Ensign Jovenan – Newton's laws of motions and why we hate them
Jovenan
((Outer Hull, Just Outside the Marine Hangar, USS Excalibur))
Kijana: =/\= Perhaps we could split the difference. Ensign Jones and I can go together from here. Once we've reached the end of the tether, I might be able to coerce the computer into letting me in digitally. Won't need someone at the door... Boosting me out there by way of our bodies and a tether should get me close enough to the net's range. Once we have confirmation that that door is open and the airlock system is working, I can push him towards it the rest of the way. We all sort of stay together until we know we have access to the station. How's that sound? =/\=
So, adding each of their suits’ tethers together, where each of the team members formed a loop in a chain? That might work, as much as Jovenan hated the idea of having to jump into the empty space between the ship and the station. To be fair, she hated even more the idea of dying in space, during this now seemingly pointless exercise due to a stupid malfunction.
Niac: =/\= Sounds like the best option we've got at the moment. Not quite how I saw this little stroll working out. =/\=
Jones: =/\= It's not exactly what I expected when I woke up this morning, but hey - we're bonding! =/\=
Niac: =/\= Nothing brings a crew together like a little mortal peril, Ensign. That's in all the command classes at the Academy. =/\=
Kijana: =/\= Jovenan, you said we didn't have enough to get to the station, but how much do you think we have? =/\=
Jovenan: =/\= Oh, uh… There’s a more than 200 metres to the nearest airlock on the station. These types of suits should have 50 metres of tether integrated, although the real length is probably a few metres more, as a precaution. So, the four of us should have a bit more than two hundred metres of tether. =/\=
Kijana: =/\= That's more than enough. We're just outside the radius now, that would put me range just nicely. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Very well, connect tethers and prepare to make the jump. I'll be the anchor. If you get in trouble and comms fail, just tug the tether and I'll haul you back in. =/\=
Jovenan unattached the hook of her suits tether and signalled ensign Jones to turn a bit so she could attach it to theirs. Now connected to Jones, she received the Commander’s hook, which they connected to her suit. She had to hope the suit, the tether and the attachment point could hold for sudden jerks they might face if any of them jumped off with too much force and they had to stop them.
Jovenan: =/\= Connected, sir! =/\=
Jones: Response
Kijana: =/\= Once we're in position it shouldn't take but a couple of moments to get through the net. Last resort, we retract back to the group, activate our beacons and hope they can triangulate us. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Staggered jump off starting with Ensign Kijana, followed by Jones and then Jovenan. Ready? Deactivate boots and pushoff, now. =/\=
Kijana: :: She half muttered to herself, :: =/\= Glohhaasi' mnekha... =/\=
Ensign Kijana jumped, mumbling something that the universal translator didn’t apparently quite catch. She was followed by Jones.
Jones: Response
As the tether connecting Jones and Jovenan run tighter, Jovenan disconnected her boots and muttered her last prayers.
Jovenan: =/\= ::mumbling:: Oh God, oh God, oh… =/\=
And she jumped.
For a moment she was too anxious to fully realise what was happening. She was not standing on anything. For as long as the tether was somewhat loose, there were zero forces affecting her path. Okay, the gravity of even the most distant objects would affect her, but without any large objects like stars or planets in the immediate vicinity, it was negligible. When the sum of forces was zero, she was in constant motion, determined only by much she had used her own strength when she had jumped. It was a strange thing to think about. She had become a physics homework.
She could see Jones and Kijana ahead of her. Kijana was too far for Jovenan to tell if she had already reached the station, particularly from this perspective. The tether reached its extreme length, causing a nasty pull to Jovenan and her suit. If Kijana wasn’t on the door now, this whole endeavour had been for nothing. She couldn’t see, all she could do was hope the tether had been long enough.
Niac: =/\= Talk to me, Hera. Please tell me that the door is being a little more receptive to the emergency override. =/\=
Kijana didn’t answer. Jovenan grew even more worried. Suddenly, she felt the portion of the tether behind her loosening again. She turned her head and saw Commander Niac hurling towards her.
Jovenan: =/\= Commander! =/\=
It took her some time to realise what had happened. Commander’s boots must have failed, and he was now flying across the space due to the forces the tight tethers had produced. As the Commander flew past her, she tried to pull the tether connecting them and put herself into motion, in order to avoid massive yank. As the Commander flew further, the tether became tight again and pulled her to speed.
Jones: Responses
Niac: =/\= Niac to any team member, I'm not sure if you can hear me but if you don't pop that door in the next ten seconds you're gonna be sponging me off the outside of 224. Now would be a good time, Hera. =/\=
Niac, Jovenan, and, after a short moment, Jones were all hurling towards the station with awfully lot of speed. Not only that, but they were also not in control of their trajectories. Jovenan tried to pull in as much tether as possible to avoid her and Jones being thrown too far from the door.
Jones: Response
Kijana: =/\= I know... =/\= :: She was quiet but working feverishly ::
They were merely seconds away from colliding with the cold, unmoving wall of the station.
Jovenan: =/\= Kijana, NOW! =/\=
Jones/Niac: Responses
Kijana: :: Louder this time =/\= I KNOW... =/\=
Kijana: =/\= Ta'Krenn! BINGO! =/\=
As she flew out of control towards the station, she managed to see the doors moving apart. It seemed Kijana had managed to force it open.
Niac/Jones: Response
She didn’t manage to see if Kijana or Niac had made it to inside, as she had more pressing issues ahead of herself. She wasn’t on trajectory to the door, but rather the wall beside the door. With this much speed, a crash could cause serious injuries. Almost panicking, she began to pull the tether connecting Niac and herself, trying to pull herself towards him and not the wall. The tether was, however, loose. Her efforts helped her only a little.
Jovenan: =/\= Pull me! Pull! =/\=
She wasn’t sure if anyone heard. She wasn’t sure if anyone had made it to the door. All she knew was that is she doesn’t get the tether tight, she will be abruptly meeting with the station wall soon. And as she had hoped, the tether suddenly tightened, and her trajectory began to correct itself towards the door. She wasn’t sure if it was her efforts or if Niac and Kijana had heard her pleas. She would find the person to thank for saving her as soon as she had safely stopped moving.
But pulling was not quite enough. She was only partly out of the harms way, as her upper body hit the door frame and her legs were below it. The impact to her torso and head was strong and pushed the air out of her lungs, but she remained conscious. The interface of her suit began to blink red indicating a crack somewhere, slowly emptying her air supply out into the space. The partial impact caused her to spin uncontrollably into the airlock behind the door.
Jovenan: =/\= Aaaa! =/\=
Kijana/Jones/Niac: Responses
TAG/TBC
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Ensign Jovenan
Science officer
USS Excalibur-A
E239911J11