About that ride I promised (Date part 1)

Posted on Thu Sep 12th, 2019 @ 4:07pm by Lieutenant Jack Carver & Captain Abigail Laurens

Mission: If You Like Pina Coladas
Location: Hangar

He'd pulled strings. He'd asked permissions. He'd cross referenced star ports and regulations. And he'd found loopholes. As such he'd ordered both his starfighter wings torpedoes unloaded and tactical computers locked. This way they'd count as 'transports' for the purpose of flying them down to the surface.

He'd also cross checked schedules and asked around. And it seemed that a specific person was not scheduled to be busy right now. That she'd had written up all the paperwork. And that she was free. As such he asked the computer for her whereabouts, and once provided, made his way ther location, wearing cargo khaki shorts and a particularly loud hawaiian shirt.

Abigail was, as always, in her office. Even though everything from the Trion mission had been finalized, she still found the peace and quiet of her office to be in many ways reassuring. It had been something of a constant, something that never changed.

Now, sitting cross legged on the floor behind her desk, she had a myriad of PaDD's set out around her. While not actually important work, it was something that she wanted to get ahead on, just for her own benefit, and with the crew going to the surface of Meria, it seemed there was no time like the present to get some work done and play catch up.

He took a moment to take in the absolute loudness and garishness of shirt and the complete lack of cohesion with his pants and boots, before ringing the doorchime.

"Enter!" Abigail called as she picked up one PaDD and shifted it to a different pile, sighing softly as she did so. That was something that could be put aside, at least for the immediate moment while she focused her attention elsewhere. She heard the doors part and didn't bother looking up. She was about to put up a hand and wave over her shoulder when the voice broke the silence around the room.

As the door opened he danced his way inside, singing in his baritone. "Do you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain~ If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain~"

"Jack?" Abigail asked, amusement clear in her voice. Rising up to her knees, she turned to look up at him, her eyes widening at the brightly coloured shirt. "Uh... I'm going to assume that you're heading to the surface and that this is NOT a new Fighter uniform that has somehow been passed into circulation?" she asked, fighting back a slight smile.

Jack snickered. "No I am wearing this purely and specifically for the purposes of embarrassing you." he grinned. "Remember how I promised you a ride in No Mercy? Turns out if I unload her ammunition and lock down her tactical computer, she technically qualifies as a transport, so I'm allowed to fly her down to the surface. And I'm wondering if you'd wanna come with me, we could go grab dinner and a movie."

She bit her lip momentarily as she glanced at the pile of PaDD's around her, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. There was so much paperwork to do still, so much that needed to be taken care of...

Drawing in a deep breath, Abigail nodded slightly. "You know what? This can wait," she said with a quick smile. "Dinner sounds great. Do I have time to stop by my quarters and change?"

"Sure. I need to do pre-flight prep anyways. See you in the hangar?" Beat. "Oh, you will need to wear a helmet during the flight, so be aware of that if you want to do up your hair." he smiled.

Abigail laughed and shook her head. "So, braids it is then," she said with a smile. "I'll meet you in the hangar in about twenty minutes?"

"Sounds good, see you there." he smiled, heading back out again.

Packing away the PaDD's, Abigail left them stacked neatly on her desk before heading back to her quarters.

It didn't take her long, a quick shower, comfy faded jeans, a white oversize sweater and her favorite boots. She didn't even bother to braid her hair, just brushed it down her back before making her way to the hangar to meet Jack.

Twenty minutes later he was found leaning against his ship, No Mercy, sipping some juice from a flask. He smiled as he saw her approach. "You look nice. I figured you could use a break after all that shit that happened."

She smiled as she walked across the hangar, her boots clicking gently on the deck with each step she took. "I will admit, the down time will be nice. So much in such a short time..." she shook her head slightly then brushed her long hair back over her shoulder. "It was an intense first run."

"Yeah it was. You got through it ok though. Kept the ship in one piece, crew together, avoided a major diplomatic incident for the most part." Jack mused, tossing her a flight helmet. "Looks to me you did a good job." he concluded, putting on his own helmet.

There was a grimace as she caught the helmet and pulled it onto her head. "I feel like a bobble head," she said with a laugh. "I'm sure I look as ridiculous as one too!"

"Have to be a pilot like me to look cool wearing one of these." he said, looking positively ridiculous with his cargo shorts and loud hawaiian shirt, wearing his flight helmet.

He showed her how to switch on the onboard comm system, then how to get into the cockpit, giving her the rear seat, where the RWO officer normally sat, the officer in charge of sensors and weapons. Many a screen showing many a piece of information, a nearly dizzying array of buttons and switches greeted her.

The seat was snug but remarkably comfortable, ventilated and self-adjusting. Some of the screens activated when she sat down in her seat, connecting to her helmet, and tracking her head motion, analyzing what objects were in her view.

"Can you hear me?" Jack's voice sounded over the helmet, close and intimate. "The system is set to activate automatically when you speak, no need to press any button to speak to me." he added, getting in to the pilot's seat. Still a veritable cornucopia of screens and buttons, though less than in front of Abigail's seat.

Abigail nodded slightly. "I can hear you," she said quietly, glancing at the console in front of her. "Just don't expect me to touch anything or do anything. I'll find a way to crash us, I know I will," she finished with a laugh.

"Shouldn't be able to crash us. That's my job." Beat. "Most you'll accidentally blow up someone else." At that the cockpit canopy closed and the ship lifted off, as Jack keyed the mic on an external channel.

"No Mercy to Astraea. Requesting launch clearance for departure to planet surface."

"Astraea to No Mercy, clearance granted."

"Thank you Astraea. No Mercy departing."

With that Jack lazily brought his fighter's nose about towards the through-deck hanger's exit and accelerated forward. The fighter moved smoothly, though it felt as if it was coiled up and ready to pounce, at any time, even from the RWO seat it felt like it was being held back, being told to walk when it wanted to run.

With that Jack lazily brought his fighter's nose about towards the through-deck hanger's exit and accelerated forward. The fighter moved smoothly, though it felt as if it was coiled up and ready to pounce, at any time, even from the RWO seat it felt like it was being held back, being told to walk when it wanted to run.

Abigail sat rigidly in the seat. The view was incredible, but she found herself far too distracted by everything inside the fighter. Every time she started to relax a little a light would change or something would flash on the display and she'd feel herself tensing slightly. Her hands were resting in her lap, though 'resting' a very antonymous term. Her hands were clasped firmly, first resting on her thigh, them moving to the safety harness over her chest, then back to her lap again.

There was a sound, presumably from Jack's side of the console, and something flashed. "What was that?" she asked quickly, hands moving back to the harness again. "I didn't touch anything!"

"Just No Mercy telling me we've exited hangar and entered the black. You're fine. Tactical computer's locked out, you couldn't do anything anyways, except bring up different status screens and open a channel to the outside." Jack replied, his voice that cool, professional calm that fighterpilots had.

He piloted No Mercy out and lazily wheeled her around, giving Abigail a beautiful of the Astraea, banking and flying on its side, slowly flying up over the bow of the ship, and across the bridge. Abigail could see Astraea's bridge dome, and through the viewscreen she would see how No Mercy was being watched by the bridge crew on duty, one of which - at the Helm station - even gave a wave as they flew by.

There was an awestruck expression crossing Abigail's face, even if it couldn't easily be seen, though the way her body relaxed was obvious. "I've never seen the ship from these angles," she said softly. "Isn't she beautiful?" Her voice rang with no small measure of pride as she gazed at the Akira class vessel they circled. "My Star Maiden."

"Mm. Beautiful. I've always liked the Akira class. Reminds me of a predator, coiled up and ready to strike." Jack's voice held the same awe that Abigail's did, even as he slowly piloted his fighter along the ship's spine, between the pylons holding the warp nacelles.

"You should see her through my eyes, some time." There was a smile in his tone. "Beautiful, sleek, powerful .. Out here in my fighter I'm vulnerable, flying a tin can, with the coldness of space mere inches outside my reach. But Astraea - represents safety. Security. Warmth. Home."

All fear of being within the fighter and damaging something was gone as Abigail leaned forward slightly, watching the ship intently through the screen. "I want to reach out and run my hand along her sides," she said before realising what she'd said and laughing. "I can't help it, I'm quite attached. Silly huh?"

"Not at all. Understandable and relatable, actually." He smiled, even as he steered his fighter towards the planet below. "We'll do another fly-by when we get back. Give you some time to think of what views of her you want to see."

"Alright," Abigail conceded quietly, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice that they were going to be leaving her precious ship.

As they approached the planet, Jack opened a channel again.

"Meria air-space control, this is Federation starfighter 'No Mercy', do you copy?"

"No Mercy, Meria control. We have you in low orbit, reading loud and clear."

"Meria control, No Mercy. Requesting approach vector and landing clearance for Stratway Starport. Pilot and passenger."

"No Mercy, Meria control. Transmitting approach vector. Hold orbit for three minutes before entering atmsphere, then follow approach. Runway three-seven left."

"Meria control, No Mercy. Hold orbit for three minutes, then enter atmosphere and approach, land runway three-seven left, roger."

"No Mercy, Meria control. Safe landings."

Jack pulled his fighter up slightly, settling in an orbit for now. "Well, that's us on hold for three minutes."

"The views are incredible from here," Abigail said softly, looking out at the planet below them. Reaching out, she rested a hand lightly on Jack's arm and smiled. "Thank you," she said genuinely. "I'm glad you talked me into this. Though, when we get back to the ship we really need to talk about your fashion sense," she finished lightly.

"And what's wrong with my fashion sense?" Jack smirked, resting his hand on hers. "I think it's perfectly adequate for the purposes of looking completely obnoxious, mis-matched and loud. That was exactly the look I was going for."

"I see," Abigail replied, not bothering to hide her smirk. "Well, so long as you're happy then I guess." She shook her head quickly and laughed. "You're a very unique individual Mr Carver," she said, her voice still light with laughter. "Very unique indeed."

"I try." Jack smirked.