Workbee

[Abe Kas 0]

::aboard Workbee #3:: Computer, open duty log, star date 10808.26, 1.2 hours into flight.

 

Thinking to himself, alone in his enclosed cabin. "It's nice to fly in new ships, and this Workbee hadn't been flown on more than a few check flights done for acceptance into our group of them. With its manipulator waldoes we configured to hold an zero-vibration adapter which in turn held a microstabilization platform attached to a highly modified transport enhancer's support struts, I can fly around positioning the four of them from one way point to another and look at the landscape below. I get a nice picture, up here at 20Km."

 

"Cyiv figured it out, and had re-formed the standard linear model into a triangular-shaped design. He's going to submit the design to the academy boys for refinement, but he's sure no one has come up with something like this before. Well, time to get to work. "

 

Begin recording: I have arrived at the assigned way point, for the 750 meter test profile, and am detaching unit 2 now. Data communications link active and transporter enhancer system in standby mode. Estimate 1.5 minutes to place unit 3. End recording.

 

Backing away from the little craft floating with the wind, watching the little spurts from the transport enhancer unit, its thrusters keeping it in the 1 meter thick spherical layer of atmosphere they were trying to clean, Abe flew to the next way point in the navigation system. He thought about how the platform was capable of holding its position relative to three others in an equilateral pyramid formation as steady as if they were sitting on the ground. "I had to make up a single three axis thruster unit, so it could fly for the 15 minutes it took per test. Cute little thing, but had to use some of my root beer equipment on the first ones to be able to use the propellant available to us, good ol' CO₂ gas, liquefied. Loaded some communications and navigation programs and connected a few laser rangefinders from parts of a phaser rifle to a data pad for computer system to make these able to control themselves. If this works with this jury-rigged gear, then someone can design a nice one later. "

 

A few minutes later, 750 meter test complete, Kas has flown back to retrieve and refuel the four small transport enhancers. They each needed to be reconnected with one of the manipulators so it could be taken to the next set of way points, the 1 kilometer test. Along the way, Kas check the pressure levels, and opened valves so the CO₂ fuel chamber was reloaded.

 

Computer, please display test results on secondary display.

 

An hour later, a big smile was seen on his face as Abe stepped out of Workbee #3 aboard the Challenger. One of the flight deck PO takes hold of Abe's flight gear and helmet, handing him a root beer as they asked him about the results and talked about his flight, and what Qo'noS looked like from 20Km.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Abe Kas