PNPC Ensign Barr: A breath of fresh air
Sarah Eccles
((Outer Hull, Depressurized – Drive Section – USS Constitution-B))
The two holograms disappeared around the corner and there was an interminable pause.
Georgio: So how are we going to do this? Can we open some door from here to let the others in?
The hologram’s voice came via his EVA suit’s speakers. H’Rhaedrol listened, knowing that neither Mark nor Georgio were trained for this, but that they were also his only personnel resources right now. He had to guide them through it. And he had confidence in them, as long as they stayed calm. So he had to sound calm.
Barr: How does it look? Is it safe for me to come round with the evacuation pods? Or do we need to clear away some of the metal?
Mark: There’s a large piece of metal that had ripped from the wall and ceiling bulkhead that is blocking the main exit and the door is shut and appears to have taken considerable heat damage. The controls are not working and it looks welded shut.
Okay, not great but not terrible. It sounded like he could work with that.
Barr: I’ve got a small plasma cutter and a hull seal patch. We can create a temporary airlock if we need to.
Mark: A seal patch? We can do that?
Georgio: Is that part of medical training?
The Betazoid smirked to himself.
Barr: This is what I do. I’m only a nurse because they don’t need paramedics all the time. I specialised in search and rescue, including zero atmosphere rescues. But I work with a team. Right now you two are my team.
If only they were trained.
Mark: Yes, Sir!
Georgio: Right. Teamwork.
Nodding to himself, Ray climbed out the hole in the hull and activated his magnetic soles. Then he pulled at the rope clipped to his waist and what looked for all the world like a large duffel bag followed him out of the hole. The advantage of zero G was that the equipment would just follow along behind him.
Barr: How big is the hole where you’re standing?
Mark: Two meters by two meters. ::He said, doing a rough estimate, holding his arms out. The forcefield is at 24 percent integrity, atmosphere dropping.
Georgio: 1,94 to 2.05 meters to be precise. Well done, Mark.
As he climbed along the hull following their path the two holograms came into view. First their heads, then bodies, then the twisted mess of metal caused by the weapons blast and explosive depressurisation of the hull. And yep, a hole about two by two.
Barr: That’s good. Big enough to get through, small enough that we can seal it. How are those life signs doing?
While Mark looked at the Tricorder for a scan and Georgio helpfully kicked bits of suit-tearing shrapnel out of the way, Ray closed the distance between them.
Mark: The survivors are located in the room behind the door. Getting past the hallway blockage is the less direct access, breaching the door is more direct, but it appears that the door is sealing in some of the remaining atmosphere.
Georgio: Didn't Ray here have that seal patch thing? Can't we use that?
Barr: I do, and we can. You’re absolutely right.
He put extra approval into his voice as Georgio helped him over the debris, bulky in his EVA suit. For a moment he envied the holograms, who didn’t need to wear one.
Mark: So we cut into the door, seal it with the force field and create an airlock to evacuate the survivors through the hull?
Georgio: Won't that cut off the air here?
Barr: I’m going to put the patch on the outside of the hull, then we can breach the door and the patch will hold the atmosphere here. Georgio, you’ve done a great job of clearing the debris, I’m going to fit the patch now.
Even as he spoke he put words to actions, swinging the bulky rescue pack off his back and pulling the hull patch from the compartment on the underside. Unfolding it, he carefully spread it out, ripped off the covers on the magnet/adhesive strips, and applied it to the hole in the hull. When he was finished he was left with what looked like a very badly erected tent, with a circular door in it. Checking the adhesive, he let them all inside and sealed the ‘hatch’.
Once it was pressurised it would look like a bubble on the hull. Of course, they’d only have one chance to get out again.
Barr: Once we’ve got everyone in the evacuation pods, we string them together and then the three of us take them out the hatch, along the hull and back in where we came out. Simple, right?
In theory.
Mark: We don’t have to breathe, Georgio, we can guide the people across the hull if they are in the EVA bubbles. ::He took in a breath he didn’t need and fixed Georgio a look.:: Think of it like when you’re rolling your cart of dyes. It’s full of precious breakable cargo and you roll it carefully to its destination. Same thing, almost.
Something in that seemed to click with Georgio. His pale blue eyes lit up. Thank you Mark.
Georgio: Then let's get the cargo and bring them out of there.
Barr: Lets do it team!
The hologram looked to the nurse.
Georgio: So you are going to use that plasma cutter? Can it cut metal too or only plasma?
Barr: It uses plasma to cut metal. ::He said patiently.::
It was a reasonable question, when you remembered that Georgio lived for hair and fashion and not much else.
Mark: response
Georgio: Oh. Right. I knew that. ::He actually blushed and then stepped aside:: Then get to work Mister Cutter. We need to get to the glitter.
Glitter. Right. Whatever made it work for the EHS.
Barr: I’m on it.
It wasn’t big enough to cut through hull plating, that took a worker bee. But it was big enough to cut through an internal bulkhead and with the patch in place Ray set to work on the hatch as the weakest point in the bulkhead. Soon enough atmosphere began to hiss through the cut and the hull patch slowly ballooned out above them. It wouldn’t last forever, but it only had to last long enough.
Mark: response
Georgio fidgeted slightly as the Betazoid worked, and Ray ignored him. There would be plenty for him to do shortly. And it wasn’t long before the door fell to the floor in front of them with a clang, cut from it’s bulkhead. Above them the patch fabric stretched, and held.
Barr: Okay, quickly, lets get inside.
Mark: response
The trio shuffled through, gravity reasserting itself properly from the half-field that had existed in the breached room against the hull. Ray turned off his magnetic boots and righted himself.
Barr: Right, Mark, you’re on triage. I need to know who’s alive and ready for evacuation, who needs urgent care to keep them alive during evacuation, and who’s dead. We’re not evacuating the latter, they’ll be cared for later.
The hologram might be wide-eyed and uncertain in the face of new experiences but he was also a very competent doctor and Ray knew he could do that, and quickly.
Mark: response
The hairdresser meanwhile had wandered over to one crumpled figure and was talking to her gently.
Georgio: When you're awake, you come to me and I'll fix that hair of yours, you hear sweetheart?
Who knew the being had a good beside manner? Ray wondered for a moment whether Georgio might benefit from a little nursing training, and whether he might be interested? After a moment he turned back.
Georgio: What can I do?
Ray was glad he asked, and really glad that he had his help.
Barr: I have a really important job for you Georgio. ::There was absolutely no sarcasm in his words.:: I need you to lay out the evacuation pods, ready to receive our patients.
Mark/Georgio: response
Dragging the duffel-like bag over, Ray opened the seal and pulled out one of the smaller rolls of space fabric.
Barr: You undo the seal here, then unroll it, right? And lay it out on the floor. ::He demonstrated.:: Don’t touch this canister ::he pointed:: that will fill the pod with air once the person is inside.
That alone would help. The atmospheric pressure in here was far too low, and the air was stale; even a perfectly healthy person would eventually asphyxiate. But those little canisters held enough Federation Standard Atmosphere under pressure to give the pod’s occupant half an hour of good air, once activated. It would literally be a breath of fresh air.
Mark/Georgio: response
Barr: Once you’ve got the pod laid out you open it like this. Then Mark and I can transfer someone into it. It’s really important that it’s laid out straight and not on something sharp; a crease or even a small puncture can cause it to tear when it pressurises. You’re the fashion expert, I’m sure you know more than me about how to care for delicate fabric.
The pods were actually very tough, but they could still suffer a critical failure if they weren’t prepped properly, or left against a sharp metal edge. And they didn’t need that right now.
Mark/Georgio: response
Barr: Great. We’re doing really well. We’ll get these people out, and they’ll have all of us to thank for their rescue.
A little encouragement cost him nothing, and for an EMH and a hairdresser, the two holograms were being fantastic. They could do this together.
Mark/Georgio: response
TAG
PNPC Ensign H’Rhaedrol Barr
Nurse and Paramedic
USS Constitution-B
As simmed by
Commander Saveron
First Officer
USS Constitution-B
R238802S10