Ensign Imril - Cowboy Engineering
Chris Taylor
(( Holodeck 3, Deck 222, DS 224 ))
>RAPID HEATING/COOLING POLARIZED THE CLAMP.
>IT’S A BIG ELECTROMAGNET ATTRACTED TO THE CORE ASSEMBLY.
>WE NEED TO STABILIZE CLAMP TEMPERATURE TO DEPOLARIZE.
>SET PHASER TO THIS FREQUENCY.
>I’LL TELL YOU WHERE TO SHOOT AND FOR HOW LONG.
Meris adjusted their phaser to match the frequency, nodded once to Imril, and lowered the weapon. They shifted to a stable position with a clear line of sight, raising the phaser again and waiting for instructions.
Imril nodded back and pulled a fresh tricorder out of the case. They tossed the padd into the case and closed it back up. They weren’t sure if they need anything else from it in the next few moments, but if they couldn't afford to have to come running back for it. So over their shoulder it went for the walk around the warp core, which Imril waved Maris to follow along down. Under the port plasma conduit and in back of the core. Imril took up a spot to starboard, opposite the clamp relative to Meris. Plenty of room for them to fire their energy weapons.
The panelling surrounding the clamp assembly was broken, twisted, shredded. A textbook illustration of the damage that critical temperature variances could do to duranium. The clamp itself was a sturdy thing, cylindrical and free of warpage. In this case, it was too steady. The tricorder screen’s temperate scan showed the clamp and its support structure as a series of discordant blotches which needed to be one single color. Any color, really.
Imril: .oO(Next pet project, something that shoots cold)Oo.
The job would have been easier if they could have synced the tricoder to their helmet HUD. But in these conditions, that wasn’t an option. With one hand they held the tricorder, and pantomimed a series of motions to indicate when they wanted Meris to fire and when to let up. Sticking their left foot out would mean fire the stream of phased particles, retrieving it would mean to stop. That way, they could keep one hand on a tricorder and the other on their weapon.
They pointed at the first spot for Meris to shoot at. It was near to the floor. Imril targeted the clamp itself. With an eye to the tricorder screen, they stuck their foot out and started to fire. A continuous beam of energy soaked into the metal, forming a dull orange halo of absorbed heat.
Meris aimed where Imril indicated, squeezed the trigger, and a beam of energy lanced toward one of the most dangerous pieces of machinery aboard the Artemis. Imril did the same, targeting another piece of the mechanism.
(OOC: Meris’ countdown text didn’t include =/\=’s but here’s where it goes)
The tricorder screen displayed a steadying of the mechanism temp, but not a complete recolor. Imril signalled for Meris to stop shooting, but kept up their fire a fraction of a second more. Then gave the helmsperson a new target, one partway between the clamp and ceiling.
Meris: Response.
Imril aimed for another section of the main clamp mechanism and fired. This time, they had Meris shoot longer than them by almost half a second. Finally, they pointed up as high up the clamp core as either could see. And joined Meris in firing there for a moment before calling an end to the phaser fire. Excess heat in the clamp was now compelled by the laws of thermodynamics to flee it and go down, into the lower reaches of the clamp assembly. Further from the core. The clamp was much too hot for comfort’s sake, but it was an even amount of ‘too hot.’ Even heat meant even distribution of electrons.
One Imril had signalled an end to the shooting, Imril took a step back from the clamp. They’d both know in a second or two if they’d succeeded in freeing the warp core or killing themselves followed by everyone else.
Meris: Response.
KERKUNK!!! A shudder rocked the room, its power rumbling Imril’s boots so strongly that they had to take a step to keep from falling over. A series of smaller, softer noises, ran sounded off through the chamber. From above the clamp and below it, hydraulics and other systems had been freed to reset themselves. The clamp was still holding to the core assembly, but now it could let go.
Imril used the tricorder to confirm that all clamps in the line were restored to operational quality. They gave a thumbs-up to Meris, signalling their success. For the first time saving a ship together, it was going pretty well.
Meris: Response.
Neither of them wanted to be in the warp core chamber when the core left it. They signalled Meris to hurry back the way they had come. The ejection could be initiated from the observation alcove. On the other side of the safety door that would be slamming down to separate warp core and Main Engineering. As Imril was already on the other side of the core, they came running around the starboard side. Hoping that they would make it out as well, but prepared to stay behind if the only way to eject the core was from within the chamber which housed it.
Meris: Response.
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12