to go! Just a little jealous, I’ll admit. At least now you’ll
get to boss us all around like you’ve always wanted.”
“Yeah, right!” I laughed. “It’s a lot of pressure. I
hope I’m up to it.”
“You’ll do great, but we should head up to the
shuttle bay. Everyone else is probably already waiting
there.”
The overhead speakers came to life as if they had
heard Elisa’s words. “All cadets report to Shuttle Bay to
prepare for departure.”
Elisa and I walked down the hallway toward the
shuttle bay together, matching each other’s steps stride for
stride. A warm feeling of camaraderie spread over me. It
was just like old times. The past four years at the Academy
had gone by so quickly. It was hard to believe we had finally made it.
We took the turbolift up the shuttle bay level. The
doors parted to reveal several prepped shuttles with groups
of cadets gathered around each. Elisa gripped my arm and
stirred me in the direction of our shuttle. “I can’t believe
we’re finally doing this!” Elisa’s voice quivered with excitement.
I had been in space before, but I never got tired of
lifting up above the clouds and into the final frontier. Up
there, the stars were a little bit closer and the future looked
a little bit brighter. Our shuttle flew past the earth-orbiting
space station, Earth Space Dock, just in time to see a majestic looking starship pulling out.
“Oh, look at that!” Elisa echoed my thoughts.
“The U.S.S. Vesta! She’s got subsystem targeting, a crew
of 750, auxiliary phaser cannons, and even a quantum field
focus controller! I can’t wait to captain one someday!” As
the shuttle banked to the right, we could also see a much
smaller ship in one of the dry docks nearby. Elisa looked a
bit disappointed. “But here’s our ship. Miranda class, 200
crew, 2 forward facing weapon mounts, one aft. Average
speed warp five point nothing.”
“She’s a tough little ship though.” I said. “I think I
like her.”
The low hum of the impulse engines ceased as we
entered the shuttle bay on maneuvering thrusters and set
down lightly.
Elisa looked out the side window. “We’re the final
shuttle to arrive,” she said. “We need to get to the bridge!”
Lt. Brikkars met us outside the shuttle. “Name and
position?”
“Anjohl Kaliyah, First Officer.”
“I have your record right here, sir. Welcome to the
ship.” She smiled warmly. It took me a half second to reciprocate. Even though I knew that Starfleet protocol dictated that female superior officers were referred to as “sir,”
it still threw me off guard a bit. I definitely wasn’t used to
myself being referred to as “sir”.
“Where’s the Captain?” I asked.
“Captain Taggart is waiting for you on the
bridge.”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, as the turbolift
carried my group to the bridge, the command center of the
ship. I felt icy fear creeping along the edges of my mind.
The reality of my new position was setting in. How can I
be First Officer? Unlike Captain Taggart, I don't know
how to command respect or how to give orders or how to
instill trust in my fellow officers. How do I command a
ship full of my peers? The swish of the opening turbolift
doors brought me back to the present. I took a deep breath
and crossed the threshold.
“Welcome to the bridge, Number One.” Captain
Taggart stood with his arm extended in greeting. I gripped
his large, powerful hand in return.
“Number One?” I asked.
“Early in my career, I served with a captain that
called his first officer that. I always liked it. As my Number One, I expect you to ensure my orders are carried out
and to advise me on the best course of action in any situation.”
“Yes, sir.” I said. No pressure…
“First, let us prepare to leave dry dock.”
Taggart sat down in the captain’s chair and stared
straight ahead at the view screen. This must be where I
come in. I hurriedly glanced around the bridge. Everyone
was seated at their workstations either focusing on their
computer screens or staring at me. What first? My eyes
rested on Elisa sitting at the tactical station. She was trying
hard to suppress a smile. “Flores, close the shuttle bay
doors.” I ordered.
“Aye, sir!”
“T’Vrell, get clearance from traffic control for the
Endurance to leave dry dock.”
“Aye, sir. Earth traffic control has cleared us to
depart, sir.”
“Odok, release the tractor moorings.”
The Ferengi cadet pressed a few buttons on his
console. “Tractor moorings disengaged, sir.”
“Alright, let’s start with something easy,” Captain
Taggart said. “Set course for Vulcan, warp 5.”
Cadet Anne Potter nodded. “Aye, sir. Course laid
in.”
Taggart gestured for me to sit down beside him.
“Engage.” The view screen seemed to explode with a
stream of stars as the ship slipped into a warp bubble.
After a few minutes at warp, Cadet Asher Moss
spoke up. “Captain, I’m detecting tachyon emissions off
our port stern.”
The Captain’s brow furrowed. “Explain, Cadet.”
“I… I can’t, sir,” Moss stammered.
“Source?”
“They’re not coming from the ship, sir.” Odok
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