Going outside

Posted on Thu Aug 20th, 2026 @ 9:59am by Lieutenant Marie Breguet & Ensign Debbie Larson

1,733 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Crisis at Zeta-294
Location: Various
Timeline: Md01

In a small alcove in the main shuttle bay Debbie stood chatting with a petty officer from flight control while they both made final checks on one of the ships small worker bees, she stood in an Eva suit ready to join the repair team working on replacing the damaged warp coils.

"Don't think I've flown one of these since I qualified on them." She remarked while she worked.

"You'll do fine Sir." The petty officer replied. "Just keep your thruster inputs small, don't lose track of which way is up, and remember which control moves which manipulator claw."

"They're not that hard," A voice said from behind them.

Debbie turned towards the voice, with her only being her new boss for a couple of hours she almost didn't recognise the shorter statured woman. "I'm sure it'll all come back to me once I get started Lieutenant."

Marie gave her a concerned look. "I'm sure it will. If however you are not confident Ensign. I can assign someone else to this..."

Shaking her head slightly Debbie picked up the helmet of her Eva suit. "I've kept the Wolff's engines purring through thick and thin for more than a year Sir, I've got this."

Marie didn't answer, instead she put on her own helmet which until now had been under her arm. "Have you ever done a full warp coil replacement before?" she asked.

"About 8 months ago, while the Wolff was being rebuilt I was part of the team refitting the nacelles" Debbie replied. "Though I was on the team inside the nacelle housing rather than the external team. The Captain herself had to persuade me to take the leave everyone else was getting after I'd finished, I wanted to be there to help fix the ship anyway I could."

The chief engineer raised a single eyebrow. "Does our captain have a reputation for destroying engines? If these were only refitted eight months ago, what the hell have you been doing to them?"

"Wasn't the Captain's fault. We got the shit kicked out of us." Debbie explained a little, the whole event was still classified but she told her what she could. "Nearly destroyed us completely, they were going to scrap her but a couple of Commodores pushed through the repairs."

Shaking her head in response, Marie made her way towards the workerbee. "Well, first things first. Team Alpha should have already removed the outer hull plating. We'll co-ordinate with the team in the nacelle, when they have removed the fastenings, we'll use the workerbees to pull out the coil." Marie explained. "Once that's removed, Team Beta will be towing the new coil over which we will then slot in. A simple pull it out and replace it."

"Nothing is ever simple, you should know that." Debbie slipped on the helmet of her Eva suit and headed for her own workerbee. "Thank you petty officer." She clambered into the small pod and sealed the hatch. Powering up the pod she quickly worked the manipulator claws a little, getting a feel for something she'd not used in a while. Activating the comm system she called out. "Comms check."

"Checked. We're clear to go." Marie replied as she checked her own controls. "Don't rush this, one wrong move and we'll do more damage than good. Those coils are easily damaged."

"I've got it Lieutenant." Debbie replied and flicked the comm system to another channel. "Larson to Andrews, we're on our way." With a few quick control presses her workbee gently lifted off the ground and turned to face the shuttebays forcefield before slightly faster than she'd planned flew forward and out into the blackness of space.

Marie sighed as she followed in her own worker bee. The bright little yellow crafts were appropriately named. They were one man shuttles, with arms and and work attachments. These allowed the crew to do maintenance in space when needed. They were handy to have, but could be a little claustrophobic for long periods of time.

"Ok, lets make our way round to the Nacelle. The plating should have been unbolted, so we should be able to lift it straight off." Marie explained.

With the warp nacelles only a swift drop downwards from the shuttlebays exit it didn't take long for the two workbee's to arrive in position underneath the Wolff. "Larson to Andrews, we're in position."

"Copy that Ensign, the last of the plating is detached and ready for you."

"Moving in now." Slowly Debbie maneouvered her workbee closer and closer, extending the manipulator claws she grabbed a chunk of the deformed nacelle plating and gradually pulled it away from the nacelle exposing the ruined warp coil assembly underneath.

"That really is burnt out isn't it..." Marie said as her worker bee slowly lowered in a forward tilt. "Looks like it's a complete write-off. I'll handle the port fastening bolts, you take the starboard. Use your hyper wrench attachment."

"Direct weapons fire will do that, luckily it didn't take out the entire nacelle." Debbie remarked as she maneouvered her workbee to the other side of the nacelle.

Marie nodded in her workbee as she agreed. "Ok, lets do this nice and carefully. No need to rush." she replied back. She activated the robotic arms and began to unbolt the large fastening bolts that held the nacelle coil into place.

The inner side of the warp nacelle was a little more difficult to access, the Wolff's underslung nacelles having part of its connecting pylon only a short distance above it forcing Debbie to position the workbee at an very unusual angle to get the hyper wrench into the right spot. "Nearly have it undone." She called out unable to see Marie's workbee.

"Nice and easy." Marie replied. A few moments later the coil was loose and being slowly lifted out by both workbees. It was visibly scorched and burnt. "Damn, its worse than I imagined."

"We got pretty lucky, with the damaged coils we were on the go slow but still fast enough to keep pace with the ship we were escorting." Together the damaged coil was pulled clear of the nacelle. "Beta team were ready for the new coil."

"On our way Ensign." Came the response and swiftly from a port on the dockyard arms came another workbee with the replacement coil gripped in its claws while a second cruised alongside it.

"Ok. Work team Beta, start lowering the new coil." Marie instructed.

Floating a safe enough distance away Debbie watched as the other two workbee's slowly moved the new coil into position, short exchanges between the two pilots coming over the open comm system 'steady, hold it there, you're too low' but eventually they were able to slot the coil in perfectly.

Marie positioned her work bee over the coil so she was looking directly down. In comparison the huge bronze coloured coil dwarfed the little yellow pod. "Looks good, lets get it bolted in." She said over the comms as she moved forward. Luckily the attaching coils were easily accessible and she could secure them with the worker bee attachments. "I'll take the port side, you take the starboard."

Gently moving her workerbee forward Debbie positioned herself back on the opposite aide of the nacelle. "Moving in." She switched the manipulator claw back to the hyper wrench and started to screw the massive bolts back into place.

Meanwhile, Marie was doing the exact same on the port side. She checked her screens ensuring that the coil was correctly bolted into position. "Don't over tighten the bolts." she warned over comms. "We don't want any additional stress on the coil." she explained.

"I've got it," Debbie called back, her murmuring could be heard over the open channel as the bolt tightened. "That should do it."

"Ok, checking..." Marie replied as she checked the screens. "Looks like thats in nicely. Return to the shuttlebay. The other team can secure the hull plating, then we need to go to Engineering and ensure its correctly aligned."

A few quick thruster bursts sent Debbie's workbee gliding far enough away from the Wolff no sudden mistake would have her clip the ship on her way back to the shuttlebay. "Heading back in, to say I've not piloted one of these in a few years I don't think I did too bad."

"Yeah, not too bad. However, I think we should run some holodeck simulations with you in one. Just to be safe," Marie replied flatly as her work bee came alongside.

"Not a race once around the ship and back to the shuttlebay then." The following chuckle that came from Debbie's lips was also heard over the open channel.

"Not a chance! We're in a dry dock! Not a space race track!" Marie's voice replied sharply and sternly over the comm. "Stick to your thrusters!"

Clearly the very light hearted chuckle had gone straight past the new lieutenant's ears. "I was making a joke Lieutenant, of course I'm not suggesting I race you here."

There was an audible 'Hmph' over the comm channel. "I don't find stupid things like that funny. Especially in space where the smallest of mistakes can cause you to lose your life support, and then suffocate to death in agony."

"Duly noted." Debbie remarked.

Shortly both workbee's touched down on the deck of the shuttlebay. Marie climbed out of hers and instantly tapped her comm badge. "Engineering. Report on those nacelle coils."

"Allignment looks good Sir." Came the response.

"Good. Run a level three diagnostic before you power them up." Marie replied. She then turned to Debbie. "Good work out there." She told her, giving her the faintest of smiles. "I trust you to lead up the rest of the coil refit."

"Thanks Lieutenant," Debbie replied as she climbed out of her own workerbee and headed over to her. "I can finish up the rest of it yeah."

Marie gave her a nod. "Good. Report to me when the coils are fully fitted." She turned on a heel and made her way towards the doors of the shuttlebay. "I expect more good work from you in the future Ensign."

"You'll have it Lieutenant don't worry, I know this ship like the back of my hand." Debbie remarked as she followed Marie towards the exit of the shuttlebay.



OFF:

Lieutenant Marie Breguet
Chief Engineer

Ensign Debbie Larson
Engineer
[Pnpc Taliserra]

 

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