Lieutenant Jack Kessler - Whatever You're Gonna Do, Do it Fast

[Joel Cannistraro]

((Coolant Pump Room, Near the Reactor - Reactor Dome, Moon Sigma, Ross 580 System))

Jack looked back to Tucker and then back in the direction that had come. The room did have a few possible points to defend from but the lack of firepower they needed against a Tholian assault was concerning to Jack. He needed to find a weakness or a choke point to hold back any advancing Tholians. The spear gave him an explosive but they had just the one, so it would have to be perfectly placed.

Tucker:  Alright chief, were do you want to set up, while Tess and I work on this pump, before things get really out of control.. ::he rolled his eyes:: How goes it, Tess?

Marty knelt down to inspect Evinrude's work on the still-open side access panel.

Evinrude: Everything's working in there sir, replaced a fried-out module. ::His brow furrowed as he continued pouring through the terminal's status screens, refreshing each one.:: The system won't reset until all error codes are cleared, but I can't get it to show me the current status of a few components. It claims...something is out of alignment.

Shortrith: =/\= Shortrith to Tucker. We're in a transporter room about one level above you. Any way you can get up here? =/\=

Tucker: =/\= Good to hear your voice, Ensign. We’re kinda in the middle of something at the moment. We’re trying to get this damn pump fixed, but we could use some backup. Can you come down here? =/\=

Ensign Esot's voice came through next and Jack held his position as the communications continued.

Esot: =/\= Commander, I don't believe that will be necessary - if we can get the transporter system working, we should be able to beam you directly out once your work is complete. =/\=

Tucker: =/\= Response=/\= (Optional, if responding to Esot)

Jack listened to the conversation yet kept an eye on the one possible exit point that currently had. It was also the one point the Tholians could ambush them. Tactically speaking, it is where he would set up a trap if he wanted to attack without exposing himself and he knew the Tholians loved traps.

Tucker: Hey, we gotta make sure nothing ex—--

A thunderous roar suddenly overtook Jack's senses as an explosion rocked the room, causing Evinrude to stumble up against the console and knock the spare phaser power cell across the room. Jack was thrown from his feet as rubble from above rained down on the three of them. He landed on his side and instantly curled to a fetal position wrapping his arms around his head in an effort to protect it from falling debris, especially rock or metal structures. The few passing seconds seemed like an eternity and even through his helmet, Jack's ears rung out in a pulsing throb from the unexpected explosion. 

Tucker: Roll call! 

Evinrude: ::Groaning.:: I'm alright. Lost...the power cell...

Kessler: ::pushing himself up to his feet and dusting off:: Surprisingly, in one piece. You guys ok? Anyone need to evac?

The alarm in their suits was clear - radiation levels had spiked. The HDEs were able to compensate, but if anyone's suit were to fail...

Tucker: As long as no one's suits are torn, we can’t lose anyone now.

Kessler: ::looking his suit over and running a scan from his wrist tricorder:: I'm all good Commander.

Evinrude: Aye, next time I'll stop what I'm doing and ready my weapon. ::He said flatly.:: 

Evinrude's voice wasn't insubordinate; if anything it was clear that the ops officer was kicking himself for prioritizing the wrong order of operations. Jack looked around briefly in the settling dust storm for the missing power cell but did not see it. Now was not the time to lecture the junior officer, although Jack wanted to. The Tholians were a threat unlike anything else he had personally ever experienced. Jack was sure Evinrude did not know that first hand and he therefore decided to refrain from saying anything. While he continued to look for the power cell, Tucker had moved to the console where Tess was working. He brushed debris away and started to work at its interface. 

Tucker: From what I can make out, as my Romulan is damn rusty, is that the heatsink is out of alignment, which has thrown the whole thing out of alignment, so it did the only thing it could. It shut down; now we just need to figure out how to restart it. I’m open to suggestions.

Evinrude: That's where I was stuck as well, sir. It's refusing to reboot and start reporting current reactor status. ::He said, carefully lifting up an equipment rack to look underneath.::

Jack stepped over and looked at the panel and then to his two teammates. He held up his wrist tricorder and started scanning the console readout. He could read a good portion of Vulcan and Klingon but Romulan had not been on his Academy training list. 

Kessler: This says primary induction protocols are offline. I'm guessing you were already working on the secondary systems?

Tucker: Hey, Evinrude, check this out, there’s at least three eps conduits offline, and see here ::pointing a small schematic:: this ODN conduit is offline, so the information from these fossils isn’t reaching their intended destination, which was what was throwing the massive pump for a whirl. 

Evinrude: No way. ::Tess, stunned, turned to face Tucker.:: It was showing green! Connected!

Evinrude sighed, but a rueful smile could be seen through his suit visor. He shook his head and quickly rejoined Tucker at the terminal as Jack looked on.

Evinrude: Okay, I'll reconnect back here. Get ready to clear those errors once the data starts streaming in, and then hopefully it will finish the reboot. ::He turned to Kessler.:: Sir, I'm...sorry to ask this. Could you find that power cell? I know it landed over there...

Kessler: ::nodding:: You got it Tess.

As Evinrude and Tucker began their coordianted work, Jack stepped away from the two in the direction that Evinrude had gestured. The dust was slowly settling and the floor was now a sandy brown and gray littered with small pieces of debris from the ceiling and rock formations that had given way under the explosion. Jack pulled his light from his tactical belt and snapped it on. Sweeping the floor for the slightly metallic shine that he hoped the light would glint off of, but so far nothing seemed to catch the light that pointed to the power cell. 

Evinrude: Got it! ::He called out from behind the console.:: Try it now, Chief.

Tucker: Response

Kessler: ::looking for the cell:: You get it working?

Evinrude: Would you look at that...the explosion must have rocked the heatsink back into place. No fatal errors, system ready...try to reset, let's see if it detects Esot's incoming patch!

Jack continued to shuffle through the debrief littered floor moving further away from Tucker and Evinrude. The beam from his light finally catching and reflecting off a metallic object, he smiled and stepped to it, leaned down and started to dust off the object. It was slightly too large to be the power cell from the phaser. Jack picked the object up and realized it was a piece of a wall console mounting plate. Frowning he tossed the object behind him so he would not cross it again in his search. 

Esot: =/\= Commander Tucker, you may be able to find a hatch in the wall on the southern end of the pump room. I will attempt to disable the locking mechanism so your team has an alternative means of escape, should I have an issue getting a transporter lock from the pump room. =/\=

Jack stood and turned to the others as the comms came in from the other team. He liked what he was hearing and hoped that meant they were secure as well.

Kessler: =/\= Kessler to Esot. That hatch is welded shut from our side. If you can unlock it, I can try and get through the weld. =/\=

Shortrith/Zh'taan/Tucker/Evinrude: =/\= Response =/\= (Optional tags, if you're using the comm channel)

Esot: =/\= I am working on it, I assure you. =/\=

Kessler: =/\= I'll start working on the weld then. =/\=

As Jack turned to move to the south wall his eyes caught a faint green glow to his left. He moved to the debris and kneeled, pushed a rock fragment away and picked up the missing power cell and squeezed it in his hand as if to say, I got you. He stood and moved quickly over to Evinrude and Tucker. Smiling he extended his hand and dropped the power cell in the junior officers hand, nodded and without saying a word turned and started towards the southern wall and the hatch that had been welded shut.

Tucker/Evinrude: Response

Esot: =/\= Ensign Esot to Commander Tucker. I am currently working on securing our escape route - how go the repairs? =/\=

Stopping at the hatch, Jack started scanning the weld for the best angle to cut through it the fastest. The scan only took a moment but the cut would take about four minutes. A relative:: short amount of time given the size of the actual welded area on the door but to Jack that was an eternity that his attention would be focused directly on this hatch and not the whole the trio had come through. An entrance that a Tholian could exploit while the three of them were otherwise occupied with other tasks.

Kessler: ::changing his phaser settings:: =/\= Cutting through the weld now. ETA, four minutes. =/\=

Zh'taan/Tucker/Evinrude: =/\= Response =/\= (Optional)

Shortrith: =/\= We've got a plan, at least, courtesy of Ensign Esot. =/\=

Jack remained focused on the hatch and cutting his way through the weld. So far, everything was moving as expected. He glanced to his wrist tricorder a few times, having set the scan mode to focus on movement around the hole behind him. Again he felt a bit of relief as the unit reported no movement. Maybe the Tholians were not interested in what they were doing. Or maybe the Tholians had other plans that lay ahead of them, or even just beyond this hatch. Jack swallowed a little harder at that second thought. Tholians ont he other side of this hatch would not , in any way, be good for the team.

Kessler: =/\= Two minutes and I am through. =/\=

Esot: =/\= I can complete my work once we're back on the shuttle. Or I can complete it here from this console, if need be. =/\=

Tucker/Evinrude/Zh'taan: Response

Shortrith: =/\= Just keep in mind that the crawlspace can be damaged easily, even blaster fire can break through. =/\=

Jack looked up to the ceiling as if he was looking directly to Shortrith through the levels between them. A saracastic thought rolled through his head but not out of his mouth. 

Kessler: =/\= Let's just make sure the Tholians get that memo as well. ::beat:: almost there. Ready gents?

Esot/Tucker/Evinrude/Zh'taan: Response

Shortrith: =/\= By an estimate, the crawlspace should be approximately 100 metres. From your location, it should be a five minute crawl. =/\=

As Jack's phaser cut through the last few millimeters of weld, the hatch gave a crackling snap as it lurched open. Esot had released the locks and the pressure of the mechanism trying to open against the weld helped finish the job. Jack swung the hatch open, phaser held high and ready to defend against hostiles. Thankfully from his view, nothing stood between his and the path to their escape. He turned to Tucker and Evinrude with a slight smile on his face.

Kessler: Hatch is open and the coast is clear. Let's get out of here.

Esot/Tucker/Evinrude/Zh'taan: Response

Shortrith: =/\= It's up to you, Sir. =/\=

As Tucker and Evinrude joined him, Jack took up the lead, phaser at ready and began moving into the maintenance shaft towards the crawl space Shortrith had mentioned to them. The shaft narrowed until it came to a junction, the crawl way he suspected. It broke off to his left, right, or a ladder leading up or down. Jack leaned over and looked down. Blackness, as black as black gets. Looking left and then right, again nothing but blackness. Lights must come on automatically he assumed as the section they were in was lit up. Looking up the ladder, blackness again looked back at him. oO Always love heading into the unknown. That;s why we're here right? Oo

Kessler: ::grabbing the rung and starting up:: Ok, up we go. Tess, set your tricorder to scan for movement behind us please. The radiation is limiting my scanning distance.

Tucker/Evinrude/Shortrith/Esot/Zh'taan: Response

As he began his climb to the next level, lights in the crawl way did flicker on. Oddly enough the lights further above them did as well. Jack paused and looked up as high as he could see but saw nothing that should have triggered the lights further up the ladder but his gut started to sink in a way that normally meant he was not going to like the next few moments.

Kessler: Guys, we need to get moving, I think we have company headed our way.

Jack began climbing faster but not looking back down, instead he kept his eyes vigilantly trained on what potentially lay above them just out of sight.

Tucker/Evinrude/Shortrith/Esot/Zh'taan: Response

They reached the next level and Jack did a quick scan of each of the connecting crawl spaces and then rolled off into the one that would lead them towards the escape tunnel. He held his position as Tucker and Evinrude moved past him and then he leaned over looking back up the ladder and then down. He jerked his head back in and looked at Tucker.

Kessler: Tholians approaching from above and below. Go, go....I have the rear. ::taping his coms:: =/\= Shortrith, I hope you have that transporter working. We're about to have unwanted company and I can't set this explosive off in here without killing us too. =/\=

Tucker/Evinrude/Shortrith/Esot/Zh'taan: Response

[Tags/TBC]

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Lieutenant Jack Kessler

Chief Tactical/Security Officer

USS Ronin

T239901JK1