"44" Part 1

Posted on Sun Dec 11th, 2022 @ 7:48pm by Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: DECK THIRTY-TWO - MARINE COUNTRY - TACTICAL COMMAND CENTER
Timeline: MD03 - 0415 HOURS
1796 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

“Captain? It’s up now sir. Marine specific systems and some services are back online” the IT specialists said.

Inside the Marine Tactical Operations Center, the power came on. Captain Woolheater was talking with the other three platoon CO’s and they were getting a briefing about how to fulfill Captain Taylor’s orders. How they were going to get things fixed and get the crew to safety. Then the lights in the tactical center came on and the monitor screens came to life. The LCARS interface came online with a wonderful beeping sound. A cheer went up from many voices. And the IT guy got a lot of back clapping.

=A= Working…(beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep)…READY! =A=

The terminals lit up with the Starfleet logo and then the SFMC logo as the normal startup sequence began.

=A= Accessing Library Computer Data. This computer terminal provides full access to the LCARS computer net. It can be operated both by voice and keypad commands. =A=

Sam commented to 2nd Platoon CO Bryce, “Sergeant Gami got the backup power supplies online earlier. Once we had power, we could bring up the tactical command center.”

“Where is Gami now?” Bryce asked.

“She’s leading a SAR team to find another way into Engineering. We tried everything else by the book. Now, we somebody who can find another playbook to operate from. And that’s Luxa” Sam said.

Bryce cringed, “You do realize that she’s likely to just carve her way through the bulkheads using a phase canon…right?”

Sam looked over at him, “We have to get to Engineering and restart the ship…or whatever it is we have to do. If there’s a way in; she’ll find it.” Sam added, “Or she’ll make it.”

He motioned for the Platoon CO’s to gather around the canter table.

“Well done. Show me what’s working?” Sam asked as he stood by the specialist at the command center table. On it, were the standard LCARS interfaces. But it also could do a holographic display in 3D for a fuller view. “What do we have working?”

“Captain, marine country has emergency power backups which are now online. Once we got power to these systems, the linkages between our integrated system and that of the ship were offline. The main computer is still offline. But we have an independent processer. I have been trying to reroute and find if we have any routes to the main computer. We do not. The main computer has three primary cores and I can’t reach any of them. They could be damaged or completely wiped. I tried to reach the secondary systems, but we do not have access to them either. That just leaves us with the marine independent processor.”

Sam said, “OK. So what can we do? What’s working?”

“We have COMMS back, internal, just Marines. Shipwide requires the main computer or the backups both of which are still offline.”

“Internal sensors?” one of the other platoon commanders asked.

“For this deck only. It’s an independent system. But, before the…event…it was talking to the ship’s main computer. So, we have the records of what happened up until that point” the marine specialist said.

Sam said, “That will help us later. We’re past that point. What we need are internal sensors, damage control systems, ship’s status and navigation.”

The marine said, “None of that I can do here. It’s not interconnected any more. It’s damaged. We’re online. But as far as I can tell, nothing else is.”

“OK, what’s online?” Woolheater nodded.

“Mostly just this deck Captain. I have got replicators back online, the LCARS for what we have – its very marine specific; nothing is talking to any other part of the ship. I know how to get our stuff working. But I’m not an engineer nor a OPS person. I don’t know how to re-initialize any of the other ships systems.”

Another platoon commander said, “It’s something at least? Can we talk to the bridge or medical?”

Sam said, “He just said no. We’re online. Nobody else is at this point.”

The specialist added, “And…we’re on batteries. It’s a backup system, isolated from the rest of the ship in case of an emergency like this. However, catastrophic failure of the entire ship wasn’t in the specs. We never planned to have to run the whole ship from marine country.”

Sam nodded, “Copy that. Sergeant? Please got to the replicators and lock them down? I don’t want people to start replicating anything they want to their hearts desire – we’re not running a diner here. We must conserve the batteries for medical and for tactical and we should start now. All replicators, lock them down.”

The sergeant nodded and left, “Yut!”

Woolheater looked at the rest of the team. The lights from the table illuminated their faces, “It is what it is. It’s better than what we had. You did good. Let’s bring up the MSD, let’s go through what we know and mark it up.”

The three other platoon CO’s came around and they started working at the table and entering data into the computer to manually update the MSD and the damage control database. They used reports from SAR teams, and eyewitness accounts of the damage to the ship.

After a while, when the data had been entered, the real work could be started. Sam called in the rest of the platoon’s SAR team leaders and packed them into the office. On every monitor now was displayed the most accurate MSD of the ship that the marines knew about. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

Sam whistled and got their attention with a sharp, short whistle. “Listen up! Everyone. At this time, we think that this is the only deck on the entire ship that has backup power systems. So, marine country is online but we cannot talk to any other part of the ship. No computer access except for deck thirty-two. Marine medical is online and they have the medical database back online. That’s good. That means we can stat treating the wounded with better effectiveness and we have the sterile and quarantine fields back. Replicators…for now I want them to stay offline. If you need something replicated, talk to your CO and if there isn’t anything else that will do then OK. But I don’t want them used in general. Marine medical can use them however they want to replicate anything that the medics need.

Next up, we have Bridge contact and I have orders from Captain Taylor. They are trying to regain control of the ship, restore power, restore COMM’s and they are trying to get to the battle bridge and regain control of the ship from that location. We have been and will continue to SAR the ship. Sickbay, main medical is overloaded no surprises there. If you find injured on decks one through fifteen – you take those wounded to Sickbay. Decks sixteen through to thirty-seven you bring them here to marine medical. Yes, I know that secondary sickbay on twenty-three is open. They are quickly getting overloaded as well so let’s keep them clear for Security and the rest of the crew.

I see hands – hold those questions – let me finish.” Woolheater said as he tried to conduct the briefing, “As many of you already know, attempt to reach main engineering were not successful. Gunnery Sergeant Gami has taken a hand picked team to find another way into Engineering so we can get an accurate view of the damage to the ship. That leans me to these MSD’s on the viewscreens. Communications are working for marines only. Your COMM badge will work but you can only communicate with other marines. COMMS throughout the ship are still down. Remain calm. Do your jobs, you all are doing great. Watch out for each other and lets work the problem. I’ll take questions now.”

4th Platoon CO Weber was first to ask, “Where is Colonel Azhul or XOTonelly?”

Sam answered, “I don’t know. But if anybody sees them, please send them to me will you? I’d like to have a word.” To which some laughter was heard. “This is Colonel Azhul’s command. I have faith that the Colonel and the XO are safe. And I know that they want us to be the marines that they know we are. We will find them. Nothing has changed.”

Someone asked, “Where are we?”

“We don’t know that yet. Elysium has a lot of cracks and holes in her hull, so next time you’re at a window look and see if you recognize the stars?”

“What about below deck thirty-three?” another asked.

“After this briefing, we are going to find a way down. A plan is in the works. We have a pilot, he’s been severely injured. He can’t help us. But he did share with me that there are likely some marines from the air support group that need our help. Decks thirty-four to thirty-seven. I’m looking for a SAR team to go EVA and asses the situation. If you are interested and you have EVA skills that would help, then let your platoon CO know and they will let me know and we will put a team together.”

“Are we evacuating the ship?” another asked.

Sam shook his head, “Negative. Our mission is to search and rescue as many crew as we can. Notate the damage to the hip. Report back. Render help where it is needed and maintain order among the crew. And we are doing that, and we will continue to do that. The captain makes that call and she has not issued any directive or instructions to anyone to that effect. OK. No more talk. We have work to do. Get yourselves geared up, use your body armor and be aware of your surroundings. Take a look at the MSD and you can see that the ship is unstable. Damage is extensive and by now you know that things are likely to get worse before they get better.”

Sam paused and then said to the Master Sergeant, “Dismiss the company please?”

In a loud voice, “Company? DIS-missed” and the briefing ended. The platoon CO’s stayed at the table with Woolheater as they next planned an EVA to get to the lowest decks on the ship.


[OFF:]

Captain Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=