An unexpected breakdown Part 2

Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 1:21am by Lieutenant JG Ash Rowe & Lieutenant JG Rafe Hunnicutt
Edited on on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 1:23am

3,053 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Various
Timeline: Md04

OLD:

=/\=Thanks. I'll see you on the other side=/\= Hunnicutt smiled as he moved to the transporter pad. =/\=Might be an idea to let their engineers know I am coming, don't want to get hyperspanners thrown at me when I materialise...=/\=

=/\= They're expecting you... I'm letting them know everything is ready,=/\= Baka answered. =/\=Be safe.=/\=


NEW:

==== USS Marathon engineering ====


Hunnicutt gave a disarming smile as he materialised in Engineering on the USS Marathon. He held out his arms, gesturing to the matter injectors. "Never fear, matter injectors are here. I believe you have been expecting them...and hopefully me."

"Good timing Lieutenant," S'Ralor said before quickly turning back to his work. "Injectors 3 and 4 should be a simple switch over, injectors 1 and 2 will be complicated." He added.

Hunnicutt nodded and walked over, looking at what he was doing. "Okay, makes sense we do one simple first, then maybe injector 2. What do you think, Chief?"

"Injector 1 is overheated and fused open, it melted some circuitry between the sets, PO Talos is repairing it." S'Ralor told him. "Aren't you?" He called up to her.

"Nearly done with it." The Orion replied.

S'Ralor flashed a toothy smile. "When that is done it should be as simple as pulling 3 and 4 out and replacing them with the new ones."

"Right, then point me to wherever you need me, Chief," Hunnicutt chuckled, walking closer to them. "I am at your disposal."

Matthew did a final check of the Antimatter injectors before he made his way to the top to join the others as he chuckled at Lt Hunnicutts' tagline. He knew even a simple injector changeover in this situation wasn't going to be by the numbers.

"Alright, start pulling injectors 3 and 4, get the new ones installed there. Cronauner give the Lieutenant a hand." S'Ralor instructed. "I'll look into this first one."

"Yes, Chief!" Matthew said and then turned to Hunnicutt as he picked up two of the Antimatter injectors and said "Walk this way, Sir." As he said it he walked off toward the housing for injectors three and four dragging his foot with one shoulder elevated like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

Hunnicutt smiled as he followed, shaking his head. "Now just what have you been doing with this poor thing?" he asked, tutting as he knelt by the housing.

"Putting it together piece by piece and expecting those who were on it before we arrived on the project to have done their job properly. I know we should have looked it over when we did get here but when you're busy sometimes you have to accept people or higher rank should know the difference between high war and low matter injectors." Matthew smiled hoping that Hunnicutt would understand that he didn't mean anyone present when he blamed higher ranks.

Hunnicutt grinned as he looked at him, his eyes warm. "Decisions made by people who have never stepped close to the warp core, with more pips than most have had real water showers. Roger that."

Matthew smiled and said, "Sounds about right, especially the sort above Captain that would have started screaming Courts Martial for the last comment I made."

While Rafe and Matthew worked on replacing the defunct injectors S'Ralor kept pondering injector one while he refreshed the internal scan, fused open still pumping deuterium into the system and all but fused into its housing, the options for removing it were very limited.

"Talos, I need an Eva suit, plasma cutter, a strip of naxaprene maybe 6x6", some strong sealant and the strongest drill and drill bits we have or can replicate."

"Boss, I don't think any of our Eva suits would fit you." Indra replied, S'Ralor's proportions were quite significant compared to everyone else onboard.

"How about a chemical suit?"

"That might, they're quite stretchy, there's some in the locker over there." She pointed to the other end of the room.

"Alright, go get everything I asked for, I'll suit up. Better get a deuterium clean up kit too, gonna be messy if this goes wrong."

In a blur of green skin and starfleet uniform Indra Talos dashed out of engineering to gather the tools.

Listening to the Conversation that Talos and S'Ralor were having about the open injector as he worked with Lt Hunnicut Matthew asked "Chief do you want medical here too just in case?"

"Couldn't hurt, just in case." S'Ralor said after a few moments. "Keep working, I'll let him know." He tapped his combadge as he picked out a chemical suit.

=/\= S'Ralor to Poe =/\=

=/\= Poe here =/\= he said over the ships communications system.

"Could you come to warp engineering Sir. We're about to attempt surgery on the warp core and your services may be required if it goes wrong." S'Ralor told him.

"Be right there" Kyle close the comm and grabbed a med kit just incase and quickly made his way out of sickbay headed toward the engine room.

"I mean, what could go wrong?" Hunnicutt sounded cheerful as he worked. "Your plan sounds solid. The sort of...stick it together and pull it apart that has been the backbone of the engineering profession since someone went 'we should put some tracks down here'...how steady is your hand? Just wondering about how to best position myself..."

"The best position Lieutenant, is behind the isolation door where it's safe." S'Ralor told him. "Same you for you and Talos, Cronauner. When you've finished changing those two injectors."

Matthew tried not to laugh as Rafe said what he said and he tried very hard to keep his anxiety from making him shout as he answered Lieutenant Hunnicutt's rhetorical question with one of his own, "What could go wrong? Have you ever seen a supernova from the inside lieutenant?" He paused for effect before he continued with "I'll take that as a no." He then responded to Chief S'Ralor "Yes, Chief, the transfer of injectors three and four is complete, and I'm heading for the isolation door now."

Hunnicutt picked up the tools, putting them back because he was that sort of man. "S'Ralor, best of luck. You got this though," he said, wanting to sound confident and actually succeeding. He got up and followed Matthew to the isolation doors.

The door to engineering opened and Talos returned carrying a bundle of equipment. "Here's everything you needed S'Ralor."

"Thank you, leave it there and head behind where the isolation door drops Indra." S'Ralor told her as he finished zipping up the chemical suit that should provide some protection if what he'd planned went wrong..

"Alright." Indra put the equipment down and joined the rest of the team at the far side of the room.

Doctor Poe arrived carrying his med kit which he was hoping and praying he didn't need. He gave a silent nod and waited to incase he was needed.

"Over here Lieutenant, it will be safer here." Talos indicated to a spot beside her. "Ready to go boss." She called to S'Ralor before tapping a console to bring down the isolation door separating them from the warp core in case anything went wrong. "Good luck." She quickly added.

Lifting the last of his gear onto the upper walkway S’Ralor clambered up then took a few moments to centre himself, the chemical suits designed for humanoids were not built for a species with tails and his tail had been forced down one of the leg sections slightly affecting his balance. Removing the cover of the injector trunk he took up the plasma cutter and began to carefully cut away at the broken injector knowing that a mistake could lead to a massive fireball, the smell of burning material made his sensitive nose twitch. As time passed he realised the injector was never going to be able to come out without breaking the housing alongside it, it’d have to stay in and be closed off, putting the cutter down he grabbed the drill and began to bore through the injector. Tiny slivers of reinforced polymers and metal flew out of the hole and within a few seconds he was close to breaking through when the smell of burning plastic and metal caught his noses attention again, releasing in that split second he’d drilled too hard and fast. He had only the briefest moment to turn his head away before an extremely high pressure jet of flame burst from the injector assembly, the shear wave of pressure forced him backwards and over the railing that was meant to prevent such a thing and he fell from the walkway landing with a heavy thud on the deck as ignited deuterium cascaded from the hole in the injector.

Matthew watched the sensors from their side of the isolation door and shouted over the explosive din in the other section of Engineering said "Doctor as soon as the fire suppression system kicks in and shields the fire Chief S'Ralor is going to need your help."

Kyle was ready, it wasn't something he wanted to see happen. However he knew these things did happen and medical teams were often required. "I'm here and ready." he replied quickly.

Only moments after the fireball happened the ship's fire suppression system activated encompassing the injector assembly in a forcefield to gradually starve the fire of its oxygen supply and contain for the moment the liquid deuterium flowing out the hole. S’Ralor stirred slightly, his exposed fur and the flesh beneath was singed and the chemical suit torn and melted in places, he held up his hand towards the rest of the team, hopefully telling them to stay behind the door.

As soon as he knew the forcefield had activated Matthew hit the panel to open the isolation door so he and the Doctor could get to S'Ralor while Talos got to the panel and worked out a new plan.

"It should be clear, just seal the leak." S'Ralor said as Talos ran past him, his voice was a little crackly.

"Just try and relax" Doctor Poe administered something for the pain and started healing the burns. "He will need to be treated in sickbay" he looked up at the other officers around the patient. "These burns are to extensive to be completely treated here" there were burns to his face and hands. Not only was his fur singed but he had third degree burns to his skin and tissue.

S'Ralor sat up slightly looking to the other engineers. "Talos, finish the job, you've got this."

“Better get you to sickbay” Kyle tapped his badge =/\= Doctor Poe to transporter one, emergency transport =/\=


===== Bridge ====

"Captain!" Ethan tilted his head enough to direct the urgent call towards his commanding officer, but his eyes were on the flashing alarms on his display. "Captain, I don't know what's going on down there, but they've managed to trigger an explosion in Engineering..."

Munro straightened in his chair before he stood. "Well that is just...terrific. You have the bridge, Winters, I am going down there to see what has happened." And make sure that people were okay. He stopped and looked over at the young man. "Keep the course, but I trust your judgement if something happens. I will be right back."

"You know you're never meant to say that, right?" Winters arched an eyebrow at him, fixing him with an intense gaze for a moment, and it was impossible to tell if he was joking or not. He finally looked back to his console. "I have the bridge...holding speed and course steady for now..."

Munro chuckled at the words, raising an eyebrow. "Good," he said, because he never knew if Winters was joking or not. Splitting up, saying he'd be back...if it was a holonovel and he was a character there, he would be found by the heroes, dead. Now that was a funny thought that followed him to the turbolift.


===== Engineering ====

"Matthew I still need you." Talos said as she looked through the internal scan, the explosion had practically blown the remnants of the injector out of the house.

Matthew knew a joke at this time would be problematic, so he avoided saying, well, at least we don't have the problem of removing the injector. "I'm still here, Petty Officer. What is the current issue, I guess it is still injector one but much worse."

"We need to seal the leak, the gear is still up there. Open the taps to full on the other 3 injectors, as wide as they'll go, then follow me." She said then climbed onto the upper walkway. Quickly using up all the oxygen contained in the forcefield the fire quickly died down and the suppression system turned off and the forcefield shimmered away but in doing so let the liters of deuterium it was holding back go and it splashed all over the engineering bay.

"Thankfully, we got the others replaced with the right order number before they went critical because at least wide open, those three will get us where we're going." Matthew said. He opened the flow fully on injectors two through four he heard the rush as they came back online, and as they did, he climbed to the upper walkway to join Talos.

With all three injectors running full pelt the stream of deuterium coming from the hole in the first injector housing was flowing slower but still needed to be stopped entirely. "Grab that sealant tube." Talos said as she picked up the chunk of naxaprene fabric S'Ralor had asked for. She knew what he'd had in mind when he'd asked for it. "We're gonna get wet."

"Kind of expected that. I have seen wet showers, which have a lower flow rate than this hole. " Matthew said as he picked up the tube of sealant and sealant gun as he made his way over to Talos.

"Ok, slather the edges of this in the sealant, then we jam it in the hole and pack it full of sealant, that stuff will dry it about 20 seconds." Talos held out the fabric to Matthew.

As it was a rapid active sealant, Matthew did exactly what Talos told him to do, and then, with her help they fought the pressure of the still flowing deuterium to force the fabric into the hole, both were showered with heavy water until the material covered the hole entirely and the sealant began to adhere. The twenty seconds felt like an eternity but eventually the material held against the pressure behind it, he used the last of the sealant in the tube to cover it. They could deal with it at the other end when they would need to pull the whole thing anyway, as there was no way to easily fix it now.

Munro frowned as he stepped into engineering and the chaos of the people trying to fix the issue. There was also the evidence of the explosion and a distinct smell of burned...Hair? Flesh? Fur? "Status report, when you are able," he said, the last said firmly. Fix the problem first, then report.

"Oh crap," Talos said when her Captains voice boomed across the room. "Just making final checks now Sir." She told him.

For once, Matthew didn't envy Talos her role. He liked her and Commander Munro, and after what he expected would be a lengthy status report Commander Munro would understand, might not like it but would understand it. "Luck." He said hoping the Commander would go too hard on her.

Munro frowned as he looked around, not seeing S'Ralor. "Where is S'Ralor?" he asked, taking a step closer, taking in the evidence of what had happened and trying to piece it together.

"Grab another tube of sealant, pack the entire housing full of it, it should hold after that." Talos told Matthew before she climbed down from the upper level. "He got hurt in the explosion, Lieutenant Poe has him in sickbay now Sir."

Munro looked at Talos with surprise before he let out a breath. "Thank you for the update," he said, looking around for a moment. "And what is the status of the repairs?"

"We've replaced the matter injectors with the correct ones, injector one is completely busted though, we can't fix that but the warp core will run fine with three." Talos wiped some of her wet hair away from her face. "We've some deuterium spilt that'll need cleaning up." 'Some' was a bit of an understatement though.

Munro was one nanosecond away from rolling his sleeves up, metaphorically speaking, to help...until he remembered he was in command. "If you need additional resources, let me know. I don't care if I have to pull them from every other department on this ship," he said, wanting to make it clear this was a priority. "We'll make it work."

"We'll make it work," Talos repeated her Captains words. "We need to assess if the explosion did any additional damage but we can maintain our current warp speed."

Matthew let out a breath that he didn't even know he had been holding as Talos discussed the issue with Commander Munro, almost thankful there hadn't been any shouting. Often, an engineer's worst enemy, when they are partially at fault for an issue, is themselves.

"Good," Munro said and gave her a nod. "Carry on then," he added and gave Matthew and Hunnicutt a nod to them.

Matthew smiled and returned the nod as Munro handed Engineer back to the Engineers of the Marathon as he said to Talos, "It's not neat but she'll hold.

"Thank you for your help Lieutenant." Talos told Rafe. "Do you think your chief would mind if we kept you for a few more hours?"

"I don't think my Chief would notice," Rafe said with a smile, not in a bad way but he tended to just float where he was needed in engineering rather than having a set spot. "Put me to work."

OFF


SCPO S'Ralor
Engineer
[pnpc Taliserra]

Po2 Indra Talos
Engineer redshirt

Crewman Matthew Cronauner
Engineering crewman
[pnpc Edwards]

Commander Dario Munro
CO
USS Marathon
[PNPC Slattery]

Lieutenant JG Rafe Hunnicutt
Engineer
USS Wolff
[PNPC Slattery]

Lieutenant JG Ethan Winters
Helm Officer
USS Marathon
[PNPC Rowe]

Lieutenant Dovenice Baka
Chief Engineer
USS Wolff

Lieutenant JG Kyle Poe, MD
Medical Officer
USS Marathon
[PNPC Ross]

 

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