Shuttle Inspection

Posted on Fri Aug 11, 2017 @ 4:05pm by Lieutenant Corsa Yeros & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: Strange Matter
Location: Deck 13, Shuttle Bay 1 - Ground Level
Timeline: MD 26 || 11:30

The sudden increase of workflow from being a simple helmsman to a departmental head suited Corsa. It kept him busy and feeling fulfilled otherwise he would have ended up just listing around between shifts in the holodeck or Promenade.

He had a pattern to keep and that suited the Traxian fine. Corsa had set out his own daily rota which kept him overhead of his subordinates. Part of his duties was to ensure that the shuttles on board were ready to take off at a moment's notice. According to the plan some of his staff were doing their daily checks on the shuttles and he decided to see how they were coming along.

On the dot of his timetable he entered the ground level of Shuttle Bay One; a vast open space with the spacecraft being attended by maintenance teams and pilots. He walked with his hands behind his back down the middle of the concourse along the marked path, looking to his left and right to see how things were coming along.

Personnel swarmed over the twenty-six shuttles, eight transports, twelve work pods, twenty Danube class runabouts and the twenty Volga class runabouts when the Department Head entered the ground level of the shuttle bay.

A large Saurian with the rank of Chief Petty Officer looked up and when he saw the officer enter, he punched a button on the terminal he stood in front of an a short klaxon went off. "Officer on deck!" he called out.

Personnel stopped what they were doing and lined up next to each runabout, shuttle, and work pods they had been working on and came to attention.

It was strange how everything went from a bustle to silence. He nodded towards the Saurian and replied. "As you were." Corsa told the crew. He moved along the work line making cursory inspections of how the team handled the flight checks.

Deck work was always noisy. With people climbing in and out of shuttlecraft and runabouts. Tools whirling away. He watched each of the crew a little while before turning his gaze over to the Saurian again.

"Chief, what's the sitrep?"

"All's in readiness," the Saurian replied whose name was S'slither. "Except for one of the Danube's. It's engine is far outside of normal parameters and we're trying to figure out what's wrong with it."

"Too hot or not enough?" asked Corsa, meaning if the power being channelled into the engines was at a dangerously higher level than it should be or not enough to give it proper thrust.

"That's just it," S'slither said as he gestured towards the Danube that had the most personnel around it. "The power input is nominal, but the efficiency rating is off the charts."

Corsa turned to look at the runabout that seemed to be the talk of the day. It was running the energy into the propulsion system fine but for whatever reason it was a puzzle. "When you say off the charts do you mean it's not efficient enough or...'too' efficient?"

The Chief picked up a PADD and handed it to Corsa. "It's at one hundred and eighty percent efficiency," he said and showed him the schematics and testing results. "Thing is, it shows as identical to every other Danube runabout here except for that."

With a brow raised Corsa tapped along the PADD's surface to check the readings. Eighty percent upwards of normal was impressive but the Chief did seem to be correct. There had been no installation of new parts or any experimental tech. At least from what the PADD was telling him.

"So we have a supercharged Danube..and a mystery. Chief am I right in saying that every craft Starfleet makes from a Galaxy-class to a Danube has a manufacturing and maintenance history? Right from the industrial replicator from the factory floor and every single checkup since?"

"It's all on the PADD, Sir," the Saurian told him. "And not a single clue what caused it or how to recreate it."

"Alright. For now slap a 'No Fly' sticker on it and update the logs." Corsa decided. It wouldn't do for someone to fly the damned thing only for it to be shaken to its manifolds. That would take some explaining. "Chief did you do any simulations for it? See how it flew? Did it explode?"

S'slither nodded. "It's slotted for simulation testing, but so are a lot of others. I'll have it moved to the top of the list."

"Did this craft take part in any sorties recently?" the Traxian asked out a sudden ping of inspiration.

"It's brand new and hasn't been flown beyond the trip to the ship when it was first assigned," the Saurian said. "Scans and everything else say it's a normal runabout."

"Yes Chief. You've said that...many times now. I'm just cycling through the variables but I understand that as far as everything we know so far....it's a standard, boring, Danube." Corsa replied as he pinched his brow.

"Alright. What about the flight that it took to get from dock to here? Was it part of a convoy or did it come solo?"

"It came with the others, Sir," S'slither said. "So far, there's no known reason for it to be different from the other Danubes we received. They all came from the same place at the same time."

"Hrm. Well I'll review this PADD in my office. Just don't let anyone fly the thing. Probably explode if you so much as look at it. Also update me as soon as the simulation is ran to see how it actually goes. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Corsa tucked the PADD behind his back and made his way towards the door. "Keep me apprised. I think I need to see a man about a power issue after I browse this PADD. Unless there is more, Chief?"

"I'd suggest running a check on the pilot who brought it in, Sir," S'slither said. "I tried, but I'm just a Chief Petty Officer and the PADDwork required is above my grade since it doesn't involve incidents incurred while in service to the ship."

"If a senior NCO can't pester someone flying the damned thing because of paperwork then maybe we need a new system. Who is it? Or is it, shall I guess, on the PADD?"

"I don't know, Sir," the Chief said. "It's not listed for any of the pilots or if they were remotely flown in."

"Tell you what, Chief S'slither...you may ask around the Flight team for anyone who piloted the craft and if anyone has an issue then they can always come see me." replied Corsa as he inclined his head. "You tell them that. That they can speak to Lieutenant Yeros."

"Yes, Sir," S'slither said. "But...if I can't find out and I'm Chief of Maintenance....how would anyone else know? A lot of the personnel are as new as you here."

That was a good point. There had been an influx of new faces including his own. "But newer people are always looking to please. Often it's not what you ask but how you ask it. If you ask in a stern oh-so-important way then people assume that it's very serious business. Someone might come forward but even if you don't find out then, well, least we tried?"

By now, S'slither was restraining himself while remaining outwardly calm. "Yes, Sir," he agreed. "However, when I said that this is above my grade, I meant that you, as the department head and Lieutenant, will have to look into the matter yourself."

"Of course." Corsa said as a sudden ping of an idea twacked itself against the side of his head. "Carry on, Chief."

"Thank you, Sir," the Saurian said. "Welcome to the ship, Lieutenant," he called as he headed off barking orders to the personnel around the grounded Danube.

With that Corsa made his way out of the bay with the PADD in hand, glancing at it every so often as he tapped away at the surface, eager to find out the mystery of this runabout.

(S'slither played by Michael!)