We all live in a shuttle submarine.

[Zaphod_the_spacebum 0]

Zaphod sat back in his seat on the Vertisbule's shuttle. 'Why did I volunteer for this?' He thought, as he tightened the safety harness. He started out the day eating a sandwich and drinking spiked coffee, and now he might be facing his last moments. He, Shane and William had modified the shuttle for underwater flight. Putting in an airlock, baffles on the plasma ducts, and waterproofing the rear of the shuttle, among other mods. Captain Manning called everyone for a meeting on the bridge of the Qob. Someone had umm, borrowed some waste management pumps from the Vertisble, which was brought to the Captains attention. The engineers just played innocent, with knowing grins to each other. Well, we needed bilge pumps for the shuttle. If Captain Maxwell couldn't properly flush his high and mighty thone, it wasn't any whiskers off Zaphod's nose. Captain Manning then went over the shuttles mission, and asked for a team to go down to the planet. Before Zaphod had time to let his Caitian common sense kick in, he volunteered. Well, Shane was going to remain on Qob to monitor the shuttle's flight. And, Zaphod knew more about the shuttle's workings. So, Joe and Shane thought it would be best if he went on the mission. C'est la vie, as his human grandmother would say. Such is life. He thought of his grandmother fondly. She started one of the most popular restaurants in New Orleans. He missed her Sauce Picante, and her bread pudding with rum praline sauce. He wiped the drool from his whiskers, and returned to his thoughts for the day. Once the meeting with Joe was finished, Zaphod had asked Pher and Joe to return his weapons. He was a brave kitty, but wasn't going down to the planet without them. He promised the crew he wouldn't shoot them, which got him a knowing smirk from the Vulcan Selek, who had shot him on the Vertisbule. Zaphod grinned back and left the bridge. Joe unlocked the locker in security and he grabbed his duffel and headed to his quarters. He stood there for a while feeling the weight of his trusty Bat'leth. Shara's father Grath had helped him make it for his service aboard the Da'vI. He strapped the blade to his back, and tucked his Caitian claw dagger in his toolbelt. Byblos had suggested he bring the Bat'leth. The Nausicaan was big and knew his blades. Zaphod pulled out his phaser, and grinned at it's sleek, dangerous look. He set it to standby mode, pulled back the hood to check the power level, and holstered it on his toolbelt. He also tucked a couple of extra power packs in his toolbelt. For the first time in a long while, he felt whole. He threw the duffel with the rest of his belongings on his bunk and headed to the Vertisbule. Shane was waiting for him and his eyes grew big at Zaphod's arsenal, Zaphod just laughed and said he was prepared for anything this planet would throw at him. Shane gave them their mission briefing, and Zaphod crawled into the shuttle. He took his pad from his toolbelt and linked it with the shuttles systems and their improvised force field airlock. When they reached the ocean and parked the shuttle on the floor, The crew would stand at the back of the shuttle, Zaphod would remotely activate the airlock, fill it with water, and open the back cargo hatch. They would swim to the surface, then to the beach. And, gather as much information as they could. Selek asked if he had used duct tape on the airlock. Zaphod just grinned at him and said it was an ancient engineering secret. Truth was, he did use some duct tape behind the panels. As his human grandfather always said: "Boy, duct tape is one of the tools you need in your toolbelt. If duct tape don't fix it, the foofalei is beyond hope". Of course duct tape heated with a plasma torch sealed tubing and panels better than any sealant. Zaphod's ship, the S.S. Silver Star was held together with duct tape. He missed his old ship. He reached out and ran his claw down the blade of his bat'leth, grinning. He felt much more comfortable feeling its weight on his back. Shane closed the door and the crew of the submarine shuttle prepared for launch.

 

From Zaphod's personal log. Recorded in his quarters before leaving the ship.

 

-----> Open Personal Log, Zaphod, Daryus, son of Dracal <----------

 

May 1, 2420,

 

In the event of my death, please notify my remaining family on Cait, and on Earth. Please transmit these personal logs and my belongings to them. If I do not return from this away mission to Zoalus. Captain Joe Manning, and First Officer Chris Nickles are the only ones who have the codes to these logs, as I have left them on my personal ships information. To them I say, it has been an honor to serve aboard the QoB. You and the rest of the QoB's crew have given my life new purpose, and meaning. My apologies again for my actions in the beginning towards you and your crew.

 

-------> Close Personal Log, encrypt for captain or first officers eyes only <---------

Edited June 14, 2011 by Zaphod_the_spacebum