Thomas the Starship Pilot

Chapter 1. Thomas and Chakotay

Thomas was a pilot, who worked on a big starship. He was tall and
slim, except when he was rather fat, and had fair hair, blue eyes 
and an occasional bad attitude. 

He was a fussy little pilot, always flying shuttlecraft about. He 
flew them down to planets for the away teams to go on missions; 
and when the away teams came back, he flew them back to the starship,
so they could beam direct to Sickbay.

He was a cheeky little pilot too. He thought no officer worked as 
hard as he did. So he used to play tricks on them. He liked best of
all to make sarcastic comments on the bridge, so quietly that the 
Captain couldn't hear them. 

Then he would laugh rudely, and run away to fly more shuttlecraft.

One day Chakotay was resting in the Captain's chair. He was very
tired. He had just crashed his 47th shuttlecraft, and he had had to 
call for an emergency beamout at the last moment.

He was just going to sleep when Thomas came up in his cheeky way.

"Wake up, clumsy clogs," he shouted, "I'm the best damned pilot in
the Delta Quadrant - bet you a month's replicator rations you can't 
catch me!" and he ran off laughing.

Instead of going to sleep again, Chakotay thought how he could pay
Thomas out.

One morning Thomas wouldn't wake up. Even the Chief Engineer couldn't
get him going. It was nearly time for the away mission. The away team
were waiting, but the shuttlecraft wasn't ready.

At last Thomas woke up. "Oh, dear! What an awful dream!" he yawned.

"Come on," said the Chief Engineer. "Hurry up." Thomas gave her a 
rude glare, and started for the shuttle bay.

"Where have you been?" asked the away team crossly.

Thomas fussed into the shuttle bay where Chakotay was waiting.

"Hurry up, Mr. Paris," said Chakotay crossly.

"Hurry yourself," said cheeky Thomas.

"Yes," said Chakotay, "I will," and almost before the shuttle door 
was open Chakotay went to the front and sat in the pilot's seat.

"Get in quickly please," he called. So the away team got in quickly, 
the shuttle door closed, the shuttle bay doors opened, Tuvok gave 
them clearance, and Chakotay was ready to take off.

Thomas usually flew the shuttles on the away missions, because he 
didn't tend to crash so many. This time he was late, and Chakotay 
took off so quickly that Thomas couldn't get to the pilot's seat.

"Come on! Come on!" said Chakotay to the shuttlecraft.

"Be careful! Be careful!" said Thomas to Chakotay.

The little shuttlecraft slowly began to fly out of the shuttle bay.

The shuttle went faster and faster, and the ride got too bumpy for 
Thomas. He wanted Chakotay to fly steadier, but he wouldn't. He 
wanted to engage the inertial dampers, but Chakotay wouldn't let 
him.

"Stop! Stop!" he called.

"You can't get away!" "You can't get away!" laughed the Delaney 
sisters.

Poor Thomas was feeling sicker than he had ever felt before. His 
stomach was hurting him and he could taste the leola root stew 
coming back on him, but he had to keep it down.

"I shall never be the same again," he thought sadly. "My sense of 
balance will be quite worn out.

At last they came back to the shuttle bay. Everyone laughed to see 
Thomas trying to keep his breakfast down.

They opened the door, let him out, and he sat down in a corner trying 
not to throw up.

"Well, Thomas," chuckled Chakotay, "now you know what real flying 
is, don't you!"

Poor Thomas didn't answer; he just went slowly to Sandrines for a 
few stiff drinks.

He went back to the conn very slowly, and was careful afterwards 
never to be cheeky to Chakotay again.