Heart of Stone

Posted on Tuesday 20 October 2020 @ 14:07 by Captain Melody Jones & Major David Scarlet

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: Airlock 3
Timeline: MD6 1200
1208 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Since this was his idea, Ensign Killian wanted to see exactly the state of the hull. He had put on his EVA suit and was now waiting for the security detail and science officer to join him in the airlock.

Mathias showed up next, outfitted in his EVA suit, "Greetings, Ensign Killian, this should prove to be rather informative. I am looking forward to getting some samples of the covering on the ship. Perhaps, depending on the substance is made of, we can find something that will dissolve it." he once more looked at his 'tool kit' to make certain he had what he needed.

Killian really didn't like zero gravity. But he also didn't like not being where the action was. He wished he could have gone on the away mission, but sitting at ops on the bridge was the next best thing. He had brought his engineering kit with him including an old fashion chisel. He looked between McPhee and Scarlett. "Shall we?" He accessed the controls and subconsciously held his breath.

There was a slight wooshing as the last bit of remaining air was blown out the airlock around them. The planet loomed before them and seemed to take up the entire view from this side of the ship. It was blue and beautiful. And right now, putting the ship and crew in danger.

Scarlet steadied his breathing and checked the gauges and readouts to confirm the suit was operating correctly. He looked over at Killian and adjusted his grip on the phaser rifle. "Ready when you are."

"This is positively breathtaking!" Mathias remarked as he moved to get out upon the hull of the ship. "Greetings Merlin, its a pleasure to meet you." he said quietly. "We probably should go to a torpedo tube and start clearing away this substance from the opening. Also, I'll run a scan on it as well. " moving towards the nearest torpedo tube. "I am not certain if this substance will try to cover us, if we land on it, so be careful, matter of fact." he stopped near a patch of said substance, and reached out a tool to test his question out. "Lets see if it responds"

Killian produced a tricorder and started scanning the substance. "This stuff is..... I'm not really sure." He produced his chisel and brought it down hard. The chisel shattered into a thousand pieces. "Damn! I really liked that chisel too!"

Mathias looked over to where Killian was at. "Sorry you lost your tool, but that in itself makes me wonder if the hardness is stronger than a diamond." running his own tricorder over it. He then took out a small laser to be used to try to get a sample of the substance. "Wonder if this will work." he said quietly.

Killian watched the pieces of his chisel float away, then he noticed that he couldn't lift his foot. Looking down, he noticed that the stone substance was starting to creep around the edges of his foot. He pulled a bit harder and his foot came up. He set it down and called out "Don't leave your feet still for too long, this stuff is growing over them."

Scarlet checked his own footing and adjusted it slightly. He watched as Mathias began working with the small laser and sighed. He recalibrated the phase rifle he was holding to a more intense and focused beam. "Sir, I can try my rifle if you have no luck with the laser."

As if sensing what was about to happen, the stone on the hull moved! It bulged and dipped like it had a life of its own. Killian suddenly found himself rising as if on the crest of a wave. "Oh crap! " His maglock boots suddenly disengaged and he was now floating free of the hull. He held out his hand, hoping one of the others would grab him. "A little help!" He called out, trying to remain calm.

"Scarlet, blast the thing!" Mathias growled out as he turned to grab hold of Killian with one hand, dropping his small laser and his other hand going towards his utility belt. He was thinking that they might have to tether themselves together to not get lost. "See if a piece of it comes off!"

To Killian, "Activate your propulsion unit. Matter of fact we may have to all do so, to keep that monstrosity from enveloping us."

Scarlet wasted no time in firing at the living rock. Tracing a line across it with the focused beam like a surgeon with a scalpel. He gritted his teeth and gave a cursory glance to make sure that Killian was taken care of before reverting his gaze back to the target.

Killian activated his thruster pack which stopped his momentum and slowly he returned to the hull. "I don't know about you guys" he said when he had slowed his breathing "But I'm getting the feeling this stuff is more than just stone. I think we should hurry up and get out of here."

Instead off damaging the stone growth, Scarlet's fire was absorbed by the substance which seemed to feed off of it, growing faster and faster.

Killian called out "STOP! It's feeding off the energy!" He confirmed aiming his tricorder at the spot.

Scarlet quickly disengaged the phaser beam and swore under his breath.

"Feeding off the energy. Then it looks like we'll have to do something different. "Mathias stated. "I agree with you, Killian, we need to get back inside and I have an idea that might stop its growth. Might have to do something with some antimatter to clean this off. Or even something acidic. Something to rebuff it .No wonder the ship is losing energy, its sucking at the energy source, maybe need to make the energy not so tasty. Gentlemen let's see if we can get back inside. " He waited for the other two to head towards the airlock, and followed after them.

Once they were all back inside, Killian activated the airlock and watched as the door slid shut. "Remind me again why I signed up for this?" He asked rhetorically as they waited for the airlock to pressurize."

Mathias chuckled, making a quip, "for the excitement, the danger!" when the airlock opened up and they stepped inside the ship, Mathias asked, "Who is the engineer? I wonder if we could send out an antimatter pulse to get that living stone off the ship. Perhaps the engineer and I can come up with something to that effect. And Killian we'll need the readings you took on the hull and that... un-natural substance."

Scarlet was mostly silent as the two talked. His own thoughts going back to his own training and methodologies. Maybe something not energy based could do it. He looked up as the two discussed engineering. "That would be Lt. Rathburn. I'll escort you to Engineering to meet with her."

"Lead the way then, Scarlet. Killian, shall we?" as Mathias followed after Scarlet.

Killian wagged his tricorder in the air. "Got the readings right here. We can download them into the engineering database. Just let me get out of this EV suit and I'll be right with you."


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