A testing opportunity... Continued

Posted on Mon Nov 20th, 2017 @ 4:23pm by Lieutenant Reno “Reno-gade” Van Straten
Edited on on Tue Nov 21st, 2017 @ 5:13pm

2,063 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 0: Everybody Has A Story
Location: Starbase 424 & Deep Space
Timeline: 1 Week ago

[ON]

[Starbase 424, Deck 127, Compartment 84 Flight School]

After the team-work drills the pilot numbers were cut again, now there were just four of them and the evolutions became harder and longer. After another two days they were down to three.

"You think you had it tough before?" Shoni’ZhAsdex told the three survivors one morning "You ain't seen nothing yet! What's the greatest threat the Federation has faced in living memory?"

"The Borg?" Somebody offered

"The Dominion?" Reno suggested

"Both good answers" Shoni’ZhAsdex agreed "What do you think we'd face if the Borg assimilated the JemHad'ar?" She smiled "Let's go find out..."

One after the other they entered the larger simulator, configured as a Defiant and within seconds were faced with wave after wave of Dominion Attack Ships supported by a Borg Sphere. "You mission is simple" Shoni’ZhAsdex told them "Survive!"

Reno lasted twenty eight minutes, longer than the other two by over four minutes. They had both been destroyed by Attack ships. In the end he was caught by the Sphere's tractor beam and after being unable to shear away, despite overloading the warp core, he flipped the Defiant around, armed the last-resort nose torpedo, applied full power and slammed his craft into the Sphere.

The simulation ended, Reno slummed in the helm chair breathing hard and feeling the sweat cool on his brow. The lights went on, the door opened, Shoni’ZhAsdex and Heujon entered.

"Twenty eight minutes, not bad, better than the others too" Shoni’ZhAsdex "Right up until you decided to suicide, killing yourself and the crew!"

"Now hold on, that Sphere had me!" Reno objected "Couldn't break the tractor beam, either way we were effectively dead! At least I took them with us instead of being assimilated and giving them the ship!"

Shoni’ZhAsdex looked to Heujon "The ship was still flying, damaged but still flying and Van Straten deliberately rammed the Sphere. We don't need pilots with a death wish Commander."

The Commander gave Reno a long look, then nodded "You're right. Lieutenant Van Straten, thank you for your participation, but you're done."

"What the ...!?" Reno began to object

"That's enough Lieutenant!" Shoni’ZhAsdex snapped "Now, go get your gear. I will walk you out"

Reno was about to argue further but then shrugged and did has he had been instructed.

As he left the simulator Shoni’ZhAsdex turned to Heujon "Gutsyest move I've ever seen."

Heujon nodded "Indeed, he knew the Sphere had him and his thinking was correct, he stopped the Borg getting a hold of the ship and crew. I don't think he's got a death wish, just had the sense to realize it was a no-win situation, our own little Kobiashi Maru. I believe he's just what Theta is looking for"

"So what's next?"Shoni’ZhAsdex asked

"Turn him loose for a couple of days, arrange for him to be assigned the worst helm position you can find and let's see what he does. I'll notify Theta we might have their next pilot" Heujon replied

"And the other two?"

"They won, get them the test pilot jobs" Heujon concluded "If Van Straten fails this last test, we'll pick one of them. Carry on Squadron Leader"

Ten minutes later Shoni’ZhAsdex walked Reno to the entrance lobby. "Here's you room assignment in transit quarters. You'll be notified of you next assignment as soon as personnel can find you one."

"Wait, I'm not going back to the Brunel?" He asked

"No Lieutenant, the Brunel left weeks ago" Shoni’ZhAsdex replied "You're going to be reassigned as I told you. Oh and in case you forgot, don't talk about what you've been doing here, ever!"

Opened the door and waited for him to step through. "Good day Lieutenant" The door slid shut leaving Reno standing in the cargo level corridor.

"Sonofabitch" He muttered and trudged down the corridor towards the turbo lift.


[Starbase 424 Transit Officers Quarters]

Reno had found his way up top his temporary quarters and tossed his bag on the bed. He felt dejected, disappointed and angry. After a couple of hours moping around the room there was a chime from the terminal. He had a message from Task Force Personnel, it was a transfer order. he had been assigned to the USS Thetford, an aging long haul mining supply ship which was scheduled for a two year cruise servicing automated mining facilities on the far side of the sector. He pulled up the ship listing, it had a crew of just seventeen, barely made Warp 6 and was not expected to stop at any colonized planets for at least sixteen months.

He tried replying with a request for an alternative assignment. An hour later he got a reply. There was nothing else available, the Thetford would be arriving at Starbase 424 in three days and he was to join her then.

He shut the message down in disgust and considered resigning his commission. He decided he needed a drink, several drinks in fact and then he'd make the decision.

He made his way up to the promenade deck and returned to the bar they had all gone to a few weeks ago. He found a table, ordered a large beer and a bourbon chaser. The real stuff, not any synthahol. After four of those he felt the same, pissed off and fed up. He was also hungry, he called a waitress over to order some food.

"Hey, aint you one of those test pilot fellas?" She asked, "A bunch of you were in here a while back" It was the same girl who had served them before.

He was about to tell her No, he was just the guy who crashed his ship into a Borg Sphere rather than get assimilated but couldn't be bothered. "Nah I'm a helmsman on the Thetford, mining supplies that kinda thing"

"Huh, well I could have sworn you were a test pilot" She smiled "So what can I get you to eat?"


He woke up the next morning with a hangover and stinking headache. He crawled out of bed and went off to shower. He did not feel much like breakfast, although since it was eleven thirty brunch was more appropriate, but either way he could not face a meal. With nothing to do he wandered around the arboretum and the promenade decks for a couple of hours.

He was still angry over being removed from the flight program and he tried replying the last evolution over in his mind. Again and again he came back to same conclusion. His final decision to ram the Borg Sphere had been the only option left!

His mind made up he headed down to the cargo levels, stepping off the turbo lift on Deck 127 he walked down to Compartment 84 He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say, but it probably would involve some shouting and demanding they take him back, what was the worst they could do? Send him off on some mining scow?!

He found the right door, it swung open, but instead of the small lobby it opened onto a vast and empty cargo bay. everything was gone. The bulkheads, dormitory, simulators, holosuite, it was all gone! He kicked the bulkhead and frustration and wandered back to his room.

Fed up, he went to bed early, only to be awoken in the early hours by the door chime. He rolled over and glanced at the chronometer, it was three thirty five AM. Who the hell was waking him up at this hour?

He padded up to the door in his underwear and opened it. 'Yeah? What? Do you know... Oh!"

Squadron Leader Shoni’ZhAsdex was leaning against the door jam "Nice boxers Lieutenant, now go get dressed and packed"

"Huh? What? Why? I don't work for you anymore, remember, you kicked me out" He replied crossing his arms and staring her out.

"I'll kick your ass if you don't go and get dressed. We've got a ship to catch" She said with a grin

"Yeah I know, the Thetford, thanks very much for that and it doesn't get here until tomorrow" He replied sulkily.

"Not that one, just get dressed I'll explain on the way." She held up her hands "Trust me alright, go get ready Reno, please"

He was about to argue further but she gave him a look and he caved. "Alright, alright, this better be good!"


[Runabout USS Avon]

Once he was dressed and packed he followed Shoni’ZhAsdex up to the hanger decks, where there was a waiting Runabout.
She waved off his questions until they were aboard, he stepped through the door to be met by Commander Heujon.

"Lieutenant, I'm sure you are confused by what is going on" The man greeted him "Take a seat and I will explain."

Once Reno had sat down Heujon continued. "So the program was not to find test pilots, it was to find one particular pilot for one particular assignment.
And we - "He nodded to Shoni’ZhAsdex "- both think that pilot is you!"

"But you failed me.." Reno began, then stopped himself "Dammit! Another test?"

Heujon nodded "It was a little crude, but yes a test, we wanted to see what you do when you lose."

"But what about the other two?" Reno asked, "The two guys you passed?"

"Oh, they are on their way to Mars Plantia Shipyards Research team" Heujon said "They are going to be test pilots. You're going elsewhere"

"Where?" Reno asked suspiciously 'And don't say aboard the damn Theford!"

Heujon laughed "No, but to be honest with you, I don't actually know where you're going. It's classified, highly classified and I don't need to know the location.
I have was told to set up an evaluation program to find a pilot for a very special Defiant class ship and I found you. That's all I was told to do.

We forwarded your record and evaluation results. In return we got a set of spacial coordinates and a time frame for a rendezvous. The Squadron Leader will take you there"

"And what are we rendezvousing with, where am I going?" Reno asked a little suspicious now.

"Like I said, I don't have the clearance, but the people who do, made the decision, and they want you" Heujon replied. "Reno, this is important, very important, not just for Starfleet but for the Federation."

Shoni’ZhAsdex spoke "You don't have to do this, it's totally voluntary"

"Yeah right I go who-knows-where or I get on the Thetford right?'

"No, not at all. If you don't want to go, I'll get you back on the Brunel" Heujon "But you should go..."

Reno sat back, last night he was ready to pound on their door to get back on the program, now they were offering it to him and he was having second thoughts. Or was he?

"I'm probably going to regret this but ok I'll go" He said, more confidently than he actually felt. "When do I get issued the cloak and dagger?"

Shoni’ZhAsdex and Heujon laughed. Then Heujon stood up and offered his hand "You made the right choice Reno. The Squadron Commander will take you where you need to go." he nodded and left.

"Alright strap in" Shoni’ZhAsdex told him "And no, you can't fly us out, sit back and enjoy the ride!"


Six hours later they dropped out of warp.

"So this is it?" Reno checked the navigational computer "We're in the middle of nowhere?"

"These are the coordinates we were given" Shoni’ZhAsdex agreed

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait..."

They did not have long to wait, a few minutes later the Runabout's sensor array beeped. Reno looked down, "That's odd, there's something there but the sensors can't get a proper reading"

"Look out the window" Shoni’ZhAsdex suggested

Reno looked up, there was a weird shimmer off to port, then a ship materialized into view. It was a Defiant.

"They have a cloak?" He turned to Shoni’ZhAsdex

"They have much more than that." She smiled "Be seeing you Reno"

Reno felt his skin tingle and everything went fuzzy, he was being transported!

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

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