Lieutenant Kimonzi Lahl - Phaser Cutting
Nick Wilcox
((Dyson Sphere, Communications Platform A2))
They were certainly in a pickle. Through some shenanigans, and no one was going to point fingers, they had started the self-destruct sequence for an entire Dyson Sphere. Not only that, they needed to get back to where they had come from in order to get out since the transporter lock was being finicky. If only the automaton was active, but unfortunately, it wasn’t, and none of them actually remembered where they were supposed to be going.
Lahl: Well, hope springs eternal and all that.
Forsyth: I think we went straight ahead, then left…. No, right.
Before they could get too far into their despair, Lieutenant Varik started circuling their automaton friend, investigating it, seeming to be looking for its inner secrets.
Before swiftly kicking it in the butt.
Which seemed to do the trick as it woke up.
// LOCATION? //
Varik: Huh... well, docking bay control room!
As Lahl looked, the screen flickered from the question to a response to Lieutenant Varik.
// FOLLOW //
Greaves: Move. We’re not arguing with it.
Kimonzi wasn’t going to argue with anyone at this point. As the automaton rolled out she followed along, going back through corridors that she imagined could have been the same ones they had gone down, but it also seemed like all of the corridors looked the same.
Varik: If my estimation is correct, we will have approximately one minute upon arriving at the control room to open the exterior docking bay doors.
Well, that was suboptimal. It was going to be a close call if they were going to be able to make it.
Who said Starfleet wasn’t exciting?
Greaves: Then we don’t hesitate when we get there. Lahl, Varik, I’m gonna need you to get the doors if Stella is busy. Forsyth, I need you to find a way to blow it open if they can’t do it the normal way.
Lahl: Aye sir.
Forsyth: Response
Their guide accelerated a bit as they continued onward. Following and following and following and following and following.
Varik: Was there anything from Stella's initial interfacing with the sphere that would give us a shortcut to open those doors? Perhaps even get a headstart on the process before we arrive?
Greaves: If Stella still has peripheral access, she may be able to pre-stage the docking sequence, unlock safeties, prime the motors. But with the core removed, we can’t count on centralized response. Assume manual activation.
Lahl: Indeed. Hopefully we can get them open in time.
Forsyth: Response
That was a good question. What was plan C?
Greaves: Then we cut them open. Focus fire on the seam. Full output. It won’t be pretty, but if we can breach even a partial aperture, that might be enough for transport lock.
Lahl had thought that there was a dearth of phaser fire on this mission.
Lahl: Understood sir.
Forsyth/Varik: Response
They kept going, further and further along the route they had taken before. Eventually, the automaton brought to that control room where the ship graveyard, and actual graveyard was.
Greaves: Here we go.
Before Colonel Greaves could finish his sentence, Kimonzi was already back to the console she had been looking at before.
Lahl: Alright. Let’s get this door open.
Forsyth/Varik: Response
She tapped away furiously at it. Looking out the window towards the doors to outer space.
Lahl: Work faster, damnit.
She could see the doors starting to move. There was some movement, but not nearly enough for them to get through.
Forsyth/Varik/Greaves: Response
Lahl: Sorry sir, the doors haven’t been activated in a bit…
Forsyth/Varik/Greaves: Response
This was taking too long. Kimonzi decided it was time to take matters into their own hands and give the doors some help.
So she grabbed her phaser, turned it up as high as she could, and pointed.
Lahl: Firing!
Without waiting for a response, Lahl depressed the fire button on her Type-II phaser, and watched as orange fire lanced out through the control room’s window towards the larger doors.
Forsyth/Varik/Greaves: Response
Chief Engineer