Sudden Collisions Part 1

Posted on 16 Dec 2016 @ 5:57am by Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn & Sergeant Major William Bourne & Rear Admiral Azura Ashcart

1,439 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Starship Redemption
Timeline: 0900 ED5

ON

Cassandra Blackburn entered the flight deck already in a foul mood. Her sleep for the night had been disturbed; her recent encounters with the others on board the ship replayed continuously in her head. She was particularly vexed with Daniel Sutherland, as it had become clear that the young ambassador was not going to let her off lightly on this mission. She attempted to remind herself that after this mission she had a promise to be let go - and a presidential one at that - but it did nothing to ease her state of mind. Her desire to be as far removed from the Redemption and all it represented to her was sometimes overwhelming, and she also resented being in the situation under duress.

The flight deck was busy. The Captain had requested a CAP ever since the Redemption entered the system, and Major Cagney had been as efficient at organising it as she had expected. Maintenance crews worked on the strike craft; the pilots competed checklists. Quiet professionalism at work: she ignored it.

She approached a small gathering of Marines next to a number of storage crates. She saw Sergeant Major Bourne there with Lieutenant Roberts, the young man in charge of electronic warfare for the battalion. His unbridled enthusiasm clashed with her cynicism, and had done since they'd first met on the transport flight to the ship. If she was to be honest with herself, he reminded her of herself some years ago, and in some ways, represented what she'd lost. She wasn't very good at being honest with herself anymore. She resented his innocence of youth, and her attitude towards him showed it. He, on the other hand, was too naive to understand her, and after her public outbursts he had reached the conclusion that his Commanding Officer was mad.

Bourne knew her, though. She found that equally infuriating. His extensive experience and total dedication meant that he knew how to not only approach her but also how to manage her - and she knew that she was being managed. Worse, nearly all of the time he was right and she knew that too. She didn't hate him - she might have fallen out with his beloved Corps but she wasn't completely spiteful, they'd been through too much together for her to do him that disservice.

She didn't know the others. There was a young female officer there who was a pilot - and a crew chief. They were all concentrating on a padd in Roberts' hand when she approached them. They sprung to attention; she waved her hand and they relaxed. She sighed.

"What is it?" She said to Roberts, dismissively. Bourne grunted. She tried to ignore him.

"Ma'am, thanks for coming down." Roberts had resolved himself to be confident, but he overdid it and he squeaked the words out. Her paused, embarrassed, then coughed in a poor attempt to regain his composure. Speaking to his padd, he continued. "We have a technical problem with the Link16 system. This star system has a unusual electromagnetic makeup which goes beyond normal background radiation or solar activity. Basically, some kind of refraction and interference is causing such subspace distortion as to..." He trailed off when he looked up and saw Blackburn staring in him incredulously. He flushed red again. "Well, Link16 is..."

Blackburn held up her hand. "I know what Link16 is." She said to him harshly. "It relays tactical data between our strike craft in real time, allowing them to share sensor information. Cut to the end." Roberts was now so flustered that he wasn't sure where to continue, but fortunately for him, the pilot intervened.

"Second Lieutenant Rachael Smythe, Ma'am." She said, introducing herself. She shone confidence but not arrogance. Blackburn liked her immediately. "Whatever is causing it means that the system is very limited and our strike craft are operating almost in isolation from each other throughout the system. We have normal voice communications but cannot share tactical data with each other or the ship."

"So tell the CAG." Replied Blackburn.

"We have, Ma'am, but as it's a critical operational deficiency it needs to be brought to your attention." Growled Bourne.

Blackburn clicked her teeth and resisted the temptation to bite back at her Sergeant Major. "What's causing it?" She managed to sound reasonable.

"No idea" Said Smythe. "Not sure if it's natural or artificial. It is system wide, however." Before she could continue, Roberts had come out of his emotional nosedive and managed to re-engage in the conversation.

"We might have a fix, but it will need trial runs and an unusual modification of the principle electronic warfare systems of one of the AWACs birds. We need command authorisation for that - from the Captain."

Blackburn suddenly understood why she was being told all of this - she had withdrawn from most of the decision making in the Battalion and left the day to day running to Bourne and Cagney. But this was a matter of protocol, no less, and the Captain needed to be told - it had to come from her. She unconsciously rolled her eyes at the situation.

"And you want me to ask." She said. "Fine."

"The process won't take long, Ma'am. Just a few hours, and our intention is modify my bird." Said Smythe, nodding towards one of the older Antler class AWACS craft on the other side of the hanger deck.

Blackburn grunted and nodded. She walked away from the group over to a portable terminal sat on a trolley in the middle of the bustling flight deck.

"PALLAS, patch me through to Captain Ashcart." She instructed.

PALLAS nodded and spoke as she made the connection. Soon a hologram of the Captain stood before the Major.

"Connecting now." Said the hologram.

"Major, what can I do for you?" He asked looking at her.

"Captain, my people down here tell me that some kind of interference is knackering up the Link16 system and our strike craft can't share tacdata. Has the bridge detected anything?" She shuffled uncomfortably; this was the first time she'd spoken to Ashcart since their meeting in the ready room.

Azura nodded and looked down at the desk in front of him. He shifted PADDS around as he spoke.

"I know I saw a report on it from tactical and science. Something about a super high energy interference that's messing with out long range communications with HQ." He grunted as he picked up the PADD in question and nodded.

"Ah yes super high energy interfering with long range communications. I don't know if it wasn't affecting short range earlier or if they weren't looking into that." The idea that short range comms had been affected by the phenomena since they entered the system made his bowels go watery for a moment as he followed the train of thought to its logical conclusion.

"Yeah. That's it." She replied. "My EW officer down here thinks he has a fix. He wants permission to modify one of the AWACs birds and authority for a test flight."

Azura nodded "You're authorized with the stipulation that you fly on it as well. If comms are as messed up as the blue shirts say I want you on the bird in case anything happens."

Blackburn initially thought she'd misheard the Captain. "You want me to... but I'm not a pilot!" She protested.

He nodded and put up a hand. "Major I understand your misgivings but the Marines are your baby. As they will be cut out of communications with the ship and there for you, one of your command staff needs to go. Now if you would prefer your XO go that is certainly and option but you would have to take over his duties while he is away. Which is less distasteful? Commanding this mission or stepping into your big girl panties and taking control of the detachment?" There was a hint of concern creeping into his voice but under it all was all steely resolve. "The choice into yours major. I'll leave you to make it." With that Azuras image winked off.

"Big girl panties." She hissed to herself, seething and furious. She thought about calling him back, but instead turned on her heel and stormed up to the group.

"Make your damned modifications" She said to Roberts. "Then tell me when we're going to fly."

"We?" Roberts said, taken aback.

"Yes. I'm coming too." With that, she turned and left the flight deck before they could say anything else to her.

OFF

Azura Ashcart
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Redemption

&

Major Cassandra Blackburn
Detachment Commander
USS Redemption

 

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