Carpathia IV: Episode 13 - Collecting Gas
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
Adell exited his ready room and strode across the bridge to his chair. After having a seat, he gave his display a quick look and then scanned the area outside of the forward windows and watched the Sunstone Nebula sparkle in the distance.
Adell: Status.
Expecting the order, Aire responded instantly.
Aire: We're holding position outside the nebula. Nalma is coordinating with Minnie in scanning a route for us to follow to collect the gas samples.
Adell tapped at his console while Aire spoke, casting glances his way to make sure Aire know he was listening.
Adell: Very good. Bugs, how's it coming so far?
Nalma answered without looking up from his console.
Nalma: Nearly done. This will be just a preliminary trajectory. We'll probably end up adjusting our course several times once we get inside where we can get better scans.
An image of the nebula appeared on the main viewer with a squiggly white line going through it.
Nalma: This is the tentative route we have planned so far. We should take it slow. If we go too fast and disturb the nebula too much, the quantities and types of gas may change at the collection points.
Adell: In that case, let's begin at the beginning and go from there. Coordinate the course with the helm and let's get started.
Nalma: Yes, Captain. Sending course details to helm.
A short time passed while Nalma readied the information for the helm.
Teek: Course received, Captain. Ready when you are.
Teek placed his hand on the throttle and awaited orders.
Adell: Full thrusters to the outer edges of the nebula, and then pull back to one quarter.
Teek pressed hard on the throttle lever and the ship lurched into motion, not in a way that anyone felt, but was evident by how quickly and suddenly the nebula began to grow in the forward windows.
Adell: Easy, Teek. This isn't a race.
Adell rose from his chair and walked to Kit's station, where he placed his hand on the back of Kit's chair and leaned in close.
Adell: Kit, you can go down to engineering now and coordinate communications between Minnie and the bridge.
Kit: Yes, Captain.
Adell stepped back, allowing Kit to slide out of his chair while Teek cast a narrowed side-eye in his direction and grumbled audibly. Kit heard and paused for a moment until Adell patted him on the shoulder for him to move along.
Adell: Mind your station, Ensign.
Teek hastily turned back toward the helm while Kit made his way toward the lift.
Down in engineering, in a section off to the side of the main engines, Quenya pushed a cart full of empty canisters. Though it was tedious busywork, Quenya didn't expect anything better, being a lowly cadet. It made her happy enough just to be near the engines and near all of the things near the engines.
Hoofing it through the corridors, Quenya already learned that when Minnie wanted something, she wanted it right away and this made it essential to learn the layout of the engineering decks quickly. Soon, she arrived at her destination and found the situation exactly as she had left it. Two of the crew, wearing protective gear, were at the far end of the room filling canisters with gas from the nebula and loading them onto another cart, which Quenya would eventually take to storage before returning with another load of empties. Amenaru closely watched a console, making sure that key systems were functioning as they should. Kit stood by at a communications terminal, ready to relay any information to the bridge and Minnie supervised, closely monitoring her tablet.
Quenya: Chief, I have another load of canisters.
Without looking up from her tablet, Minnie cocked her head to the side, vaguely pointing in the direction she should go, near the two crew members who were working the gas line.
Minnie: Over there. Wait here and then take the cart of full canisters to storage when it's done.
Quenya did as she was told, pushing the cart to the crew members. One of them, Specialist Ikari, briefly looked up and muttered a barely-audible "thank you" before returning to work. Quenya did not take this as an affront, for she knew they were busy, and she backed away toward Minnie to observe.
Minnie: Kit, contact the bridge and tell them to slow down! We're off course again and we can't keep up this pace.
Kit: Yes, Chief.
Kit leaned into the comm and tapped on the control pad.
Kit: Bridge, engineering says we're off course. Requests lower speed.
Aire's voice replied through the speaker.
Aire: Acknowledged.
Immediately thereafter, before Aire closed the comm, Quenya felt that what they clearly heard next was not meant to be heard.
Aire: Teek, you're relieved.
Quenya didn't have much time to consider what had just happened on the bridge before Minnie spoke again.
Minnie: We have to be careful not to contaminate our samples.
Minnie returned her attention to her tablet, continuing to monitor the ship's course and speed while Quenya waited for the canister cart.
Minnie: The Commander let me hear that Teek was relieved on purpose, you know. He was letting me know that he was handling the situation.
Quenya suddenly jolted to attention in the middle of Minnie's first sentence. She was still not used to Minnie's habit of dispensing wisdom at seemingly random moments and they always caught her off-guard. This always left Quenya struggling for a dignified response, but she never seemed to succeed in coming up with one instantaneously.
Quenya: Oh, I see!
Unfortunately, a warning tone sounded from Amenaru's station, breaking the routine.
Amenaru: We need to stop everything now! I'm reading a lot of sudden pressure fluctuations!
Minnie lowered her tablet right away, but before she had a chance to bark out any orders, the pipe from which the two crew were dispensing gas into the canisters ruptured directly into their faces. Specialist Ikari took the full force of the blast and tumbled backward, crying out in pain, the gas quickly cutting through the protective gear he was wearing. From there, a brief chaos reigned, with many things happening at once.
Kit hit the comm button again.
Kit: Medical emergency in engineering! Medical emergency!
At the same time, Minnie dropped her tablet and darted toward the most injured crew member, who was still staggering backward toward her.
Minnie: Everybody out! Move! Move!
Quenya didn't have to be told twice, and she darted toward the exit, followed closely by Kit, Amenaru, and Lieutenant Sokari, who was helping fill the gas canisters. Minnie followed shortly after with the arm of Specialist Ikari around her neck. As soon as she was out of the room, she shouted her next order while gently laying Ikari down on the floor.
Minnie: Close the emergency doors! Seal off that section!
It was an order that needn't be given, for Amenaru was already doing just that as soon as Minnie made it out. As the emergency door closed, Quenya took her first good look at the injured specialist and immediately wished she hadn't. His face was burned severely and twisted in agony, particularly around the area of his left eye, where the skin seemed to be gone completely. Quenya looked away while Minnie attempted to comfort her subordinate.
Minnie: Hang in there. Medical is coming.
With that, Sorchae and a team of nurses barrelled through the door and immediately identified Ikari as the top priority and swarmed him. Quickly, they set about examining the patient after Sorchae shooed Minnie away.
Sorchae: Stand back. We have him.
Quenya watched what she thought looked like frantic, organized chaos. Sorchae and the nurses buzzed around Ikari popping open their cases, waving devices around, and pushing engineering equipment out of the way. Unlike everywhere else on the ship, when Sorchae gave orders, there was no other reply except to just do.
Sorchae: Severe chemical burns. Start a saline injector.
The nurse, a very handsome, sturdy, raven-haired fellow was already pulling the necessary items from his case, clearly having anticipated Sorchae's order. Sorchae put her device down and put her ear next to the crewmember's mouth.
Sorchae: Tamati, prepare a breathing tube.
The sturdy fellow did as he was told as Sorchae stood and marched toward Minnie. At the same time, another team of nurses burst through the door with stretchers.
Sorchae: Minnie, it will help if we know what hit him.
Minnie: I don't know. This wasn't part of the plan.
Sorchae: Find that information and send it up to me as soon as you have it.
Minnie: Yes, ma'am.
Though Quenya understood Sorchae's urgent bluntness and Minnie's deference, she still found it very strange to see Minnie spoken to in such a way. By the time Quenya looked to the nurse swarm again, she was surprised to see Specialist Ikari already being loaded onto a stretcher. Sorchae was already rushing back to her patient shouting back at Minnie along the way.
Sorchae: Anyone else?
Minnie: Ramei should go. He didn't get the full force of the blast, but he was right there.
Sorchae looked Ramei dead in the eye and snapped her fingers before pointing at the other stretcher, making it quite clear in an instant what she wanted Ramei to do and that it was not a request. Ramei nodded as two nurses prepared the second stretcher and a third collected Ramei. Sorchae then gave one final order to Tamati.
Sorchae: Stay here and treat the others. Minnie has some minor burns.
Sorchae and the other nurses, minus Tamati, scooted out the door. Though the entire affair only lasted a few minutes, Quenya found the sudden return to silence in engineering quite jarring. Tamati gathered the contents of his case and made his way to Minnie first and began scanning.
Tamati: Minor surface irritation and blistering on your hands. Any trouble breathing?
Tamati began swabbing Minnie's hands while he awaited an answer.
Minnie: I don't think so, but I haven't really had a chance to consider that.
Tamati: That's good. I'm going to send down inhalers for all of you just in case. I want you to use them three times a day for the next two weeks. If you notice any problems, come to sick bay immediately. I'll also get some ointment for you.
Until now, Quenya hadn't considered that anything was wrong with her, but Tamati's comment that he was sending inhalers down for all of them made her consider the possibility. Instinctively, she looked down at her hands and, discovering redness and at least two blisters forming, began to panic.
Quenya: Ack! It's... I didn't even notice!
Tamati took that as a cue as to his next patient and rushed to Quenya.
Tamati: Same as Minnie, but more minor.
Tamati pulled another swab from his case and held it up for Quenya to see clearly.
Tamati: Don't worry. It won't hurt. It'll make your hands feel nice and cool.
Quenya held out her hands and Tamati took them gently into his. As he swabbed gently, surely, Quenya thought, also noticing that she was trembling. Tamati kneeled so that he could be closer to eye-level with her.
Tamati: You must be one of our new cadets. That must have been quite a scare for you.
Quenya gave Tamati a jerky, nervous nod, to which Tamati responded with a shiny, toothy grin.
Tamati: Not to worry. Soon, you'll be a jaded grumpypants just like Minnie over there.
Quenya cast a quick, furtive glance in Minnie's direction. Either she didn't hear what Tamati said or she was pretending like she didn't. Quenya allowed herself a surreptitious giggle. Tamati now directed his attention to Amenaru and Kit, but first addressed all four of them.
Tamati: As soon as I'm done, I want all of you to strip off all your clothes and hit the showers. Scrub yourselves very thoroughly. I'll have your ointments and inhalers ready by the time you're done. I will also take away your contaminated uniforms, so please do not touch them again.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
All city pictures from SimCity 4
