A Visit To The Flight Deck

Posted on 21 Feb 2021 @ 12:23pm by Commodore Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Gemma Alexander
Edited on on 16 Mar 2021 @ 9:51pm

2,117 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Extinction
Location: Flight Deck
Timeline: Mission Day 4 at 1000

The Captain's daily inspection had him scheduled to make a surprise visit to the Flight Deck. He hadn't visited the area since before putting into dock, and given the various issues they'd suffered, he expected to see a few changes with the squadron. He couldn't be sure, however, the full extent of the changes. He had some idea thanks to Commander Alexander's reports, but it was time to see them in person.

Without warning her that he would arrive, the Captain arrived on the Flight Deck through a service entrance and waited to see how long it would take for him to be noticed.

Petty Officer T'lan came around a corner carrying a box of random parts, stopping when he saw the CO. The one eyebrow briefly raised in was the only indication of the Vulcan's surprise, after a brief moment he put the box down and straightened, "Do you require assistance Sir?"

The Captain shook his head. "Not today, Petty Officer. Just observing daily operations, that's all."

"Yes Sir." He acknowledge before picking up his box and continuing on his way. Other personnel criss crossed the large space either on their own walking briskly or in small groups huddled in conversation. Some could be seen working on various craft as others hauled equipment while still others were checking systems through open access ports. Everyone all the while gracefully dodging others as they bustled about.

Harvey did not remain where he had entered the flight deck. He rarely had the chance to spend quality time on the flight deck, and he always enjoyed watching the pilots and maintenance crew intermingle. In fact, he smiled when he saw one of the pilots under a fighter with one of the crew chiefs, carefully eyeing a portion of the craft. The attention to the minute detail is what made the 325th one of the top squadrons in the Gamma Quadrant, if not the fleet. Harvey did his best to avoid the pushing of antigrav carts around as ordinance and tools and parts were all shuffled around the area. If one was not careful on this flight deck, then a visit to sickbay could be in order.

T'len, figuring his boss an others would want to know, had passed word about the CO's presence on the flight deck after turning a corner so not only would Alexander find out but no one else would approach the CO who obviously wanted to be left alone. After a short time Gemma came walking up in a slightly rumpled flight suit, having been under a console until a minute before. She caught what he was looking at and spoke up when she got closer, "I promise they've only run over 3 officers today." she said jokingly.

"Just three?" the Captain asked, not turning to confirm that he was indeed talking to the squadron CO. A couple years of service had already proven that he knew her voice. "With all of the commotion I see today, I somehow expected it to be more. You training a bunch of agile rabbits down here?"

"This just happens to be the Running of the Techies on the Flight Deck. Quite a sight to see, if you want I think we can waive the fee if you want to join them. Like the old running with the bulls but less hooves." She replied coming around to the front, "Honestly though I believe there's a drill with pretend damage they have to respond too, what a hard case is their Boss." She said unapologetically.

"I don't think Doctor Jennin, much less Mrs. Geisler, would appreciate me endangering my life in such a way," Harvey joked. "Though, if you accept bets, I might be interested to place a wager." Changing the subject, he then added, "So, their boss is a hard case. Making up for lost time or something, Commander?"

"Just changing things up a bit, keeping people on their toes." Gemma smiled, "I think we learned what we needed to know so just to prove I'm not completely heartless..." She pulled out a small pocket PADD and tapped a key. After a moment, a message from Gemma's deputy came over the Flight Deck's Intercom, ending the drill and giving further instructions. The bustle slowed. Some went off to storage rooms, cleaning up while others shifted into their routine. As the they watched the smooth shift Gemma continued, "Had a meeting with the tech heads, they wanted to do more drilling in emergency repairs and I've been waiting to change up he training routine so worked out."

"Emergency repairs," Harvey muttered with a nod. "Seems to be a theme for us lately, especially since our fighters were quickly overridden the last time they were deployed on a mission. Speaking of which, have we done anything about securing those access points to avoid such a debacle in the future?"

Gemma smiled faded and she nodded seriously. Tapping a few more keys she handed him the PADD, showing the protocols and changes. "The techies worked out some security protocols hardwired into the system. The pilot will be able to override if it somehow gets past the security protocols forbidding the computer from doing anything that might adversely affect the pilot or make changes to vital systems without permission from the pilot or select persons on board the Black Hawk. We have similar ones for the Hub. Those in the Hub would be able to override and remote as needed should the pilot go unconscious for any reason but we've tried to lock down the computer acting on it's own. There's locked in failsafe as well that switches all vital systems to manual, we figured more than one layer of security was wise."

They'd thrown everything they had at it, her entire command team and techies. Part of it was a lot of hardwired into the system style overrides as well as low tech manual back ups to getting around getting locked out of their own Hub. The PADD listed all other changes as well. She shifted to step back and on her belt could be seen a tricorder, small case with a door popper and a small emergency breathing mask. Something that could be seen on the belts of many personnel in sight.

Harvey stood there for a couple minutes, tapping away at the padd and reviewing the data he'd been presented. He read through the various logs of the tests and trials the fighters had been put through to verify that these changes had worked. "You might consider adding a kill switch for the holoprojectors too, just in case," he remarked, now reviewing the data for the Hub. After a few more minutes, he signed off on the new procedures and handed the padd back to Alexander. That's when he noticed the extra gear she wore around her waist. "Not leaving anything to chance anymore, are you?"

Gemma nodded at his suggestion for a kill switch and made a mental note. Then glanced down her her belt before returning her attention to the Captain, with small smile, "Bit of a belt and suspenders sort of thing, give this lot..." he gestured with her thumb at passing personnel. "More options in an emergency. Got the idea from security, though I think I left the kitchen sink at home." She said thinking on all the gear she'd seen the security personnel carry.

Harvey grunted. "What you're carrying is nothing compared to what the security personnel carry. They're the ones missing the kitchen sink. You're missing the oven, hot plate, mixing bowls and measuring cups. If anything, you might carry an emergency transporter armband or something like that. But, since we're on the topic, are there any accidents to report? No mishaps with the maintenance crews?"

Gemma nodded at his first part adding to her to do list. "I wouldn't be surprised if they did have a sink." She replied with a small smile, they always seemed on the ball. "Good point on the transporter, I'll start the process on having that added as soon as we're done here. Perhaps check for other possible additions." She took the constructive input sincerely and moved on to his last question, "Just one of the new people lightly zapped himself with a tool, minor. He was healed and situation report filed. Circumstances were a moment of inattention. The importance of focus impressed upon him and the other technical personnel but for the most part, they are operating well." She reported, pleased at they way the department had come together.

"Inattention seems to get the best of us all from time to time," Harvey remarked, looking back out onto the busy flight deck. "How's your group of pilots? I know between the recent change in command, and then having their fighters disabled in the middle of a milk run didn't do good for morale. How are they bouncing back?"

Alexander thought a moment on the question, "On the whole, well enough. Some better than others of course. There was some trust to get rebuilt between man and machine that had and has to be done. We went over what exactly went wrong and how it was secured from happening again, added the belts, drilled." She paused, considering then continued, "A lot to help with that." then continued, "I've been following up with everyone one person at a time, still going through them to check in. Trying to make sure no one slips through the cracks."

He nodded, looking out at the flight deck once more. Morale was critical on the Black Hawk, given all that they went through in the last couple of years. If even just one person got overlooked, Harvey knew they'd be in trouble. As far as he could tell, the squadron and maintenance crew were back to being a well-oiled machine. "Then all I can ask you to do is keep at it, Commander. Anything else of note?"

Alexander nodded in acknowledgement of the first part of his statement then thought a moment for the second, "Well I have been, as part of the new drill process, reviewing our emergency planning procedures. We're reviewing everything but I wanted to mention the aspects on when we're not needed to fly." She crossed her arms then continued, "Some are options easy, coordinate with CEO on our extra techs helping as damage control for example or following up with Cosec on our back seat gunners. I'm more thinking the pilots, what do be done with us?" Realizing it could be a lot of information, "If it has merit, I can write up a complete report, including secondary skills of everyone, for you and Commander Walsh before I proceed of course." She gave a brief wry smile. "You know if we have a choice how we hate to be still."

She finishes the the flight continued to flow about it's work.

"It wouldn't hurt to take a look," Harvey remarked. "You know it's a bad day for us all when the squadron gets sidelined, and it definitely seems to happen more often than not. Hopefully, most of those days are behind us." He nodded and confirmed again, "Definitely get that list together, and let Commander Walsh know as soon as it's together. Anything else? Or is it time for me to let you get back to it all?"

"Nothing else at the moment, Sir." She replied appreciating the check in. Unlike other CO's he was supportive and clear in direction but not a micromanager, which she enjoyed. "A big part of my drill focus is still on securing the ability to do flight ops obviously, so I'll continue to work with Walsh and others as needed there to schedule those." Then continued, "But I'll get a full report on a non flight emergency contingency out as soon as possible for mark up. I don't know as we'd need the procedure often..." She rather hoped not but who knew what would happen. If one wanted a stable life there were better jobs for that than Starfleet. "but I like the additional flexibility option to our tactics."

The Captain smiled and provided an affirming nod. "Then I'll leave you to it, Commander. Keep me posted on the Squadron's progress." Having said all of that, the Captain turned and disappeared from the flight deck using the same inconspicuous method he used to enter it.

Gemma tried to watch him go but a pilot coming into her line of vision blocked the CO for a moment and then he was gone. Vanished. "Some day I'm going to figure out how he does that." She muttered good naturedly turning, once again, to her own duties.

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