Codename Alpha

Chapter 3

"Attention. Final WS-17 launch preparations in T-Minus ten minutes. Gantry retraction in T-Minus five minutes."

The commissioning ceremony was surprisingly brief, although that was most likely because I zoned out in the middle of it. I had an excuse prepared in the case that anyone noticed - I was just very tired. Nonetheless, I was brought back into reality when the wolf directing it started barking out orders. I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to single me out specifically for wearing glasses, but knew that it probably wouldn't look good on their record. I was thankful for that.

I had just walked through the automatic doors and onto the Valiant's bridge when the announcement for the final launch preparation procedures came on. The bridge itself certainly had a nice look to it, with the same white lights found elsewhere on the ship, but with blue carpet. I found the helm console, situated central and facing out the large front window, down a couple steps into a lower area of the bridge.

The bridge itself was abuzz with all manner of activity - computers beeping, graphs and diagrams fluctuating, people moving in and out, and all sorts of different radio chatter. Three flatscreen TVs were mounted to the upper deckhead along the front windshield, showing general diagnostic readouts and systems displays. It was nice to watch. There were wall consoles, each tied into specific ship systems, judging from the labeling.

Although I had spent a reasonable amount of time at the helm prior to now during my training, it somehow felt different from the simulations. It was almost as if there was an entirely new section of the console dedicated to dedicated inbuilt screens showing all manner of things.

"Attention, all personnel. Clear all crew gantries immediately, repeat, clear all crew gantries immediately. Department heads, report crew count."

Two bolted-down computer monitors on the left side of the console were already active, but the main helm system wasn't online yet. There were many other smaller displays that were akin to something one would find in a plane's cockpit. A navball showing orientation with options for literal and relative, a screen showing readouts on the surroundings, and other such things.

Both computer monitors were configurable and as such I had the ability to open whatever programs I saw fit, which, judging from a brief look at the installed programs, included a couple games. I brought up a three-dimensional radar screen as well as an exterior camera view of the starboard side of the ship, which gave me a very high definition of the two connecting gantries and the rest of spacedock. I booted up the main helm computer system and leaned back in the chair.

"Attention! Captain on the bridge!" Someone blew perhaps too hard into a bosun's whistle to go along with the announcement. I jumped up from the chair and stood at attention. Captain Blokhin was standing at the ready room door, next to the science station in the back.

"At ease." he said, as the bridge resumed their duties. "Gentleman, what do you say we get this show on the road?" He sat down in his chair.

"Comms, open a shipwide line," Blokhin ordered.

"Aye, sir. Shipwide line." the crewman at the communications console, a cougar, announced.

"This is Captain Blokhin. Personally, I'm not one for long and heartfelt speeches - of course, I did wholeheartedly mean what I said earlier, but I do also need to keep it brief. It's early in the morning, we've got a schedule to keep, and it's T-Minus five minutes until we start bringing the warp engine online. The next few minutes are going to be stressful, and I'll be relying on my whole crew to do your job to the best of your abilities. Thank you."

Blokhin nodded to the cougar, who began to speak. "Attention. WS-17 final launch preparations are now underway. All personnel, general quarters, repeat, general quarters. Launch protocol is now in effect, crew gantries are retracting." A klaxon began to blare throughout the ship while a red light flashed.