enough to try.” He smiled at
her. She chuckled.
“How
are you going to get her up and to the lock?” the chief asked after admiring
the ship for a time. The Admiral smiled as he accessed his implants.
“Allow
me Admiral.” He felt Sprite access the fighter. She came online startling the
chief into stepping back.
“Her
main propulsion and reactor are off line but she has some juice in her
batteries. Enough to power her antigrav.” He waved her aside as static began to
make the air and dust dance and pop. The craft wobbled a centimeter up, taking
her weight off her landing gear. “Right, I don't suppose I could ride in her?”
the chief asked.
“Not
unless you brought a suit. She's not air tight. I checked. Life support is
drained. Heater coils are gone and the seal around the cockpit is iffy.” He
moved aside as the craft drifted out the lock and down the hall. It just made
the turn to bay two, making him wince as a wing came within a half centimeter
of the wall.
“That
was close,” the chief said dryly. “Don't worry, we won’t bang her up,” he
replied.
“You
mean any more then she already is,” the chief replied. He looked at her and she
smiled.
“Let’s
get the weapons pod out too,” she said after a moment. He chuckled and lent her
a hand.
It
took the two of them almost an hour to wrestle the collar around the pod and it
onto the cart. They had been forced to move several other pieces of junk with
the collar to get at the weapons pod. The chief ran her hands over the pod. “A
mark 23 series G Graser pod.. Integrated lidar, self guiding AI, point defense
mode...” She murmured an itinerary of the pods strengths. He tried not to
laugh. Everyone had their kicks and hobbies. This was definitely hers. She ran
her finger tips over the pod as they strapped it down onto the cart.
“She's
a beauty. I wonder what's wrong?” she asked looking up at him. “I don't know. I
didn't jack in to find out,” he shrugged. She nodded. The wrestled it out of
the bay and into the shuttle bay.
“It's
about time; we've been waiting three minutes!” Faith called over the radio. The
Admiral chuckled as the chief looked at it then turned her earwig on.
“Hold
your horses, we're getting there.” She waved to the others outside the window.
The suited figures waved back.
“Let's
get the show on the road.” The Admiral pushed the cart out of the lock and
turned. “Coming?” He asked the chief. Reluctantly she obeyed. He closed the
lock and then depressurized the bay.
“Door
opening. They're all yours ladies.” He said, watching the work party enter the
bay. A figure gave them thumbs up. The chief snorted. She watched through the
lock window as they locked each payload down onto a travel pod and then guided
them out the lock. After five minutes the operation was over.
“Your
gear is on the side there.” She motioned to the side of the lock. He looked.
They had maneuvered the firing chamber and fusion reactor in. He had been more
amused by the chief’s reaction and distracted by it to have caught it until she
pointed it out. He chuckled.
“Thanks
ladies. Closing the outer door and re-pressurizing the lock now.” He nodded to
the chief as he finished with the panel. She was already on her way out the
door.
He
caught up to her at the front door. “Eager to get your hands on the control
yoke?” he teased. She dimpled and he could see an edge of a flush on her face.
“Some
of us have duties to perform,” she tried to reply as a put down. He smiled.
“Good to know. Let me know if you need any help.” He escorted her to the door.
“Do you need to me to escort you...?” he asked but she shook her head.
“Somehow, I think I'll manage,” she replied dryly as she left without a
backward glance. He chuckled as he shut the door.
“Admiral,
I don't suppose you could fix a Wi-Fi link so I could jack in while you’re
working?” Sprite asked quietly. He chuckled.
“Only
if it will keep you from
her. She chuckled.
“How
are you going to get her up and to the lock?” the chief asked after admiring
the ship for a time. The Admiral smiled as he accessed his implants.
“Allow
me Admiral.” He felt Sprite access the fighter. She came online startling the
chief into stepping back.
“Her
main propulsion and reactor are off line but she has some juice in her
batteries. Enough to power her antigrav.” He waved her aside as static began to
make the air and dust dance and pop. The craft wobbled a centimeter up, taking
her weight off her landing gear. “Right, I don't suppose I could ride in her?”
the chief asked.
“Not
unless you brought a suit. She's not air tight. I checked. Life support is
drained. Heater coils are gone and the seal around the cockpit is iffy.” He
moved aside as the craft drifted out the lock and down the hall. It just made
the turn to bay two, making him wince as a wing came within a half centimeter
of the wall.
“That
was close,” the chief said dryly. “Don't worry, we won’t bang her up,” he
replied.
“You
mean any more then she already is,” the chief replied. He looked at her and she
smiled.
“Let’s
get the weapons pod out too,” she said after a moment. He chuckled and lent her
a hand.
It
took the two of them almost an hour to wrestle the collar around the pod and it
onto the cart. They had been forced to move several other pieces of junk with
the collar to get at the weapons pod. The chief ran her hands over the pod. “A
mark 23 series G Graser pod.. Integrated lidar, self guiding AI, point defense
mode...” She murmured an itinerary of the pods strengths. He tried not to
laugh. Everyone had their kicks and hobbies. This was definitely hers. She ran
her finger tips over the pod as they strapped it down onto the cart.
“She's
a beauty. I wonder what's wrong?” she asked looking up at him. “I don't know. I
didn't jack in to find out,” he shrugged. She nodded. The wrestled it out of
the bay and into the shuttle bay.
“It's
about time; we've been waiting three minutes!” Faith called over the radio. The
Admiral chuckled as the chief looked at it then turned her earwig on.
“Hold
your horses, we're getting there.” She waved to the others outside the window.
The suited figures waved back.
“Let's
get the show on the road.” The Admiral pushed the cart out of the lock and
turned. “Coming?” He asked the chief. Reluctantly she obeyed. He closed the
lock and then depressurized the bay.
“Door
opening. They're all yours ladies.” He said, watching the work party enter the
bay. A figure gave them thumbs up. The chief snorted. She watched through the
lock window as they locked each payload down onto a travel pod and then guided
them out the lock. After five minutes the operation was over.
“Your
gear is on the side there.” She motioned to the side of the lock. He looked.
They had maneuvered the firing chamber and fusion reactor in. He had been more
amused by the chief’s reaction and distracted by it to have caught it until she
pointed it out. He chuckled.
“Thanks
ladies. Closing the outer door and re-pressurizing the lock now.” He nodded to
the chief as he finished with the panel. She was already on her way out the
door.
He
caught up to her at the front door. “Eager to get your hands on the control
yoke?” he teased. She dimpled and he could see an edge of a flush on her face.
“Some
of us have duties to perform,” she tried to reply as a put down. He smiled.
“Good to know. Let me know if you need any help.” He escorted her to the door.
“Do you need to me to escort you...?” he asked but she shook her head.
“Somehow, I think I'll manage,” she replied dryly as she left without a
backward glance. He chuckled as he shut the door.
“Admiral,
I don't suppose you could fix a Wi-Fi link so I could jack in while you’re
working?” Sprite asked quietly. He chuckled.
“Only
if it will keep you from
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