The engine room

Posted on Thursday 7 April 2022 @ 20:37 by Captain Melody Jones & Civilian Sansa Draxx-Jones & Commander Seklar & Lieutenant Ricardo Draxx

Mission: Disaster!
Location: Main engineering
Timeline: 06H00
1737 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Melody got the door to main engineering to open relatively easily. It was eerily quiet, the warp core that dominated the centre of the room was dark.

Melody went over to the master control monitor, working with determination to block out the pains in her stomach that now could not be anything else other than contractions.

"Let's see if we can get main power back on-line. Then we can see what kind of damage we're dealing with..... Hnnnnnn." she slammed her hand into the console "Boy I could go for a piece of apple crumble right now... But no time for that. I could use a hand here Mathias."

"I am right here, and once we get this done we'll get that apple crumble." he took out his tricorder to get a reading, "It looks like we are definitely going to have to reroute the energy pathways." Mathias moving to get a better look. "If I change the isolinear chips around." him kneeling down to take a look at them. "We will still have life support. The reroute the power being used for transporters, and lighting in some of the areas of the ships." moving the isolinear chips around then stepping to where he can change out the couplings and switching some of the cables around. "Oof! the coil needs to be realigned just a bit." he stated to Melody.

Melody managed a smile as she worked. "We still need to ascertain the state of the warp drive system. I'd feel a lot better if the Chief engineer was here. She let out a laugh which was cut short by a sharp intake of air as she grabbed hold of Mathias's arm and squeezed it... Hard!
"Also Mathias, I think we need to address the other.... elephant in the room." a flop sweat had broken out across her brow.

Mathias grimaced as Melody gripped his arm, she had quite strong hands. "I agree, lets get to the engineering office, don't want you to be out here exposed." He went to help her there until..

A lone and very exhausted and dusted looking Vulcan finally made it to engineering. The usually impeccably dressed chief engineer had taken hours to finally reach his destination, and along the way he'd been convinced to leave his children in the hands of someone else. It wasn't something he had preferred to do, but he did know engineering was no place for minors, even if he felt he had little choice. After all, the twins were the only family he had, really, and he had sworn to protect them at all cost. "What elephant?" he asked as he caught the last line - by seeing them spoken - just as he walked up.

Melody managed to laugh. "Ahhh, Commander! There you are! I'm glad you're here. We could use your expertise in ascertaining the damage to the ship. As for the elephant, it's a figure of speech. It means a controversial issue that is obviously present but is avoided as a subject for discussion. In this case, it's... Ahhhhhh!" Melody could not suppress a cry of pain. "It's the fact that my body has picked this very inconvenient moment to go into labour. You don't mind if we use your office for some privacy, do you?

He could definitely sense the captain's pain, and it wasn't something he hadn't been privy too before either. "Of course you may use the office," he offered, visibly wincing as another contraction seemed to rip through her body. "Are you saying that you are the proverbial elephant?" he queried as he moved to offer assistance. "I can help, if needed." It was a painful subject, but he had gone through this before, pretty much very recently.

"Right now Commander, the ship is your primary concern. We need a full damage report and critical systems restored." Melody managed to get out through clenched teeth. "I need you to take charge of the repair efforts until communications with the Admiral on the bridge can be established, the Lieutenant here will assist me in my... condition." She added, indicating Mathias as another contraction washed over her.

The Vulcan winced visibly at the contraction and it took him a few seconds to acknowledge the other. "I will," he finally said, "if you do need me grab one of the engineers to come get me, or have a telepath call me. I do not know when my hearing will return."

Melody looked at Mathias "I could use your assistance Mathias. I just wish that Draxx could be here."

Mathias looked at Seklar who didn't seem to be acknowledging too quickly. "Come along lets get you to the office then. Melody. He wrapped his arm around Melody's waist gently and went with her into the engineer's office. There he moved a few things around so that could be semi-comfortable. Semi being her having the contractions and them becoming even more prevalent. Mathias had a worried furrow in his brow, there was another pregnant woman he was worried about as well. Caroline, his love. "I do hope Caroline is alright." he murmured quietly to Melody. "And Draxx may well arrive rather soon. I hope he does anyway."

Seklar watched them go. "I will try to reroute the EMH as well," he promised.

Mathias looked back at Seklar. "Right now it isn't necessary, and it wasn't requested. Main thing to do is get the ship up and running. I've delivered babies myself, more than once. I am quite capable of taking care of this as well. Just concentrate on the other repairs that are needed, Commander." giving a brief encouraging smile.

Draxx was sweating as he continued to crawl through Jefferies tubes. He had to get to his wife or he was going to miss his boys being born. And no way after missing the birth and significantly accelerated growth of his first born, was that happening. "What floor are we on now?" he panted towards Madeline, the female who had found him after whatever had happened, had happened.

Madeline had to make a slight detour in order to get herself and Draxx to where they needed to go. She squinted at the plaque which had the level number they were on. She breathed a sigh of relief. After having had to make a detour around a blocked deck, she stated "Sir we are now on Deck 23 once we open that hatch we will be inside main engineering. I am sorry it took so long to get here, but that section we had to avoid going in there."

"Not at all," Draxx said firmly to the other person. "You got me here. And I am very appreciative. Come on lets get this last hatch opened.

Seklar nodded. "As I said, if you need me, send one of the engineers." He nodded towards a console some distance away. "I will be over there, trying to get an idea of the damage to the ship. As it seems now, the warp core is offline, and my first priority will be getting that back online." With a nod, he started to walk off, then looked over his shoulder. "Good luck ma'am," he told the captain, as he tried hard to not sense the pain she was in.

Draxx and a female staggered in. Sweaty and tired, crawling for what felt like hours the familiar sights of engineering flooded their senses. "Melody," Draxx yelled out. "Are you here?"

On hearing Draxx's voice, Melody called out "Yes we're in here." Melody visibly brightened at seeing him. "Draxx you made it. I'm so glad you're here, I was afraid you were going to miss all the action." She managed to get out before clenching her teach to battle through another contraction.

"Not this time. Not a chance," Draxx said firmly.

"It's just a shame Sansa won't be here too," Melody said as the pain passed.

Just then Sansa and Hamish came running in out from the corridor. Sansa was following the directions on her tricorder. "Mom! Are you ok? She rushed over to Melody's side.

Although happy to see her daughter, Melody was surprised "First Draxx and now you, do people just appear when I say their names?" Melody asked Mathias curiously.

Mathias gave a crooked smile, "Its a magical momentous occasion, Captain." He looked at how she was situated in a comfortable position. "Draxx, if you would, I'd like you to be helping her out. You help support her."

"We picked up your distress call and got here as fast as we could." Sansa added. "We also picked up an.... unexpected guest but she can wait."

Melody frowned, wondering who the unexpected guest could be but her train of thought was derailed by another massive contraction."Ahhhhh, That's a big one. Well, I'm just glad you're here." Melody said with a weak smile.

Mathias smiled when he saw Hamish and Sansa. "Yes, quite the momentous occasion. Glad the two of you could arrive. He looked in askance towards Hamish at the mention of the unexpected guest. Hamish mouthed towards him, "We'll talk later." Mathias gave a nod, "And now the real work begins." he turned to Melody, "Let's deliver two babies."

Melody let out a scream of pain before adding breathlessly. "The sooner the better."

Mathias looked with concern, then pulled out a hypospray putting in the right amount to give Melody a dose to tone down the pain, at just above the buttocks. "I have given you an epideral which will ease the pain of your contractions. You will still feel them but the pain will not be intense."

He placed the hypospray and there was a hiss and waited for it to take affect.

Hamish then remarked to Melody, "Do the breathing exercises.. Heeee heee hoooo heee heee hooo...."

"And don't forget to breathe." Mathias added.

TAG

OFF:

●●●● Captain Melody Jones
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Hamish Teague
Chief Science Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin


●●● Commander Seklar
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Ricardo Draxx
Assistant Operations Officer
USS Merlin