The following is a continuation of my story, "
The Armstrong Incident
," and is the first part of a story about humanity's first tentative steps into interstellar space.
Many thanks to those who offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories. For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper...
Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...
* * * * *
The end of "The Armstrong Incident"
When the door opened, I was met by an attractive female Captain who took my orders. I introduced myself and shook her hand.
"Good to meet you, Commander Jones," she said. "I'm Captain Hawkins. I'm familiar with your service on the Armstrong, and I've heard a lot of good things about you from Captain Simmons. I've also spoken to Alice Brewster." I looked at her, not saying anything for a while. "She told me what happened, and I'm sorry. That won't be an issue here, I assure you. So, are you ready to take a look at your home for next few years?"
"Years?" I asked. She smiled and led me to an observation platform. When I joined her, she pressed a button and the glass in front of us cleared up. My eyes bugged out of my head when I saw the monstrous vessel in front of me.
"She's the largest, fastest and most advanced ship in the fleet, Commander. And you'll be my Operations Officer. That makes you my Number Two. Are you ready for an adventure?" I saw her eyes twinkle as she said that.
"Absolutely, Captain," I said. "What's our destination?"
"If all goes well, Commander, Alpha Centauri." I looked at her, shocked. That was just over four light-years away. "The plan is to break the light barrier. If everything works as advertised, we'll be there in less than two years."
"Is that even possible?" I asked. She smiled and nodded her head.
"If the engineers are right, yes," she said.
"Damn," I said. She laughed.
"We launch in 15 days, Commander," she said. "You have a lot of homework to do, so you'd better get to it. I like to hold staff briefings at 0800 every day."
"Yes, ma'am," I said. She held out her hand and I accepted it.
"I have to take care of a few things, but I'll be in touch. Welcome aboard, Commander," she said before she walked away. After she left, I looked at the vessel floating in the giant bay. I looked on the side of the ship and smiled as I took note of the name: USS Enterprise.
* * * * *
And now, the beginning of "Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 01"
I walked to the entrance of the long covered gangplank, my gear safely strapped to the two-wheeled carrier, and was met by a crewman in a small electric utility vehicle. He stood and greeted me when I arrived.
"Good evening, sir," he said. "I'm here to ferry you and your gear to the ship. Let me take that for you." He took my bags and placed them in the back of the small vehicle, treating my guitar case with special care. It was the one piece of civilian gear I was allowed to bring. Everything else was in storage at my parents house.
I got into the passenger seat as he sat behind the controls. Soon, we were quietly zipping toward the giant spacecraft. I looked at the ship as we drew closer and realized how big this thing is.
I had been on large cruise ships and seen some of the largest aircraft carriers in the Navy's fleet, but none of those held a candle to this monster. This thing had to be at least three times the size of the Armstrong, maybe four.
"She's something, isn't she, sir?" the crewman asked as he drove.
"You got that right," I said. I looked and saw a number of workers floating around the vessel, getting it ready for launch. We finally reached the main entrance to the ship and the crewman jumped out, put my bags on a wheeled cart and handed it to me.
"Welcome to the Enterprise, sir," he said before turning back. Pulling my gear behind me, I walked to the entryway, stopped, faced the aft of the ship and saluted -- a tradition brought over from the Navy, then saluted the Officer of the Deck.
"Lt. Commander Jones, requesting permission to come aboard, sir," I said, handing him my orders. The officer, a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, returned the salute and looked at my orders. He nodded his head before speaking.
"Permission granted. Welcome aboard, sir," he said. He handed my orders to a Commander standing next to him. After the Commander looked over my orders, he shook my hand.
"Commander Axel Hurbi, First Officer," he said. "Welcome to the Enterprise, Commander. Captain Hawkins said you were here. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I said.
"C'mon, let's get you up to your quarters," he said. I followed him, pulling my gear behind me.
"Is that a real guitar?" he asked me.
"Yes sir, it is," I told him.
"You actually play that thing?"
"I do, sir," I said. "Been playing for years. This is the first time I've been allowed to bring it with me on a mission."
"Maybe you can entertain us in the Officer's Club one of these days," he said with a smile.
"Maybe so. This is quite a ship," I said as we walked down the corridor.
"Sure is," he said. "A far cry from those tin cans you're probably used to, eh, Commander?"
"Yes sir, it is. By the way, is it just me, or is the gravity a bit high?"
"It's a bit higher than you're probably used to on board ship," he said. "Captain likes to maintain it at .95 G when the ship's not moving. Of course, you can adjust the level in your quarters to whatever you're comfortable with."
As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the difference between this vessel and every other ship I had served on. Instead of the stark utilitarian white walls covered with pipes and instrumentation, the walls of this ship were a soft, smooth pastel, with pictures and an occasional touch-screen console.
It was more like a luxury cruise ship or a hotel than anything else. I suspected that all of the wiring and plumbing were behind these walls. We entered a small lift and Cmdr. Hurbi spoke when the doors closed.
"Deck Three," he said. "That's the command and staff quarters," he added as the lift began to move. When the lift stopped, I heard a female voice announce our arrival over the lift's speaker.
"Deck Three," the automated voice said as the doors opened. We stepped out and I noticed the carpet on the deck. Carpet? On a Corps ship? This was unheard of. I also noticed the lush green shrubbery next to the bulkheads on each side of the corridor.
Whoever designed this certainly intended to make it feel like 'home.' And the presence of the plants made sense to me, as they would absorb the carbon dioxide the crew exhaled while providing oxygen. We reached the hatchway to my quarters and I took note of the name already engraved on the door: Lt. Cmdr. William Jones, Chief Operations Officer. Axel reached into a pocket and pulled out a card attached to a lanyard.
"Here's your security key," he said. "You'll need that for all your access, so keep it with you. Breakfast is normally ready by 0530 in the Officer's Galley on Deck Four. Your shift starts at 0700, and the Captain likes to have her briefing at 0800. One last thing, before I forget." He pulled out a small card and handed it to me.
"The Captain has requested the privilege of your presence for dinner in her quarters at 1800 hours," he said. "That's down there at the end of the corridor. She prefers dress uniform with ribbons, medals and badges. Welcome aboard, Commander. I'll see you in the morning."
"Thank you, sir," I said. "I'll see you then." I looked at my watch. Damn. I only had a couple hours before dinner, so I had a lot to do. Using the security badge, I opened the hatch to my quarters and got the shock of my life.
The first thing I saw was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Her long blonde hair framed a beautiful, flawless face. Her deep blue eyes bore right through me and for a moment, I felt... speechless. I hadn't felt like this since the day I first met Tabby over ten years ago. I took note of her... uniform, if that's what it could be called.
It wasn't like any authorized uniform I had ever seen before. Black with red piping, it was short, revealing a lot of very well-toned bare leg. The top two buttons were undone, hinting at the cleavage underneath. It hugged her curves and for a moment, I thought I was going to embarrass myself with an erection. I saw the yeoman's emblem on her collar, sitting above two chevrons.
"Good evening, Commander Jones," she said with a wide smile. "I'm Kyra Williams, your personal yeoman," she added, extending a hand. I took her hand and shook it. Personal yeoman? Since when does a lieutenant commander rate a yeoman, I wondered. "Please, sir, call me Kyra," she said.
"Um, good evening, Kyra," I said. I suddenly realized I was still in the corridor and came into the room, pulling my gear behind me. Kyra took my bags and set them next to the wardrobe. I looked around at what would be my new home.
These quarters were at least three times the size of what I had shared with Tabby on the Armstrong. There was a large double bed against the bulkhead and to my amazement, it sat under a large porthole that included a very thick polarizing glass-like material with controls that let me darken it as much as I wished.
The room also contained a nice desk that held a workstation, a couch, a recliner and a small table with two chairs. I had my own head that included a large shower and a vanity that looked as though it came right out of a luxury hotel. A large monitor was mounted on the bulkhead across from the bed, in case I wanted to watch something before going to sleep.
I could definitely live here for the next few years, I decided to myself. Kyra interrupted my thoughts.
"If it's okay with you, Commander, I'll go ahead and get your uniform ready for your dinner engagement while you set up your onboard profile. Then I'll finish stowing your gear," she said.
"Of course," I said. "That would be perfect, Kyra. Thanks." I removed my uniform jacket and fired up the computer. Using the information contained in my orders, I spent the next hour or so setting up my profile on the ship's network. I noticed that my shared drive already had several large documents and videos designed to help me get familiar with my new assignment.
