Caught Red-Ranted

[Sam_SemaJ 0]

Caught Red-Ranted (like red handed but in the middle of a rant...)

Personal Log S.K. Sema'J

SD 10509.23

 

<begin>

Just as Sam was about finished with his rant, Vectra grabbed his attention by ordering him to report to the shuttle bay. Huh? He immediately felt like a piece of slag for complaining. Without trying to look over enthusiastic, Sam calmly got up and headed for the Turbolift, but once he was behind closed doors, he could not hide his excitement and got it out by pacing the small space with a grin on his face. <<that was not meant to rhyme>> Sam got to the shuttle bay and was directed to a gleaming shuttle that was being loaded. Suddenly the U.S.S. Arcadia seemed a cumbersome bulk in comparison to this streamlined, maneuverable craft. He looked at the inscription on the side. NCC-1742-E-g: U.S.S Hadrian's Wall; it was a beautiful type 12 shuttle with a pointed nose, sloping back fins and sleek, angle mounded nacelles. Sam climbed inside and began his pre-flights, thrilled. Soon he was joined by a science officer, Anari Erias. Sam thought he had met her before on the bridge but took the opportunity to formally introduce himself. After a brief meeting between Lt. Erias' head and the shuttle bulkhead, they got to conversing. Interestingly enough the conversation shifted in the direction of age, and it was probably the first time that "old jokes" had been directed at Sam, thought he was (only?) 35.

 

Sam was thrilled at the opportunity to fly the fragile equipment because any focus on specialized stability gave him the opportunity to take off auto systems and fly by feel, which was certainly his preference. They got underway and the equipment was safely delivered to the Mirona outpost. Sam was about to return to Arcadia, content with his mission, when Cmdr Lo'Ami asked him for *more* help. Sam was to go out in his sleek shuttle and watch the placement of this equipment while comparing it with charts, checking for accuracy because of its sensitivity. Lo'Ami might not have realized it, but this was a perfect job for Sam's ocular implants, and he felt more important and helpful than he ever had on a mission. Watching carefully from the shuttle, Sam helped the team to accurately assemble the equipment. It was a great showing of Starfleet teamwork and Sam felt very good about it all. The feeling of a successful, completed mission was great as Sam picked up the scientists and prepared to take them back.

 

That feeling disappeared quickly as the stations power began to fluctuate. Sam had noticed an ambiguity in the positioning of some safety lock-downs on the exterior of the station, but didn't know enough about the alien outpost's protocols to identify it as something wrong, so had said nothing. Was this now coming back to bite him. Lo'Ami first wanted to get back to Mirona, but then changed his mind to getting back to Arcadia. Sam's first ever shuttle landing on Arcadia turned out to be his fastest and sloppiest because of the danger at hand (not that it wasn't fun) and the situation seemed so dire that Sam just beamed himself and Lo'Ami back to the bridge. As Sam resumed the pilot's chair of the U.S.S. Arcadia, and prepared to fly toward the perilous station that was now being sucked into a nebula...the ship no longer felt like a cumbersome bulk...

<end>