Kostemetsia
05-07-2008, 11:09
(OOC: Single ships at the moment please, or perhaps a squadron of them; not a gigantic fleet, at any rate.)
A thud echoed throughout the station as a row of hull locks disengaged; shortly thereafter, viewing bay denizens were treated to the spectacular sight of a Kostemetsian frigate zooming by barely fifty feet from their window. The letters FRA-54 RICHARD CROMWELL were stamped in bright white on its dark greyish-blue side.
It turned towards the planet in the distance and the star-bright speck above it, simultaneously unfolding a graceful yet businesslike communications laser from its upper hull.
Tower, this is frigate Richard Cromwell, registry Alpha five four. Request permission to approach Pruval system wormhole, random coordinates. We have Alpha double-Juliet on board. Operational readiness is 100% and network connections are up with bitrate roughly two and a half gigabits per second.
The controller's response was duly jubilant.
Vector approved, five-four. Network verified. Wish Alpha double-Juliet all the best from Command and have a safe trip.
The Cromwell rotated slowly and majestically, lining up on the speck. Then, with a flash, it was visually gone. Speeds of eighty thousand kilometres per hour in an instant tended to do that.
---
Onboard, Lieutenant s.g. Kendrick Reuben turned from his coordination console to focus on Commander Charlene Mortimer, who was sitting in the central command chair.
"Commander, ETA to jump point is three hours. Outboard weapons are locked down and secured, drives are burning on full, speed is approximately eighty thousand and rising. Double-Juliet reports he's more than satisfied with his quarters, but not with his codename, so I thought I should pass that on to you," with a flash of amusement.
The commander nodded her blonde head with a smile, looking right back at Reuben. Her tall figure put her a few centimetres above everyone else.
"Understood, Kend. Oh, and tell D-J that if he wants to argue, he can always take it outside," she deadpanned.
---
Some three hours later...
The pitch-black aperture of the jump station loomed ever closer.
"ETA twenty seconds, speed one thousand kilometres per hour. Distortion effects should begin... now," Reuben lamely concluded as his clothing started suffering roaming patches of transparency. Flicking a switch, after a few tries in which his hand simply slid through the small component, he watched with relief as everything snapped back into sharp normality.
"Sorry. I keep forgetting to turn those on."
Mortimer smiled. "No biggie. I'm sure some of the crew got kicks out of it, anyway."
The aperture swallowed the entire forward holomatrix, then zap! the ship was in an odd bright purple realm with occasional glowing white flecks.
"Realspace reference lost. ETA to destination is ten seconds," Reuben said confidently as a red circle flicked up on the holomatrix, highlighting a growing white fleck.
Approximately ten point two seconds later, everything outside flicked to black again.
"Realspace reference?" Morgan said expectantly.
"We're in MDC-34389. No inhabitants, it's way too hostile out here; not mentioning the 'who knows what could be lurking outside Commonwealth space' factor."
"Well, we're here to find out what's lurking outside Commonwealth space, Lieutenant, and this is as good a place as any. Send the message."
A pulse flashed out from the ship's long-range communications dish.
This is the exploratory frigate Richard Cromwell, affiliated with the Navy of the Commonwealth and Territories of Kostemetsia; we are currently in the system known as MDC-34389 (coordinates attached). We come in peace, and endeavour to serve as a meeting point.
We request that any races not knowing of the Commonwealth and Territories of Kostemetsia please establish a communication link with us.
Dry, emotionless and logical, but it got the point across.
A thud echoed throughout the station as a row of hull locks disengaged; shortly thereafter, viewing bay denizens were treated to the spectacular sight of a Kostemetsian frigate zooming by barely fifty feet from their window. The letters FRA-54 RICHARD CROMWELL were stamped in bright white on its dark greyish-blue side.
It turned towards the planet in the distance and the star-bright speck above it, simultaneously unfolding a graceful yet businesslike communications laser from its upper hull.
Tower, this is frigate Richard Cromwell, registry Alpha five four. Request permission to approach Pruval system wormhole, random coordinates. We have Alpha double-Juliet on board. Operational readiness is 100% and network connections are up with bitrate roughly two and a half gigabits per second.
The controller's response was duly jubilant.
Vector approved, five-four. Network verified. Wish Alpha double-Juliet all the best from Command and have a safe trip.
The Cromwell rotated slowly and majestically, lining up on the speck. Then, with a flash, it was visually gone. Speeds of eighty thousand kilometres per hour in an instant tended to do that.
---
Onboard, Lieutenant s.g. Kendrick Reuben turned from his coordination console to focus on Commander Charlene Mortimer, who was sitting in the central command chair.
"Commander, ETA to jump point is three hours. Outboard weapons are locked down and secured, drives are burning on full, speed is approximately eighty thousand and rising. Double-Juliet reports he's more than satisfied with his quarters, but not with his codename, so I thought I should pass that on to you," with a flash of amusement.
The commander nodded her blonde head with a smile, looking right back at Reuben. Her tall figure put her a few centimetres above everyone else.
"Understood, Kend. Oh, and tell D-J that if he wants to argue, he can always take it outside," she deadpanned.
---
Some three hours later...
The pitch-black aperture of the jump station loomed ever closer.
"ETA twenty seconds, speed one thousand kilometres per hour. Distortion effects should begin... now," Reuben lamely concluded as his clothing started suffering roaming patches of transparency. Flicking a switch, after a few tries in which his hand simply slid through the small component, he watched with relief as everything snapped back into sharp normality.
"Sorry. I keep forgetting to turn those on."
Mortimer smiled. "No biggie. I'm sure some of the crew got kicks out of it, anyway."
The aperture swallowed the entire forward holomatrix, then zap! the ship was in an odd bright purple realm with occasional glowing white flecks.
"Realspace reference lost. ETA to destination is ten seconds," Reuben said confidently as a red circle flicked up on the holomatrix, highlighting a growing white fleck.
Approximately ten point two seconds later, everything outside flicked to black again.
"Realspace reference?" Morgan said expectantly.
"We're in MDC-34389. No inhabitants, it's way too hostile out here; not mentioning the 'who knows what could be lurking outside Commonwealth space' factor."
"Well, we're here to find out what's lurking outside Commonwealth space, Lieutenant, and this is as good a place as any. Send the message."
A pulse flashed out from the ship's long-range communications dish.
This is the exploratory frigate Richard Cromwell, affiliated with the Navy of the Commonwealth and Territories of Kostemetsia; we are currently in the system known as MDC-34389 (coordinates attached). We come in peace, and endeavour to serve as a meeting point.
We request that any races not knowing of the Commonwealth and Territories of Kostemetsia please establish a communication link with us.
Dry, emotionless and logical, but it got the point across.