A Great Adventure

Posted on Thu Jun 1st, 2023 @ 9:22am by Commander Bethsabée Leroux (AU) & Captain Leah Morgan (AU) & Lieutenant Commander Charles Dutton D.O. (AU)

Mission: What If?
Location: Bridge, Deck A
Timeline: 2155
997 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

Despite having been on the Bridge a few times for diagnostics and simulations, Leah could not help but feel the butterflies as the turbolift doors opened. In just a few moments, the Atlantis would be on its way to explore places that only a few had ever seen. They would be alone against whatever the galaxy wanted to throw at them, weeks or months away from any other Earth vessel. And everything that happened would be her responsibility. She could feel the eyes of the crew quickly turn to her and follow her movements from the turbolift to the Captain's chair in the middle of the Bridge. She walked as though it were any other day, but internally the universe moved in slow motion and all sounds were muffled. As she sat in the chair, she tapped a few commands on the small console next to her. "Report, are we go for launch?" she asked, her word choice still reflecting procedure from her time in Boseman.

Being Chief Medical Officer, Charles had no post on the bridge. As such, he stood off to the side of the bridge and watched the activity with great interest. He wore his Starfleet uniform, opting to leave his lab coat behind in sickbay. He’d had to get his uniform’s freshly pressed, and had quickly shaved before reporting aboard. Being a reservist, he didn’t wear his uniform that frequently, and the jumpsuit still felt strange, but he would grow into it. This would be the first time he could witness a starship leaving space dock, and he was fascinated with how intricate the procedure was. At the Captain’s question, he looked towards the center chair and nodded. “Sickbay is fully supplied and ready Captain,” he said.

“Communication is ready,” Beth replied nearly talking over the doctor in her excitement. She offered a smile and nodded to him as an apology that she had nearly cut him off. It was not every day that you got to go on a big adventure to try and create some peace for your planet.

“All systems go for departure,” Leah echoed as she double checked her chair’s side console. “Helm, thrusters only until we clear all moorings and clear the dock,” the Captain ordered. She gripped her armrests a little tighter as she could feel the Atlantis rumble to life beneath her. It was a feeling that she wished she could bottle and save for a rainy day.

Beth closed her eyes for a moment as she felt the engines rumbled to life and the ship give a great groan as she started to move from the space dock supports out inside open space. It was like hearing something come to life which in a way it was, the Atlantis was going to be their home for at least the next couple of months and she deserved this moment.

As the new ship cleared the dock and entered space, Leah looked down to the helm. "Set course for the Eta Cassiopeiae system, warp four. Our first task is to check in on the progress Terra Nova has made over the years and deliver some fresh supplies. It would be nice to have a doctor look over the population while we are there," she stated, looking toward Charles with the last comment. Gazing toward Beth, Leah asked, "How are you on your Novan?"

Charles nodded in response, "Of course Captain. I took the liberty of updated the ship's medical database with the colonist's medical records. I also made sure we stocked sufficient supplies should they need replenishment."

"Not bad...." Beth answered in Novan before she repeated in Standard. "We should be more than capable of speaking to them." The Terra Nova Expedition and SS Conestoga had always intrigued the woman being only six years after Earth had achieved warp. It was fascinating. "Anyone else intrigued by that expedition and the work that went into the ship?"

"Indeed, It was pretty big news when Starfleet discovered they had survived the journey. I was still in private practice at the time, but it was the talk of the town," Charles offered as he observed the bridge crew go about their business.

Looking over to Beth, Leah replied, "I studied it extensively at Stanford and I remember hearing my grandparents talk about listening to the broadcast at home." She had always wanted to lay her hands on what was left of the ship. It was ingenious how it was designed to be broken down into a shelter. "They have been through alot with the radiation and isolation. Hopefully, the efforts Starfleet have put in since rediscovery will go along way to bringing us all back together."

Beth nodded quietly looking over the chatter from the starbase, it was all normal stuff in her headset that allowed her to autopilot and talk on more philosophical stuff. She really hoped so too, Beth wanted nothing more than to prove that The Great Experiment was a success and that more Humans could venture out among the stars. "What about you doctor?" She wondered.

"There had been some speculation in the medical community about what affects colonizing such a distant system would have on the human body. I know several of my colleagues would jump at the chance to visit," he offered in response.

As the Atlantis crossed over the no wake zone and the indicator light signaled that warp was now safe, Leah took in a deep breath. She had always thought about what she would say in a moment like this. Still, her background as an engineer at the Bozeman test facility beckoned her to use T and E minus. With the course laid in, Leah could feel the eyes on her. "Go," she ordered simply. After a few moments, the stars before them began turning into lines as the warp bubble distorted space around the Atlantis to send them on their way for the first time.