And they all fall down

Posted on Sun May 29th, 2022 @ 6:55pm by Lieutenant JG G'Rani & Lieutenant Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida

1,918 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 4 - The Fires Of Hades
Location: SB 21 Main Engineering
Timeline: MD 3

ON

Edward manned his post in engineering, His fingers flew across the panels trying to bypass circuits and conduits and valves to keep things going normally, but with how much was going on it was near impossible to keep up with everything. Display screens showing all the systems on the station were flashing and alarms blaring as the computer reported one failure after another.

"I need some help here!! " Edward called out. "We've got a seventeen percent physical structural damage to the station, We are down to fifty percent power and have some reported hull buckling and emergency force fields are holding in those areas for now. We have power outages in about thirty five percent of the station, some water and oxygen disruptions reported in areas of the station. About the only good news I have to report is me damn bloody Ex wife isn't coming in for a visit!! What the hell just happened? "

"Whatever it was, it was not something normal." Hiro's voice was loud enough so Edward could hear him. "Have you tried boosting the Structural Integrity Field? We have to stabilize the Station as a whole."

" I'm working on it as fast as I can!! " After about a minute the station stopped trembling. " We're going to need every hand that we can muster to help with repairs. Hell I don't care if it's a monkey with a screwdriver, it's gonna take weeks to fix everything that's wrong. I'm just glad this station of ours is a sturdy enough of a lady to hold together. Now come the task of piecing her back together. "

"Mrphmmph" came from Amalia then she removed the tool she had in her mouth. "Let me try that again. I am glad the station is sturdy enough but I am having to replace several Isolinear chips. Glad there was spares but it was affecting a couple of areas where the artificial gravity wasn't existing. We had to close that area down for a few."

" We don't need the Chief to come down here and tell us to move our arse. The station is stabilized for now. Amalia is working on the Isolinear chips. We still need power to be rerouted, artificial gravity to be restored in certain areas and a host of other task that need completing. Pick one and let's get to it. There's a power node in the jeffries tube that needs replacing, I should be done with that in less then an hour and that will take a strain off of the power grid, we have a lot of people depending on us. And please be careful out there ok ? I don't want to lose any of you schmucks. " Said Teach with a grin.

After about fifteen minutes after Teach disappeared into the jeffries tube, a sound came drifting into engineering. It was the sound of a baritone voice singing. =^= Now some are alive and some have died, and some they sail the sea. The key to the cage and the devil we pay, we lay to fiddlers green. Yo ho all together, hoist the colors high! Heave ho thieves and beggars Never shall we die! =^= The singing faded out and he returned about twenty minutes later. " Alright whose done what and what needs be worked on next? "

"I'm done over here." Amalia responded, "though I am thinking that there maybe a coupling loose somewhere as I am not getting any readings from a section of the lower part of the station."

" Alright then, I'll start working on the problem with the oxygen disruption, I think the folks in those areas might appreciate it if I did. " He looked about at all the engineering crew busy at work and knew the station was in good hands. "If any of you need help, I'm just a com call away. "

A crackling sound came from the communicater, a muffled curse then a brief mutter, =^= Can anyone hear me? Blasted wiring=^= a slight static then her voice is clearer. =^= Okay that should be better, I've got the communications in sector 45 rewired=^= a pause. =^= you can hear me hopefully.=^= This was Shailyn who was speaking.

Edward responded on his combadge to make sure it was working proper. =^= I'm hearing you loud and clear, even that cursing came in crystal clear lass. Ya got a talent there, keep that up and you'll go far in engineering.=^= He said while giving a soft chuckle.

Amalia laughed, "Yup, Shailyn you were certainly coming in loud and clear. Nice job there."

There was a moment of silence then Shailyn replied, =^= Sorry folks. Say Lieutenant Yoshida how are things with you?=^=

Hiro looked up from the console he was checking. "Recovering. Lets just say that some things can't be unheard. I was too late putting in my earplugs." A short chuckle let Shailyn know that he was half joking.

=^= Thankfully that was an easy fix, Just had to replace the flow regulator. But I got a gut feeling we got a long way to go with these repairs. =^= Said Edward over the combadge. =^= Now all we gotta do lass is to teach you to swagger and drink proper for you can do your share to uphold the reputation of engineering. =^=

"Where I come from Engineering and Operations had a little more.., shall we say, style." Hiro remarked, his voice betraying he was trying out his dry humor. "Of course, we did let our hair down every now and then."

=^= What there wasn't any salty words used? No cursing?=^= came Shailyn's voice.

"Ehm..only after too much alcohol. The real thing, not the replicated stuff." Hiro replied. "I did say a little more style."

Amalia just chuckled, "I'll be back Lieutenant Yoshida, I've got to track down a small anomaly just outside of engineering." disappearing from engineering through another jefferies tube opening.

Edward had just returned to engineering the same time Amalia had departed. " We just be joshin with the lass Lieutenant. " He said with a grin. " If it weren't for people like us, all these stations and starships would be nothing more then piles of scrap. So it's only natural to tease each other a bit, And I know you've got a sense of humor Lieutenant. Heard it enough times. "

A chuckle over the comms came from Shailyn.

Meanwhile, Amalia had tracked down the anomaly and opened up the panel where it was found. It was in one of the ceiling panels and was in an awkward position. Amalia had to twist herself to where she was hanging upside down, to get to it, hooking a leg to brace herself. To her consternation, just as she finished working on it, she slipped just as someone was passing by. Knocking to the ground and landing on top, straddling.... G'Rani!

"Um... Hello Lieutenant!" Amalia stammered out.

Hiro heard a thump but saw nothing where Amalia had been working. "Petty Officer Darcy, is everything alright? You need help?"

Edward heard the thump in the hallway and stepped out to take a look and saw Amalia straddled over G'Rani. He flushed a bit red and stammered out. " So sorry, Didn't mean to intrude. I didn't see a thing. " And turned around and went back into engineering without another word.

Amalia looked up from where she was at her face turning a beet red, then looked at G'Rani "Um Lieutenant G'Rani are you okay?"

Then she said to Hiro, "I'm okay, just a minor mishap."

"I shall live... My species are made of stern stuff." The larger reptilian being said as she started to pull herself back to a standing position, towering over the others in the group, her crest flushing an amber colour indicating how she truly felt. Thankfully for her, very few knew how to read her species emotional states.

Amalia stood up as well, and straightened her uniform. "Okay then and glad you are not injured" she answered then made her way back into engineering. "Okay the er anomaly has been taken care of."

"Alright..." Hiro said slowly. He knew there was something brewing there but kept his thoughts to himself. "How are we doing right now? Status everyone. If the Captain or XO ask for an update I want to have something concrete."

" Life support systems have priority at this time and are proceeding at a good pace and should be completed in about six hours, A bit of the superstructure has managed to be repaired and we've been able to restore some more power and communications. If we work double shifts for the next couple of day around the clock, we should have the majority of repairs done." Said Edward. " It's a work in progress lad."

"Aye, that it is..lad." The Asian man replied and smiled briefly in Edwards direction. "Lets hope the Captain can live with that, or else we'll get even more deprived of sleep."

" Sleep is overrated. " Stated Edward as he continued to work on the life support panel, replacing circuit boards and isolinear chips in the system. " A good English breakfast and a tankard of dark rum is worth at least four hours of sleep. " He stroked his chin a few times. " Besides, we have to get her up and running and keep her in good shape. This station " He looked towards the ceiling and smiled. " She takes care of us and we take care of her, If we don't, then we die. "

Shailyn came into main engineering not too far after G'Rani and Amalia. "So what did I miss?"

Amalia just didn't say a word in answer and went to check on the computer to check the readings there.

Shailyn looked at the way Amalia was acting then remarked, "Something certainly happened." giving Amalia a scrutinizing look.

"No nothing happened at all." Amalia giving a non committal answer.

"Okay well just wanted to ask, Shailyn remarked, then sauntered over to where the others are. "Okay so... time to take a bit of a break? What do you think? We've been at this for hours and time for the next shift to arrive."

Edward looked up as he heard the the entrance door to engineering open. " Speak of the devil!! Our replacement crew be here. Brief your relief person and we'll go grab some food and shuteye. Yer gonna need it for the next couple of days!! " Edward briefed his replacement person with what work has been completed and where he was in his current task so it could be taken over easily. " Now remember Lad, the top three things that need to be done first is Life Support, Power Grid and Superstructure. Everything else will fall into place afterward. I've got to go now Laddie " He told his replacement person. " Me inner eyelids are threatening to divorce me if I don't check them out soon. "

When Hiro's replacement arrived he did the same as Edward and, after everything was talked through, made his way out of Main Engineering. These hours of working in this chaos and all the stress that came with it made him tired. He was looking forward to getting some rest. But before he would head to bed he would spent time with his future wife and Rowan and Miri. They hadn't seen much of him lately.

" Aye, Fill the belly and then off to bed. " Edward could be heard saying to no one in general as he walked towards the engineering exit. " Anyone care to come along to the mess hall? " He asked.

OFF

 

RSS Feed