Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in side - sim: Boarding the Sojourner

Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in side - sim: Boarding the Sojourner

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in side - sim: Boarding the Sojourner
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Helena made it back onto the base and waved at the Security officer stationed at the gate as she approached. She flashed her ID, even though they knew her on sight. She made her way into the barracks, and jogged up the two flights of stairs to her room. She opened the door and stepped into the closet, dragging down one of her jump suits. She tossed it on the bed followed by her bomber jacket. The long chain with the pendant was pulled off over her head, pulling her hair to the side as she did.

Reaching down she tossed her duffel onto the bed. She hadn’t even unpacked from the Titan training yet. She grabbed the bag of dirty clothes and tossed it to the side. Her necklaces was dropped into the bag and she took the time to fold her jacket and pack it. The rest of her outfit went with the laundry. It smelled of smoke and booze from the bar. She slipped the black tank on and then stepped into her denim blue jumpsuit with the yellow pipping. She zipped it up to just under her neck and made sure her double Lt’s bars were straight on her left shoulder her name stitched in red on the right. A quick brush of her hair and eft fingers had her hair braided and pinned up. A quick look in the mirror told her she was presentable, and she was out the door.

---

“I need to file flight plan for a transport shuttle to Beta Station for 0030.” The Lt manning flight control just looked at her. “Look Helena we all know you love to fly, but you can’t just file a flight plan because you want to.” The guy grinned at her.

Helena had done her homework though on her way there. “Cpt Marceau Renault has been given command of the SS Sojourner. He’s expected to board tonight. He will be here at 0030 to board and be taken to Beta Station. Do you want to tell him no?”

The Lt grinned at her, “Yeah we’ve got the information here. Once he makes the request we’ll get a transport set up for him. Besides you’re our best pilot what if we need you while your playing it up for the brass?” Helena’s glare was as icy as the glaciers of her Iceland home. The tension stretched for a full minute before the Lt started laughing. “Yeah yeah we know. Cpt Renault already sent the orders through. He’s recruited you as pilot, and I am not subjecting any other pilot to you being a passenger. How big of a transport do you need?”

“Five seater. Just incase he has more crew to take up with him. One way flight, I won’t be bringing it back, and we’ll be buzzing France and Iceland before we break atmosphere.”

The Lt, Weston by name, nodded, “Alright T-13 on pad Gamma. 30 minutes prior to take off you’ll sign in for pre-flight checks.” He shuffled several sheets together and passed over a clipboard. “We’re gonna miss you Laursen. Congratulations.”

Helena took the clipboard and headed out of the flight control office back to “her barracks to finish packing. She pulled out her comm ad dialed it in for Marceau. =C=Departure 0030 from pad Gamma, shuttle T-13. Don’t be late, Cap.=C=

=C= I’ll be there. =C= Marceau’s reply came through the comm.

---

At 0000 hours Helena strode out onto Gamma launch pad and checked in with the engineers. She had her duffle and a backpack in tow. She stored them under the seats, and then started her visual inspection checklist before starting the preflight sequences.

Lt Laursen, pilot

Marceau headed back to his own place after his talk with Kelleher. It was a small one bed loft apartment in the down town area of San Francisco. His bag was a large grey travel backpack that was supposed to double as a suitcase. As long as he packed smart, it would fit everything he needed.

Unpacking his bag, he made two piles: laundry and fresh clothes. He figured he could wash his clothes on the ship, so he just chose what clothes he wanted to bring and set them back in his bag, separating the dirty from the clean. He tossed a few personal items in and a few books.

He looked briefly at his harp. It was much too large to bring on board. He’d have to leave it. He set a cover over it to protect it from dust. There was something he could bring. He picked up a smaller instrument’s case, unzipped it and peered in to make sure everything was there, and then set it next to his bag. It was a smaller type of harp that he also knew how to play, a lyre harp.

He slung both bags over his shoulder, then left, making sure the door was locked behind him. By 0020, he was at the Gamma launch pad, looking for either Helena or the right shuttle.

~ Captain Renault

Helena was crouched down outside the shuttle talking to an engineer and they were looking into an access hatch. Helena shook her head and stood up as the engineer reattached the access panel and sealed it up. Spotting Marceau she lifted a hand in greeting. When he reached them she had a huge grin on her face and nodded to the engineer who was filling out a form. “I thought doctors were the only ones who lost wrist watches inside their patients.” During her preflight start up, Helena had heard something rattling and had called an engineer to come help her go over the shuttle. Loose parts or deck plating were deadly. Someone from the maintence team had left a spanner inside an access hatch and it had been rumbling around. It had taken several minutes to track down the ‘rattle’ she’d heard. “I have to finish the pre-flight check, but you can go ahead and board. Should only take a couple of minutes.”

Lt. Laursen

Thankfully for Helena, checking over the transport she found it in a clean bill of health inside and out, the only thing that stood out being ‘off’ on it was a few scuff marks and bits of chipped paint here and there.

GM CockRoach

Marceau smiled and shrugged, “The good doctors don’t.” He couldn’t think of a time he’d left so much as a sponge in a patient, let alone a watch. Then again, his specialty hadn’t been surgery, so it wasn’t like he’d done that many operations. He nodded when she said he could board and went ahead and got into the shuttle, setting his bags on the floor in front of him and on his lap. Then he waited for Laursen to finish up her paperwork and preflight stuff.

~ Captain Renault

Getting the updated maintenance report from the engineer, Helena added it to the clipboard, shook hands with the man and boarded the shuttle. She pulled the hatch closed and turned the lock to engage the seal and a hiss and then swoosh was heard as the air began to flow inside the shuttle. She made her way over to the pilot’s seat and stowed the clipboard before strapping herself in. “Are we waiting on anyone else?”

Lt Laursen

Marceau shook his head. “Kelleher said he’d take the 0700 shuttle up with the spare parts.” He strapped himself in and settled into his seat. “I think some of the other crew is already aboard,” he commented, looking at her. “Maybe we’ll meet them… If they aren’t asleep.”

~ Captain Renault

Helena pulled the column for the time into place and then carefully turned the dial to engage the launch thrusters and the shuttle slowly and smoothly lifted into the air. She banked starboard once they reached altitude. They made a circuit of San Francisco. “You gonna miss the city?”

Marceau thought for a moment and nodded. Helena’s flying was smooth, and with how often Marceau flew, it wasn’t too different from a car or plane ride to him. “San Francisco is very different from Marseille or any city in France, but I do like it.” He thought about it. “It’s a… very lively city. Marseille is a quieter city, and you don’t go out at night.”

After circling the city Helena turned the shuttle east and increased to max planet side speed. The land passed by at incredible speed and soon turned to water as they crossed the Atlantic and soon they were over land again. Helena was on the coms for a few moments and then slowed the engines. The land would become familiar to Marceau. “Marceau, come up here. There’s a spare seat.” Once he was seated she banked gently and Marseille came into full view out the window, lit by street lights and the soft white light of a full moon.

Lt Laursen

Marceau unstrapped himself and carefully got into the front with Helena, and strapped himself back in. As she banked gently he looked out the window. The landscape looked familiar in an unplaceable way, and then Marseille came into view, the city’s lights visible in the night’s darkness, a beautiful glow around his hometown. “C’est belle,” He said enthusiastically, looking down. “À la Prochaine, Marseille.” He said. It was french for “see you next time,” as if he were saying goodbye to the city.

~ Captain Renault