Lt. Robin Hopper: Situation Room
Robin Hopper
((Approaching Asteroid – Type-11 Shuttle, Vermillion))
The dark asteroid and flickering lights of the mining rig now filled the entire viewscreen – the purple nebula no longer visible. It was a foreboding sight – and Robin found herself inadvertently fidgeting with the hem of her uniform jacket. She stopped herself, closing her eyes for a second and taking a breath – unsure what new challenges they would face aboard the rig, but trying to convince herself that solutions would come to her.
Flint: We’re getting close now, ma’am. Scanning for a suitable docking platform now. You might want to grab your kits and prepare for drop off.
She nodded, then made her way to the back of the shuttle, nodding at Richards to do the same.
Richards: EVAs might help to…or was that the plan?
She picked up a helmet and locked it into place atop her EVA suit. The internal illumination indicated a proper seal. When she could see she had Nathan’s attention she tapped her helmet then pointed at him.
Richards: Right, plan all along. I knew that.
Next, she took a Type II Aquila phaser from the small onboard armory, and clipped it to her hip opposite the tricorder. He reached past her, grabbing a Type III phase rifle, slinging it over his shoulder.
The shuttle, meanwhile, closed the remaining distance and began docking with the mining rig. The hull of the shuttle vibrated slightly as it began to dock with the mining rig, and a series of beeps came over the comm.
Flint: ::Glancing at his console:: Looks like the Halsey’s sending us some support. I’ll clear the docking ring as soon as you and Richards exit the shuttle, let them join you.
Hopper: Sounds good – but don’t go too far. We need to maintain communications at least with you. This is our only ride out of here.
Flint: Aye.
Nathan stood next to the hatch of the shuttle as it finally settled into the docking clamps. Following the resounding ‘thunk’ of the clamps locking around the shuttle’s hatch, there was an eerie silence.
Richards: ::Smirking, Gesturing:: Ladies first?
Hopper: ::Drawing and activating her tricorder:: Naturally… ::Over her shoulder:: Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.
She squinted at the results displayed on her tricorder. After a brief moment, she reached out and activated the door control, opening the hatch into a dim docking passage – a short hallway leading into the rig’s loading bay. There was nobody to be seen.
Hopper: Well, the tricorder’s properly calibrated, at least…
Richards: Huh…No welcoming party?
Hopper: No life signs in the immediate vicinity…
Richards: I would have at least figured there would be someone to meet us.
((Loading Bay, Mining Rig))
Hopper lowered her tricorder, and stepped into the hall, beginning to walk towards the loading bay. While the mining rigs on Theta VII were terrestrial, rather than built for non-atmospheric conditions, the basic plan was not dissimilar. From the loading bay, they should be able to access the station’s internal systems and – hopefully – locate the miners aboard.
Hopper: They may not be able to reach us. Could be quarantine procedure, or some sort of blockage… Then again, they may not even know we’re here if their comms are down.
Nathan shrugged, pulling out his tricorder and began scanning.
Richards: Shall we jump right into it? Or wait for our backup?
Hopper: We won’t go far – just down the hall. I’d like to try and find a computer terminal we can patch into, see if we can get some answers.
Richards: You’re the boss, boss.
He shot Robin a playful smirk. She simply turned to look at him briefly, as they walked, giving him a matter-of-fact nod. In truth, she was grateful for Nathan’s banter. It was keeping her grounded, in the moment, and easing her nerves. Not that she would give him the satisfaction of knowing that.
Hopper: Don’t forget it.
Reade: =/\= Lieut---nt Hop--r, come in. =/\=
They reached the end of the hall as Scotty’s voice came in through their EVA suit comms system. The signal was a little fuzzy, occasional syllables dropping due to interference, but the Vermillion acting as a sort of comms buoy between the orbiting Halsey and the rig did seem to be helping.
Robin led Nathan down a small ramp into the large bay, designed for receiving and shipping personnel and small cargo. Below them would be the massive platform where processed benamite was offloaded onto the massive haulers that would carry it back towards Amity for inspection before making the long journey to Federation space.
Hopper: =/\= Hopper here. We’ve just entered the mining rig. Whats your status? =/\=
Reade: =/\= We ---- -een dispa--ed by Captain Mac----ie to assist you with the ----ue operations, I have Co------r Iovianus and Lieute---t Iko with -- --board. =/\=
She nodded to herself, thankful for the added support. Leading Nathan over to a computer terminal, she motioned at it. It appeared to be powered down. Judging by the dim lighting in the loading bay, it seemed like a reasonable assumption that power supply had been redistributed from non-essential systems.
Hopper: ::To Richards:: See if you can get this back on. I’d like to know everything we can before we proceed.
Richards: Response
Iovianus: =/\=I hope you ---- ---d some backup. =/\=
Hopper: =/\= Your help would be much appreciated. We’re trying to locate the miners currently… see if we can figure out what went wrong here. =/\=
Reade: =/\= Understood, we should be there within the next 20ish minutes =/\=
There was a brief pause – punctuated by a disconcerting rumble that seemed to resonate from outside the mining rig, though in reality the effect was being simulated through the rig’s internal speakers. Her tricorder beeped, and she noted that they were currently experiencing “significant tremors” within the asteroid.
Hopper: ::Tilting her head:: We just got shaken by something.
Richards: Response?
Iovianus: =/\= We --- -oing to cu- ---t down to 10. We ---- -- issue out here. =/\=
Robin shot Nathan a worried glance.
Hopper: We need that computer terminal. ASAP.
Richards: Response
She turned to her tricorder again, spinning in a slow circle, trying to determine what was happening. The delta radiation readings had increased again, but they appeared to be siphoning away from the rig. A mixed bag, as far as news was concerned. oO What the hell could be doing that? And why? Oo
Iko: =/\= Robbie, I need your science brain. Can err… can subspace shockwaves be caused by purple-coloured rifts? =/\=
Robin glanced at Nathan for a moment.
Hopper: Is “science brain” an Australian thing? ::Shaking her head:: Never mind. =/\= Did you say “subspace shockwaves”? And what was that about rifts? =/\=
Iko: =/\= Nevermi--- -ee you soon. =/\=
She shook her head, not entirely sure what Iko was getting at. Whatever the case, it sounded as though the #@$% was really hitting the fan out there. It was eerie how quiet and calm the situation within the rig’s loading bay was, by comparison.
A whirring hum and a little flash of light broke that eerie silence and indicated that the computer terminal had come to life at last.
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Standing beside him:: Show me what you’ve got… Damage reports? Internal sensor logs?
Richards: Response
She nodded, then considered the next order of business.
Hopper: We need to prioritize evacuation – have you located the miners?
Richards: Response
TBC
