The Mini-Heist, Shuttle 3

Posted on Tue Oct 5th, 2021 @ 3:52am by Lieutenant JG Jenna Jade & Captain Natalya Markova

Mission: The Boneyard Heist
Location: USS Hera
Timeline: During 'Getting Out Of Dodge'

The two officers rematerialized in the darkened transporter room of the Prometheus-class starship USS Hera. It was possibly the clearest sign that the ship had no one aboard that they could have had and Jenna raised a hand and activated a flashlight that shone brightly as she shined it around the room. "Well, ma'am, we're on board... Ah think that means we have about fifteen minutes to get the shuttle and go, but Ah've got to make a quick trip down to engineerin' here if you think we've got the time? If Ah can, Ah need to try to get some of the Deuterium they've got in stores, just to help our own tanks a bit."

Scanning the room around them for any signs that this ship may not be deserted, Nat cocked her head to one side at the Engineer. If her Chem-101 class had stuck, she thought Deuterium was simply special water. Maybe it was how the water was special that made it difficult to replicate. She was merely a ground-pounder, and not an Engineer. "You need a hand with that, or can you manage? I'd love to be well on our way by the time the fifteen minutes is done."

"Oh, Ah can handle it, Ah'll grab a counter-grav unit from downstairs to bring it up to the shuttle bay. Overall it should take just a couple minutes once Ah get to the containment unit." Jenna took a PADD out of a pocket and handed it over, "This should get through the initial security checks when you power the shuttle up. Can you get the bay doors open, ma'am?"

Nat took the PADD, giving the woman a broad smile. "Ensign, if you can haul some of that crap up, I think I can handle a couple of doors. I may even be able to avoid venting the shuttlebay before you're aboard." She gave the engineer a wink to show she was joking. With the security bypass in hand, Nat led the way out of the Transporter Room and into the corridor. She had taken a look over the schematics of the Prometheus-class before departing. "If you need help, shout me." She offered as parting words, pulling the phaser pistol from it's holster, and letting the woman know what she meant, before putting it back.

Jenna laughed and grinned, "Ah think Ah can handle a couple spiders and cobwebs, but any boogeymen, Ah'll call and have you come runnin'!" She hefted the rather large container, which was nearly her own size over her back and was thankful it was a very lightweight material. She went the opposite direction of the Marine out of the transporter and fairly jogged to the forward turbolift. Both of them were actually going to Deck 8 and they'd chosen Transporter Room 3 to beam into because it was on Deck 7, but the storage tanks were well away from the shuttle bay. It only took her a couple minutes to get to the tanks and set up the container to fill, which as she said would take just a couple minutes.

A quick ducking into one of the science labs and Jenna retrieved the counter-grav sled and even got it slid under the container before it was half full. Sure, this was only about an eight percent fill for the Chimera's tanks, but the material was difficult to use a transporter for, and every little bit helped. A disconnection and she was off down the corridor, a fast walk with a few skips here and there to go quickly.

Nat watched the engineer head to her own task, and set off for the turbolift shaft. The doors opened - clearly the ship was on emergency power... which did not extend to this particular lift, clearly. Nat looked up, and down into the void of an empty shaft. "Bloody wonderful." She muttered to herself. Backing up, the Marine took a run, and flung herself into the shaft, grabbing a rung of the emergency ladder with one hand, and managing to get a solid foothold before her body smashed fully into it.

"At least it's only one deck." She reassured herself, looking up - refusing to even glance down - and quickly ascending the ladder. Her marine training allowed for a rapid ascend, and a tap on the emergency door control parted the way for her entry onto Deck 8. Checking the bulkhead number of the turbolift, Nat swiftly made her way through the corridor, coming up on the large double doors of the shuttle bay. Sprinting across the open floor, Nat quickly made her choice. The Type-10 shuttle looked the most promising for launch.

The rear hatch came down without an issue, and Nat climbed aboard, settling into the pilot's seat. She took the PADD that Jenna gad given her, and set it on the console. Powering up the shuttle's main system, she acxtivated the subroutine on the PADD, and watched it go to work on the security lock-out. Within seconds, the vessel was free.

"Open says me." Nat muttered to herself as she set the command to raise the bay door, making sure the containment field was still in place, lest she vent the entire thing to the open vacuum of space.

Several minutes later, Jenna trotted in, visibly straining to push the laden anti-grav sled. Something was wrong with it, probably why it had still been on board, and it resisted the pushing. Here eyes opened at the star field but recognized that the containment field was still functioning properly. The open hatch of the powered up shuttle beckoned to her and she redoubled her efforts just in case Murphy poked his head into the operation. As soon as she cleared the door, she slapped the button to close the hatch and let the sled power down to the floor, it’s load strapped down to it tightly so it wouldn’t go anywhere.

The younger woman sidled her way forward, divesting herself of the other goodies she’d put in a couple bags she’d sling over her shoulders, then slid into the copilots seat, sweating from the overall effort, “Got it! I think we’re good to go, ma’am!”

With a smile of relief, Nat powered up the shuttle's engines, and felt the subtle shift as the craft lifted off the deck, gliding through the membrane of energy that kept the pressure of the bay intact. Once through, she sent the command to lower the door again - no sense leaving things untidy. "Plotting course for the Chimera." She relayed to Jenna. "Not a bad job."

“No, ma’am, not a bad job at all! I got my whole shopping list filled, at discounted prices, no less!” Jenna giggled at her joke, “Ah’m guessin’ the used shuttle salesman got taken as well?”

Nat handed over the PADD the young woman had given her. "What the Salesman don't know, Ensign, you don't pay for." With the course plotted, Nat hit the engines, sending them back to the Chimera with their cargo in tact.

"Ah'll remember that one, ma'am." Jenna smiled, "Sounds like good life advice."