MSNPC Frinn: Do not linger!

[Roel Willems]

((Secondary Engine Room Access Gangway, Deck 496, Igirni))

Frinn looked around the large engine room, hoping to find someone with a cleaner suit, as it often indicated someone with more authority and expertise. But at first glance, he could not find any.

Frinn: Looks like the big shots are at the main levels, no doubt having one of their fancy meetings… so you are stuck with me for now. Feel free to have a look around, but again… don’t touch anything without asking.

Lim: ::Smiling:: Don’t worry, we won’t.

Braya: ::Clasping her wrist behind her back:: No touchin’. No problem.

Falt: ::Giving Frinn a reassuring smile:: We won't do anything without permission.

Frinn nodded and took a few steps to the side, giving the aliens space to move past him and towards the huge engines.

Lim: How many people work down here?

Braya: Not near enough, by the looks o’ it. No offense, maintenance man. Just seems y’all could use more ‘ands down ‘ere.

Frinn: She is right. There should be at least a few people out here. I wonder where they all went to. Finding staff isn’t the problem. Many are out of jobs, but not many have the proper training to work here. Some might have a talent for something, but without education all they can do is lower-level maintenance. Like me…

Lim: Do you all live nearby, or do you have to commute to the area?

Frinn: People in my line of work live close, those who do the really complicated things mostly live on the upper decks. In better circumstances.

Braya: Sounds downright irritatin’. An’ no doctors down ‘ere, neither? Seems dangerous work, to ‘ave no medical on standby.

Frinn: There is an aid station nearby. And some of the engineers have basic medical training. So, there are those who can help with an injury. But if you need a doctor for other things you either have to be well connected, or have enough savings.

Falt: That's not how things are on our ship. We have short shifts, free food, and good medical care.

Lim: I’d say great medical care, though I might be a bit biased.

Frinn: Hmmm… well, if you have an opening for an engineer…

Braya: Them upstairs keepin’ ya’ out o’ the loop regardin’ this black ‘ole business. That normal ‘round ‘ere? Everythin’… privileged?

It was the second time they brought up the black hole. Frinn didn’t know much about them, only that they could be very dangerous and suck things inside their gravitational field. Unlike the first time, it had started to worry him a little.

Frinn: We work on a need to know basis… Or at least that’s how I experience it. It works just fine…. Not much to report anyway. We don’t interact much with other species. Nor do we visit alien worlds.

Tanner: Order and structure isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Falt: It's not, as long as no one gets completely left out of the loop!

Lim: You’re part of the maintenance crew. Even if they were keeping it from the general public I would have figured you would be one of the ones to know, given, you know ::She gestured to the large engines:: where you work.

Frinn: Ah.. but that’s where you are wrong. I might work here, on this deck, but all I do is maintain the fuel lines. Once they make their way into the engines, my job ends.

Braya: ::Softer:: Just sounds t’me like some Voth ‘round ‘ere are… a little more equal than others.

Falt: It's not for us to judge their society, Lieutenant. We should just consider ourselves lucky ours is as open a society as it is...

Lim: ::Muttering:: Well I’m judging the lack of medical care.

Frinn: An open society must have its own problems. If everyone wants to say their piece, how do you ever make decisions?

Tanner: Is there anyone that could be more helpful?

Frinn: ::Frowning:: Isn’t that where you come in? You seem to know a lot about engines based on your questions so far.

Braya: Response

Falt: I'm sure they'd send more people to help if they could!

Tanner: Commander, I can’t see any way we can help in this area. ::Glancing around pointedly.:: Should we continue further in?

Falt: Agreed. ::Turning to Frinn:: Is there anywhere we can see a schematic of this engine? It would probably be more useful to us than simply looking at the engine cladding!

Lim: Agreed.

Frinn: I think I can help you with that. Wait here.

Frinn walked to the side of the room and pressed a small switch. It illuminated one of the high walls.

Then Frinn walked back and pointed at the wall where a large schematic was mapped out for them.

Frinn: There…

Braya / Frinn: Response

Tanner: ::Looking up further ahead at some marks on the wall.:: You sure we can’t touch anything?

Lim: ::To Tanner:: Please don’t injure yourself on accident.

Frinn: ::Accepting that he had to give them something, especially since Frinn was on his own here, he decided to give them some room to work in.:: As long as you keep your hands off the fuel intake, you should be alright.

Braya: Response

Falt: What about scans? ::Holding up his tricorder:: Our devices are quite efficient and non-invasive. If we can compare our results to those schematics, it would be even better!

Frinn: That sounds acceptable too.

Lim: Mue has the ability to sense chemicals and wavelengths that most species can’t. It’s not even invasive.

It was the first time Frinn even noticed the creature. He first thought it was a rat that had somehow escaped the trappers. But a second look made it clear that it was something completely different.

Braya / Tanner: Response

They set out again, with Commander Falt at the head to take some scans. Mue’s whiskers were flickering out and moving to and fro while he analyzed their surroundings, when suddenly the ship lurched once more, making the gangway beneath their feet sway concerningly.

Falt: ::Looking back at the others:: You mentioned lurches like this are not uncommon?

Frinn: They are not… although two this close together is… especially with the engines down already.

oO Perhaps this black hole is to blame. Oo

Braya / Tanner: Response

Falt: ::Jokingly:: Well, I hope someone checked the supports on this gangway recently!

Frinn: Trust me… if this ship ever falls apart, this will be the last bit standing. Those engines are heavy, and when active, produce enormous thrust. So rest assured they built this segment to withstand the most destructive power.

There was another lurch and a screech of metal as the gangway Falt was standing on gave way, leaving him in gravity’s less than tender mercies.

Frinn: Or so they should… if this part is already screeching, I bet other systems are in much more danger.

Falt: ::trying to keep his voice calm:: A little help?

Lim: You had to tempt fate!

Carefully, Noemi reached out her hand to grab onto Falt and help pull him onto their more secure platform.

Frinn: Tempt fate?

Braya / Tanner / Falt: Response

Falt once again on stable ground, Noemi pulled herself upright and resettled Mue on her shoulders.

Lim: That was too close for comfort.

Frinn: You are not wizards, are you?!

Frinn had heard stories of creatures being able to change reality with just a thought. The idea that they brought them here was scary. Now that he had seen their scanners, and pets, he wasn’t sure anymore that these were the people who would help them.

Braya / Tanner / Falt: Response

Noemi looked over his torn hand and suppressed a wince as the ship lurched once again.

Lim: Is there somewhere we can go so I can treat his hand?

Frinn: I assume you brought supplies to help our injured? Won’t that help your own kind? If not, I can escort you to an aid station.

The shaking continued and then, Frinn heard something he knew far too well. The sound of a leaking pipeline and the vaporized fuel that came from it.

Frinn: RUN! This way!

Without even looking, he gently pushed the visitors to one of the corridors, furthest away from the engines. He could see some hesitation in their eyes.

Frinn: Do not linger!

The fuel line is about to break! We have no time!

Lim / Braya / Tanner / Falt: Response

TAGS / TBC

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Written by
Frinn
Maintenance Liaison for the Lower Utility Decks
A239006AW0