Help Us! - Part 2

Posted on Tue Nov 22nd, 2022 @ 5:24am by Lieutenant JG Heather De La Rosa {Kelea-Salik} & Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik} & Captain Samuel Woolheater & Gunnery Sergeant Luxa Gami [Naxea] & Crewman Adelaide Kirkby

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: Decks 23, 32 & 33
Timeline: MD03 - 0245
3001 words - 6 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

DECK THIRTY-THREE

Woolheater took a position where he had a clean shot to the primary power junction feeding the emergency forcefields holding back the vacuum of space. With Elysium damaged, it was only a matter of time before this area would fail. And Sam did not want deck thirty-three to explode and take out marine country. He called over the SAR short-range radio, "Gunny! Let me know when you are in position for the secondary power system. We have to do this together before the system can reinitialize or re-route power to the emergency force fields."

"I'm getting there now," Gami replied as she crossed a fallen support beam. Twenty-Two meters in front of her was the secondary junction as she took aim. "Ready."

Sam heard GSgt. Gami on the emergency SAR comm unit. He replied back, even though he knew someone as experienced as Gami would already know this. "Remember, if this works, the forcefields will collapse and everything that's not bolted down will vent out into space. Magnetize your boots and hold on! We fire on the count of three!" Sam magnetized his boots and wrapped the rifle strap around his shoulder and right arm. He took aim and said, "One..."

Gami magnetized her boots as she took aim and kneeled in order to better prepare for the sudden vacuum. "Two..."

The deuterium started to glow white hot, the antimatter magnetic suspension capsules batteries started flashing double-time red, meaning that they were in danger of failing, the forcefield, buzzed and crackled. Sam held that shot, lining it up perfectly. All of that marksman and sniper training, all of the practice and all of the long hours and days being a sniper came to bear. His finger on the rifle trigger, through the helmet he sighted to primary power relay, a small shoebox sized metal shape at the high part of the storage bay. It was hard to see in the dancing light from the forcefield that was holding everything together. Sam gently squeezed the trigger.

"Three!"

Upon hearing the third count, Gami applied more back pressure onto the trigger, discharging her rifle. Simultaneously, the shots hit their marks as the fields collapsed. The sudden violent vacuum of space sucked out anything not tied down. A warning suddenly flared in Gami's helment visor that her mag boots were losing integrity. 'What the hell?' she thought. 'That shouldn't happen..' was her last thought as the vacuum suddenly and violently pulled her towards the gaping hull breach and into space as well as the deuterium tank. While it was true the Assault Armor could allow limited exposure to space, it would be her end with the ship in it's sorry state and no mag boots. "Shit!" She was about to accept her fate when the forcefields reengaged as she slammed against it hard and falling several feet to the deck. Gami laid on the deck motionless, collecting herself on what just happened.

Everything rushed out into the void. It was like being pushed and pulled at the same time. Debris, crates, bolts, metal shards and all manner of debris flew out the gaping hole into the void. Sam saw what was happening to Gami and screamed, "Nooooo!!" but there was nothing he could do but watch in horror. Gami would be sucked out into the void and there would be no way of getting her back. At the last moment, the emergency forcefield reengaged and she hit the field and then the deck. Sam was on his feet, he rushed over to her, kneeling down and looking her over and then remembering to activate the combat tricrorder and scan her, "Gunny! Are you OK? Gunny! Can you hear me?" Sam hit the helmet release and his helmet retracted away to reveal a very concerned face. "Sergeant!" he asked again and tried to read the tricorder.

"Sir, please stop yelling," Gami grunted. Her entire body hurt as she stirred and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She was thankful that her armor protected her from the majority of the impact. "I think I'm ok," she said through labored breaths.

"Oh good...you're alive!" he said and sat back on his rump, breathing a deep breath. "Well done Gunny. Well. Done." And he was glad that part was over. Outside, the antimatter containment capsules gradually floated away. So did the deuterium, now that it was no longer hot and in no danger of exploding.

"I need a drink," she shook her head as she slowly got to her feet, being careful as she put weight on her legs to make sure they wouldn't give out. She took a small step and was able to stay upright as she looked out at the gaping hole where she had almost been sucked out of.

Sam got to his feet and shouldered his rifle, "You came pretty close to dying. If the forcefield hadn't kicked in; it'd be your ass floating out amongst the anti-matter and deuterium" he said looking at the gaping hole too.

"Just another day in the Corps," Gami chuckled. "Besides, sir. My ass looks far better in gravity."

Sam had to agree with both statements. Although it would be inappropriate for him to agree with her in the latter. He said for the first part, "Just another day in the corps. Yut!" And for the latter he did so with an eyebrow raise and a nod of his head, "Heard that." He looked around at the now empty cargo hold. "Well, I think our work here is done?" he said in a lighthearted tone. The deck was in shambles, antimatter was free floating in the void of space and deuterium, not exactly found at every corner of the galaxy, was also in free fall. Not to mention the gaping hole, the blasted out primary and secondary field generators, a pried off door panel and a generally destroyed deck thirty-three was a mess. But he needed a laugh to deal with the stress. He mockingly dusted his hands off by clapping them together and said, "Tell you this much Sergeant; when we put out a fire we also do the dusting ay?"

"I'd have to agree with you there, sir," she replied, grinning. She knew there would still be a lot of work to be done, which meant the day was still young for her.





DECK THIRTY-TWO

Adelaide Kirkby, seeing an opportunity rushed over to the marine medical bay when she saw Captain Charles and Emily head into it. She stood at the doorway, "Is there anything I can to do to help?" she asked.

“Do you have medical training?” Emily looked at Adelaide, right now she could use all the help she could get. “I’m not afraid to say that I wish Sthilg was here!”

"Yes, I know what you mean. I wish he was here too right now. But he's not.
And you are the best chance your brother has right now. I took the basic first aid course and I got 100 on my final exam. Oh. And I also saw a video on obstructed airways on late night holovid." Adele looked at Emily, "If you have another way o help him I'm all ears Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles. I may not be an expert but I am willing and I learn quick."

Emily nodded. She knew if she left it too long that swelling around George’s spinal cord would cause permanent damage. “Right...then we do this. There’s no power for a sterile field so we’ll need to make sure we keep everything as clean as possible.”

"Yes, I understand. Emily? I know we have some isopropyl alcohol. It's in the armory. They, marines, use it to clean the carbon scoring from the phaser rifles. Wouldn't that work on surgical tools?" Adele asked. She knew where to go to get the bottles of alcohol.

Emily nodded. “That’s a good idea Adelaide, it’ll keep the risk of infection down.” She offered an encouraging smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Adele smiled, "I'm glad you're here Chief. I know right where it is. I work here. I'll be right back." She disappeared out of the marine medical bay and returned three minutes later with four bottles of isopropyl alcohol and SFMC gym towels. "These are clean. Not sterile but clean. OK. Are we ready?"

Emily nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Setting up the area around where George was took a few minutes but once it was ready she took a deep breath. “Okay...let’s do this. I need you to monitor George’s vitals, and pass my the equipment I need. Hopefully the damage won’t be too severe.”

It took an hour but eventually Emily sealed the open surgical wound in George’s back. A tray lay near her where small fragments of damaged bone lay, removed from where they’d been shattered. Damaged spinal sections had been knitted back together using the bone knitter, and some of the major swelling had been reduced, but her brother had a long way to go in his recovery. She wasn’t sure what else she could do.

“That’s all I can do for now” She looked at Adelaide. “I’ll keep him artificially paralysed for now, stop any sudden movements that might cause further injury.”

Adele felt like she hadn't been much help. She kept the medical tools sterilized and she kept them organized. She learned their names as quick as she could. It was hard, harrowing work. What could she say? "I know that you did everything you could do under these circumstances. None of this is ideal. None of this should be happening. He's stable and he will survive. Tell you what? Get yourself something to drink? Maybe a bite to eat? I'll stand watch until you get back? You need a break? Take it while you can? He's going to need to lean on your strength."

Emily nodded. She had to admit she was tired, she was also pretty stressed at having to operate on her own twin brother. “Thank you Adelaide, I appreciate the help.” She looked towards George. “I just hope I’ve done enough!” With that she headed to get herself something small from the emergency rations.

Adele nodded and watched her go. She looked down at George and was glad that he was still unconscious. She cleaned up a bit. Making sure she didn't wake him and adjusting the mobile biobed instruments to monitor his lifesigns. Emily had showed her what they needed to track. It was then that she fully realized how bad things were. She looked out into the rest of deck thirty-two and a wave of anxiety threatened to enter her thoughts.

Emily headed into the nearest doctor’s office, the room was a mess but at least there was an available small couch she could curl up on. Sitting down she curled up in a ball on her side, tears freely flowing for George, and for everyone else. She would have to be strong for Hendor, with no news on Leilani she had to be mother to her nephew for now. She cried until she drifted off, but her dreams were full of her fears, the biggest of which was being without George.

oO Harper!! Oo Emily thought as she sat bolt upright. oO Where is Harper!? I can’t lose Harper! Oo she got to her feet. “Adelaide! Was there any news on the civilians? I need to know what’s happened to Harper O’Leary!”

Adele heard Emily startle awake and came to the medical office quickly, "Emily? Some civilians yes. We shouldn't leave George. I'll stay. Go out this door. Turn left and go to the first hallway and turn right. There is the marine mess. They have a whiteboard with everyone's name on it who is here. If your friend is here, she will be on that list."

Emily nodded. “I can’t go there now, we have wounded here that need us.” She motioned to injured marines who were busy trying to help each other. “They have to come first, how are you with triage?”

She turned to look at what Emily was looking at. Just arriving were three marines being helped into the medical office. They looked like they had been injured. Holding their side, or their arm or being carried in. "Today I will be whatever is needed. I've got basic training and a merit badge from girls junior campers club of Southern Costa Rica." Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood she said, "I also have two brothers and have been medic and referee - if that counts?"

Emily grinned. “That most definitely counts!” She gave George another look before nodding towards the arrivals. “Let’s go take care of our patients.”


DECK TWENTY-THREE (STARDRIVE)

In secondary medical Heather was doing her best to get the area decluttered and organised, at the moment patients were few, due to the damage to the ship, but she had no doubt that would soon change once the marines got to more people.

Cody was safely with her, but she couldn’t help but wonder about Fernando. She could still feel him, which in itself was a blessing but she also felt he was in pain. She couldn’t dwell on it or she’d go to pieces, so taking a deep breath she carried on. Medical supplies would also have to be inventoried to see what was available, and what wasn’t.

Elysium made a ghastly sound. Like that of a banshee out on the moor late at night. No doubt certain sections of the ship were suffering structural fatigue. The echo of that sound was haunting. As if the ship itself cried out in pain and then was suddenly silenced. Something awful had happened.

Heather shuddered at the sound, she wasn’t sure what had happened but it certainly didn’t sound good. The ship was so badly damaged she didn’t know if they’d ever get home.

A few persons came staggering in. They were civilians who had been burned by getting caught in an emergency forcefield. It wasn't pretty. One was a marine who suffered a broken arm when she fell in the turbolift.

Heather kept her head, she had to, first things first she needed to treat those with burns. Grabbing some pain meds she offered a quick burst of pain meds for the marine with the broken arm, promising she’d be back as soon as she could. Turning her attention to the civilians she set about doing what she could for them, wishing she had more medically trained people available to help.

Of the burns, there was one burn that was caused by a fire. It was on the hands, forearms and feet of a civilian computer technician. She was still in her night clothes. The other burn was from a forcefield. That was the upper torso and upper arms of a marine. Another marine helped pry the body armor loose that saved the guy's life. It was burnt to a crisp, but the marine was not. These were more like electrical burns. One of the rescuers gave this report, "We were trying to get into deck 27, Engineering level one or level three. The emergency forcefield dropped on the door an it sounded like it unbolted. Power was still off but we thought that maybe the isolation protocol was being stood down. We were wrong, Manny stepped into the doorway to push the bulkhead back and the stupid field reengaged. We had to use a fallen beam to get him out of the field. And then we heard secondary medical was open. We came here."

Heather nodded. “Right...I can’t do everyone at the same time so I’m going to need help from someone who can follow directions to the letter. That way we can treat the burn patients at the same time. Time is something that is very much of the essence here.”

"just tell us what you need done and we will do it. We've all had basic first-aid. Are you the only medical professional here De La Rosa?" one person inquired.

Heather nodded. “At the moment, we’re stretched pretty thin.” She looked around. I have to treat the worst of the burns, I need someone to treat our other burns patient, and someone who can set a broken arm.” She hoped they’d be able to manage. “I could also use a second set of hands with this patient, these burns are horrifically severe, and we don’t have any power for a sterile field.”

The marines didn't hesitate and nearly in unison they said, "Show me." The highest ranking marine of that SAR team was a Corporal and she said, "Berryhill? You stay and help out here. The rest of you lot come with me. We need to keep searching and I need every marine I can get." She turned to Ltjg, De La Rosa, "It sounds like you have your hands full here. Where do you suggest we bring any more wounded if we are able to?"

“If it’s easier here bring them, but if you can reach primary or marine sickbay go there!” Heather smiled. “Good luck.”

"Copy that" Berryhill responded. He set his phaser rifle down nearby but out of the way and motioned for where to wash his hands. There was a portable sanitization station setup. With pump action gel and a battery powered mini sterilization field one could stick their hands into that would dry off the gel and evaporate it. He cleaned up and returned ready to work. He looked at his fallen comrade, "Hold on. We're going to fix you up bud."


[OFF:]