Ensign Natasha Cole - The Shield’s Choice

[Natasha Schell]

(( Holodeck 3, Deck 222, DS 224 )) Natasha had entered the Holodeck and noted the various officers present from across the different departments. Though the nature of why they all had been assembled was a drill. She took a note of another Ensign wearing a gold shouldered uniform who arrived shortly after her, offering him a polite smile. She didn’t recognize him from Security, so he was likely from Engineering, as there was some overlap between Security and Tactical.

Bergmen: Greetings, everyone. I’m Lieutenant Junior Grade Ollie Bergmen. Thank you for signing up for this training and traveling here on Deep Space 224; your participation is greatly appreciated.
She listened intently to Lieutenant Bergrmen as he spoke.

Bergmen: What we will drill this afternoon is something that I would not wish on anybody, yet it is a part of our duty as members of Starfleet. ::beat:: But if you do, you will want to be ready. As I will call you names, step onto your assigned markers, so we can begin. For Damage Control Team 1, which I will command, Ensigns Imril and Cole were chosen. ::beat:: Lieutenant Storm, you are the Duty Chief of DC Team 2. Your team members are Ensigns Tho’Bi, Meris, and Bancroft.
Natasha nodded as she received her assignment in today’s exercise. Thankfully she was able to put names to faces of the few officers she did not know.
Bergmen: We are in a faithful reconstruction of Artemis' Aft Damage Control Room on Deck 15. As some of you know… ::gaze at HCO and Engineering officers:: …this DC room is a backup to DC Room 15-Main. The ship will suffer failure, and your task is to stop whatever happens to become critical, and if needed, evacuate the deck to protect the crew present. This is where this exercise will begin. ::pauses for a moment:: You may have questions... I know. The answer is - this is an emergency drill. Act like that. Think about what you will do, and what has priority to do first.
Ollie stepped one step back and tapped his combadge.
Bergmen: Computer, start the simulation.
In that instant everything sprang to life, displays lit, alarms sounded and everyone begain to move.
Bergmen: Radiation alert! Suit up!
The MSD suddenly highlighted the engineering in bright red, marked with the radiation alarm symbol, along with the increasing number of emitted rads; while a pulsing siren pierced through the silence, filling the air with urgency.

While Natasha was in mid step, Imril had already made it to the lockers and pulled out an environmental suit, leaving room her to retrieve her own. While it wasn’t one of the bulkier models meant for spacewalks, it was prefect for staving off radiation sickness and other hazards that may encounter. She checked her seals and gave thumbs up to Ensign Imril.

Bergmen: Lieutenant, take the corridor right from the DC room exit, and start evacuation to the upper decks. My team takes the corridor to the left. Try to get to the Main Engineering; we need to patch the breach or manually eject the warpcore. Ok?
Storm: Roger that.

Meris: Aye, Lieutenant. We’re right behind you.

Tho’Bi: ::deliberate clear:: Aye, Aye, Lieutenant. Good to go.

Bergmen nodded and put on his helmet. His gaze remained fixed on the MSD, where the pulsing red outline of Main Engineering flickered alongside the radiation symbol, now spilling out without any readings. This could only mean one thing: the sensors meant to measure it had already been burnt out.

[[OOC: Spliting off team 2’s portion, unless there is a tag/need.]]

Bergmen: =/\= Listen up, team. As we exit this room, turn into the corridor to the left, and anyone we meet, we send up or mark for intraship transport, ok? But our primary goal is to get to Main Engineering and try to solve the breach or eject the core. Understood? Let’s go! =/\=
Imril: =/\= The rads in Main Engineering are already hot enough to burn out the internal sensors. The bioneural gelpacks will go next; cooked to useless bags of very inedible soup by the time we get there. A slower computer means fewer options. =/\=

Cole: =/\= Got it, evac who we can, asses and either contain or remove the problem. =/\=

It wasn’t exactly the most elegant way of wording their plan, but it was standard procedure for a reason, it worked.

Bergmen: =/\= The standard procedure during an intermix chamber coolant leak is to evacuate the engineering, right? We saw that the core was shut down, so that gives us some time. Irradiated coolant in the room atmosphere will be the problem once we are inside, but engineering is shielded and cut off from the rest of the deck now, so the leakage outside on the deck is contained and minimal. =/\=

As they approached a four-way intersection, cast in the eerie glow of the emergency lighting, the path to their right light up in a hazardous Chartreuse color and explosions. A scream was heard as a man burned nearly fifty percent of their body, struggled a few steps before collapsing in the middle of the junction.

Bergmen: =/\= Cole, extinguish those flames. Imril, check their vitals and mark them for transport if you find one. =/\=

Cole: ::already grabbing one from an access panel:: =/\= On it. =/\=

While she started sweeping the fire extinguisher across the base of the flames, Ensign Imril moved forward, attempting to help. Unfortunately there was nothing to be done. Natasha and Bergmen nodded in understanding. As the flames were starting to be dealt with, the other Ensign looked down the corridor the crewmember had come from.

Imril: ::Raising their tricorder:: =/\= The plasma conduits overheated and blew out. I’m reading another power build-up headed this way. =/\=

This close to Main Engineering, there were a lot of such conduits. There to channel energy from the warp core to the nacelles. With

the coolant system compromised, their vast energies were seeking paths of least resistance to less heated regions of the ship. And now they had a nice, relatively cool corridor to pour into and cause all kinds of structural damage.

Bergmen: =/\= Options? =/\=
Cole: =/\= Redirecting it to the phaser array’s, but that is more likely to cause them to overload and tear the ship apart like it was made of paper. So that should be a last resort. =/\=

Imril: =/\=If we don't seal this part of the grid off or even better shunt the power somewhere else, we won't make it to Main Engineering. Because this half of the deck will tear itself apart and us with it. ::Moving towards the nearest viable control panel:: I say we divert the plasma to the impulse engines. The boost of speed will kick the ship clearer of an exploding ejected warp core. If it comes to that. =/\=

The resulting burst of energy could work, it would likely result in a massive need for a refit, but alive is better the rendered a radioactive cload.

Bergmen: =/\= Do it, now. Cole, check the corridor ahead for possible obstructions or casualties. Wait for us at the next intersection. We will follow you as soon as we are done with the transfer. =/\=
Cole: =/\= I’ll clear the way. =/\=

[[OOC: Omitting what Natasha wasn’t present for, as she pushed forward. Presuming the com chatter is over an open channel.]]
Bergmen: =/\= How much additional plasma do we need to transfer? =/\=
Imril: =/\= Response =/\=

As she heard the com chatter between Bergmen and Imril, she navigated the corridor. Between the blown out panels and exposed sparking conduits it wasn’t the easiest path, but she did always like an obstacle course, even as a small child. She smiled at the though of what her mother would think, while Juno would, like most teens, think this was the coolest thing ever.

She used the fire extinguisher as she moved along, nearing the junction, there was a structural support that had been blown loose from the ceiling that had also tore a wall panel free. Its jagged edge jutted out as a toothy barrier towards their destination. Without their suits this would barely be an issue, but of course this wasn’t going to be that simple.

Setting the fire extinguisher aside, she considered squeezing through the gap, but that jagged edge gave her pause. She took a step back planting her feet; her right foot back slightly angled away, knees bent eye’s focused on the panel. With enough force she should be able to simultaneously open the path and remove the risk of shredding their suits.

Slowing her breath, she rotated her hips once, then again, and on the third twist threw her right foot up and landed her kick right on target bending the metal inward. Another one or two solid hits should do it. The second hit landed perfectly. On the third her aim was off just the slightest and her foot rolled off the bent metal. The instant it happened her world slowed.
Cole: oO [Expletive redacted] Oo

Bergmen: =/\= We are being overridden from the bridge. They are transferring the remaining plasma to the nacelle's warp coils and venting it out. ::pause:: Let’s go, Ensign. We need to catch up with Cole and continue to Engineering. =/\=

Imril: =/\= Response =/\=

Looking down at the tear by the ankle of her suit, it was about the size of her combadge. She closed her eyes feeling them begain to water. She slowed her breath remaining calm. Kneeling down she looked at the tear, no way to hide it, that wouldn’t be obvious.

As Bergmen and Imril made their way down the hallway she made eye contact with the Lieutenant, who had a smile on his face for the first time during this drill. She returned it as best as she could angling her stance to obstruct the tear.
Bergmen: =/\= Report, Ensign Cole. Is our route to Engineering clear? =/\=
Cole: =/\= Fires are out, just cleared the path. =/\= ::gesturing towards the unobstructed hole::

Stepping back so Bergmen could investigate, still placing her leg away. The Lieutenant needed to focus on the mission, she had time, with the current radiation levels she had months at worst weeks.

Bergmen/Imril: =/\= Response =/\=

Realizing Bergmen saw the tear, not intending to be rude she interrupted him.

Cole: =/\= Lieutenant, every one of us knows the risk. Especially those in Security, we position ourselves to not just be a weapon to be used, but also a Shield. That is the mission. =/\=

She knelt down and proceeded beyond the barrier towards main engineering. Choosing to use her frustration at the situation to get results and not wallow in self pitty.

Bergmen/Imril: =/\= Response =/\=
TAG/TBC
----- Ens. Natasha Cole Security Officer USS Artemis-A Writer ID A240205NC4