Carpathia IV: Episode 35 - The Sentinel
Space, Polaris Deep, NCCS Sentinel
Engineering
Once the Furious Spectre crew departed the Sentinel back to their own ship, the Shadowdancer crew took up residence, swarming all over it like an insect infestation. Minnie and her team were the first on board to acclimate themselves to the new engines and settle in to their new environment.
Minnie: Alright, first order of business is to find your stations and get your consoles pre-programmed how you like them.
Ramei stepped forward and patted the console closest to the engines.
Ramei: Found mine, and I've already updated it with my personal settings.
Minnie raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Minnie: Oh? And how did you manage that so quickly?
Ramei: I got ahold of a virtual skin on the Shadowdancer. I programmed it there and then just copied it here.
Minnie folded her arms across her chest.
Minnie: Nice. Suppose you share it with the rest of us the next time you come across something useful like that.
Ramei's ears flattened.
Ramei: Sorry, Chief. It won't happen again.
Minnie leaned her weight on her right leg and put her hand on her hip.
Minnie: Since your console is already prepared, I want a comparative analysis of current engine diagnostics and the standard specs.
Ramei: I'm on it!
Sick Bay
Tamati found difficulty in maneuvering through the new sick bay without bumping into things. Used to the open, spacious medical facilities on the Shadowdancer, he found the comparatively cramped Sentinel more of a challenge. For sure, the Carpathian Coast Guard ships on which he once served were far more cramped than this, but it had been a long time since he served on one of those. It was just something to which he would have to acclimate himself.
Sorchae: Tamati, where are we on the medicine audit?
Tamati: About halfway through, last time I checked, Doctor. I think we should double our supply of Libidinol and Jizophen.
Sorchae: With this crew, you're probably right. See to it.
Tamati: Yes, Doctor.
Officer's Quarters
Nalma saved the lightest box of personal effects for last. Despite several trips to his new quarters on the Sentinel, he still had to check the room numbers carefully to find his. The Sentinel was a sleek ship, but austere, with few visual cues in the living areas showing where you were at a glance. There was only a long corridor with lined with doors, lights, and little else.
Strolling down the hallway, Nalma checked each door as he passed. D38. D39. His was D47, coming soon. He didn't make it that far, for the door to D43 slid open just before he passed, revealing Teren.
Nalma: Oh, hello Commander. Are you settled in?
Teren: Mostly. There's not much to do, really. The quarters on this ship are pretty small.
Nalma: About half the size, I would say. I've had to leave some things on the Shadowdancer. Still plenty of room for my old Bugs Bunny videos and the captain let me put my Stratomixer in the common room so I can use it if we have a party.
Teren folded his arms across his chest and nodded.
Teren: That's good. I think Amenaru has it worst. There's no room for most of his instruments, least of all his drums. I went with him when he took his cat, Mrs. Tiggywinkle, to stay with a friend. She was not happy about that.
Nalma: Did something happen?
Teren: She scratched up everything. She is surprisingly spry for a 22-year-old house cat. When I left, Amenaru was still trying to calm her down.
Nalma frowned and adjusted his grip on his box.
Nalma: Pets. Humans and nekomi talk about them with such reverence, but they can be rather troublesome, can't they?
Teren shrugged.
Teren: I think that's part of the appeal, that they're living, breathing things rather than toys.
Nalma I suppose it's just not for me.
Teren: Besides the quarters, how do you like the ship so far?
Nalma grinned a giddy schoolboy sort of grin, the kind one makes upon receiving an unexpected gift of a new toy.
Nalma: I can't wait to try out the big guns! The two secondary nacelles flanking the hull can draw energy straight from the engine core and discharge it at an object. Ten times the energy of our disruptors! The best part is that since they're constantly powered on, there's no energy buildup lag. The downside is that they need a few minutes to cool after each shot.
Teren: Sounds like they can do a lot of damage.
Nalma: I've gone over the specs, but I really want to see it for myself. If I get a chance to try them out on Ksenva, all the better.
Teren: Anyway, is this your last box?
Teren reached up and patted the top of Nalma's box, which promptly began noisily vibrating like a badly-tuned motorboat engine. Nalma looked down at the box and smirked.
Teren: What's doing that?
Nalma looked up, still smirking.
Nalma: I don't know. It could be any one of a dozen things in there. Wanna find out?
Teren's eyes shifted from side to side before he put his paw on Nalma's back and hustled him into the room.
Teren: I've got 30 minutes to spare, sure.
Bridge
Teek stepped off the lift onto the bridge. With nobody around and all systems powered down, the bridge was eerily dark and quiet, with only ambient lighting casting dim shadows on the walls. It was the perfect time for him to check out his new helm console.
The new bridge was smaller than Shadowdancer's, and circular, with consoles wrapped along the outer walls. The only stations not on the walls were the captain's chair, the commander's station, just off center, and Teek's helm console, right in the front, facing the only window on the bridge. Teek rubbed his hands together and approached his new chair.
Teek: Alright, let's see what we've got.
Teek turned his chair and slid his tail through the hole in the back. Snuggling himself into his chair, he turned back to examine the console. Quickly finding the power switch, he turned it on.
The controls lit up and Teek paused, doing nothing but stare at the display before him. Suddenly disinclined to play with the console, he leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. Though he couldn't see the station, the lights were close enough to slightly obscure his view of the stars. It was enough just to be able to see them. Not long ago, he thought of space as an exciting adventure. It was still that, but now with an added air of mystery. For awhile, he simply sat and gazed at the stars, swishing his tail back and forth on the deck behind him until taking a deep breath and examining his console.
Teek: Okay, let's put it in simulation mode.
Teek tapped at the controls until a large message proclaiming "SIMULATION MODE" appeared on the screen. Now, he could amuse himself and practice with his new controls without any consequences. He got right on that, getting a feel for the throttle lever, fiddling with the wheel, and tapping at the various controls. Eventually, he happened across a new control that did not exist on the Shadowdancer, marked "Restraints."
Teek: I wonder what this is.
Teek tapped the command and, instantly, a four-point harness shot out from the top and sides of his chair, fastening itself at his abdomen, snugly squeezing him in.
Teek: Oh, seatbelts!
As Teek wriggled in his chair, testing the strength of the harness, he spied another button on his console, just off the main pad in the front. It was within easy reach, but under a lid that he had to flip to access. This one was marked, "Collapse."
Teek: I wonder what this does.
Teek flipped open the cover and pushed the button. Immediately, his entire chair disintegrated into a pile of parts, sending him tumbling to the floor. It was then he noticed Tamati standing in the back of the bridge, watching with an amused grin on his face.
Tamati: I see you found the seat collapse feature.
Teek's eyes darted around frantically as he tried to think of an explanation for this embarrassing situation. He could not.
Teek: Um... I guess I did. What's the point of that?
Tamati laughed heartily and helped Teek to his feet.
Tamati: If your seatbelts malfunction, we use that to get you out in a hurry.
Teek: Oh. Like, for a medical emergency, or if the ship is about to blow up.
Tamati: Yup, but let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Teek looked down at the scattered remains of what was once his chair.
Teek: You don't know how to put this back together, do you?
Tamati smiled and shook his head.
Tamati: Nope, but I can help you figure it out!
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
