LTJG Josh Herrick: The Oumuamua's Haircut
Mark P
OOC: Given that this is the last week of shore leave, and that this scene seems to be wrapping up nicely, I've closed this guy off and will be working to close my other scenes out this week as well. Enjoying all of them!
((Outside the VIP Quarters, Deck D, USS 'Oumuamua ))
The acting cheng and the visiting warrant officer tugged down hard on the handles in front of them, and each pair came down in simultaneous fashion. The panel in front of him bleeped a melody that he hadn’t heard before but seemed to have a positive energy.
S. Sherlock: =/\= I think it worked! =/\=
Nilsen =/\= Yeah, that’s
floating. =/\=
Rouiancet: =/\= Confirmed. Separation has occurred. =/\=
Josh silently thanked the gods that it had worked. As he looked outside the window, he saw that the pod had taken on a gentle vertical spin. The view was not for weaker stomachs, as it was almost as if the pod was slowly tumbling. The Blue Danube Waltz song started playing in his head.
Shevon and Josh hadn’t even tried to bolt to the turbolift. Instead, they waited to make sure that the job was done correctly, a decision made easier knowing that they had the rest of the crew watching their back. He was pulled back to the reality of the situation when one of the panels they’d removed dematerialized in a transporter beam.
Herrick looked towards Shevon, an eyebrow raised.
Arlill: =/\= Ok, looks like the practice beam out worked (beat) Let’s try that again.
More explosions rumbled through the sensor pod, and this time there was an audible explosion on Deck D. It reinforced Josh’s decision to separate the pod; whatever the source of the malfunction — it was spreading, and they’d now successfully amputated the afflicted appendage.
S. Sherlock: =/\= Ummm ::beat:: not to make anyone worry, but, uh, we're still in the pod. =/\=
Herrick: =/\= It would be nice if we make it tomorrow Thunderbird! =/\=
He didn’t know how much pressure to apply on the team but given that they were probably a few explosions away from a definitive answer on the afterlife, he thought they could use a nudge.
Nilsen: =/\= Standby, we’re working on it. =/\=
Arlill : =/\= I have to reset the targeting system, it’s attempting to auto lock and won’t release the locks once captured. =/\=
S. Sherlock: =/\= Oh! Ok! Um, do we have to do anything? =/\=
Nilsen: =/\= Nothing for you to do Sit tight, your flight will begin boarding soon, please present your booking passes =/\=
Arlill: =/\= I got it! Stand by. =/\=
There was an awkward silence between the pair on Deck D. All they could do now was wait, and hope that Starfleet’s best would live up to their reputation. He looked back out the window, seeing Bajor come into view. At least, if this was his final sight, it would be one that was a close enough approximation of the blue-green ball he called home.
Herrick: ::looking over to Shevon:: They can do it.
It was more for him than her.
S. Sherlock: Response.
A few more moments passed, and another closer explosion rumbled out. The taste of plasma had started filling the air.
Herrick: =/\= Anytime now… =/\=
A piece of deck plating a few meters away faded out of existence.
Rouiancet: Response
Herrick: oO Ok, too much pressure is also unproductive. Oo If these explosions are coming toward us, maybe we need to put more distance between us and them. The leaking plasma might be throwing off the targeting scanners. Turbolift?
S. Sherlock: Response
Nilsen: =/\= Yo, Sherlock right, you’re Aine’s sister? ::laughs:: What’s the best way to annoy her? =/\=
It took some willpower on Josh’s part to keep in mind that while Shevon and him were facing life or death, the same couldn’t be said for Lhandon. He appreciated that Nilsen was probably trying to ease the tension, he looked towards Sherlock, wondering how she’d respond.
Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
Nilsen: =/\= Trust me bro, tractor the pod. It should increase the signal strength and, keep us relative to the pod, like a train. I’ve had an idea, Commander, how long we got until the pod's destroyed? =/\=
Arlill: =/\= Do it! =/\=
Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
(OOC: Clarified that the beam engages here)
Shevon and Josh had arrived at the lift doors, but there was no point in calling it. The only place they could go was up. He braced himself against one of the corners, just in time for the jolt of entering a tractor beam.
S. Sherlock: Response.
Nilsen =/\= That’s not enough time when it blows it’s taking half the ship. I’m flying now. The tractor beam is holding. Sorry for the bumpy ride, we’re working on getting ya out.=/\=
Then, before he knew what happened, he flew across the deck and hit the opposite bulkhead. There was the sound of metal scraping against metal, and through his daze, he hypothesized that they must have made contact with DS9, the Oumuamua, or another ship.
Computer: =/\= Atmospheric Leak Detected, Emergency… =/\=
The lights went pitch black on Deck D, accompanying the hiss of an atmospheric leak indicated yet another potential crisis putting them at death’s door.
Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
Then, the sight of the pod faded from Herrick’s view, and was replaced with that of the shuttle that just saved their lives.
((Thunderbird One, a short distance away from the mission pod))
Arlill: =/\= I got them! =/\=
Nilsen =/\= I can’t pitch up. it’s weighing me down. I’m going to have to go with it. New heading. 000 mark 010. Straight on =/\=
Herrick: ::rubbing his forehead, and feeling a lump start to form:: Try to… sling it away.
Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
Arlill: =/\= Commander, can you pull up a remote connection to the mission pod and override the airlocks on the turbo life shafts? =/\=
Nilsen/Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
They would have to time this correctly, too early and it could hit the docking pylon or worse, fly back and hit the nacelles, no this had to be timed right.
Arlill: =/\= Wait for it (beat) wait for it. (beat) ::looking at Nilsen, who gave him a head nod:: NOW! =/\=
There was laughter, and Josh looked up and out the front view of the shuttle. It was still spinning vertically, but their idea had been enough for it to be spinning away from any critical infrastructure and into open space.
Nilsen/Rouiancet/S. Sherlock: Response
Arlill: =/\= Yes commander, it appears to have worked, well done. =/\=
Then, there was a large bright flash across all the deck viewports, and it looked as if each of the viewport windows had been ejected from the pod. The explosion had slowed the spin and the skeletal remains seemed to now be almost stationary.
Herrick: Well… ::looking at Shevon:: it seemed like we were saved just in time. ::looking to the front of the shuttle:: Thanks gentlemen.
Nilsen/Rouiancet/S. Sherlock/Arlill: Response
Josh couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed in the outcome. The crews had spent the entirety of last week bringing the pod up to spec, and now, it’d been pretty much snuffed out of existence. It wasn’t lost on the man that, while the Oumuamua was technically space worthy; without a functioning mission pod, it would be a while before they’d be able to conduct a mission.
Herrick: ::looking back to Shevon:: Sure I can’t convince you to join us? ::chuckling, followed by a light painful groan:: I’ll need a patch job myself.
Nilsen/Rouiancet/S. Sherlock/Arlill: Response
[End Scene for Herrick]
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Lieutenant JG Josh Herrick
Acting Chief Engineer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player/character)