want, but on duty, you will find that the trouser format is the regular uniform, especially on an Akira class ship like the Tomcat, but you can take it up further if you wish with Fleet Captain Somers" she added then removed the next item from the dispenser.
"The CAG is Lieutenant Serina Donovan and Deputy is Lieutenant Jg Paul Winchester, but you come under the command tree of Command hence why you have a Red undershirt or will and you may find you will end up coordinating with the CAG and DCAG from time to time, but your initial senior commanders would be the 2XO, XO and Commanding Officer, you do not fall under the command of the Commander Air Group you are a shuttle pilot, not a fighter pilot, also if you ever want a chance to fly the Tomcat, speak to the CO or First Officer" Smithson added then held out the Isolinear chips shaped data crystal.
She nodded her understanding. "I see. The Tomcat is a larger ship than my last, so it makes sense to run the fighters and auxiliary pilots separately." She wasn't used to that; she was used to being the only female pilot in the place, and she was used to being the LEAD pilot.
"This is a data Crystal in the shape of an isolinear chip to make it easier to use on the Tomcat and one of its ports, this crystal has your extra security codes on it, they will only work on the Tomcat, anywhere else your standard security codes will work as normal, any questions?" Smithson asked.
"No, ma'am. I think I understand!" She pocketed the crystal and sighed. How was she supposed to remember all of this?! She was just a pilot, not a scientist or something. How high of an IQ did they think she had?!
Looking at the Pilot "I know Tomcat Security is a bitch, but consider the area she operates in, now this strip of paper has a one-time use code on it, it is linked to the Tomcat, should the ship be overrun by hostiles and you are the only one left standing use this code and it locks the system down to save the ships computer core and while the ship could still fly the navigational data will not be able to be used and only time back in space dock can the ship be unlocked, now when you have time, memorize the code and destroy the strip of paper, other new officers that I did orientations for also got one" Smithson said holding the strip of paper out. "Now do you have any questions before I give you your final instructions as we are all but done here?" Smithson asked.
Maggie put the paper in the pocket of her flight suit. "No, ma'am. I am sure it will just take a day or so for me to become accustomed to how the Tomcat works. Each ship is a little different, after all."
*Shakes head ruefully* "You have no idea, no idea, okay at 0600 hours today and in normal duty uniform not flight suit you are to locate and collect Sergeant Sharpe up from his quarters here on the Starbase, there you are to take the runabout as mentioned above to the Roosevelt in the Hydaransz system and report to Commander Cahill if there are no additional questions Lieutenant you are dismissed," Smithson said.
"NO!! Thank you so much, Ma'am. I appreciate it."
With that Sam watched the pilot leave her office, she sighed and sat back how she missed her right hand, but when duty takes priority, then it has to come first.
[OFF]
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