Glory Be

[Shalin 0]

Shan paced nervously on the bridge. The scheduled shore leave was to end in a little over a week. It would all begin again: the assignments, the challenges, the dangers ... Shan shivered uncontrollably. It was different this time - something inside him couldn't face it again. They kept coming; they kept coming without relief. Never a sense of quiet, or anything simple. There was always a cartel or an incursion or some obscene threat seeking to destroy the Creek, the Federation, or the whole of life as it was known.

 

Shan shook down to his core - and ran.

 

As fast as he could he was in Tomcat dressed in a G-suit, maneuvering the vehicle for a deck launch. As he finished flight checks a deck crewman ran up. "Sir ... "

 

He quickly nodded back. "It's ok, Crewman. I'm certified."

 

"I know, sir - but you haven't logged any hours on this bird ..."

 

Shan dropped his visor. "... which is why I need to clock a little time. Check with the Officer In Charge if you have any questions."

 

The crewman scowled. "Sir - you're the Officer In Charge."

 

Shan smirked. "Right ... and I've given myself my permission."

 

"Sir ... I don't think ..."

 

"Good for you, Crewman! You'll sleep better - now clear the deck."

 

The crewman dashed for an airlock as Shan dropped the cowl. Within moments the hangar bay doors rolled open and Shan eased the Tomcat out into space. Looking out to space, Shan took a moment to take in the awesome beauty of the universe. As a flight instructor once told him, it was important for pilots to take in life: one never knew what memory would be their last - an effort should be made to make it pretty. Shan sighed quietly, waiting until the indicators read Minimum Safe Distance before whispering softly.

 

"All right, demons - let's play tag."

 

Shan opened up the engines suddenly. Arcing gracefully away from the drydock, Shan set a course towards a deserted range of tropical volcanic islands. With shields on Double Front the fighter pushed through the planet's atmosphere, glowing brighter than a shooting star as he dropped before he finally let up and allowed the fighter to slow enough for atmospheric maneuvering. Choosing a still patch of ocean and guiding the fighter downward, he continued until the wingtips were three feet from the water's surface and then opened the throttle wide. Water erupted into the air behind him as he shot along the ocean.

 

Rising slightly, he arced towards an island. Once a volcano, the center had a narrow split from a recent earthquake. Ignoring collision alert warnings he continued straight for the gap at the crest of the mountain. Watching the approach for several seconds, he breathed quietly and closed his eyes, counting heartbeats until suddenly putting the fighter into a roll; narrowly missing having the wings sheared off as he spun through the mountain split - the wash of the fighter disintegrating several trees and plants on the peak. Straightening out, he ran the fighter out several miles before turning back - setting a dead course for a solid cliff side. Calmly he counted down

 

... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

 

Engaging pitch thrusters and opening the engines, the fighter's profile went flat towards the mountain before rocketing vertically with an island-shattering sonic boom. The Tomcat arrowed into space ... and Shan sank down the rabbit hole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He had no sense of how long he was out, doing his best to shake off his headache while checking the monitors. The G-LOC compensator had put the Tomcat into a steady course and kicked in CAS, though the readout thankfully showed no need for it. Still, he had been out long enough with fairly open sub-light engines that he was barely a few thousand miles from New Topeka's moon. Deciding to take in the sight, he ran the fighter down to the deck - not kicking dust this time but still skimming along the surface, barely putting in the effort to avoid the crags and crests of crater edges.

 

Easing away from the surface slightly, Shan took in the sight of New Topeka rising from the moon's horizon. There was a speck to the left - a glimmer of light which Shan recognized as the dry dock. He didn't know how much time had passed - perhaps someone who outranked him was already on board. He looked down at the console ... he had the fighter. He could get away; ditch the ship at the first outpost he found and disappear. He didn't have to be a pilot - just an undocumented deckhand of a cargo ship. He could lose himself forever; Starfleet would give up looking for him quickly ... he just wasn't that important. The Creek wouldn't follow him farther than it would take to pick up the fighter. There were plenty of Ensigns capable of piloting a starship - he wasn't that valuable. Shan sighed heavily. Starfleet wouldn't follow him; the only things interested in him were his demons, and they would follow him everywhere.

 

Maybe next time, you bastiches.

 

...

 

The bay doors closed shortly after Shan shut off the engines. The crewman was back with a tow-box, easing it into place as Shan climbed out of the cockpit. "Have the atmospheric stabilizers checked. They want to pitch negative in a roll."

 

The crewman shook his head. "Sir - I'm going to have to report this, and not just to the Officer In Charge."

 

Shan smiled and patted the crewman's shoulder. "You're a good man ... you do that."

 

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"Glory Be", from Dark at the End of the Tunnel, by Oingo Boingo

 

G-LOC: G-force induced Loss Of Consciousness

CAS : Collision Avoidance System