Chapter One
Way Too Early
By: Tony Sommerfeld
'It's way too early for this,' thought Captain Mike Sommerfeld as he made his way to his new command, the USS Interceptor. But he always thought that at 0200 hours the day of a launch. 'I should never agree to a launch before 1200 hours, anything earlier means I have to get to the ship too early,' he reminded himself as he noticed a slender young brunet walking towards him.
"Hi dad. Or should I say 'Greetings Captain'?" his daughter, Commander Beth Sommerfeld, said in a teasing way.
"Don't tease my, Beth. It's too early."
"You always say that. Oh, and thank you for requesting my to be your Second in Command," she commented as they arrived at their new ship.
"They weren't supposed to tell you that."
" They didn't, lucky guess."
"Good guess. By the way, when is your brother getting here?"
"You mean our Acting Chief of Security? I thought he told you. Or should I say you told him?" she finished playfully.
"I didn't. I thought he was going to meat me on the turbo lift here."
"And so I do!" said Lieutenant Tony Sommerfeld as the turbo lift doors opened.
"Woo. You startled me, Tony. How long have you been here?" Beth said as she caught her breath.
"Not more than thirty minutes. I wanted to be sure everything was in order," the younger officer replied.
"Bridge," their father commanded the turbo lift. "How, pray tell, did you get on the ship in the first place?"
"You know that the Security Chief has access codes too, don't you?" responded the new captain's son.
"Yes, but not the Assistant Chief of Security and not before the captain arrives," Beth retorted.
"Yeah, well… I got the entrance code from a friend of mine on the construction team. You happy now?" Tony asked rhetorically, aimed at his sister.
"I am," responded his father as he stepped onto the bridge.
"I thought you would be."
"Do you wish to commence operation?" asked the computer as all the workstations came to life.
"Not at the moment, thank you," Mike responded, and the consuls returned to their previous state. "So, this is what you came to get in order?"
"Not really. I just made those minor adjustments to the ship functions that you always complain about: adjusting you seat, ship temperature, light cycle, food processors, that kind o' thing," Tony responded.
"Impressive," Beth state, referring to how Tony could do all those things and make her chair just she liked it.
"Yeah. I suppose you know the entire ship by heart now to, don't you?" his father asked him, some what sarcastically.
"Not all of it, Just the Important things. You know: crew quarters, engineering, Hazard Ops., rec. room, and sick bay," Tony responded haphazardly.
"Did you mess with sick bay?" a new voice asked. It was Dr. Nancy Sommerfeld, the wife of Captain Sommerfeld and mother to the other two crewmembers present.
"No, sir. I know how you like to arrange it yourself; so you know were everything is."
"Well, then. Does anyone mind if I go do that now?"
"No one at all," Mike responded as she boarded the turbo lift.
"What time is the rest of the crew getting here?" Tony asked.
"0600 hours. I'm going to need you to greet them and have them report to sick bay," answered his captain.
"And why, pray tell, did you come four hours early?" Tony asked indignantly.
"To familiarize myself with my ship and make those 'minor adjustments' you so kindly accomplished already. Besides, it's not like I had anything better to do."
"You could have slept some more," Beth offered.
"Yeah, it's way too early to be up and working on a newly commissioned ship. Hey, what time do we pull out of space dock?" Tony asked inquisitively.
"0900. That should be enough 'stager time' for you to show people around and your mother to perform physicals."