Take her down

Posted on Wed Dec 31st, 2014 @ 3:21am by Lieutenant Carl Baumann

Mission: Bloodpath
Location: Orbit to Planet Side.
Timeline: Concurrent

ON

The Beagle remained held in place with clamps in the Station Docking area, the Engineering section were just coming to life, the warp engines were disconnected and sealed off from the rest of the ship and will not be affected by the other drives. This process was simple and took a mere two hours. The drive systems were converted to the Impeller Drive on the sides of the ship.

Impulse Engines were on standby as they would be needed to maneuver and descend to the planet. All the preparations went along like a well-oiled machine; the Staff were getting the final preparations completed. The Warp Core and Matter/ Anti-matter reactor worked like an old Nuclear reactor of the old Earth for heat conversion to power. In space or under the water the power will be the same and the reactor would power the Beagle in any atmosphere.

The crew were going about the preparations for leaving orbit and emersion into the water on the nearest planet. Lee walked the length of the Control Room, she had not heard from the Skipper, crew members were at their stations, a skeleton crew that were at consoles just monitored the boring systems while tethered with the station. She had tried a few readings from the sensory center, it was what once was known as the ‘Sonar’ Station but it is a modern sensory console or what is called a ‘science Station’ by modern star ships.

Lee kept herself occupied by running the numbers through her head, the angles of decent, heat shielding and the antigravity systems to ease the Beagle into a soft landing on the water before finally flooding the ballast tanks to lower her into the sea for their first dive.

“Lee…” Sparks the Communications Officer called to her. “I have news that the Skipper is on his way back, she will be here in a matter of moments but he is taking the traditional route.”

“Okay, spread the word that the Skipper is heading back.” Lee said as she moved to the Observation Nose. “Alert me that he has come back and prepare to depart.” She heard Sparks announcing the orders.

It was only a few moments before Baumann came down the last ladder from the Sail to the Control Deck. He had the look of a man who had been out doing what he did not relish.

“Get the crew ready to depart, I have our orders?” Baumann said as he went to the center of the Control Deck. “Engineering, can you tell me what our status?”

“Reactor to power, impulse on standby and the Impellars are ready to go.” Stanson said from the Engineering Section.

[Ten minutes later]

The DSV Beagle had descend from orbit and was lowering itself towards the seas below. Baumann walked to the Front Nose Observation, the front Clear armored glass remained behind the recessing hull plates. Heading to a small control panel on the port side of the viewing port, he pressed the controls to open the outer doors.

The ocean grew as the Beagle head for the destination, he stepped forward to the viewports.

“Five hundred meters.” Lee reported from the Control Room.

“Full antigravity drives.” Baumann ordered while he kept an eye on the decent. “Touching the controls the lower section of the Observation Area to give him another fifteen degrees of viewing. “Get ready to be wet.” Baumann instructed.

It was the last few meters that was the one that most of the crew held their breath until the Beagle touched the water surface the water parted to take the Beagle down to her ‘float depth.’ Baumann watched the water bubble on the lower section of the observation windows and then up to the bottom quarter of the main view ports. She was a little long to be bobbing on the surface as she was nearly two thirds submerged.

“Touched down.” Lee report.

“Activate the ballast valves.” Baumann had a smile as the water calmed. “Flood all Ballast Tanks.” He instructed over the intercom system. “Submerge to twenty meters.”

“Twenty Meters Aye.” Lee confirmed while watching the green lights that were the Dive Control Board.
The submarine seemed to be slowly engulfed by the oceans while to an observer it appeared to sink under the waves slowly. Baumann dropped his eyes to the lower observations windows, the depth of the sub was darkening with each meter the Beagle sank. The gurgling outside the hull was normal and Baumann stood close to the viewports.

‘Depth twenty meters.” Lee informed. “Still Green across the board.”

Baumann returned the armor slats back into place before turning on his heels and head to the Control Room, he walk to the small island in the center of the Control Room.

“Up periscope.” He ordered.

The periscope raised past the surface, he made a three hundred sixty degree look around the Beagle to his satisfaction.

“Clear in all directions.” The Sensory Officer reported.

“Helm, set course to the Station, take us down to one hundred meters.” Baumann smiled. “Set speed at thirty knots.”

Lee watched the Helmsman set course.

The Beagle sucked in the water from the nose and running through the Impeller Drive and pushing the water out the aft section to propel her forward.

It would take another two hours to port.

OFF

Lt. Carl Baumann
Skipper of DSV Beagle