Ensign Gavrin Tarsan - As Graceful as a Brick
Sean Sabbage
(( TransTube - Deck 07, Afalqi))
Despite Gavrin’s many many shortcomings (at least in his own mind), reengineering random pieces of Starfleet kit to do things they were not entirely designed for was not one of them.
Well. Some might consider that a shortcoming, as often it meant they also pushed outside of their safety envelopes. And on the rarest of occasions exploded.
Tarsan: Will this do?
K’Wara: I bet you aced the ‘Seminar for Miracle Workers’ in the Engineering department.
Gavrin let himself feel a moment of pride to have elicited that reaction from Tamio, dipping his head to hide the brief flush of his cheeks.
Munro: You know what, Ensign? That might actually work. You'll have to adjust that frequency as we pass through each power node.
Tarsan: ::to K’Wara:: I came third. First and second places did it without setting off the fire suppression systems ::pausing:: Not that that’s going to happen here. ::looking back to Munro:: So this should take us… down to the science lab, right?
Munro: If I'm right. And I don't know if I am. I imagine that once we step out onto this platform and Tarsan works his magic we'll be ‘carried’ into the tube :: smiles excitedly :: We don't have time to debate it.
The Ensign’s eyebrows raised as the XO started heading towards the omiblong and the platform that led out towards the center of the tube. He quickly shoved everything back in the engineering kit, and rose to his feet.
Tarsan: Are you sure about this Commander? If you can give me a few minutes I can probably test the system without throwing ourselves into… that…
Munro: Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith in our Starfleet life :: she looked at Tarsan and smiled :: Don't be nervous, it'll be just like zero-g training.
K’Wara: Well, I know one person who’s not taking that leap of faith first. ::steps up next to Cmdr Munro and gestures to her red uniform:: You’re important, remember? And I think the Captain may just airlock the lot of us if she has to find a new First Officer already.
Tarsan: ::mumbling:: Yeah well I threw up the first four times.
Gavrin looked down at his modified device, tapping in a few commands to start searching for the right frequencies. He moved up towards the other two, carefully moving around them as he took a deep breath and tried to dredge up some confidence that he clearly didn’t feel.
Tarsan: But I should go first. Since I’m controlling it, I should definitely be at the front.
He even managed not to suggest that he was expendable.
K’Wara: Think of the happiest things?
oO Like not being in this tube? Oo
Munro: Response
With the three of them on the platform, Gavrin typed in the last of the commands that would - hopefully - send them down towards the science deck. The platform retracted suddenly - a lot faster than he was expecting - and they fell downwards through the ship. The Ensign was sure that based on the way they were swinging around, he had missed some stabilisation parameter to the downwards direction, but it was too late for that. He just kept one eye on the device and one eye on the wall in the hope that he could slow them as they approached their final destination.
K’Wara: ::loud voice over the buffeting winds:: Science Deck, coming up!
Tarsan: Copy!
Munro: Response
It was at this point that Gavrin realised he wasn’t entirely sure how to stop them. He had a fairly good idea, but this was still entirely untested. He pressed buttons frantically, the wind suddenly changing direction and catapulting them towards the exit as a platform rolled out underneath them. It was fast - too fast - but the Ensign had at least managed to slow their descent enough for it not to be injurious.
Mostly.
There was a thunk as Tamio stopped themself with their face, Gavrin went sprawling on the floor of the tube, and couldn’t see how Ava had ended up. Before he even got back to his feet, he hurriedly checked the status of the engineering kit he was carrying - the worst thing that could happen at this point was their counteragent going off in a random tunnel. Fortunately the casing was unharmed.
He got to his feet, carefully gathering himself and the remains of his dignity.
K’Wara: Ow... As fun as that was, I feel like the absence of a safety harness was uncalled for. ::looks between them:: Everyone landed properly?
Tarsan: Landed, yes. With nothing broken so I’m going to call that a success.
K’Wara/Munro: Response
Gavrin’s face fell. Of course they were going to have to go back up.
Tarsan: Yes, I think I will have better control of it for the upwards journey.
K’Wara/Munro: Response
The Betazoid scuffed a foot against the floor of the deck. This was why he didn’t come first in the seminar. He glanced at the tube again, glaring as another omiblong tried to extend towards them, deliberately turning his back on it and heading down the access shaft.
Tarsan: I think this should be right by the science lab.
K’Wara/Munro: Response
Gavrin searched once more for the access panel override, though he took a moment to see if his makeshift scanner could pick something up.
Tarsan: Interesting, there is a field here of similar frequency, so I think, so so far, the theory holds.
K’Wara/Munro: Response
He nodded and pushed inwards, letting the panel slide aside as he flattened himself against the wall, letting the two with actual rifles take point.
It opened up into a dimly lit corridor stretching away in both directions, though a sign on the wall indicated that left led towards the labs they were looking for. For now the corridor was deserted, though as Gavrin strained his ears, he could hear the faintest hum of conversation from the corridor to the right.
He gestured to it in silence, hoping Ava and Tamio could translate his movements.
K’Wara/Munro: Response
TBC/Tag!