Ensign Jovenan – This is just a simulation. You can do it.
Jovenan
((Holodeck 3, Deck 222, Deep Space 224))
Jovenan: Trifluoronitrosomethane! It’s highly toxic, slightly flammable!
Adea: All the more reason to get on it, ensigns!
Jones: Got it!
The simulated sickbay was in chaos as the time limit creeped closer every second. Jones managed to scoop some of the toxic, flammable gas together using the contamination shields. Besides the warp core breach – did Lt. Commander Yalu call it a core breach or was it something else they needed to evacuate for? – the gas was still causing danger to them. The containment protected them from the toxic effects of the TFNM gas, but compressing it posed another risk: fire, even explosion. They needed to get rid of the gas as soon as possible.
Yalu: Response?
Jovenan moved to the workstation Jones was already on. She was in disadvantage in giving first aid or evacuating the patients due to her lack of medical training and physical strength. She might not even have absolute advantage in lab safety considering how experienced the two other drill participants were. However, she did have a relative advantage, which was more important in determining the division of labour. Let’s not waste the medical experts time on this.
Jovenan: I’ll try to get the shield or ventilation up! The patients need you more, Doctor!
Adea: Jones! Check in there, see if anyone needs assistance! Then give me a hand with this.
Jones: Aye, sir. Jovenan, I got the shield up. If you can get it vented, that'll buy us time.
Jovenan: I’ll try that.
Yalu: Response?
Jovenan concentrated on the station. The shield flickered, which made Jovenan worried it might actually provide the spark to inflame the gas. She tried to ventilate it, but the system was not responding. Only one vent, on the other side of the sickbay was working anymore, but if she had used it, the gas would need to cross the room. Everyone in this room would be subjected to the toxic gas, possibly losing consciousness before dying either from poisoning or the ship blowing up. Not the optimal solution at all. In matter of fact, it shouldn’t even be considered a solution at all.
Adea: ::quietly:: So you going to give us a hand, or are you just going to stand there?
Jovenan ignored the discussion aside. This was taking her too long. She should find something quickly and then move on to evacuate patients and herself. She coughed a little. Was it the trifluoronitrosomethane? Had some of it remained open in the atmosphere? Was the holodeck even simulating the symptoms she would have if she had inhaled the gas? For all she knew, Lt. Commander Yalu might have already marked her as dead and failed in his evaluation. If not, she needed to continue. Panic tried taking over her mind, but she did her best to suppress it.
There was another functioning vent, but it was in another room, morgue or quarantine or something. She turned to see where the room was. The door was a bit to the side, near her and the sustained gas cloud. In theory, she could vent the other room while increasing air pressure in this one, open the door and let the wind do all the work. They were running out of time and she of options. With a few clicks, the vents started running. She waited. Redirecting power from soon-to-be unnecessary systems helped a bit. There was not much time to wait but gaining some more pressure difference was necessary. After she concluded she could wait any longer, she deactivated the shield and opened the door. There was a small, brief breeze as some air was sucked from the sickbay main room to the smaller side room. It wasn’t much, but the toxic gas cloud caught on and gently moved towards the other room.
It was an awful solution to the problem, but it was the best they had available for now. The gas wouldn’t spread to the entire space, which was enough for them right now. They wouldn’t be in here in a few minutes anyway.
She turned to the others. Doctor Adea was helping patients while Jones, Doctor Jones, was carrying a teal-shirt Kelpien from the CMO’s office. Time was running out. Time for them to leave.
Jones: How are we looking? We've got about 90 seconds left in here, or we won't have time to get off the ship.
There were still people in the sickbay. Jovenan wasn’t sure if they’d get them all out and to the escape pods in time. Her stomach took a turn. They might need to leave some of them here. They might need to select who lives and who dies. Maybe. She felt so sick she had difficulty staying on her feet.
Adea/Yalu: Response
She couldn’t give up yet. She could spot a person, female human or similar, who was trying to limp out, taking support from the walls. The patient’s right leg was bloody and couldn’t support any weight. Jovenan would like not be able to carry any of the patients out, but she could support one. She ran to the woman and placed her shoulder to the patients armpit and their arms around each other.
Jovenan: ::to patient:: I’ll help you.
Jones/Adea/Yalu: Response?
With Jovenan supporting the patient, they walked as fast as they could towards the escape pods. Jovenan felt awful. Her muscles were as if in fire, each step hurt more and her mind wouldn’t function properly, fogged by panic, adrenaline and pain. She hated this simulation. She could sense she could trip and fall to the ground at any given moment.
Jovenan: ::to herself and patient:: Just ::breathing hard:: a little more…
Jones/Adea/Yalu: Response
This is just a simulation. You can do it.
This is just a simulation. You can…
This is…
TAG/TBC
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Ensign Jovenan
Science officer
USS Excalibur-A
E239911J11