Lt. JG Natasha Cole - Too Steady
Natasha Schell
(( Karnack Engineering - Deck 4 - USS Karnack))
Imril: ::Forceful, defiant:: This is my pack! ::A breath, followed by calmer words:: But the enemy is beginning to see things through both of our eyes. So let's get this done before they absorb how to read an LCARS panel and catch onto what we’re doing and start attacking the systems we need to restore.
Jaran: Veshar kai. Orbah solan. Peldar joi.
K’Wara: ... The Medkit works, right? Doctor, find a way to ensure you and Imril can keep it together until we get off of this planet - stimulants, transporter sickness tablets, try it all. We can’t risk you two becoming compromised before the power’s back on. Meanwhile, Imril and I will be working on fixing up the Impulse Engines and the Shield Emitters.
Potentially compromised crew
Cole: ::to Jaran and Imril:: If you feel like you're about to lose touch … ::beat:: Lets hope it doesn't come to that.
Imril: We are compromised, so it very well may ‘come to that’. ::To K’Wara:: If this team needs to split up for whatever reason, Jira and I can’t go alone, or with each other. We cannot be trusted on our own.
Jira started walking to the doors from Engineering.
Jaran: There are some metabolic stabilizers in the medkit, but it won't be enough. If I could get to Sickbay, I could pull double duty: try to figure out how to stop whatever's happening and also manage the power distribution.
K’Wara: No, the Captain’s team is handling the Sickbay systems. Which means powering the Impulse Engines and Shield Emitters from here is our primary task, and then we’ll move to the Shuttlecraft Control Room afterwards. ::to Cole:: Natasha, pull the shield modifications that Commander Munro programmed into the Computer Core and have those ready for the Ship shields. Once the shield emitters are online, it should eliminate basically all the power bleed.
Cole: Yes Sir.
She walked over to the other operational console and pulled the data packet with Commander Munro’s modifications. And started making the changes for when the shield emitters went back online.
K’Wara: If you can get it to cover a larger part of the Ship - at least these three middle decks - that’d be great. It would give the teams some ability to defend themselves if they run into those things outside of a shielded room, but don’t waste power we don’t have. Better keep some in the bank, in case we need it.
The area around the console looked wrong, as she looked around everything looked flatter. She grabbed a hold of the console's edge, gripping it harder.
Get it together
Breath
Cole: Is there any chance power is trying to be sent to areas of the ship that aren't able to be secured? That might buy us some extra power for the shields.
Imril: We can’t afford the time or exposure to chase down every little leak. We need to seal them off from within the areas we absolutely need to access. Commander Jovenan’s team may end up plugging some up for us as they patch the hull anyway.
K’Wara: Prioritize Decks 1 through 3. Those are the decks with the most critical systems we need shielded right now.
Natasha was just about done entering the shield modifications.
Cole: ::entering last keystrokes:: Shield … ::shakes her head:: Modifications are ready when shield emitters are back online.
Imril: The closest shield emitter to this position is one deck below us. Almost directly below us, actually. It’s part of the warp core ejection mechanism safeties. We should be able to extend this room’s quarantine field to it, now that we have the Warp Core up and charging. But we may have to make some physical adjustments to the emitter itself, if something goes wrong. The shortest way there is that maintenance shaft.
Jaran: Is that area connected to the rest of the deck? Jeffries Tube access?
K’Wara: It is, so if we have to go down there to fix the emitter, then we can keep going through there to get to the Shuttlecraft Control Room. ::looks towards Cole:: Nat, how’re you holding up?
Cole:I appreciate it, Lieutenant. I’m operational.
Imril: ::Coldly serious:: If I turn, kill me.
Natasha met Imril’s eyes and she could feel the gravity of how serious their request was.
Jaran: I... well... We'll have a cure before that happens. To any of us.
She shifted her eyes to Jaran.
K’Wara: No one’s getting killed. Once we have a fully functional - and safe - Sickbay, I’ve no doubt Roy and Doctor Jaran can get you all fixed right up. ::tight smile:: Though, I vow to you, I will stun you before you do anything to jeopardize the mission.
She hadn’t even realized it but she had sized the two officers up and the best way to disable both of them.
Break Jaran’s leg, limiting their movement.
Overpower Imril physically, break limbs if necessary.
Cole: Only as a last resort. ::giving Imril a nod::
Imril nodded and returned to their seat in the control nook.
Imril: A three-deck shield projected from the emitter below us, as Lt. K’Wara asked for, will be more than large enough to reach the primary shield emitter. Once we have that powered, we can piggyback all the rest.
Tamio nodded.
K’Wara: Positive domino effect. Keep the good news coming, everyone.
Imril: Cole, stay on that quarantine field, ready to make corrections as needed. Jiran, you keep on that damage control panel. Let us know the instant something starts getting too hot downstairs. Last thing we want to do is draw the enemy there. Lieutenant K’Wara, unless you have a better idea, I suggest you man that stabilizer in case things get shaky.
K’Wara: I’ll get the start-up sequence of the impulse engines all keyed up. If we do have to beat a hasty retreat, it’d be nice to know they can be remotely triggered. It shouldn’t take too long, and I’ll keep an eye on the stabilizers in the meanwhile. ::looks around at the team:: All right, let’s get this done. The Captain’ll have our hides if she tries to fire a phaser and nothing happens.
Jira took their post quickly.
Jaran: Aye, sir.
Imril: Ready on your mark, Lieutenant.
Cole: ::to K’Wara:: Ready Sir.
K’Wara: Let’s power it up.
Natasha winced as her console screeched an alarm sound.
oO Are those always so loud? Oo
Focus.
Crew compromised.
Make adjustments to the quarantine field.
Cole: Getting overload warnings, because of damaged conduits.
Imril: Response
Tamio nodded.
K'Wara: Compensating. Adjusting to allow for slight feedback error margin.
Jaran: Imril. You good? I have those metabolic stabilisers still.
Nat looked over at Imril, moving her hand slowly towards her phaser … just in case.
Imril: Response
K'Wara: Power is flowing unobstructed. Redirecting bleed into the forcefields. Impulse Engines starting power-up sequence now.
Jaran: We got trouble. Things are heating up downstairs, and They know.
Yet another thing for the list.
Multiple crew were injured.
Hull compromised.
Warp core Stable.
Hostiles on the move.
Main Engineering secure, mostly.
Vulnerable crew status unknown.
Crew Compromised.
K’Wara: ::quiet Cygnian curse:: Powering down impulse engines, resetting to prepped cold start. ::slight pause:: I’m venting excess heat through exhaust vents through Deck 3. Hopefully that’ll distract them enough to scatter their attention a little.
Cole: We could use the good fortune.
Jaran/Imril: Response
K'Wara: That’s our cue. Jaran, grab the engineering kit and get into that shaft. Imril, can you come up with anything to make sure the Things can’t take a whack at the core while we’re away?
Jaran/Imril: Response
Natasha typed her clearance codes into the console, hesitating for a split second before hitting enter. Her hands felt delayed
Not now, no time.
Cole: My codes should help remove some obstacles.
K’Wara: Do it. ::to Cole:: Nat, you bring up the rear once Imril’s down. Make sure to shoot those things between the eyes if they poke their heads in before you close the hatch.
Natasha nodded and walked over between Imril and the door. She drew her phaser and held it to her side keeping her eyes focused on the door.
Imril: Response
Another batch of Howls from down the corridor accompanied with the sounds of claws on the metal deck plating. She could feel the tension spread through her body.
Main Engineering under attack.
Need to evacuate NOW!
Cole: Time to go pardner!
Jaran/Imri/K’Waral: Response
Natasha lifted her phaser aiming at the door. Stepping backwards towards Imril ushering them towards the jeffries tube.
Cole: Move. Now.
Her voice came out steady.
Too steady.
Another howl.
The Darkling crossed into the doorway
Her pulse spikes hard enough to blur her vision.
The corridor beyond it narrowed.
Not physically.
Her vision tunneled.
Peripheral shadows swallowing details.
She adjusted her stance.
The deck felt like it was tilting.
It isn’t.
She keeped the phaser trained center-mass.
Breath in.
Breath out.
One more heartbeat.
Cole: I’ve got the door.
Jaran/Imri/K’Waral: Response
Her hearing warps for half a second.
Everything sounds underwater.
Her fingers feel disconnected from the trigger.
Not now.
She squeezes the grip harder.
Pain brings clarity.
Claws scrape metal.
She fires.
Not wild.
Controlled.
Two precise bursts.
Cole: GO!
She steps backward toward the Jeffries tube entrance.
The room flickers white at the edges.
Just for a second.
She doesn’t blink.
Not yet.
Jaran/Imri/K’Waral: Response
Tags/TBC
----- ◌● -----
Lt. JG Natasha Cole
Security Officer
USS Artemis-A
Writer ID A240205NC4