Ensign Alan Letts - Speed limit 20mph

[Gogigobo Fairhug]

This was a joy to read from @Alan Letts. Exemplary HCO (pilot) simming. 👏🏻

 

((USS Eagle, Deck 1, Bridge))

 

Letts was furiously tapping away at the controls in front of him making micro adjustments by the second to keep the ship on the best path ahead. Watching the suggested path on the side of his console he brought the ship into a turn up and to starboard before tipping the ship forward into a port side spiral.

The last quarter hour had been hell, —or heaven, depended on if you were a pilot or not— the tight turns and bends got his blood pumping. The quick movements and split second adjustments were the lifeblood of pilots and he was loving it. As he pulled out of the spiral he glanced to the display and saw a long open stretch ahead of them.

Settling the ship on its course he practically melted back into his seat letting out a sigh of relief. His moment of relief ended not to soon when the XO called to him.

Falt: How’s it going, Mister Letts?

Letts spun his chair around with all the nonchalance he could manage grinning at the Commander.
 
Letts: Smooth sailing sir, not a PADD out of place. ::now concerned:: Why is something wrong, :: grinning again:: did I hit a bump?
 
Falt: You’re doing great. Just keep us at this distance and use the data their sending to plot the best course you can.

The look the XO gave him was certainly not one he had seen before, not a glare but almost an eyeroll. Were he not flying he'd have been confused and terrified, but being at the helm piloting a starship, nothing could phase him. It was a feeling near universal to pilots, he revled in it.
 
Letts: Aye Sir. Just keep sending me the good stuff.

Letts saluted and kicked his chair back around just in time to BARELY not miss a maneuver.

oO Oops Oo

He recovered settling back into position to keep his charge steady. As he flew he let the conversation of the rest of the bridge flow by him.
 
Falt: That’s where you come in, Mister Elonat. Is the data feed stable?
 
Elonat: Response.
 
Falt: Let me know if that changes. We’ll be flying blind if we lose that data feed.  
 
Elonat: Response.

Falt: Lieutenant Forsyth, let me know if you see anything strange on sensors. Anything at all. It may be my imagination but I feel really exposed like this.  Ensign König, For the same reason I want to know the second we’re in transporter range.

Forsyth: Will do, Sir. 

König: Response.
 
Falt: =/\= Falt to Neshala, how’s it going over there? =/\=

If Letts was being honest he was glad to be in the Eagle and not the shuttle. From what he had learned during his briefing by Neshala and the others the shuttle must have been truly hellish. While the shuttle didn't have to worry as much about tight spaces and quick turns it was almost certainly made up for by being constantly buffeted by spacial eddies. He would bet Latium to Lollipops the inertial dampeners weren't doing anything to help Neshala pilot.
 
Neshala: =/\= Fantastic, Commander. Every pilot’s dream. Couldn’t be happier right now. =/\=

oO Shoot yeah, who am I kidding that sound like way more fun. Tight corridors and turbulence? Count me in. Oo

Kettick: =/\= Kettick here, can confirm. =/\=

König: Response

Falt: =/\= Response =/\=

Neshala: =/\= Don’t you worry, Commander. You have one of the finest engineers over here to keep things together, and you have one of the two best pilots in Starfleet over here to keep her pointed in the right direction. =/\=

Letts: ::To himself:: It's me I'm the other cool pilot.

Falt: Response

Letts's eyes widened for a second, he hadn't thought he had spoken loud enough to be heard. He kicked himself remembering the teachings of his flight instructors.

oO Sterile cockpit Mr.Letts Oo

 

Letts: Nothing sir, just uh... a close maneuver.

He glanced to his left and saw Elonat at the science station staring back at him. He hoped they hadn't heard him but had a feeling... He grinned facing his console again.

oO Definitely gonna catch flak for that one. Oo

Kettick: =/\= Power rerouted from the kinetic shields to the inertial dampeners, Lieutenant. I trust your increased ease of piloting to avoid impacts accordingly. =/\=

Letts flinched hearing that the briefing had been spot on, they must have been being kicked around in that shuttle like a canoe in the rapids.

The Eagle must have caught up to whatever had caused the shuttle trouble as the entire ship gave a lurch and shudder as though it had struck a rock. Consoles across the bridge let out some very not-so-pleased chirps and beeps. The unpleased sounds were followed by some very concerned speaking.

Forsyth: Sorry to cut in, Sir but I'm having trouble compensating with temporal interference. 

Falt: Response.

König: Response.

Forsyth: Trying that now, Better but not great. 

Falt: Response.

König: Response.

Forsyth: Wait, I think I'm through. 

Falt: Response

As those behind him attempted to fix their own issues Letts was forced to focus on his own task. The path ahead of the ship had just gotten very tight very quick and the fluctuations were about to become a proper nuisance

Letts: =/\= ::In his best pilot voice:: Uhh... Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to experience some turbulence. =/\=

As he said it the ship began to shudder slightly growing in intensity until it felt like they were riding a wagon over a gravel road. Vibrating in his seat Letts was still impressed by the dampeners, they had definitely mitigated much of the buffering the ship was experiencing.

oO Yeesh that means... Oo

Neshala: =/\= I’ll see if I can find a clearer path to head through, Commander. But things are kind of rough over here as well. =/\=

Letts could hear the strain in his fellow pilots voice. He felt pang of sympathy at the thought of what she must be dealing with. Sympathy turned into empathy as the eagle suddenly lurched downward making the gravity seem suddenly lighter for a moment.

Kettick =/\= Eagle, do you expect us to run into more chroniton or tachyon pulses? =/\=

Falt: =/\= Response =/\=

Any Eagle Bridge: =/\=

Letts blocked out as much as he could focusing in on the suggested path keeping an eye on the fluctuations and avoiding them as best he could.

Kettick: =/\= Lieutenant Neshala, are there any parts of the ship that are only useful during atmospheric flight, for instance? =/\=

Neshala: =/\= Response =/\=

Falt/Any: =/\= Response =/\=

Kettick: =/\= At our current shield levels, I can't pull enough power from anywhere without disabling something. I'd rather sacrifice parts of the shuttle that are not immediately necessary to our survival. =/\=

Neshala: =/\= Response =/\=

Falt/Any: =/\= Response =/\=

Letts was watching like a hawk tapping away instantly at his console and was barely managing to stay ahead of the fluctuations. If he hadn't known better he'd have thought the distortions were purposefully trying to cut off their path through this spacial knot.

Just as he had that thought a massive spacial eddy opened up in front of the ship right behind where the shuttle had just been. He couldn't avoid it.

Letts: Ah Hell, ::Loudly:: BRACE!!

The Eagle suddenly jolted HARD backwards as if smacking a wall then upward forcing Letts into his seat. He managed to level off and keep them heading forward. Neshala must have been keeping up her side of the clearer area bargain as the path ahead on Letts display suddenly opened up and the rumbling of the eddies dropped off not long after.

A silence permeated the bridge for a moment before Letts felt the need to speak up.

Letts: =/\= Wow =/\=

Neshala/Falt: Response

Any: Response.

Letts: I have no clue sir, I couldn't avoid it. Speedbump maybe?

Falt: Response

Any: Response

Letts nodded and faced forward again his hands deftly returning to his, now surprisingly calm Piloting.

Any: Response

TAGS/TBC


=====

Ensign Alan Letts
Operations Officer
Denali Station
D240003AL2


GSS

[Alan Letts]

Thank you😁! I enjoyed writing it for y'all.