Damn it was dark in here, and I didn't have a flashlight. In my excitement last night, while packing my last few things, I completely forgot about my flashlight. Oh well, I just shrugged my shoulders and dropped my duffel at my feet. It was only 12 meters to the cockpit but it was very hard to see. The small amount of light coming through the canopy didn't really provide any usable light, I was only able to make out a dark shape where I think the flight seat was supposed to be.
"HAHAHA", I nervously laughed out loud, thinking that if this was a bigger ship, with multiple decks, I would be screwed. I continued to move forward slowly not really knowing where I was stepping. I stretched out my hands trying to feel if anything was blocking my path as I crept towards the front of the ship.
My hand came into contact with the cool metal of the flight seat, my fingertips feeling the scratchy nylon of the seat fabric. It felt comforting for some reason as I stood there in the cockpit, not sure why, but it just did. Glancing around the small dark space I took in everything for the first time. Sure I've done the flight simulator dozens of times so I knew the lay out but nothing compares to the real thing. I quickly found the power button on the right hand control panel and pushed it. Slowly the control panels and flight boards started flickering to life. The life support system kicked on with a faint humming buzz, I could feel air starting to circulate around me. In the back of the ship a few clicks, whines, and thuds sounded as the engines and shield generator started to power up. I could see the thrusters outside the canopy start to glow blue readying themselves for use. I glanced behind me through the bulkhead door to see the path that I had just taken to see what it looked like. Not really impressive, a very tiny flight kitchen next to a small bunk set into the wall. The latrine unit was across from the bunk but it was all set in the open space of the cargo module area. Not much in the way of privacy, then again it was just me. A few small lights placed in strategic spots to provide light but just barely. Everything was grey, no color, just metal grey, except for the small blue control screens scattered here and there for more in depth look into whatever they controlled. A big red light caught my eye towards the back of the ship. OH CRAP, the access hatch was still unlocked and the door was open. That would have been bad. I hurried to the back of the ship stepping over my duffel still laying on the floor as I pressed the Hatch close button. A rewarding snick and thud noise told me the hatch was closed and so did the hatch position light turning green.
Back in the cockpit I slowly sat down in the flight seat for the first time. I was actually surprised on how comfortable it was. From the way other commanders complained and bitched on sitting in the seat all the time, I figured the seat was made out of mold form metal. I wasn't a big person but it was a nice snug fit. The station system menu hologram lite up in front of me as I stretched out my hands for the flight controls. I visibly flinched as I wasn't expecting it to pop up like that.
"Wow, am I jumpy or what" I said to no one. Looking both right and left popped up the navigation and stat screens, good they both work. I grabbed the flight control stick and the throttle control and wiggled them around to see how both felt in response. Both felt good and clean, no hiccups of bur spots in their feel. Nice and clean movement.
"Flight controls are just like a woman, be nice and gentle when you use them, unless you like it rough like me". I smiled as I remembered Ms. Yobi's sage advice ringing through my head. She would always laugh and wink when she said that. I would instantly start blushing and she would rib me even harder. "Sorry kid your still got a lot to learn." She was a loud person, always laughing and joking around with everyone, a complete opposite of what I was used to with Mr. Ghaw. It was difficult to get used to but she was a patient flight instructor, which I was grateful for.
I scanned back over at the module screen making sure everything was active and nothing was turned off. Everything looked good, no issues, so I could launch. I quickly fastened my flight harness, tightening the straps around my body so I was comfortable but not too tight. I pressed the launch button on the station system screen. The preflight checks were quickly run through, all controls checked off, good no issues. The launch pad started to move. The overhead bay doors opened and the lift platform descended below me. The ship lurched and bucked a little but not bad, a smooth ride considering. As the ship lifted through the launch door to the blue glow of the slot came into view. I started to become more nervous again. I didn't know what waited for me on the other side of that blue gateway to freedom. Adventure, glory, riches, or death.
The blast shield in front of me lowered and the loud bang of the docking clamps shook my small little ship.
"Ship released, engines engaged, landing gear retracted." The ship computer spoke to me for the first time, in a rather generic female voice. I wonder if I could change that later, I thought to myself. I gingerly applied lift thrust to gain altitude, I didn't know how the ship would handle and didn't want to crash into the other side of the launch bay my first trip out. The ship shuddered a little bit but slowly started to climb. I angled the nose of the craft towards the exit and applied forward thrust. The ship seemed a little sluggish, not really accelerating quickly. I looked over at the engine read out, it showed all green? What is going on. I applied more forward thrust but again it accelerated slowly. What's wrong, oh my landing gear, I'm an idiot I thought as I retracted the landing gear. Instantly the ship jumped forward, quickly shooting towards the exit.
"Crap, crap, crap" I grunted as I tried to correct my approach to the exit, I was too low, I was going to hit the wall below the slot. I pulled up on the stick trying to make the proper adjustments. A bang and an awful screeching noise rewarded my attempt as I hit the bulk head of the mail slot. I flinched and ground my teeth at the horrible sound it made. I popped out the other end, unceremoniously and at a weird angle but I made it. 100% hull strength showed on the indicator, lucky me.
I looked forward absent mindedly, more focused on the possible damage to my ship but did a double take. My jaw dropped and I audibly gasped. Space, empty but beautiful, I was dumb struck. The light from the stars, the glow of the galactic core, the dark black of nothing in-between everything else. Sure I had seen space from observation ports and windows from inside the station, but this didn't compare. I felt so tiny and minuscule just floating around inside my small Sidewinder. I was just a tiny speck in this huge universe, insignificant in every way.
I don't know how long I just kept staring out at the vastness of what was in front of me but I was shocked, amazed and humbled all in the same breath. Still in a daze I noticed the distance indicator showed I was 35km from the station, heading in no particular direction. I shook my head to clear my self-induced stupor.
"Let's see what this baby can do" I said as wiggled slightly in the seat steading myself. I pushed the throttle fully opened and the ship shot forward. The slight G increase pushed me back into the seat. I flipped the stick left and right doing barrel rolls to get used to the response of the craft, something made a squishy muffled plopping noise behind me but I didn't think it was important, maybe the fuel tanks? I choose to ignore it as I continued to goof with the flight controls, up and down on the stick, rudder control left and right, and thrust control, all just to see what the ship handled like. Pitching wildly about climbing and diving. If anyone flying by saw me, they surly would have thought I was a drunk pilot flying around like a flopping fish.
Oh I was so happy flipping my ship around doing whatever crazy maneuver I could think of, my face hurt from grinning so much. Oh, the boost button, I suddenly remembered. I quickly pressed it, and a curious windup noise sounded behind me and BOOM, my ship shoot forward, pressing me hard into the seat. WOW this is cool, I thought as I continued to fly and boost my Sidewinder like a little kid with a new toy. Then I occurred to me that I hadn't checked out how quickly the ship could stop. I pulled back on the throttle to bring the ship to a standstill and hit the boost button again. I was rewarded with a boom as I wildly shoot forward. At maximum velocity I pulled the throttle back into full reverse. I could feel the ship to start slowing down as I was pulled forward into my flight harness.
WHAP, something slammed into the back of my head really hard, I was seeing stars. I tried to put my now hurting head back into the seat to clear my head but something was between me and it. What the hell was that, ouch, I reached back and felt something big and heavy.
"AARRGGHH" I moaned as a pulled my duffel bag from behind my sore neck and head. I had forgot to stow it in all the excitement. "Damn that hurt you idiot." I said out loud. I unbuckled and floated to the back of the ship, found the bunk locker and angrily shoved my duffle into it. "What a stupid rookie mistake." That really hurt. Do I even have a med kit aboard? Probably not, if there was it would most likely be expired. I headed back to the cockpit nursing my hurting head and ego as I went.
All right time to get serious, I thought as I sat back down and strapped in. I really hadn't thought where I would go once I had my ship. Everything up too this point was just about getting to this point, no real consideration about what to do afterwards, no real plan. My brain had shut down on me, I couldn't think of anywhere to go. I looked at my navigation panel flipping through the different systems, some close by that I could jump to, but others too far for my ship. I couldn't make up my mind.
Huh, well there's Eravate, didn't Mr. Ghaw have a guy there that sent him fabrics and such, I remembered. Ackerman market sounded like a good Idea, still in Hudson space so should be pretty safe for me.
I quickly maneuvered my ship till the hud was aligned with the system marker for Eravate. Only a 4.16lyr jump so this should be quick. I apprehensively activated my Frame shift drive.
"Frame shift drive charging" said the ship computer. My hud unit popped up with the recharge rate, a deep winding noise spooled up behind me. I tensed up, gripping the flight controls tighter. The ship started to vibrate, the FDL charge indicator reach full bars
"Four," the ships voice started to count down alongside the hud counter. "Three, two, one. Engage." I tensed even harder. A curious halo formed in front of my ship as streaks of light started to flash by my ship as I accelerated faster and faster. A huge BOOM resonated through my ship as I entered Witch space for the first time.
The simulators did not prepare me for this. The noise alone was very strange, the colors that flashed by looked so alien and different it was downright frightening. Suddenly the thoughts of Thargroids popped in my head as my small ship bounced around. The old timer's stories of being attacked in Witch space were scary enough, but to actually be in it, totally defenseless, didn't help my nerves. I looked through my cockpits canopy looking for anything that might look like an alien ship, I've seen very old pictures of them but would have no clue in what to actually look for.
The noise level increased suddenly ending with a banging pop. My canopy became filled with a huge new star as my ship exited Witch space. I made it, my first jump and everything is good. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I pulled my ship around to head into the Eravate system. I quickly opened my nav panel and selected Ackerman Market, no sense in sticking around to meet a pirate! Only 273ls to go, this should be a quick flight, I made quick work of lining the ships hud up with my intended destination, there in the distance was my goal. I smiled as I pushed the throttle to full power as I headed deeper into the system.