Chapter 18
That black shape focused in my vision as my eyes adjusted to the light of the setting sun behind it. Long and sleek. It formed into a shape resembling a very large 21st century jet-powered aircraft, yet was several-fold times the size of an old jetliner. The undercarriage consisted of 4 sets of 8 large wheels on the aft ventral portion, with a row of four axles per carriage. Spaced evenly from centerline on outwards to distribute the sheer weight of the large frigate. It measured roughly 180 meters long, around 80 meters wide and towered over us by at least a height of 20 meters. The vessel had a blended-wing body. Similar to a 21st century fifth or sixth generation jet fighter with no ventral or dorsal tail or lateral stabilizers.
The ventral section jutted out under the main hull for two thirds of the length of the ship. A cargo boarding ramp stretched out to meet the ground and seemed to fit flush into the ship's hull, with two rotating and sliding elongated doors covering it when stowed for flight. Cargo shuttles exited the ship after delivering provisions.
As I inspected the ship, I noticed several rectangular doors on the forelength one-third section on the ventral and dorsal sections towards the space where the wings met the main body of the ship. About eight in total with four on top and bottom.These were roughly five meters long and two and a half meters wide with a considerably larger one on the ventral side of the nose. As well as several other doors on the ventral side of the wings which were far longer than they were wide. Those must be weapon bays, particularly torpedo tubes and capital ship weapons. That made sense for a stealth frigate. It prevented the sensor cross-section from being enlarged by shapes jutting out of the hull. Which was smooth and free of any jagged, sharp angles.
The sleek shape of the ship clearly was designed with sensor cross section in mind. The exhaust nozzles and rectangular-shaped vectoring diffusers at the back indicated it had a class-A power plant setup. class-A was typical for smaller craft like shuttles or fighters, but to have it on a frigate meant that this ship was designed for atmospheric flight. These four diffusers seemed to be able to move vertically and laterally, and jut out from two nacelles that blended into the body of the ship gently with gradual curvature. There was no apparent bridge viewing glass and the windows were not obvious to outside observers. Perhaps being covered up or they simply did not exist to prevent seeing inside the ship.
Gali and B'Nan were both gawking as they looked on at our new ship, Perhaps never having seen a ship such as this before. I glance back to look at them and I shrug as we keep walking closer, approaching the left flank of the vessel.
I observed an Iridian ground crewman in a white flight line jacket with two signal batons that glowed a bright red. He made several gestures looking up to the nose of the ship, and the control surfaces plus the main engine diffusers moved as he made these hand signals. Obviously they were testing flight controls.There were a series of flaps on the top and bottom of the ship - likely for control in atmosphere. After about 20 seconds of full-range actuation, he cut a line across in front of his body with the right baton.
As we approached to within fifty meters, I inpected further. I spotted oval-shaped ports with a flush-cover door over them on the dorsal section farther aft in the rear third of the ship, roughly 5 meters wide by 9 meters long. Perhaps weapon tubes of some kind. Towards the front of the ship, there was a square flush-cover panel shaped and sized much like a typical airlock. The ship had wings that were of a double-delta configuration and were flush with the ventral section of the ship. There was a small hump towards the nose of the ship, perhaps a bridge of some sort with no windows.
Several small ports, initially covered by flush panels, also had their panels depress and slide aside, revealing Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, which were obviously for control of the ship's orientation in space. After a single gesture with both batons to cut the thrusters, the ground crewman lowered both batons. Carrying them both in one hand, he gave the nose of the ship a thumbs-up to signal that all was well with the controls.
As we head up the ventral ramp to the ship's interior, we passed along the centerline of the spacious cargo bay which takes up the entire ventral section of the vessel. Inside on the port and starboard sides, along the bulkheads of the cargo bay towards the fore section of the large space were two shuttlecraft covered under canvas tarps on launch rail platforms. Rearwards of these were a pair of single-seat fighter craft under similar protective canvas tarps. Above these small craft were cranes for hoisting and moving them. As well as a few more storage bays for several more small craft.
In the Aft section of the cargo bay behind them was a large cargo section, which was accessed from the fore ventral ramp by the space in between the launch rails and reserve small craft bays.
Once we reach the cargo section, I notice there is a blast door overhead as we pass the last craft storage bay. Likely in case of a hull breach or for launch operations. The reserve craft storage bays have a door on the bulkhead, likely for recovery of a launched craft, where a docking arm can pull the craft into the hull.
We walk down the length of the cargo bay and come to an elevator platform, which takes us up to deck 3. Deck 3 has a balcony with a rail looking into the cargo bay below. We walk towards the fore end of the ship, coming up to a bulkhead door. I tap the blue light on the door. It rotates clockwise and it turns green. The door opens and we continue on past the crew quarters, galley and to another elevator. This one is behind a bulkhead double-sliding door. After we enter. A computer reads a polite message back to us "Please say or choose a floor on the control panel" I smirk, the reality has finally set in. This ship is mine, and mine alone.
"Deck 1." The computer replies to my input "Deck 1, going up." the elevator jolts momentarily and slowly halts after a few seconds of travel. The doors open and we exit into the first floor. We are greeted by a Combat Information Center (CIC) and a long hall towards the front of the ship with several crew stations towards the bulkhead and a center pathway to the main bridge. Some of these stations are manned and others are not.
We walk down the gangway to the main bridge. When we come through another bulkhead door, we have to climb a set of steps in front of and off to the sides of a bulkhead hatch up into the bulbous section up at the top of the ship. Despite being behind a uniform piece of solid metal alloy, we have a panoramic view of our surroundings outside from this section. Much like a bubble canopy if you will. Seated at the main helm station fore and centerline is a young human man. Roughly in his late 20s with chestnut brown hair and the stubble of a soul-patch on his chin.
His attire consists of white and black cargo pants and a short-sleeved black shirt with a grey and white baseball cap. He turns upon hearing us stop behind him "Hello there 'cap!" he cheerily greets us "Wesley Farham at your service! One of the best charter pilots out there and serving as your helmsman!" he addresses me.
"Mister Farham." I nod and he grimaces "ergh.. Don't tell me you're one of those uptight skippers, miss….?" he lifts a brow at me. I Reply with a smile "Kara Nakamura. Miss Farsa never told me she also hired some crew for me." He blinks "what sort of ship has no crew?" with a snort, he turns back around in his flight seat. "Ready for departure on your orders, 'cap!"