(( Holodeck 3, Deck 222, DS 224 ))
The thick chunk of his gloves gripped the release lever. The Andorian began to apply pressure in increments. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Lever flexed. Hatch Shuddered. Craaaank, the lever bent. Kurrr-klunk. Hatch shunted open.
Woooooooooosh!
A blast of ice cold air rode roughshod down the Jefferies Tube and across the three officers. The sudden violent change in temperature, strangle-contorted conduit and bulkhead alike. One by one, along the length of the Tube, Secondary Power Relays exploded in diffused blooms of golden sparks. The cooped up line of Starfleet Officers were showered in fiery shards and heat.
A jagged fissure tore down the center of the Jefferies Tube decking. The decking began to snap inwards on itself, threatening to trap the three crewmembers.
The Andorian hauled himself through the hatch and dropped down in the junction room. He managed to halt himself on his hands, before visor smashed into deck.
Ensign Tho’Bi looked up and saw Ensign Meris, phaser in hand, through the open hatch at the top of the Junction Room ladder. The Andorian breathed a sigh of relief.
One second later… the Andorian sensed movement at the mouth of the Jefferies Tube. He had no time to move. If Ensign Bancroft did as he had done, and dropped straight into the junction room, Doc Crashcart was about to make good on his name.
Tho'Bi: ::dead comms:: Crashcart! Wait! ::no one could hear him::
The Andorian craned his head upwards just in time to see the young Doctor, Ensign Bancroft, snag his foot on the grey bulk of the hatch coaming. The Doc dropped, a tumbling mess of flailing arms and legs.
THUMP.
And then bounce…
And then thwack.
In the fizz and crackle of comms static, the Andorian heard a garbled muttering from the Doctor. A raised glove confirmed this.
One second later… The Andorian sensed more movement at the mouth of the Jefferies Tube.
Tho'Bi: ::dead comms:: Lieutenant! Wait One! ::no one could hear him::
The Lieutenant landed beside them, foot, knee, and hand to steady herself.
Bancroft: ::garbled comms, cheerfully:: Deck plating’s intact here. Very sturdy. I tested it personally. For science… and team safety.
The Andorian caught, “Plate…in…here…sturdy…” He glanced at the Doctor, confused.
Storm: ::Making an "O" and a "K" with her hands, raising them to her shoulders to ask if everyone was uninjured::
Meris responded with a thumbs up.
Tho’Bi: ::Gestured “O” “K”::
Bancroft: =/\= Stellar wo- ::comms static:: buddy! Rea- ::comms static:: ‘ice’ save. Than- ::comms static:: getting us outta that eas- ::comms static:: bake death tube. =/\=
The Andorian Engineer looked around. They needed to get up to Ensign Meris in Main Engineering. The access ladder was intact, though frozen by the leaked coolant.
The chunky digits of his glove wrapped around a rung of the ladder, just above head height. The Andorian applied pressure to grip and met no resistance; the rung shattered into dust, sending a cascade up the entire ladder.
Particles of super cooled ladder spiralled downwards, in an accelerating dust cloud that got sucked into the ship’s ventilation system.
Ensign Meris was motioning to the Doctor that his comms were down. The destruction of the ladder, apparently obscured from the J'naii's vantage point.
There remained only one option. A hatch off to one side of the Junction Room. There appeared to be some confusion between Storm and Meris. The Andorian couldn't follow the exchange, but Ensign Meris did seem adamant he was staying in Engineering.
Storm: =/\= ::comms static:: et’s try ::comms static:: engineering. =/\=
Tho'Bi: ::to Storm:: ::shrugged and pointed at the hatch::
Ensign Meris clearly couldn’t see the destroyed ladder from his vantage point, as he continued to gesticulate, indicating the ladder (ex) as an option. His evident frustration was understandable.
Lieutenant Storm attempted to turn the lock-wheel set at the center of the hatch. It refused to budge. The Lieutenant turned to him and gestured for him to try.
Storm: =/\= Can ::comms static:: turn ::comms static:: =/\=
The Andorian began to apply pressure on the lock-wheel.
Crack!
The wheel separated from the hatch. The connecting metal had frozen through.
Tho'Bi: ::turning to Storm:: ::Holds up wheel:: ::shakes his head::
Storm: =/\= Is ::comms static:: danger ::comms static:: phaser on door? =/\=
One second. Two seconds. Three sec-
A phaser clunked off the side of Ensign Bancroft’s helmet.
The Andorian Engineer spied a small LCARS control panel. His gloved fingers fudged across the panel. The bright colourful LCARS interface snapped into black and a rudimentary keypad appeared across the bottom of the now black screen.
The Andorian Engineer began typing.
//CONTROL PANEL SCREEN - THO’BI TYPING//
>STANDARD PHASER TOO DANGEROUS
>SET PHASER TO MODULATION
>BEGIN TO MODULATE HATCH
>TRICORDER SCAN FOR STRUCTURAL RESONANCE
>MATCH PHASE MODULATION TO TRICORDER READINGS
>HATCH SHOULD SHATTER
//CONTROL PANEL SCREEN - END//
The Andorian stood ready with his Engineering Tricorder and waited for the okay from the Lieutenant. He left the phaser work to another. He was too busy with the Tricorder.
Storm: Response.
Bancroft: Response.
((OOC: Assuming we don't know what Ensign Meris is doing in Main Engineering. The hatch may or may not have shattered before Meris radios? Up to next Simmer.))
Meris: =/\= Automatic eje- ::comms static:: ...stem is not... ::comms static:: ... core. =/\=
Storm/Meris/Bancroft: Response.
TAG/TBC
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Ensign Tho’Bi
Engineering
USS Artemis-A
A240203T11