Outside of Our Comfort Zone

Posted on Mon Nov 22nd, 2010 @ 1:06pm by Commander Michael Evans M.D. & Commander Fala Awen & Commander Earlond

Mission: Episode 1.3 - "The Time of Trial"
Location: Surface of an Asteroid
Timeline: MD02, 1530hrs

OFF: Backpost

ON: [[Aboard the Carnauba, somewhere on a large asteroid, MD02, 1530]]

"Mission Log, Lieutenant Commander Michael Evans reporting: We've crash landed on an asteroid somewhere enroute to Deep Space Four. None of the crew are engineers, but we have been able to determine that the warp field coil on the starboard side had a fault. Structural integrity of the Flyer is intact, mostly, but there's been some damage to other propulsion, navigation, and communications systems. Lieutenant Lexon (NPC) and I are going to attempt an EVA to replace the coil, while Revan (NPC) and R'Vark (NPC) remain inside to coordinate."

Michael pulled his boots on and checked the atmospheric buffer on his environmental suit. It had been a long time since he'd done any EVA work in space, and he was a little nervous.

"It's really not that bad," Drake said cheerfully as he pulled on his own environmental suit. "Look on the bright side - at least we're not under attack." Drake wondered if his words might be tempting fate, though, so he directed his thoughs elsewhere.

"I always feel a little giddy during EVA's. At least there's a fair amount of gravity on this asteroid. Must be pretty dense," Michael said, fastening his collar. "I always worry about floating away, ne'er to return."

"Well, sir, we know that can't happen," Drake said cheerfully as he finished the last seals and reached for his helmet. After a moment, he added, "It's very likely you'll return sometime in the future, perhaps after slowly freezing or suffocating."

Michael paused in his donning of gear. Wider of eye, he blinked at Drake.

Drake grinned and shook his head. "Don't worry, sir, that won't happen. There's more than enough gravity to keep us here." Pulling on his helmet, he secured the seal and stepped towards the airlock.

"Are you two ready?" R'Vark asked as he glanced back. It would be up to him and Nol to coordinate everything and do what they could from inside, though neither was entirely sure what they could accomplish. They'd had basic training in engineering principles, but nothing to prepare them for the kind of repairs that were needed.

Evans shook himself and stood. "As we'll ever be, I suppose," he said. He donned his helmet, checked the seal and suit systems, and stepped into the airlock.

Michael felt the slight pressure change in his environmental suit as the air was removed from the little alcove. As he stepped onto the rocky, uneven surface of the asteroid he glanced around him. Half-lit monoliths tumbled through the "sky" across the innumerable bright stars. The surface looked like some sort of grey granite, and large fragments of it were strewn everywhere. He took a breath to settle his nerves, then bent to help Drake carry the replacement field coil.

Drake had looked around as he stepped out, noticing the view with interest. It wasn't the first time he had crashed in the asteroid field....but last time there had been a squadron of fighters and a ship nearby to help him off. Shaking his head slightly, he set aside those memories to reflect on another time and focused on the task at hand.

They hefted the replacement part to the starboard nacelle, a short nub of a wing protruding from the hull, and removed the main access panel. Michael slipped a PADD out of his pocket and secured it nearby for reference. Funny... the coil didn't "look" faulty, but the computer diagnostic clearly showed it to be the offending device.

Drake eyed the damaged coil. From first glance, it didn't look at all damaged, but a closer inspection revealed a series of hairline cracks running the length of the coil. "Sir," Drake said through the helmet comm. He pointed to the cracks. "I don't know how those got there, but I'm guessing that coil's not doing us any good. Let's get it switched out." Glancing at the PADD, he set to work.

[Inside]

"They've pulled out the coil," R'Vark announced. The display in front of him beeped several times, complaining about the missing coil. The Klingon moved a large finger over the console, silencing the alarm.

Nol nodded, "Hopefully all they have to do is replace it and we can get going. Does this system seem to indicate any further damage?"

R'Vark shook his head, "Not right now; we'll find out one they've replaced it."

[Outside]

Michael glanced again at the PADD and secured the final connection on his end of the new coil. Drake had finished a few moments before. Now they had to calibrate it. "Ok, let's fire it up," Evans said, speaking to the team inside the vessel.

[Inside]

"Sending power to the new coil," Nol announced. As long as the new one didn't blow out and was able to calibrate, they'd hopefully be in the clear. The Bajoran watched as the display indicated that power was getting to the new coil. Thus far, the readings seemed to be staying within tolerance - at least enough that it wasn't simply going to fail.

[Outside]

The coil glowed blue as energy swam through it. In a way it was rather mesmeric, and Mike made a conscious effort not to get lost in it's relaxing light. "Ok, Drake, let's see if we can get this balanced out," he said through the comm system in his helmet. According to the PADD the flow had to be precisely regulated on both ends of the coil, otherwise a stable warp field could not be established. He increased the flow a few millicochranes, then scanned it with his tricorder. "A little less on your side there, Drake," he said. The tricorder registered a stable flow after the small adjustment. "Good. How's that look from your point of view, R'Vark? Does it match the other coil?"

[Inside]

"Running a scan now..." The Klingon brought up another display and ran a default diagnostic on the new coil, comparing it to the other undamaged one. He waited while the test calibrated itself then pulled in the results, "The new coil's parameters are within the acceptable tolerance limits of the other coil. Looks like it will be fine."

[Outside]

Evans nodded. "Good," he breathed. "Good job," he said a little louder over the suit's comm system. Thank goodness for Starfleet 'how to' manuals. "Let's get back inside, Drake," he said. The less time spent outside the ship, the better as far as Michael was concerned.

"If we have to," Drake said in a jovial manner. "Are you sure you don't want to stay out a bit longer? The view is..." He paused, looking at the barren rock of the asteroid and the rest of the asteroids that tumbled slowly through space above them. "Interesting," he concluded. Nevertheless, he began packing the tools up.

They left the damaged coil where it was on the rocky surface; no sense dragging it back with them. Evans helped pack away the rest of the few tools and the PADD, then stepped around to the airlock.

Once inside Michael stripped out of his EVA suit as fast a he could, as though he were sloughing off the 'willies' he got from being in naked space. "Go ahead and start a Level 3 diagnostic on propulsion systems, R'Vark," he shouted up. "I know..." he said hurriedly, forestalling complaint, "none of us are engineers. Just do your best."

The Klingon frowned and growled before turning back to the console and bringing up the diagnostic screen. At least this part seemed mostly intuitive, so long as it checked out anyway. He started the scan and glanced over at Nol.

Evans finished stowing the gear and moved forward to the command section. "Well," he querried, "how do we look?"

"It's still running, hold on," R'Vark stated, eying the doctor. A few seconds later, the console beeped and the Klingon turned to look at the results. "Everything appears to be fine, as far as I can tell."

"Looks like we didn't make too many mistakes, then," Drake remarked, looking at Evans as he stowed his own gear. "Nice work, Sir."

Michael let the compliment pass with the briefest nonverbal acknowledgement. He'd just followed directions after all; and there could still be something wrong that the computer was missing.

"Ok, Drake. Let's get off this rock," Evans ordered. "We're already late for supper, and I miss my sickbay." He sat down at his station. "We can see about that communications system on the way there."

The Carnauba lifted surely, if a little sluggishly, from the granite fomite and pointed her nose back towards Deep Space Four. This little side venture had cost plenty of time, and was likely to take even longer with the engines running below their peak. And no way to update anyone with the communications systems currently down, not that Michael was looking forward to facing Earlond with an early return.

OFF


A Joint Post by:

Lt. Cmdr. Michael Evans, MD
2XO/CMO
USS Pandora

Lt. Drake Lexon
Small Craft Pilot
USS Pandora
Played by: Commander Earlond

and

Revan and R'Vark
Sec/Tac
USS Pandora
Played by: Commander Fala Awen