Grace Under Pressure

Posted on Sun Jun 5th, 2022 @ 8:38pm by Captain Temperance Harding

Mission: Lower Decks
Location: USS Endurance | Holodeck 1
Timeline: Downtime

ON

"Computer, load program Harding-5."

The gridded walls around her were replaced with the primary shuttle bay of Jupiter Station. The R&D Facility was also home to the Shuttle Testing Grounds. These grounds allowed for the test of shuttle and fightercraft technology - and for pilots to have a little fun while they were at it.

Harding's medical record was sufficient to disbar her from flight activities - active, or training alike. Yet that didn't apply to the Holodeck. The Gryphon-class fighter - complete with her old call-sign stenciled on the lip of the canopy - was sat, primed and ready.

Harding set a foot on the maintenance ladder that was set up, and hauled herself up the runs, swining her legs in first, and getting herself settled. A deck crewman that had followed her up the ladder handed over a flight helmet. The stylized black cat emblazoned on it matched her call-sign. Panther.

The canopy came down, sealing the cockpit of the craft in a pressurised compartment. Her RIO was already in the backseat, running pre-systems check.

"All system's green, Panther."

"Copy that, Fox." Harding switched the radio to the Jupiter Orbital Control. "Jupiter Flight, this is Gryphon-Delta-6. Request clearance to launch for Test Drive."

"Delta-6, you are cleared for launch. Proceed to starting point Gamma."

"Copy that, Control. Point Gamma."

Harding lit up the thrusters, easing the craft through the main doors ahead of her, and out of the bay. It felt good to be free in space. The craft handled like she remembered. "What sort of course they got up now, Fox?"

"You ever heard of Rally?" Fox replied, and she could hear the grin.

"This should be fun."

The way-point marker was pinging on the holographic display of the canopy. Each next waypoint would be indicated, along with the desired flight line. Accuracy and time were both a factor. At least amongst the pilots. "All right, lining up on Gamma." The craft used small manoeuvring jets to line up and hold position with Gamma.

"We all set?"

"On your mark."

"Mark."

[[ Author's Note:: Play this while reading on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWBm0Z-Xww ]]

The display lit up. Three red lights. Three Yellow lights. Six green.

Harding gunned the main thrusters, throwing the craft into heavy acceleration. The first turn was a sharp one, and she over banked, having to use the microthrusters to drift the craft, keeping the nose tight on the flight line. When she was almost dead set on the next waypoint, the thrusters kicked in, sending them rocketing towards it.

"I forgot how much fun this was!"

"Hard roll, 90 degrees to Port." Fox called out as the next turn was an almost insane left hand turn.

Harding rolled the craft, and pulled up, taking the turn as a sharp climb. She saw the engine light blink for a fraction of a second, but ignored it. This time sticking like glue to the projected flight path on the canopy.

"Flip over the other side, take her into a loop." Fox was cool and calm, though with a slight trace in the voice.

Harding rolled the craft a full 180 degrees, and pulled back hard into a loop. She pushed the engines to the red-line, and this time a small tone came with the light.

When the loop was over, the engines were reduced, but the light didn't go out. "Engine heat warning. Engine heat Warning."

The port-side engine cut, causing the starboard to try and compensate. The craft went into a flat spin, the thrusters trying to compensate, but they were no match for the primary engines. "Cut power to 50%! Redirect coolant systems!" Harding called, even as she tried to correct the spin.

"Coolant redirected, engine restart!"

The port side flamed back into life, and Harding kicked the craft over, re-finding the flight line on her HUD and gunning for it. She almost blanked out her co-pilot, running on instinct as she took the corners, feeling her bird seemingly respond to her thoughts, rather than her hands. The craft twisted, dipped, banked, and turned its way around the course.

The final line was in sight. A golden line of beacons to denote the end of the course. With some panache, Harding threw the craft into a hard burn, and cut the thrusters, letting the inertia carry them. At the last second, she activated the micro-thrusters, sending the craft into an almost perfect cartwheel over the finish line.

"Nice save." Fox said as the craft came in for a soft landing on the deck. "Though maybe next time try not to kill us?"

"The canopy rose as Harding pulled off her flight helmet. "Everybody's a critic." She retorted, with a smile. "Get someone to check the port coolant line. That over-heat should have been well within norms."

"Agreed, I'll get someone on it."

Harding was the first of the two down the ladder, and when her feet hit deck, the Captain took a breath. Time to get back to reality.

"Computer. End program."

Still dressed in her flight suit, the woman exited the now blank Holodeck, having felt better for getting a little pent up energy out of her system.

OFF