Lieutenant Valin Dermont - One (Tiny) Problem Fixed and Another (Much Larger) Presents Itself

[Serala]

@Valin Dermont Yet more sarcastic wit from our loveable Dermy. I just can't get enough of this.

(( Main Engineering, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka ))

Dermont:  We 'ave a couple of days ta get things fixed.  Tractor modifications are gonna take time anyways.  We'll likely only get one more run at this thing...

Peters: We have to stabilize the antimatter containment fields first…

That was the whole point.  Get out of dodge.  Slow down and fix things.  Then come back at it once the everything was fixed and the modifications complete.  They could move much faster than the star, after all.

oO Well, as far as we know, eh? Oo

Ral:  If we have to dump the containment vessel or the warp core we won’t have the power to do anything.

Dermont glanced around the bay at the others, frowning.

Dermont:  More reason ta stop movin' fer now.  Regroup and get repairs done.

He put a hand on the console in front of him as another smaller shockwave rocked the ship.  Just being near the thing was dangerous.  The older engineer could name six different ways they could be destroyed simply by being in proximity of the star, without actually trying any of their (highly unlikely to work) plans.

Peters: Uh-oh. :: turning to the trio of engineers closest to him. :: Valin, damage control. Wyatt, keep working on the containment fields. Jamie, make sure the SIF (Structural Integrity Field) doesn’t collapse. Any questions?

Dermont:  Understood, sah!

Ral:  Yes Chief.

Dermont glanced over and saw Ral's hands flying over the console.  LIkely he was trying to either re-route power or layer multiple containment fields over one another in an attempt to keep the fields in place.  But both of those plans relied upon emitters.  If the emitters to the containment field were damaged...

oO Which is why there is redundancy 'ardware installed.  Unlikely everything would be busted...right? Oo

He couldn't let himself be wrapped up with what other engineers were already assigned to do.  His job now was damage control.  He knew full well Dark...eh, Kiax...would already have organized damage by highest priority and shifted crews there.  However, he was ultimately in charge of those teams.  So he headed to a side locker and grabbed a blank PADD and headed over to the situational display in the center of the engineering bay entrance.  Not too long ago, that very console blew up and was obviously trying to kill him.  Having failed that, Dermont didn't think it would try a second time any time soon.

Peters: What happened?

As Dermont approached he couldn't help but see the Bynar ensigns lying on the floor, already surrounded by a medical team and the Chief.  He wanted to dart over, but one more person would just be in the way.  He took a deep breath and set the PADD on the console and uploaded all of the current damage control status updates onto it.  Linking it to the sit display, he would be able to hopefully work and help direct at the same time.  He pushed the conversation happening just a couple of meters away to the back of his mind and tapped his commbadge.

Dermont:  =/\= Dermont ta McGregor. =/\=

Dermont grabbed a toolkit from the locker just inside the bay.

McGregor:  =/\=  ::A slight grunting sound.::  Aye...go ahead, sah.  =/\=

Dermont:  =/\=  Ya sound busy already, and not ta add ta yer plate, but yer DCT needs ta manually inspect plasma conduits fer the next thirty-six meters from yer location.  Ya got a kink in the 'ose, lads, but I can't see where.  'ave fun.  =/\=

He tossed the PADD and his thermos inside the kit and pulled its straps over his shoulder.

McGregor:  =/\=  Aye sir.  Finkley wanted ta crawl some more, tubes today, dincha Finkley? =/\=

The communication ended as Dermont headed for the access lift to take him up to deck thirteen and the battery compartments.  There were issues 

Ral:  Chief! ::grabbing Peters attention back:: The field is down to twenty seven percent. Another hit could take us below fifteen percent and a breach. The auxilliary fusion generators are online but the damage to the plasma network is making it difficult getting the power to the right places.  The only way I can do this is to divert power from life support and bring additional field generators online.  It’ll require your authorisation.

oO What?  No no no lad.  We're not in an life threatenin' situation...yet.  Slow it down, just a tad, eh?... Oo

Peters:  I’m not prepared to authorize taking life support offline, Wyatt. I can authorize some power from non-essential systems, but we’re not going to mess with life support unless we have to.

Ral  I understand Chief.  I’ve already diverted as much as I can from non-essential systems.  I’ll see what I can do from here but it may need a manual patch to feed more power to the field generators.

Their voices faded a bit as Dermont stepped onto the catwalk wrapping the core on the deck above.  He saw Crewman Novek monitoring a console and glancing up at the core, then down and back up at the console again.  The movements were not inherently hectic or worrisome and there was no panic on the Vulcan's face, but something about it made a knot form in Dermont's stomach.  Novek was nervous and that made Dermont nervous.  

Pushing that back down he made his way towards the station that monitored their battery compartment.  It looked like about sixteen percent of them were suddenly offline.  He wanted to see if there was an immediate, obvious problem. He ran a diagnostics and found that for one the new was good.  A backfeed caused the monitoring stations to believe the batteries were drained and dead.  Inaccurate readings causing the system to automatically shut down connectivity to said batteries and reroute the systems they used elsewhere.  Which of course causes a slight drain to everything else.

He shook his head and began the rather simple process of initializing the connections to the batteries.  After a few moments he convinced the station that all of the batteries were working fine (which they actually seemed to be), and he headed back down to see how the "trying not to blow up" emergency was going.

Peters: =/\= Engineering to bridge. How close are we to the neutron star? We need to back off a bit more before something else hits us. =/\=

Isa: =/\= We’ve already backed off some, Commander. Do you think we’re still in danger? We need to be as close as possible to get the kind of readings we need. Not to mention our efforts to make contact with the life in the star. =/\=

Peters: =/\= Affirmative, sir. If we start now, we’ll be able to get the tractor beam modifications done in a day or two. The damage to the plasma network will require some clever rerouting of power to enhance the tractor beam, if that's the plan we're going with.. =/\=

Isa: =/\= Very well, Commander. Do what you need to do to make it work. The tractor beam is a high priority item. =/\=

Dermont listened to the exchange tight-lipped.  In other words, they were not going to stop the ship so they could complete repairs on the systems they needed to access while they were at a full stop and the core powered down.  On top of that, they needed to fix those repairs and begin modifications to the tractor beam.  While flying.  Near the neutron star.

oO Oh, but we've backed off.  There's no danger ta be 'ad...safe as babes in baskets... Oo

Peters: =/\= Copy, commander. Peters out. =/\= ::The chief turned to Dermont as he came down the lift. :: You heard the lady. I’ll watch the structural integrity field. Take Ral and go work on the tractor beam.

There was an expression in the other man's face, but he couldn't tell what it was exactly.  He simply nodded.

Dermont:  Yessir.

Glancing around he didn't notice Ral anywhere.  Not surprising.  As he headed out of the bay towards the tractor room, he tapped his communicator.

Dermont:  =/\=  Dermont ta Lieutenant Ral, meet me in Tractor Control.  DCTs will 'ave ta worry about keepin' us together.  We've got plans.  =/\=

Dermont slid into the turbo lift and frowned as the other man didn't respond.

Dermont:  Deck Sixteen.  =/\= Dermont ta Ral.  Respond please. =/\=

As the moments ticked by and the turbolift opened, he began to worry.  The young lieutenant was practically leaping at the opportunity to be involved in every single project happening on board.  He'd likely try to repair a conduit with one hand while holding a PADD with the tractor modifications with the other.  

A few moments later he found himself nodding to the technician behind the monitoring station for the tractor beam controls.  He

Dermont: Wait until ya get a load of this.  ::The engineer access the files regarding the modifications they were going to be working on.::

Tech:  Sir...that's something else.  But we have an integrity issue around the main tractor emitter.  There's a field in place around it.  I reported it a few moments ago.  We can't use it...not how it is.

Dermont:  Ya love givin' bad news is that it?  Bah.  We'll get it sorted.

He tapped his commbadge.

Dermont: =/\= Dermont ta Commander Peters.  'Ave you seen Lieutenant Ral, sir? =/\=

Peters: =/\= Ral is non-responsive. You two get started on the tractor beam modifications. I will catch up as soon as I can. Any questions? =/\=

oO What in the bloody 'ell does that mean? Oo

Dermont gripped tight the edge of the console and fought with every fiber of his being to not just have the computer give him Ral's location and rush immediately there.  He knew there were lots more people on board the vessel and everyone had a task to do.  Ral's care was not his responsibility.  At least not at the moment.  He would need to trust others to do their jobs.  While he did his.

MacNemar: =/\= Response =/\=

Dermont:  =/\= We've got a teeny integrity problem 'ere.  I take it we'll not be stoppin' fer a proper repair job? =/\=

Peters: =/\= Use whatever you have to for sealant, then get started. Soon as you can, folks. =/\=

Dermont:  =/\=  Of course, sah.  We're on it.  Well, MacNemar, the list o' modifications star 'ere in the tractor room and include everythin' between 'ere and the phaser emitters.  Shall I send ya the list, we each take a team and split the difference? =/\=

MacNemar: =/\= Response =/\=

oO Marvelous.  Begin phase one o' plan Long Shot... Oo