“ Commander.” Captain Summers was getting irritated at Mark getting side tracked again from where she was taking him. “ You try to use these to deliver cargo without full control of the area and an escort , half your cargo will never reach the destination. Their class 1, AI’s , are not very smart and the platforms are easily brought down . Stick with the APC’s you already have crews for.”
Mark looked at the Captain and smiled. “Damn . But then if we slaved a couple of platforms to each of the APC’s , it would reduce the number of trips needed. Can we do that Mickey?”
“Yes Mark . T hough the cargo would not have any protection from the elements or ground fire.”
“Well , that is what tarps are for .” Mark added a couple of contain ers to his list getting a disgusted look from the Captain.
Finely they were standing at the back end of the warehouse in front of the stern loading ramp into the small transport he had noticed from the rail overlooking the other end of the warehouse. “You really should take a look at this transport boat.” When Mark stayed rooted as she started up the ramp.
Chapter 11: Chapter Orbital fiasco. 128
Mark tried to get her to go over to check out the frigate across the hanger with her telling him that it was terrible at hauling cargo and finely fallowed her up the ramp simply to keep from being left behind. Walking up the big rear ramp and into the stern of the cavernous hold stretching for some 300 feet in front of them. The Captain pointed to the large square on the deck some 50 feet on a side with large yellow warning safety stripes painted on the deck completely around it. “That is for loading from transports in space w . W hen attached to a ship, the civilian ship's cargo hatch can open into this hold but we usually open our transport ship hatches and lay them back along side the hull out of the way before docking if it is a vertically decked ship . More room in the transport shuttle boat. The transport shuttle’s inner or deck hatch you are looking at, drops down as the outer hull hatch raises up into the tween decks or tw in hull of the belly to be more precise and slides up ship out of the way which is what our horizontal decked assault ship hatches do so we don’t have to worry about hatches getting in the way while docking and serve as safety hatches during transits . Air curtains may have revolutionized transferring cargo between ships but hatches still need solid protection most of the time . Shame we didn’t have them for the first half of the war. Though they create their own problems. ”
While Mark was very familiar with space docking two ships together side by side and marrying their locks with the hatch platforms butted up against each other together with a flexible tunn el across each platform after running a dozen mooring lines between ships to keep them from moving while the air bridge was in place as they transferred cargo across from one ship to the other . A very complex and involved procedure that took the full cooperation of both crews and a lot of time. A procedure that was not done that often. But something did not seem right and Mark stood there starring at the hatch in the deck for a few seconds trying to figure it out what , before giving up and following the Captain as she yelled at him to get moving . The comment about Aircurtains baffled Mark for a second before the enormity of docking the transport boat to a ship hit him.
Half way up the hold as he passed another huge hatch outlined in the deck, Mark suddenly realized that she really was talking about docking on the side of a ship with the belly of the boat to the ship and having the ship’s cargo hold hatch open into the belly of this boat and then transferring cargo around 90degrees onto the deck of the boat. He realized that even with mooring lines it would be a night mare keeping the boat in position and transferring the cargo around the 90 degrees between ships and then having the hatch in the way transferring cargo to the stern of the hold behind the open hatch . But certainly they must have a way of doing it unless the hatches line d up with several transport decks allowing both hatches to load cargo at the same time . But that left why. “Why dock belly too, when it looked like it would be is easier to simply back up against the side so the cargo had a strait shot from deck to deck down the full length of the boat ?” He asked catching up to the Captain that refused to slow down her .
“And leave the ship and boat, both sitting ducks to anyone with a long range gun or torpedo . W w ith no way to maneuver while you are at your most vulnerable with thousands of troops and tons of cargo trusting on a docking collar and mooring lines to keep them safe.” She shook her head in disgust. “But then you really are not military are you. By hard docking the boat on its belly to the ship; the ship can still maneuver and even transport the boat between star systems while the crews are safe and secure with no docking collar to blow and mooring lines to break.” She said as she continued to walk up the hold shaking her head disgustedly .
Mark continued looking around the hold. For a display boat it sure was busy with a lot of crewmen running into it or going from hatch to hatch along the sides of the long hold . All of them in a hurry. Mark thought as he tried to keep up with her, trying not to bump into anyone or trip while looking around. It reminded him of a ship getting ready to lift.
“This is a 3,000 cargo ton transport boat (5,000 military) that we use for intersystem cargo as well as general support for the Fleet Command during assaults and Battle Star supply.” She said as Mark passed yet another huge hatch in the deck and finely caught up with her 50 feet from the bow at a personnel hatch on the side of the hold into a trunk with a set of ladders inside leading up and down.
Climbing u p 4 decks, then across O to a hatch at the center of the cross passageway they stepped into n the bridge . Summers she had Mark sit in the pilots chair as she sat in the Command chair. Several other stations around the bridge where already occupied with more crew arriving and getting comfortable as they lit up their stations. “During assaults we piggy back these on starships loaded and ready arm ed to fallow the main assault with reinforcements and supplies. You can Peggy back 4 of these onto the Star Queen. Though your ship could not drop with them or lift them off planet, but w ould ill have no problem transporting them from star system to star system once you are outside the planet ’ s and system ’ s gravity influence zone. Increasing your ship’s cargo capacity by some 12,000 tons normal and 20,000tons military which knowing you; will be more likely the average as it is for the military.”
“Oh ya. My Captain is going to just love planting 4 of these on the outside of the ship.” Mark said sarcastically.
“Well, you’re the one that told us not to give him a choice on the APCC’s. Light it off Start it up Mr. Collins. Get your checklist finished and P p repare to lift off please.”
“You have got to be shitting Captain. I have never flown anything this large before outside a simulator!”
“Well, you have better get trained then real fast if your training records from your Star Queen aren’t worth a shit. But then you could just remember it is only a big fighter with a three sixty-dee helmet sitting under your seat like the one you were just using on the sentry bots . You did pilot a fighter into orbit didn’t you? Or was that someone else?”
“Oh aa ok ? . ” Not wanting to tell her that Mickey had done the pilotin g into orbit as he joined the orbital club with Dian. Though he had piloted a ship into orbit a half a hundred time in the ships simulator during class training in school and then countless times in his own sim . Mark reached down to find the squat helmet sitting under the pilot’s seat in a protective cover and put it on with the visor over his eyes. “Oh ya, that is more like it.” Sitting back he soon felt right at home in the chair . F f eeling like he was back in the fighter’s cockpit without being stuffed into a tub. Though not having the additional control system screens the fighter had, that were scattered around the bridge at manned consoles made the control board in front of him look anemically empty. The visor presenting both ship’s instrument readings and the view outside the ship no matter where he looked, complete with read out distances to anything he looked at , helped . It was as good a view as the figh
ter. Something like what he was starting to get used to with Mickey but much cruder though Mickey soon took care of that.
After piloting the fighter and then the bomber, the controls where exactly where he knew they should be as he finished his check list and lifted off after Captain Summers gave him clearance . With Mickey’s help and advice taking off the rough edges. Jack found himself talking to Mickey about what needed to be done, worries about doing it and then the rush when things went well with Mickey’s guidance in his ears. Mark could not believe the power he felt as the big boat slowly lifted off the warehouse floor and floated out the end door into the open air and up. He was superman and could lift big buildings into the air, jump across giant cities in a single bound.
“Commander , take Corse 131 true at 200 knots for 3 minutes and stop, com e ing to a hover at a five thousand feet and we do not need the narration thank you please .”
As Mark brought the big boat around he listened to the Captain talking to the crew around them. Having them do things he would have done automatically as a truck or fighter pilot. She had already gotten the ship closed up before he lifted and now she had the crew; Checking ships power systems, contacting ground control, telling the Navigator sitting next to his right or starbored starboard side of the piloting console to chart a course to orbit. Contacting orbit control, and even some one scanning the surrounding area for traffic. The Scanning officer reported that a flight of fighters was approaching from 220 true mk 98 at 10 5 ,000feet. Mark turned his head and found them easily as he b rought the big boat to a stop 3 minutes after leaving the warehouse .
“Mr. Collins it is customary for the pilot to acknowledge the scanning officer. That you have them in sight. That is if you do have them in sight and not just sightseeing bikinis in the pool below us.”
“Oh, aaa, Mk.7 Tri-wing fighters sighted 218 mk 9 10 4 at 10 5 ,000 feet, 1 3.4 miles. Target 230 knots. Heading 75 mk 90. F 0 0 f light plan lists them headed for training area delta on a missile run and will cross our bow in 30 seconds. Returning to base in 53 minutes sir.” Mark adding the information Mickey supplied without thinking. Then could not help looking down to see if there was a pool with bikini clad gals in it under them .
“Better; but you would not have happened to have identified whether or not the fighters are friendly or not and how many by chance Mr. Collins. Not to take you away from your sightseeing or anything like that. I know how just doing your job is as boring as it is and since when does our helmets provide more than speed and heading of reported targets. OH yes. Mickey. Be careful Mr. Collins, information overload can quickly overwhelm your awareness of the important facts. Li ke if they are the enemy or not. ”
Turning back up to look forward disappointed that the pool had only a bunch of old over weight overweight women in it doing exercises and thankfully, with full body suits and no bikini’s amongst them. “Yes mam, 4 fighters of the planetary defense command sir and ah, friendlies I believe is what the IFF is saying mam. If not , we are in trouble.” Mark smiled.
“Captain , planetary control has cleared us for orbital insertion in 2 minutes.” Said the Comm officer.
“Navigator plot me a coarse to station Charlie 5, launching in 1 minute 5 4 5 seconds. Crew this is Captain Summers, prepare for orbital insertions in one minute 5 3 0. Mr. Collins please review the navigator’s coarse, double check that the scanning officer did not miss something like a stealth fighter or some fool in a powered hang glider or air-cycle without a beacon and you may launch on my command in one minute and thirty seconds .”
Mark was suddenly very busy and then with 10 seconds to go he finished by reporting that he had engaged the autopilot for launch.
“Mr. Collins did I tell you to engage the auto pilot for launch or do you lack the knowledge to pilot this boat to orbit manually.”
Taken back , he flicked the auto pilot off. “Manual? No Captain. Ah autopilot off sir. Preparing to launch on manual ah at your command sir.” While he had trained in the simulators taking a ship or shuttle into orbit manually; he never even dreamed he would be allowed to actually do it; but then he had never ever even dreamed of piloting a 3,000 cargo ton transport to orbit. "But why?" He asked without thinking. The Star Queen never launched on manual controls. The Pilot was just there to make sure everything went according to the flight plan. But then what would happen if he did need to take control?
The navigator started the count down. “5, 4, 3,”
“You may launch as directed Mr. Collins.”
Mark slowly pushed the throttles forward into the maximum thrust setting and adjusted his course to fallow the navigation plot. “On coarse Captain.”
“But you are two a full second s behind the plot Mr. Collins. Next time you might advance the throttles a little faster. This is a military boat fresh out of the factory and even if it wasn’t , it would have well-maintained engines . S s o you don’t have to worry about blowing an old rusty tube. A full second is enough time for the following ship in a squadron to ram its bow up your ass and you are two seconds off . You may like it up the ass but I don’t. As for launching on manual. The English Navy likes to know that their pilots can take care of any situation when battle damage occurs. Don't worry Mr. Collins, we are not going to simulate any loss of an engine or controls or hits this time around on your first launch but a pilot before graduation would learn to deal with all that and more. We will save that for future flights if there ever are any. For now just concentrate on the basics and relax. I just need this to be a nice easy ride to keep my Captain’s rating current. My desk don’t fly worth shit and the cockroaches aren’t much of a crew. At least the whole day won’t be a total waste even if you are .”
Mark quickly found that trying to fallow the plot even in a boat as big as this proved to be a lot of work as the air and wind tried to push the boat all over the sky as he tried to catch up to the plot . Pushing them anywhere but the plot. The harder he tried the worse he seemed to get even after he caught up the lost time .
The Navigator leaned over and adjusted a setting on Marks panel. “Relax Mr. Collins. You are over controlling. Slow down. Remember you have a thousand tons of empty boat here and it takes a fraction of a second or two to respond. It is even worse when loaded.”
Mark felt embarrassed that some piss ant navigator was trying to tell him how to fly and started to get mad. Glancing at the man it suddenly hit him that the man was much older and had Captains Bars on his collar and pilots wings on his breast with little stars under them with a whole bunch of qualification pips under that making him wonder what was going on here. But the distraction did slow his efforts and the boat settled down onto the plot. Leaning over towered the Captain in the navigators seat. “Captain? What are you, a Captain, doing navigating on this barge now?
Leaning back over towered Mark and smiling. “Aey , it was short notice and it got me out of the office with some bridge time. And with the temporary demotion, it is Commander son.” and winked. “We are coming up on the jet stream. You should see it in your helmet. Just before we enter it, turn the boat into it about 5 degrees and trim it to the plot line once you're in it. And don’t forget to re-correct just before we come out of it and re-trim.” Then straightened up.
With the advice, Mark realized what the wavy fuzzy stuff ahead of him was finely. Then noticed the arrow with the velocity vector on it telling him all about it. Thanking the Captain under his breath for not letting him get surprised , Mark he turned into the jet stream it just as he had been instructed and without feeling much more than a slight shift as the 300knot wind hit the ship, he was able to easily keep the boat on plot. Looking around the bridge he realized that most of the bridge officers where senior officers with what looked like an old Admiral with too way too many stars on his collar at the science sensor station. The navigator Captain reached over and tapped Marks console with his finger bringing him back to reality and the plot. “My Godstar, what’s with all the brass?” more to himself than anyone.
&nbs
p; The Captain smiled as he leaned toward Mark a little . “Well son, you needed a crew. Now pay attention . W w e are coming up on cut off on the T .” Straitening up, the navigator continued into his mic. “Coming up to cut off in 5 ,4,3,2, and 1. cut.”
Mark started pulling back the throttles just as the navigator said, “And, before , “ 1 ” with a nice easy slide. Then the Navigator reached over and slapped the throttles down to off in one quick easy smooth thump on Marks hand clutching the T handle controlling the two engine ’ s thrust . Taking his hand off of Marks , the Captain continued as if nothing had happened. “On Corse and plot to the foot Captain Summers.” Turning back to Mark he looked at him and then over his shoulder at the command chair and back at Mark, nodding back at the command chair several times. The last time his face getting a little exasperated.
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