USS Grail: 'Havoc' - Storming Engineering: Part 2

by

Lt. Logan Castle & Lt (jg) Eve Mallory

NOTE: The technobabble in this post would not have been possible without Brian Johnson's Trek Tech-Talk for Windows.

<USS Indiana- Main Engineering>

"Decryption algorithms commencing.", Eve said calmly.

Logan Castle looked into Eves eyes and saw... He looked closely. He saw his reflection. And that was all. She was, to his mind, no longer Eve Mallory. She was... something else.

But, he was self-aware enough to realize, that to her, he must appear little different. To those with whom he had shared an intimate relationship, who have also shared a `professional' relationship, they have seen a distinct change in him, during times like these.

Athalya Anne Brinn had a name for it. She called it `the Switch'. For her, fighting and warring and loving were all passionate and natural extensions of who she was. There was no separation of her warrior self from her `off-duty' self. But she had seen in Logan a complete and total shutdown of his emotional responses in combat. To her, it had seemed that he had simply flicked a `switch', and became a warrior. Athalya Anne had considered that even scarier than her own perpetual `rage'. She explained; `You are always on your guard when I'm around, because it never `turns off'. But with you, it is easy to allow yourself to relax in your presence. Until `the Switch' is flicked.' Then, he remembered her saying, `...if you're unprepared for that `switch', you're screwed.'

Eves `Switch' was just a whole lot more literal, it seemed. He gave it no further thought. She was Eve. He admired her.

A phaser blast distracted his attention. A single Romulan was pinned down on the upper tier of the Engineering section. Dug in tight, he could not be reached without leaving cover. Didn't matter. As long as he was pinned down, he could do no damage.

Famous last words. The Romulan stood tall, exposing himself, like a man facing his execution. T'Arna stepped out just as proudly, in respect for his courage. The Romulan raised his disruptor. T'Arna raised her phaser rifle. She fired a second before the Romulan. But, both weapons discharged.

The Romulan was partially disintegrated by the blast, his legs falling forward, hitting the deck at Thorin Azure's feet. T'Arna was never at risk from the Romulan blast. She was not his target. He was aiming for the plasma coolant tanks. They shattered with an explosive blast.

Eve Mallory and Salazar Camponella were immediately engulfed in a geyser of plasma that quickly billowed out in a great cloud and were lost from view.

"EVERYBODY OUT!!!", Castle roared as he started toward the doors. He grabbed at an engineer weeping beneath a console. He literally dragged her by her uniform. Other engineers, hostages of their Romulan boarders, responded in a panic. The plasma spread with alarming speed. They hit the doors as they were opening.

Dimitri, Lo Pan, Charon, Azure, and T'Arna all dragged a stunned engineer, throwing the panicky techs through the doors before following.

"Hhhhhrrrrrrraaahhh!", Castle bit down on a roar as wisps of plasma steam sizzled his uniform and burned his arm and shoulder. Before the doors closed behind him, he turned to see the heavy plasma vapors settling low to the floor. There was not a single shred of organic life still visible. In fact, the only one still standing was Eve Mallory. Unperturbed, she continued to tap away at the decryption device.

Mallory glanced up when the plasma began to vent. She made no move to push Camponella out of the reach of the vapors, because it would have been futile. They moved faster than she did, and the effort would have been wasted. She ignored the cut-off scream and continued to work on the decryption.

The box pinged. [Decryption complete. Command functions released]

"Lock out Bridge controls, to be released on my voice activation. Authorization Mallory, five five seven alpha green eight four gamma nine two one kelp zero zero six one trout."

[lockout confirmed]

"Vent plasma from engineering and open doors when safe."

There was a soft hum, and the heavy vapors were sucked away into holes and vanished. Mallory turned back to the group clustered outside. She heard the clunk as the door seals were released.

Engineers poured into Engineering. Mallory looked at Castle as he approached with an engineer.

"I have locked out bridge control until such time as our forces re-take it." She said. "I would suggest that we expend our efforts to repair the damage in here. There is also a high probability that the Romulans may attempt to retake this area." She looked at the engineer, who she now saw had Lt (jg) pips. "How long until shields and weapons are restored?"

The engineer shrugged. "I'm not sure. We need to fix the magnascopic plasma converter first, and that could take a while."

"And if you didn't fix it?" Castle asked. "Can we move and use weapons without it?"

"Yeees," The engineer replied, "But you be risking a trans-plasmonic flux bubble in the warp chamber!"

"The odds against such a situation happening are high," Mallory stated flatly. "I suggest we get to work. At once."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jason

Lieutenant (jg) Eve Mallory

Chief Science Officer: USS Grail

argo@easynet.co.uk / ICQ Number: #4194684

"Great, she's a toaster oven. Can we go now?"

Alien Resurrection