Engineers Inbound (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 20 Jun 2016 @ 1:38am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Andreus Kohl & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant JG Natalya Kirilova & Ensign Miraj Derani & Ensign Mimi & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Anthony Duval & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Vasily Sokolov Ph.D. & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Chief Petty Officer Torgeir Naes & Petty Officer 1st Class Unit Cu-47 "Copper"

1,830 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Vincenzo/USS Semmes - Landing Site Alpha, Grid 10-298-001-20
Timeline: MD 13 - 0200 hrs

[ON]

The call came in over the comm for assistance at the colony modules' crash site. Galileo's first-responder mission had reveal two handfuls of dead and a plethora of casualties; but what was perhaps the most worrying was the discovery of the fractured fusion reactor in Semmes-Three's engineering section. Though the communication was broken up and somewhat distorted by the atmospheric storm that was passing over the landing site, the gist of the details had been transmitted by CWO Duval who had managed to get a good look a the volatile reactor's condition.

Duval tapped his combadge. "Duval to Galileo.... Honey... come in?" and what he got back was gibberish mixed in with static. "Well... crap." as he ran his tricorder over the disabled generator. "Guys I need to call home." he turned and brushed past two other colonists while he went over to the nearby display.

Duval rounded the console as he checked the subspace com array, thankfully it was working, if somewWhat damaged.

Duval sighed as he activated the system. "Duval to Galileo...... Come in guys... Kay someone pick up the phone?".." he got a response back a moment later.

On the bridge of Galileo Lirha had been waiting patiently for any sort of communication from her away team. Said patience had soon turned into frustration after the first fifteen minutes of comm disruptions, and then it had slowly matured into a sense of despair. When one of her crew member's voices echoed through the bridge on the open comm line, she sat upright in her chair and a sense of momentary relief washed through her. "Away team, this is Saalm. Report your status."

"Well Admiral.... " he commented. "This is a goddamned Greek tragedy.. The fusion generator here on Semnes Three has suffered major structural damage and I need every single Engineer I can get my hands on for repairs on all three pods.... Well anyone who can push a tool would be helpful."

Lirha looked over towards Holliday and gave him a nod to proceed. "Assemble our engineers and lead them to the crash site," she instructed her XO before tapping a button on her chair's armrest console to transmit to Duval. "How serious is the damage?"

"I got about twenty five minutes before this place turns into a rather expensive and ugly crater." Duval paused a moment. "Even if I call an Evac now, it'll take us that long to get it organized.." Duval sighed softly. "I'll do what I can to hold the line sir... I'll keep you posted."

Miraj turned in her chair to face the two commanding officers, "Permission to take Vincenzo out for transport runs, sir." The Waverider was made for atmosphere, and unlike either of the shuttle craft, if the Ion storm took out the engines, she'd have something slightly more aerodynamic than a brick to handle.

Holliday nodded to his operations chief without saying a word. The shuttlecraft would make life a lot easier, especially if they needed to take some larger bits of kit with them to the rescue sites.

Grabbing a PADD from beside his chair the Captain jumped to his feet and headed for the turbolift. As the doors closed behind him, the XO tapped his commbadge.

=^=Holliday to Engineering - Lieutenant Kirilova, I need you and every spare pair of hands you have ready for departure in ten minutes in the shuttlebay. Our orders are to intercept the rescue teams at the pods and conduct repairs. =^=

Natalya paused a moment before replying. There were already engineers working on the crashed pod, but clearly a handful would not be enough. But she couldn't risk sending too many more, or else there wouldn't be anyone qualified to handle problems aboard the Galileo. It was one of those times where she wished she were still aboard a larger ship.

"Yes, Captain. We'll be ready." Natalya replied to Holliday as she planned out who to send and what to do.

Duval's request for engineers had been broadcast throughout Galileo, and in main engineering the request prompted a response from the chief.

"Damage control team alpha report to the shuttlebay prepared for hazmat conditions one and three." Natalya said, heading toward where the hazmat gear was located. Biological contaminants were not going to be an issue, unless the colony pod was carrying plague samples, or anything like that, which it wasn't. But it probably was leaking radiation and had all manner of chemicals in varying degrees of containment. They would need to be prepared for that, or they weren't going to be in any shape to help anyone already down there.

Natalya doubted that anyone she sent down would arrive in time to prevent a reactor containment breach. Duval and whoever was already down there with him would have to take care of that on their own. But in either event, the second team would still have plenty of work to do. and it would more than likely involve all manner of hazardous materials. She hoped he and the others would be able to keep things together long enough.

Back on Semnes Three as there was the sound of an explosion. "Chief!" a voice called as Duval caught a fire extinguisher out of open air.

"Holy... Nice catch Chief!" one of the civilians shouted.

Duval proceeded to put out the fire. "Alright I got help coming... " as he went over to the Generator for Semnes Three. "Alright... Let me at it son." as the younger civilian simply stepped aside. Duval placed his armored pack on the hull plating next to the console, before he cracked it open. "Alright.. Lets do this." as he procured a flux coupler and went to work.

From up above the massive compartment, Andreus Kohl descended an access-ladder to follow Duval's progress in the reactor room. The progress report he had just received from Doctor Allyndra had not been an ideal one, but the communications coming from Duval were far more concerning in a lot of ways. As Kohl nearly reached the deck, he received another message over the comms.

The news spread fast and with the number of wounded and hurt and not being able to use transporters with a now critical reactor made the situation worse.

=^=Galileo! This is Chief Medical Officer Allyndra. We need every shuttle or thing that can fly to get injured out of here=^=

Meanwhile back in Semnes Three's Engineering spaces. Duval sighed as he hated civilian Engineers as they tended to panic at the smallest problems. "Guys..." Duval said evenly as two of the civilians were having an argument over something or other.

"Guys!" Duval sighed.

The two continued to argue as Duval raised his voice. "GUYS!" he roared. "Alright!" he yelled. "I want absolute silence!, You will NOT Speak unless I give you leave!" Duval roared. "Now... Lets get this thing fixed... so it won't melt down and explode... Now!" and with that Duval turned and went to work. "I need to shut down the system first.... then I need to power down the generator..." he said quietly to himself as he worked.

Allyndra made her way back to gaggle of Engineers. "How bad and do I need to get people out like right now?"

As the engineers made way for Allyndra, Kohl followed her approach to where Duval was working. His eyes scanned over the massive reactor. Kohl looked to Duval in anticipation of his response.

Duval regarded the officer who had addressed him. "Its ugly... and no, don't bother trying to run.... if this thing explodes... not even Galileo is going to get away." he sighed. "Sorry Doctor. I wish I had better news." he explained as he regarded her. "I can still shut it down... but it'll take me a little while." Duval rumbled as he knelt down before yanking off the cover. "Oooh... yah... Great.." he sighed as he turned. "Plasma Fire.."

One of the civilians handed him a second fire extinguisher which Duval then turned and emptied into the hole in the wall, putting out the fire. "Thanks..." he placed the empty canister down on the deck before he set about rerouting the power away from this area. "I need to cut off the flow of power to this junction.. Then I can get in there."

"Are you sure," Kohl asked, "there's nothing anybody else can do to support you?"

Duval turned his head to regard the Commander. "Well sir... To be honest.. This is civilian grade tech. It doesn't have the same fail safes we know and love." he let out a soft sigh. "I don't want to chance it. I go in there with the power still on then I risk getting myself fried to a crisp for no good reason." he rose back to his feet.

"Why do we always gotta cut these things soo dammed close?"

Kohl swept a hand to indicate the gathered civilians. "These engineers have been working with this reactor for months," Kohl said. He pointed at one of the engineers he recognized from the mission briefings. "Doctor Homenauth was involved in designing this reactor. I'm sure they can support you with insight on the available safeguards if we can inspire them through their panic."

Duval nodded his head. "Well we have twenty two minutes left." he sighed. "Doctor." Duval turned and addressed Homenauth. "You designed this reactor. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have."

"We sabotage," Homenauth said, "fusion initiators two through four. We stop adding fuel to the fire." He waggled a finger in the general direction of the area he was talking about.

Duval nodded. "Lets do it." He didn't even stop to consider other options because in truth he had none. "Alright, Doc. this is your reactor.. you know it better then anyone, I'll assist you."

"Better to start upstream, flip off the injectors for the deuterium and fusion-enhancement antimatter reactants at the source," Dr. Homenauth mumbled as they navigated the module, sounding almost like he was walking himself through the procedure rather than Duval. "Then we can set the fusion initiator power regulators to a manual slow shutdown, bleeding off and venting the remaining power into space. That ought to collapse the whole fusion field, eh? Nip it in the bud, twice over, just to be sure."

Duval nodded. "Do it.." he responded as he went to work.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Commander Andreus Kohl
Second Officer
USS Galileo

CWO2 Anthony Duval
Engineer
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

LtCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

PO1 Copper
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Beaumont]

CWO2 Vasily Sokolov
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Mott]

LTJG Natalya Kirilova
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

and other Galileans...

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