2) Flight Checks and Fines in all the Right Places
10 Nov 2015L0rd Shogun
-[ENTRY 002]- COMMANDER XAVIER SHOGUN -[NOV 8 3301]-<<<[ENTRY003] - [ENTRY 001]>>>
Day 2 of my Cosmic Journey
My overview: I've never felt so tiny...
)-Ground to Air
The shuttle seat was more uncomfortable than you could even imagine, when I sat down, I swear I saw padding... this thing is basically a giant clop of uncomfortable, shaped metal, and the inertia dampeners had to be the lowest grade available for a passenger surface-to-space shuttle, I can feel nearly every single G force pushing against me, every shake, and rumble. It didn't help my situation for the fact of only getting possibly 2 hours of sleep. It was impossible to sleep last night, it was worse than any night before a Holiday. Thankfully, it was a quick trip to the Orbital station.
After we docked, I made my way off the shuttle and into the Entry Lobby, the station was bustling. It was so busy, with people moving this way and that, large containers headed every which way, and small drones darting back and forth. I couldn't believe it, compared to the relatively slow, and quiet cities on the planet, this was where everything was going on. I immediately felt invigorated by the scene, my chest swelled, and I began my journey through the station.
)-Heels First
My boots made a clodding sound with a faint echoing around the seemingly cold, expansive metal hallways of the station as a I walked in search of the Pilot's Lounge. I gently bumped into a man as I was distracted, looking every which direction in awe. It's been 20 years since I was last off the planet, I don't even remember if my family came through the station for check-in back then, if we did, I don't remember it.
I apologized to the man, who assured me it was no big deal, and asked if I needed some help looking for something. It was then that I noticed he was wearing the uniform of station security. I explained, with a little bit of pride in my voice, that I was looking for Pilot Lounge 8, he pointed me in the right direction and I was on my way again.
A few minutes later I came to a metal door with "Pilot Lounge Eight" painted above, with a slit of glass through which I could see a few other Pilots moving around inside the room. I touched the keypad next to the door, which flickered a holo-screen to life just above it which read, "Pilot's Lounge: Please present License for entry." I held my license against the lowly glowing area of the keypad for it to read. The screen displayed "Welcome, Commander Shogun." with a low beep, then shut off as the door slid open with a slight hiss, I passed through, into the beginning of my new life.
)-First Gig
I moved my hand gently to the left repeatedly, sliding through the holo-screen pages in search of a job posted on the bulletin board that met my current situation, finally on the 7th page I found one. "Cargo Hauler Required: Move 4 Tonnes of Domestic Appliances", Perfect! I thought, it was only 2 systems away and paid a handful of credits. Definitely something good to get me started. I scanned my License, which accepted and signed the contract, and entered in my docking bay number, which would get the cargo loaded up by the automatic system. I made my way out of the Lounge, and down the hall towards Docking Bay 17, where my Ship, New Horizons, awaited, a small, dinky, used, and jerry-rigged Sidewinder class vessel.
)-Beauty in Rags
This is the first time I'd seen it in person. It made me feel small, and by comparison, this was one of the smallest, jump capable vessels in active use, and still, I was small. But this was my ship, mine, I owned it. I made my way up the entry ramp, sliding my hand along the ship as I went. I placed my hand on the glowing touch-pad near the door, which immediately turned green, and slid the door open. I stepped inside, and the ship illuminated itself, "That was cool", I thought to myself. I took a step back, and the lights turned off, stepped forward, and the lights sprang to life again, "Awesome!"
I proceeded to inspect the Living Quarters, which consisted of a small Cot, clothing dresser, desk, and a holo-screen on the wall. As well as the Mess Quarters, which consisted of a basic kitchen and sustenance preparation area, and a head in the compartment behind that. It wasn't much, combined it was a quarter the size of my old apartment, but that's not was it was about, the cargo bays where large, enough to haul 4 tonnes of cargo. The reactor bay was cramped, but busy, with cables scattered about connecting to different parts, it produced a low, satisfy hum. Then I came to the crown jewel, the cockpit, lights illuminated as I approached the command chair, which faced me, buttons glowed all over the place, as I sat down in the chair, the lights dimmed and the chair slowly spun around to face me outwards, towards the nose of the ship.
)-Flight Checks
Before undocking I inspected the cargo readout on the right interface holo-screen of my command chair, it read 4 tonnes of Domestic Appliances, checked my fuel as well, topped-off, good, the automatic loading had worked.
I also checked the left interface holo-screen of my command chair and pulled up the Galaxy map to plot my route. All I can say, is Wow. It pulled up the charted stars in my vicinity, more than I can even count, so many blips and travel routes. The station itself was such a small spec in comparison that it didn't even registered on the Galaxy map. Absolutely awe inspiring to see the scale up close. It was too much to take in all at once, I plotted my course to the destination system, 2 Jumps, 9.4 Lightyears, easy enough, hardly any fuel either, and closed the Galaxy Map.
I flipped on the power controls, initiated thruster pre-burn, and switched on pre-flight system diagnostics, as that ran in the background I messaged to the Station Control for surface permission and punched my Pilot ID number into the system. I looked out the window and could see the cold metal of the dock holding bay start to move towards me as the ship landing pad began heading forward, with a clud it connected to the elevator and we started to rise to the surface of the Station Docking Bay, looking up I could see the upper doors slide open and began to see the incredible sight of ships and drones buzzing around inside the gigantic pressurized Docking Bay.
I released the magnetic docking "Clamps", powered forward thrusters to 25%, and coasted towards the Docking Bay Entry Slit, it glowed a bright blue, indicating its shield holding out the vacum of space, I gently passed through it and out into the vast open space of the galaxy, ready to start my journey and make my first hyperspace jump... and received a fine for using the wrong side of the Entry Slit... "Doh!"
Here We Go!