The Next Adventure

Posted on Thu Jul 29th, 2021 @ 4:43am by Captain Victor Ward & Corporal Emmanuelle Larose

Mission: Jumping Right In
Location: USNS Alan Shepard
Timeline: MD01 - 0845 hrs
543 words - 1.1 OF Standard Post Measure

As the USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) sailed through the rough seas of the Southern Ocean, Captain Victor Ward (RCAF) stood alone on the bow and took in the cold, crisp sea air. He was but one of a dozen special passengers aboard the resupply ship bound for McMurdo, where his new assignment awaited him.

Stargate Command. The opportunity of a lifetime. Other worlds. New forms of life. New scientific discoveries. Maybe even entirely new fields of study.

When the UEO began setting up the program, the Canadian Armed Forces and foreign ministry managed to negotiate itself a few positions. Not necessarily a full SG team, but a few team members and several base crew. Competition for those few positions had been fierce. But now, twelve Canadians were aboard the American resupply ship, waiting to get to their new homes.

British Army Training Unit Kenya, Two weeks earlier

“Vite vite, Capitaine!”

Ahead of Victor was Master Corporal Larose, egging him on as they ran a common trail across the base. For years, she had been his right-hand woman. At every assignment since Suffield, they had combined their unique skillsets to solve problems. A handful of Eurofighter Typhoons had life support systems derived from crashed and salvaged Death Gliders, and part of that work had been Victor Ward and Emmanuelle Larose.

That had gotten the attention of the UEO and their own leadership. That, along with their years of work elsewhere, had earned them consideration for the SGC. Thus, they had been sent for extreme climate training at the British base outside Nairobi.

“You won last time, Manu,” Victor said between shortened breaths. “Not this time.”

She grinned and let out a laugh as she put another meter between them.

Ahead of them along the track stood a tall woman with short, greying hair in an officer’s uniform. Victor and Emmanuelle recognized her as Colonel Booth. They stopped before her and saluted.

“At ease,” she said after returning the salute. “Captain Ward. Master Corporal Larose. New orders.” She gave them a slight smile and handed them each an envelope. “I certainly hope the SGC sends you to worlds that are like this. Make good use of all this training.”

“I rather hope they’re more like home, ma’am,” Victor replied as he read through the contents of the envelope. You are hereby requested and required to report to McMurdo Station for duty at Stargate Command…. “Imagine a galaxy of worlds as beautiful as Canada.”

“Pack your bags,” the Colonel said, her smile becoming a smirk. “You have quite the itinerary ahead of you.”

Now

“Penny for your thoughts, sir?”

Victor had become so distant, staring at the sea and the approaching ice shelf, that he hadn’t even heard Emmanuelle approach.

“Just thinking about where we’re going,” he answered. “And where we’ve been.” He finally turned to face her. “How about you? What are you thinking?”

“That we should get our gear,” she said. “Call from the bridge, while you were dans la lune. We’ll be within helo distance in ten. The MH-60 is leaving within fifteen.”

“Well then.” He gestured down toward the hatch belowdecks. “Lead the way, Corporal.”