Impending Disaster

Posted on Wed Jul 5th, 2017 @ 8:31am by
Edited on on Wed Jul 5th, 2017 @ 8:34am

806 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Unknown Life, Unknown Dangers
Location: Main Engineering, USS Dreadnought

James had removed the EVA suit while keeping his head lowered the entire time. He barely knew Lieutenant Whitaker never taking the time to actually get to know her or anyone else under his command and, yet he was taking her loss sort of hard. He had lost people under him in the past, but even he had to admit this one was extra tough because he had commanded her to go down there.

He had in a way put her into a dangerous situation, but that was part of the job and someday he would probably be in the big chair making tougher choices than that one. "The Cap'n' will probably want to take us to warp jus' as soon as we're clear of the debris."

"Aye sir." Ensign Ricardo said from the propulsion control panel, "Beginning a systems-wide test now."

James nodded and pressed his hand against the Hispanic man's shoulder and squeezed, "Have any family back 'ome Ensign?" He asked suddenly taking interest in the young officer.

"Yes sir my parents and four siblings." Ricardo replied, "In Madrid too."

The Commander gave another nod of the head, "Ireland myself." He replied idly, "Are ya gettin' a power fluctuation in the starboard nacelle Ensign?" He asked suddenly.

Ricardo looked at the screen directly next to him, "A minor power fluctuation that seems to be drawing a bit more energy through the nacelle than the port."

"I will try an' compensate." James replied before sliding over to the next control console, "Lieutenant Vogel run a quick diagnostic on the port nacelle to see if there is a problem in the matter/anti-matter injection port."

Valerie nodded, "Checking that now sir." She pressed several keys on her station, "Commander the injection port is fine, but I am detecting an energy drain on the port nacelle."

Suddenly Ricardo moved from his station to the one across engineering, "Sir I recommend we disengage the warp cores now..." His voice could be heard clear across engineering.

James turned and looked at him, "Wha' is the problem Ensign?"

"The energy drain is getting worse and, whatever is causing it appears to be spreading deeper into the systems." Ricardo said without looking towards his Chief.

"Initiatin' core shut down now." James remarked, "No use we will have to do it manually."

Valerie moved from her work station to directly in front of the primary warp core, "I have begun the process of a complete shut down, but I am afraid it may be too late."

James tried to remain calm and collected as his fingers moved across the console at a break neck pace. "Decrease the matter/antimatter injection por' on the starboard nacelle by closing it while increasing the flow output to the por' nacelle."

"Aye sir." Ensign Ja'Vaan replied from the work station where the Vulcan engineer was working. After only a few seconds, "Whatever is causing the drain Commander has spread into the injection port I cannot shut it down."

It was then that James noticed just what was causing the issue when he recognized the power spikes as being the same from when they initiated power on board the Civic. He knew they had to at least slow down the spread and, that was when he had an idea. It would be the first time in his life where he would give an order knowing that it would definitely mean the death of a fellow officer.

"Lieutenant Vogel..."

Valerie looked at the Commander and knew precisely what his next words were going to be. Her stomach sank as she thought about her little sister and her niece. But, she also knew that the ship had to come first, "I can get inside the junction in less than two minutes and seal it."

It was then that he frowned knowing that either the radiation from the matter/antimatter would kill her, or the thing that was draining the energy. But, it was the only way... "You only have a minute before the radiation becomes lethal."

Valerie nodded and grabbed her tools before diving inside of the junction...

It felt like a lifetime had passed for the engineers before James turned to Ensign Ricardo, "Anything?"

Ricardo nodded, "Sir, while she was unable to completely seal it she did buy us some time the growth has decreased by about seventy percent."

It was then that James pressed his communicator, "Engineerin' to Commodore Hood I am afraid that I have some bad news sir..." He cleared his throat, "Whatever had infected the Civic and 'er crew has attached itself to the starboard nacelle of the Dreadnought and has begun to spread."

A sigh...

"And, while I sent an engineer down to try and seal it I'm afraid that she was unable to completely seal off the energy flow to the nacelle..."

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