Cmdr. Herrick: Underdressed
Mark P
((Deck 5, The Syren’s Song))
Vitor and Josh had split up from Alora and Saeihra to get the jump on whoever was branding an energy weapon following the argument they’d heard on the deck below. It wasn’t clear what was afoot, but they had a better chance coming at the problem from two angles.
Now the first officer was holding a makeshift weapon, a tube the science officer had freed from a maintenance panel. Whether it was a function of rank or something else, the first officer had been given the larger of the two, and now they were in front of a crawlway access.
Herrick: (climbing into the tube) It might be a good idea to get ourselves a touch of distance wherever we come out rather than literally dropping in on them.
Tito: Let’s see where these tubes lead.
Crawling on his knees, his counterpart picking up the rear, it was proving to be a challenge. Being in a dress, plus having to hold the makeshift weapon, meant that they’d be going slow and steady.
Where he knew the layout of the Vesta-class like the back of his hand, a habit he’d picked up since his Academy days, this ship was a bit more foreign. As they approached a fork, he looked back over his shoulder.
Herrick: Your thoughts?
Tito: Left and down would leave us inside. Maybe we keep going after turning so we get deeper in the room?
Josh nodded; they’d been unable to get into the locked room earlier.
Herrick: We’ll still need to override the security lockout.
As he turned left and continued on, his knuckles were taking a toll. Looking at them, they were bright pink from making repeated contact with the floor. Thankfully, it was only a few more paces from what seemed to be a visible hatch in the floor.
Tito: (whispering) We need to be fast once we open the hatch.
With another nod, he inched forward and arrived at the egress and accompanying panel. From past experience, he’d learned to never assume anything was actually locked until he tried. Depressing the control, he heard a flat tone echo back at him.
Herrick: Locked.
Tito: Response
It depended on just what security measures the cruiseliner had implemented. Though with how Alora had pried the previous panel open, perhaps this attempt would be more promising. With a small amount of effort, the cover came off, revealing the circuitry.
Herrick: Do you have something I can use to short-circuit this?
Tito: Response
Jamming it in, there was a crackle, a snap, and a pop, followed by an audible click as the latch unsealed. Thank the gods. It was now or never.
Herrick: I’ll enter first; you follow and try to get that door open.
Tito: Response
Prying open the hatch, he swung his legs down and then let gravity do the work. As he fell to the deck below, he heard the unfortunate sound of ripping fabric.
Landing on his two feet, he saw a very distraught individual in front of him, along with someone else. Both had a look of surprise, looking him up and down. Following their gaze, he realized that none of the dress had made it with him, and he was brandishing the pipe while in his ginch.
Herrick: Er… Exactly what’s going on here?
Tito/Strangers: Response
