"The Way Things Turn Out..."

[FredM 0]

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." - Art Linkletter

 

 

Glancing around the massive bay, one could not help but be amazed. From the outside, this entire monstrosity looked like a typical shuttle bay one would find on a frigate. Yet, once the massive doors had opened, they would find themselves looking into a cavern whose depth ran only several compartments behind the main bridge and computer core of the saucer section. While of course there were other facilities, it still was remarkable how one's perspective of a situation could be so incorrect.

 

Unlike many people who served in the N.F.A. Navy, Patrick McQueen had not come from a family of spies or individuals who were disloyal to the ideals presented by the United Federation of Planets. Instead, he had been born on Alpha Centuri into a family that was the exact opposite. His parents, who had been in their late seventies when he was born, loved the UFP. Perhaps that statement wasn't completely accurate. His father had never allowed anyone within the family to say anything bad about the Federation. "It's more than just this man Duren. He's a fad...be gone before you know it," discussions had often started and ended with. Truth be told, his parents loved the ideal the United Federation of Planets supposedly stood for. Somewhere along the line, a decision had been made to turn away from the horror that had slowly taken root. It wasn't exactly a unique situation, but troubling none the less.

 

Patrick himself had questioned the status quo, always holding himself to be one who was not afraid to share his views and make them known. In his late teens, the views had led to deep arguments at home. The rift that had started to form between the young man and his father only grew as time went on, resulting in more than several evenings spent sleeping somewhere other than his bed. Yet, more for the sanity of his mother, the Centurian had returned home and attempted to make amends. While lasting for some time, the situation finally resulted in Patrick's departure from the McQueen household when he was eighteen.

 

Without much effort, he had found himself on a transport heading for something other than what he knew. To say he was "running away" from himself would not exactly be an inaccurate statement. Eventually, Patrick McQueen had enlisted in the New Federation Alliance. The decision to become a pilot had not actually been his, rather the fact a shortage of personnel had made it necessary. This issue was something that had complicated most of the man's six year career. Could he fly? That wasn't in doubt. Was he a skilled fighter pilot? The jury wasn't leaning in that direction.

 

Initially, Second Lieutenant McQueen had spent his first deployment part of the 32nd Auxiliary Defense Reserve Air Group on Cait. Here, the inexperienced pilot had gained his first exposure during the Battle of Cait in February 2377. The reorganization of forces shortly thereafter prompted a transfer and a six month deployment as part of the 37th Auxiliary Defense Reserve Air Group stationed near Trill. Despite his best efforts, continual problems with performance remained. These flaws were seen to likely prevent an assignment aboard a ship based squadron. When this actually did happen in the opening months of 2378, it was seen as an act of sympathy by someone in the chain of command. Yet, regardless of the reason, First Lieutenant McQueen was assigned to the N.F.S. Repulse and the heavy cruiser's five craft squadron which was associated with Delta Fleet's 28th Air Recon Group. The aging Excelsior Combat Enhanced Cruiser's age led to it's eventual removal from combat operations in early 2381, instead having the forty-six year old craft continue service in areas deemed more secure by New Federation officials. The relocation marked the reassignment of Foxtrot Squadron and the relocation of Captain Patrick "Barely" McQueen to the N.F.S. Odyssey.

 

At this stage, the Odyssey herself was listed as one of the newer additions to the New Federation Navy. The vessel was the second of three Galaxy Heavy Carriers built at the Organia Shipyards and it's commissioning had marked the immediate need for a large volume of craft. The native of Alpha Centuri found himself associated with the 3rd Air Group for less than six months before the concerns of the ship's CAG, Brigadier General John Bravo, resulted in a forced transfer and demanded recertification. The embarrassment was dulled slightly by the Navy Training Superintendent overriding the order, instead blaming the entire situation on the knowledge of his father's dead one month after the posting. Returning from a "highly suggested" leave, the newly promoted Major McQueen was assigned to the aging N.F.S. Reaent in December 2381. At the time, it was viewed as another sympathetic act to find an assignment for the twenty-four year old without transfer back to planetary duty.

 

Yet despite his initial misgivings, "Barely" had found himself at home aboard the Ambassador Carrier. It was an attachment he had also developed when serving aboard the Repulse. For some reason, McQueen had a fascination with the fact he was working and serving where so many had done so before. It was as if he was somehow held to a higher standard, an idea that he was responsible for continuing on what those before had handed him. Of course, it was a concept he sometimes thought was futile given continual skirmishes with the UFP.

 

As the Major glanced around the nose of his craft, he sighed and shook his head. It was a horrible thing to hold a call sign that sometimes all to accurately described your survivability in a dogfight. Then again, it would be worse to have a call sign that was put on a certain white stone memorial back on Cait. "Sometimes makes you wonder why things turn out the way they do...," he mumbled as he walked out of the bay.